| Summary: | Over the last decade, numerous changes have occurred in the insurance industry due to
international expansions and stiff competitiveness. As a result of these changes, employees
are suffering from stressful work conditions such as pressure to perform and work-life
conflict, which lead to feelings of distrust, tension, strain in interpersonal relations,
interpersonal conflict and difficulty in coping with pressure to perform. Tracking and
addressing the work wellness of these employees are important to improve their work-related
performance, as well as the quality of their service. Burnout, work engagement and
workaholism are focal points in this regard. In order to measure these constructs it is
important to have valid and reliable instruments. However, there is a lack of research which
measures burnout, engagement and workaholism in the South African context.
The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between burnout, work
engagement and workaholism amongst employees in the insurance industry.
The research method consisted of a brief literature review and an empirical study. A cross-sectional
design was used. An availability sample (N = 153) from employees in the insurance
industry was taken. The Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI), Utrecht Work Engagement
Scale (UWES), an adapted version of the Work Addiction Risk Test (AWART), and a
biographical questionnaire were administered. The statistical analysis was conducted with the
aid of the SPSS program and AMOS program. The statistical method employed in the study
consisted of descriptive statistics, Cronbach alpha coefficients, Pearson product-moment
correlation coefficients and a structural equation modelling method. Multivariate analysis of
variance (MANOVA) was used to determine the significance of differences of workaholism
between demographic groups.
It was evident in this study that employees in the insurance industry experience workaholism
due to their tendency to work long hours overtime, to work weekends and to take work home.
Results indicated that work wellness of employees in the insurance industry does comprise
well-being (Burnout and Work Engagement) and Workaholism.
Recommendations for future research were made. === Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.
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