Abstract
This chapter provides a brief historical context and background of the South African (SA) society from which the broader work context is currently developing. A key feature of the SA society is that it is highly polarized and deeply divided around some work-related issues. Possible reasons for these tensions/divisions will be introduced in this chapter, as well as the associated challenges that these divisions may pose for broader societal change as well as more specific changes in the SA workplace.
The chapter will further indicate what the implications of these challenges are for identity and work-related identity formation and research in the SA workplace. An SA case study is provided to introduce some key concepts used in work identity literature and in this book.
Against the background of these aforementioned aspects, the main research questions of the Work Identity Project are posed as well as what will follow in the rest of the book.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
The Gini index measures the extent to which the distribution of income (or, in some cases, consumption expenditure) amongst individuals or households within an economy deviates from a perfectly equal distribution. A Lorenz curve plots the cumulative percentages of total income received against the cumulative number of recipients, starting with the poorest individual or household. The Gini index measures the area between the Lorenz curve and a hypothetical line of absolute equality, expressed as a percentage of the maximum area under the line. Thus, a Gini index of 0 represents perfect equality, while an index of 100 implies perfect inequality (http://www.indexmundi.com/facts/south-africa/gini-index).
References
Anderson, D. R., Crous, F., & Schepers, J. M. (1996). Flow and quality of work life in a diverse workforce. South African Journal of Industrial Psychology, 22(3), 13–20.
Baldwin, C. (2005). Storycatcher – Making sense of our lives through the power and practice of story. Novato: New World Library.
Beukes, A., Crous, F., Kolsch, S., & Schepers, J. M. (2011). The effect of the spatial positioning of items on the reliability of a questionnaire measuring consumers’ affect. 12th European Congress of Psychology, Istanbul, Turkey.
Bowmaker-Falconer, A., Horwitz, F., Jain, H., & Tagger, S. (1998). Employment equity programmes. Industrial Relations Journal, 29(3), 1–12.
Cooperrider, D. L., Whitney, D., & Stavros, J. M. (2003). Appreciative inquiry handbook. Bedford Heights: Lakeshore.
Crous, F. (2007a). Up: Branding the positive. Inaugural address, University of Johannesburg.
Crous, F. (2007b). From action research to appreciative inquiry: A paradigm shift in organisation development and change. In C. L. Van Tonder & G. Roodt (Eds.), Organisational development –Theory and practice. Pretoria: Van Schaik.
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. New York: Harper & Row.
Dutton, J. E., Roberts, L. M., & Bednar, J. (2011). Prosocial practices, positive identity, and flourishing at work. In S. I. Donaldson, M. Csikszentmihalyi, & J. Nakamura (Eds.), Applied positive psychology: Improving everyday life, health, schools, work, and society. New York: Routledge.
Emmons, R. A. (2004). Gratitude. In C. Peterson & E. P. Seligman (Eds.), Character strengths and virtues: A handbook and classification. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Frankl, V. E. (1984). Man’s search for meaning: An introduction to logotherapy (3rd ed.). New York: Simon & Schuster.
Fredickson, B. L. (2003). Positive emotions and upward spirals in organizations. In K. S. Cameron, J. E. Dutton, & R. E. Quinn (Eds.), Positive organizational scholarship: Foundations of a new discipline. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.
Fredickson, B. L. (2004). Gratitude, like other positive emotions, broadens and builds. In R. A. Emmons & M. E. McCullough (Eds.), The psychology of gratitude. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Hofstede, G. (1980). Culture’s consequences: International differences in work-related values. Beverly Hills: Sage Publications.
Human, L. (2005). Diversity management for business success. Pretoria: Van Schaik Publishers.
Jafta, R. (1998, April). The high cost of affirmative action. Focus.
Keeton, C. (2010). Bridging the gap in SA. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 88(11), 803–804.
Kirpal, S. (2004a). Researching work identities in a European context. Career Development Journal, 9(3), 199–221. doi:10.1108/13620430410535823.
Kirpal, S. (2004b). Work identities of nurses. Between caring and efficiency demands. Career Development International, 9(3), 274–304. doi:10.1108/13620 430410535850.
Kolsch, S., Crous, F., & Schepers, J. M. (2011). Spatial orientation in relation to the reliability of a questionnaire measuring affect. 12th European Congress of Psychology, Istanbul.
Kübler-Ross, E. (1969). On death and dying. New York: Tavistock.
Lakoff, G., & Johnson, M. (1980). Metaphors we live by. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
Loubris, S., Crous, F., & Schepers, J. M. (1995). Management by objectives in relation to optimal experience in the workplace. S A Journal of Industrial Psychology, 21(2), 12–17.
Luthans, F., Youssef, C. M., & Avolio, B. (2007). Psychological capital: Investing and developing positive organizational behavior. In D. L. Nelson & C. L. Cooper (Eds.), Positive organizational behavior. London: Sage.
Maslow, A. H. (1964). Religions, values and peak experiences. New York: Penguin.
Meier, B. P., & Robinson, M. D. (2004). Why the sunny side is up: Association between affect and the vertical position. Psychology Sciences, 15, 243–247.
Meiring, E., & Crous, F. (2011). Validating the positivity projective technique. 12th European Congress of Psychology, Istanbul.
Morrow, P. C. (1983). Concept redundancy in organizational research: The case of work commitment. Academy of Management Review, 8(3), 486–500.
Percival, G., Crous, F., & Schepers, J. M. (2003). Cognitive potential and job complexity as predictors of flow. S A Journal of Industrial Psychology, 29(2), 62–71.
Rademeyer, S. (2006). Ideograph. Johannesburg: Warren Siebrits Modern and Contemporary Art.
Reed, J. (2007). Appreciative inquiry: Research for change. Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Republic of South Africa. (2008). National master scarce skills list. Department of Labour. Retrieved from http://www.mqa.org.za/siteimgs/NSDS%20-%20Scarce%20Skills%20List%202008,%20Final%20(2).pdf. On 26 Apr 2013.
Republic of South Africa. (2011). Industrial action – Annual report. Retrieved from www.labourguide.co.za/download…/1078-industrial-action-report. On 30 Apr 2013.
Robbins, S. P., Judge, T. A., Odendaal, A., & Roodt, G. (2009). Organisational behaviour: Global and Southern African perspectives. Cape Town: Pearson Education.
Schaufeli, W. B., & Bakker, A. B. (2004). Job demands, job resources, and their relationship with burnout and engagement: A multi-sample study. Journal of Organisational Behaviour, 25(3), 293–315. doi:10.1002/job.248 S.
Seligman, M. E. P. (2011). Flourish. London: Nicholas Brealey.
Shapiro, L. (2011). Embodied cognition. New York: Routledge.
Shisana, O., Rice, K., Zungu, N., & Zuma, K. (2010). Gender and poverty in SA in the era of HIV/AIDS: A quantitative study. Journal of Women’s Health, 19(1), 39–46.
Statistics SA. (2010). Millennium development goals – Country report. Pretoria: Government Press.
Statistics South Africa. (2013). BRICS Joint Statistical Publication. Durban.
Taylor, C. M., Schepers, J. M., & Crous, F. (2006). Locus of control in relation to flow. SA Journal of Industrial Psychology, 32(3), 63–71.
Ziraba, A., Fotso, J. C., & Ochako, R. (2009). Overweight and obesity in urban Africa: A problem of the rich or the poor? BMC Public Health, 9, 465–473.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2015 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Roodt, G., Jansen, P.G.W., Crous, F. (2015). Introduction: What This Book Is All About. In: Jansen, P., Roodt, G. (eds) Conceptualising and Measuring Work Identity. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9242-4_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9242-4_1
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-017-9241-7
Online ISBN: 978-94-017-9242-4
eBook Packages: Behavioral ScienceBehavioral Science and Psychology (R0)