Perspectives of female leaders on sense of coherence and mental health in an engineering environment

  • Orientation: Positive organisational behaviour impacts strongly on various individual and work-related outcomes. Gender perspectives in this paradigm have not yet been comprehensively researched. Research purpose: This article explores female perspectives on mental health and sense of coherence. The aim is to promote an understanding of gender-related subjective perceptions on mental health and sense of coherence from an emic perspective. Motivation for the study: Limited research exists regarding the perceptions of positive leadership behaviour of female leaders within South African who experience unique challenges within the business environment and remain healthy at the same time. Research design, approach and method: Data from a mixed-method research study are presented, thereby providing insights into quantitative and in-depth qualitative empirical data from 15 female leaders. The study followed a single, embedded case study approach. Main findings: The main findings show that sense of coherence, mental health and gender awareness are connected. Female leaders with a high sense of coherence refer to gender in a positive or neutral way in a male-dominated work environment. The results emphasise individual and social health-promoting strategies in an organisation and the way personal life orientation contributes to individual (mental) health. Practical/managerial implications: Organisations need to focus more on promoting mental health in terms of gender and gender-related positive psychology frames. Contribution/value-add: This study contributes to the literature on gender within the positive organisational behaviour paradigm, presents recommendations for future research and highlights the practical implications for organisations.

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Metadaten
Author:Claude-Hélène Mayer, Llewellyn Ellardus van ZylORCiDGND
URN:urn:nbn:de:hebis:30:3-570105
DOI:https://doi.org/10.4102/sajip.v39i2.1097
ISSN:2071-0763
ISSN:0258-5200
Parent Title (English):SA journal of industrial psychology : SAJIP = SA Tydskrif vir Bedryfsielkundek
Publisher:AOSIS Publishing
Place of publication:Durbanville, South Africa
Document Type:Article
Language:English
Date of Publication (online):2013/11/14
Date of first Publication:2013/11/14
Publishing Institution:Universitätsbibliothek Johann Christian Senckenberg
Release Date:2020/12/03
Tag:Mental heal; Positive organisational behaviour; Sense of coherence; leadership
Volume:39
Issue:2, a1097
Page Number:11
HeBIS-PPN:477911765
Institutes:Psychologie und Sportwissenschaften / Psychologie
Dewey Decimal Classification:1 Philosophie und Psychologie / 15 Psychologie / 150 Psychologie
Sammlungen:Universitätspublikationen
Licence (German):License LogoCreative Commons - Namensnennung 4.0