Exploring employee perceptions of the psychological contract, employee motivation and retention in the South African motor industry

Abstract

The historical roots of the employment relationship date back to early civilisations, marked by individuals seeking expertise in exchange for rewards. Unspoken expectations between parties often shape the dynamics of this relationship, influencing individual motivation and organisational retention strategies. This study delves into these three pivotal aspects: the psychological contract, employee motivation and retention. This research employs a qualitative methodology, and in-depth virtual interviews with eight employees from diverse regions, race groups, and genders within the South African motor industry. It aims to fill an existing knowledge gap in the South African context by exploring the perceptions of both managerial and non-managerial employees, focusing on the interconnectedness of the psychological contract, employee motivation, and retention in one study, which currently does not exist. Given the industry's size and the dearth of research on this topic, this study enhances understanding of the employment relationship, which can be critical knowledge for dealer principals and HR practitioners in order to improve HR practices. The study also demonstrates that employee motivation and retention are intricately linked to the psychological contract thus supporting the existing research in this area.

Die historiese wortels van die arbeidsverhouding kan teruggevoer word tot vroeë beskawings waar individue hul kundigheid vir belonings verruil het. Onuitgesproke verwagtinge tussen partye vorm dikwels die dinamika van hierdie verhouding deurdat dit individuele motivering sowel as organisatoriese retensiestrategieë beïnvloed. Hierdie studie ondersoek drie sentrale aspekte, naamlik die sielkundige kontrak, werknemermotivering en retensie. Die studie het ten doel om ’n bestaande kennisgaping te vul deur kwalitatiewe metodologie, en diepgaande virtuele onderhoude met agt werknemers uit diverse streke, rassegroepe en geslagte uit die Suid-Afrikaanse motorbedryf te benut. Die studie stel ondersoek in na die persepsies van beide bestuurs- en niebestuurspersoneel deur te fokus op hoe die sielkundige kontrak, werknemermotivering en retensie mekaar kruis – ’n unieke benadering wat nog nie vantevore verken is nie. Gegewe die grootte van die bedryf en die gebrek aan navorsing oor hierdie onderwerp, voeg hierdie studie kritieke insigte tot die arbeidsverhouding wat vir beide handelaarprinsipale en menslikehulpbronpraktisyns wat verlang om menslikehulpbronpraktyke te verbeter, van groot waarde is. Die studie onderstreep voorts die intrinsieke skakel tussen werknemermotivering en retensie en die sielkundige kontrak wat die studie in lyn stel met bestaande navorsing in hierdie veld.

Umsuka womlando wobudlelwano bokuqashwa usukela emuva ezimpucukweni zakuqala, lapho abantu babeshintshana ngobuchule ukuze bathole imiklomelo. Okulindelwe okungashiwongo phakathi kwezinhlangothi kuvame ukulolonga ukuguquguquka kwalobu budlelwano, kube nomthelela wokugqugquzela komuntu ngamunye kanye namasu okugcina inhlangano. Lolu cwaningo luphenya izici ezintathu ezibalulekile: inkontileka yengqondo, ugqozi lomsebenzi nokugcinwa. Ukusebenzisa indlela yokusebenza ngokuchaza, okuhlanganisa ukuthi abantu ngabanye bahlukile njengezindaba zabo zempilo kanye nezingxoxo ezijulile usebenzisa ubuchwepheshe nabasebenzi abayisishiyagalombili abavela ezifundeni ezihlukahlukene, izinhlanga nobulili embonini yezimoto yaseNingizimu Afrika, ucwaningo luhlose ukugcwalisa igebe lolwazi elikhona. Ihlola imibono yabo bobabili abasebenzi abangabaphathi nabangebona abaphathi, igxile endleleni inkontileka yengqondo, ugqozi lomsebenzi nokugcinwa kwezinto ezihlangana ngayo - indlela eyingqayizivele engazange ihlolwe ngaphambilini. Uma kubhekwa ubukhulu bemboni kanye nokushoda kocwaningo ngalesi sihloko, lolu cwaningo lunikela ngemininingwane ebalulekile ebudlelwaneni bokuqashwa, okubalulekile kothishanhloko babathengisi nabasebenzi bakwa-HR abafuna ukuthuthukisa izinqubo ze-HR. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ucwaningo lugcizelela ukuxhumana kwangaphakathi phakathi kokugqugquzelwa kwabasebenzi nokugcinwa kanye nenkontileka yengqondo, ehambisana nocwaningo olukhona kule ndawo.