Psychological resources as predictors of positive coping behaviour in the legal profession

Abstract

The aim of this research was to determine whether psychological resources predict positive coping behaviours in the legal profession. The literature review gave context to the main constructs of the research, namely psychological capital, emotional intelligence, sociodemographic characteristics and positive coping behaviour, as well as an overview of the wellbeing landscape of the South African legal profession. The study employed a convenience sampling technique of N = 144 attorneys of different ages, genders, race, job tenures and job levels. The moderating effect of the sociodemographic characteristics and the mediating effect of emotional intelligence were examined. The empirical research involved correlational and inferential statistical analyses to test the research hypotheses. The results suggested a statistically significant relationship between psychological capital and positive coping behaviour, mediated by emotional intelligence, and that some sociodemographic groups displayed greater levels of psychosocial resources and positive coping behaviour than other groups. The research adds to the existing body of knowledge to assist industrial psychologists and human resource professionals in their efforts to prepare attorneys with the necessary tools to develop psychological resources and positive coping behaviours.

Die oogmerk van hierdie navorsing was om vas te stel of psigologiese hulpmiddele positiewe hanteringsgedrag in die regsberoep voorspel. ʼn Literatuurstudie het konteks aan die belangrikste konstrukte van die navorsing verleen. Hierdie konstrukte is psigiese kapitaal, emosionele intelligensie, sosiaal-demografiese kenmerke en positiewe hanteringsgedrag. Die literatuur het ʼn oorsig oor die welstand van regslui in Suid-Afrika gegee. ʼn Geskiktheidsteekproefneming van N = 144 prokureurs van albei geslagte en verskillende ouderdomme, rasse, dienstye en posvlakke is in die studie gebruik. Die matigende effek van die sosiaal-demografiese kenmerke en die middellende effek van emosionele intelligensie is ondersoek. Die empiriese navorsing het korrelatiewe en inferensiële statistiese analises behels om die navorsingshipoteses te toets. Die uitslag dui op ʼn statisties beduidende verband tussen psigiese kapitaal en positiewe hanteringsgedrag deur middel van emosionele intelligensie. Dit toon aan dat sekere sosiaal-demografiese groepe oor meer psigososiale hulpmiddele beskik en meer positiewe hanteringsgedrag vertoon as ander groepe. Hierdie navorsing brei die bestaande kennisgebied uit, en nywerheidsielkundiges en mensehulpbronberoepslui kan dit aanwend om prokureurs met die ontwikkeling van psigiese hulpmiddele en positiewe hanteringsgedrag te help.

Inhloso yalolu cwaningo kwakuwukuthola ukuthi izinsizakusebenza zengqondo zibikezela ukuziphatha okuhle kokubhekana nesimo emsebenzini wezomthetho. Ukubuyekezwa kwemibhalo kunikeze umongo ekwakhiweni okuyinhloko kocwaningo, okungukuthi iqoqo lezinsizakusebenza umuntu angazisebenzisa ukusiza ukuthuthukisa ukusebenza kwakhe emsebenzini kanye nempumelelo yakhe, ukuhlakanipha ngokwemizwa, izici zenhlalo yabantu kanye nokuziphatha okuhle kokubhekana nesimo kanye nokubukisisa kwenhlalakahle yomsebenzi wezomthetho waseNingizimu Afrika. Ucwaningo lusebenzise inqubo elula yokwenza isampula yabameli be-N = 144 beminyaka ehlukene, ubulili, ubuhlanga, ukuqashwa, kanye namazinga emisebenzi. Umphumela wokulinganisela wezici zenhlalo yabantu kanye nomphumela wokulamula kobuhlakani obungokwemizwa kuhloliwe. Ucwaningo lwendlela yokuthola ulwazi ngokubheka ngqo noma ngokungaqondile noma ngobungcweti lubandakanya ukuhlaziywa kwezibalo kokulungiswa okubandakanya iziphetho ezifinyelelwe ngesisekelo sobufakazi nokucabanga ukuze kuvivinywe ucwaningo oluyisitatimende sokubikezela mayelana nomphumela wocwaningo lwesayensi olususelwe endaweni ethile yabantu. Imiphumela iphakamise ubudlelwano obubalulekile phakathi kweqoqo lezinsizakusebenza umuntu angazisebenzisa ukusiza ukuthuthukisa ukusebenza kwakhe emsebenzini kanye nempumelelo yakhe nokuziphatha okuhle kokubhekana nesimo, okuqondiswa ubuhlakani obungokwemizwa, nokuthi amanye amaqembu ezenhlalo zabantu abonisa amazinga amakhulu ezinsizakusebenza zengqondo nokuziphatha okuhle kokubhekana namanye amaqembu. Ucwaningo lungeza olwazini olukhona ukusiza abasebenzi abasebenza ngesayensi yengqondo yomuntu kwezezimboni kanye nochwepheshe kwezabasebenzi emizamweni yabo yokulungisa abameli ngamathuluzi adingekayo ukuthuthukisa izinsizakusebenza zengqondo nokuziphatha okuhle kokubhekana nesimo.