Orientation: Staff well-being in distance-learning universities is shaped by leadership practices, institutional communication and the broader organisational environment. Research purpose: This study explored how academic and professional staff at a distance-learning university perceive and experience organisational support, and how these perceptions relate to their well-being at work. Motivation for the study: Although well-being initiatives in higher education often prioritise individual coping and self-care, limited empirical attention has been given to how organisational conditions within South African distance-learning institutions influence staff well-being. Research approach/design and method: A qualitative research design was employed, using open-ended survey responses from 840 academic and professional staff members at a large South African distance-learning university. Data were analysed through reflexive thematic analysis, informed by psychosocial safety climate and perceived organisational support frameworks. Main findings: Three interconnected themes emerged: increasing work demands linked to workload governance, variation in opportunities for staff voice and line management support, and differing views on organisational responsibility for well-being. Everyday leadership and human resource practices, particularly those related to workload management, communication and recognition, played a central role in shaping staff experiences of support and well-being. Practical/managerial implications: Enhancing staff well-being in distance-learning contexts requires transparent communication, meaningful recognition and leadership practices that foster psychological safety across organisational levels. Contribution/value-add: This study highlights organisational support and everyday leadership behaviours (e.g. communication and feedback) as key influences on staff well-being.
Orientation: A variety of factors have contributed to an increase in work stress among academic and administrative staff in higher education institutions in South Africa. This has a negative impact on the mental health and well-being of employees and thus on organisational performance. Research purpose: This study measured the efficacy of a yoga-based positive psychology intervention (PPI) in improving well-being and reducing levels of perceived stress among a sample of employees in this context. Motivation for the study: The literature showed that a multifaceted programme focussed on psychological strengths could provide an optimal long-term strategy for promoting employee well-being. Research approach/design and method: Participants comprised 46 adults employed in an open-distance learning university who were invited to participate in a 36-week yoga-based PPI. The Mental Health Continuum Short Form, International Positive and Negative Affect Schedule Short Form, Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, and Perceived Stress Scale were used to measure positive and negative indicators of well-being. The measures were completed at four time points, and the Friedman and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used for the repeated measures analysis. Main findings: The study’s findings showed improvement in overall mental health, emotional well-being and work vigour as well as reduced negative affect and perceived stress at the study’s conclusion. Other improvements in well-being were observed only at the mid-point of the study. Practical/managerial implications: The success of a holistic workplace wellness programme that emphasises flourishing requires a long-term duration, and an on-site and in-person presentation. Employee commitment and organisational support are essential. Contribution/value-add: The findings show that a yoga-based intervention can help promote emotional well-being, enhance energy levels and mental resilience at work, reduce perceived stress, and minimise negative emotions, thereby demonstrating a strategy for a successful wellness intervention.
Orientation: Employee retention is a serious risk in South Africa’s steel-manufacturing industry because the loss of specialist employees disrupts operations and depletes technical knowledge. Few studies have examined transformational, transactional, and toxic leadership together in this context. Research purpose: This study examined the relationships between these three leadership styles, work engagement and turnover intention among specialists at a South African steel-manufacturing company and tested the mediating role of work engagement. Motivation for the study: Specialist turnover reduces experience and continuity, delays projects, and may increase safety risks. Understanding whether leadership affects turnover intention directly or through work engagement can strengthen retention practices. Research approach/design and method: A quantitative, cross-sectional study was conducted from a post-positivist orientation. Data were collected from 93 specialist employees using established measures. Pearson correlations, regression and mediation analyses were performed. Main findings: Work engagement partially mediated the relationships between all three leadership styles and turnover intention. Transformational and transactional leadership were positively associated with work engagement and negatively associated with turnover intention. Toxic leadership showed the opposite pattern. Practical/managerial implications: Retention strategies should develop constructive leadership, promote fair performance management, monitor work engagement and address toxic leadership early. Contribution/value-add: The study extends the Job Demands-Resources model by demonstrating how leadership relates to specialist turnover intention through work engagement in a South African steel manufacturing company.
Orientation: Studies show a need to enhance the competencies of emerging human resource (HR) practitioners to ensure their effectiveness, competence and sustainability in organisations and the field of HR. Research purpose: This study explored the competencies (skills, knowledge and abilities) that are particularly pertinent to emerging HR practitioners as they adapt to the changing dynamics of the South African and global workplace. Motivation for the study: The changing world of work, including the role of new and advanced technologies and the challenges of employability. Research approach/design and method: A qualitative descriptive research strategy was utilised, following an interpretivist paradigm. Non-probability convenience sampling and purposive sampling were employed, and the sample consisted of n = 64 HR managers. A qualitative survey on the QuestionPro platform was used to collect data, and a thematic analysis was conducted. Main findings: Human resource managers highlighted 15 key competencies that emerging HR practitioners need. These competencies include business acumen, diversity and inclusion, employee wellness, HR service delivery, labour relations and employment law, risk management and compliance, strategic human resource management, talent management, workforce planning, cognitive skills, communication skills, consulting skills, executive presence, HR analytics and metrics and HR research methods. Practical/managerial implications: Organisations can attract a competent, readily employable talent pool, while emerging HR practitioners benefit from industry insights into the competencies employers will require currently and for the future world of work. Contribution/value-add: Identified competencies provide emerging HR practitioners with valuable insights into employers’ and industry expectations, enabling them to enhance the competencies most critical to employability strategically. The findings offer employers, academics and industry stakeholders a framework to align HR education and professional development programmes with current and future work demands.
Orientation: Despite skills planning by (SETAs), South Africa continued to experience persistent skills shortages alongside rising graduate unemployment, indicating a mismatch between education supply and labour market demand. Research purpose: This article examined why skills planning structures failed to align skills supply with labour market demand and explored how a demand-driven approach could reduce graduate unemployment. Motivation for the study: High unemployment rates alongside continued graduate production revealed structural inefficiencies in national skills planning. These inefficiencies undermined economic growth, service delivery and workforce development, requiring critical evaluation. Research approach/design and method: The article used a qualitative research approach with an interpretivist paradigm, guided by labour market theory. A multiple-case study design on the Local Government Sector Education and Training Authority (LGSETA) and Health and Welfare Sector Education and Training Authority (HWSETA) was employed. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with stakeholders and document analysis, and were analysed thematically. Main findings: Skills planning in South Africa remained predominantly supply-driven, relying on weak and fragmented data from Workplace Skills Plans and Annual Training Reports. This approach inadequately captures employer demand, leading to skills mismatches and graduate unemployment. Practical/managerial implications: The study emphasised the need for stronger labour market intelligence, improved stakeholder coordination and demand-driven skills forecasting to enhance SETA interventions’ effectiveness. Contribution/value-add: The article contributed to public sector and skills development literature by demonstrating how data-informed, demand-driven skills planning can improve alignment between education and employment, offering evidence-based insights for policy reform in South Africa.
Orientation: Structured leadership succession planning is vital for maintaining management continuity in healthcare; however, such frameworks are frequently absent within the South African public hospital sector. Research purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions and experiences of leadership succession planning for registered professional nurses in Mangaung district, Free State province. Motivation for the study: Although structured leadership transitions are vital, succession planning within public healthcare sectors continues to be predominantly informal, ad hoc and detached from organisational policy. Research approach/design and method: A qualitative research design was employed using in-depth unstructured interviews. Data were collected from 20 participants in Mangaung district and analysed using Braun and Clarke thematic analysis. Main findings: The results revealed that leadership development is commonly perceived as a secret administrative task rather than a shared professional practice. Practical/managerial implications: The findings support the need to consider succession planning that incorporates mentorship, knowledge transfer and effective communication, in line with the transformational leadership principles and best practices. Contribution/value-add: This study highlighted that a clear policy-driven succession planning is essential to enhance human resource practices, foster nurse leadership and ensure the long-term success of public health system reforms in South Africa.
Orientation: Recruitment practices remain significant determinants of organisational performance; however, limited empirical studies have explored the moderating effect of workforce diversity on the relationship between recruitment practices and organisational performance of the Nigerian public sector. Research purpose: This study investigated the moderating effect of workforce diversity on the relationship between recruitment practices and performance of selected public sector organisations in Nigeria. Motivation for the study: Previous studies focused on diversity mandates and recruitment practices as separate entities, while fewer studies explored their inter-relationship as factors of organisational effectiveness, thus, presenting a theoretical and empirical gap in Nigeria’s public sector setting. Research approach/design and method: Using a descriptive cross-sectional survey design and proportional stratified sampling method, data were collected from 377 employees of six selected public sector organisations, retrieving 366 valid responses. Partial least squares-structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data. Main findings: External recruitment methods and workforce diversity positively influence organisational effectiveness. The positive effect of external recruitment on organisational effectiveness is significantly stronger in organisations with high workforce diversity compared to those with low diversity. Practical/managerial implications: Nigerian public sector organisations should aim at developing strategies to increase workforce diversity and professionalise external recruitment processes. Contribution/value-add: This study extends the current frontier of available knowledge on human resource management by highlighting workforce diversity as a critical boundary condition influencing the effectiveness of external recruitment.
Orientation: The importance of human resource analytics (HRA) has been growing as organisations seek to enhance evidence-based decision-making and performance through data-driven human resource (HR) practices. Research purpose: This study systematically examines and synthesises extant literature on HRA to illuminate its role in organisational decision-making and performance outcomes. Motivation for the study: Despite growing investment in HRA, organisations report persistent disparities in value realisation. A synthesised framework identifying the processes, facilitators, and barriers defining successful HRA adoption is therefore needed. Research approach/design and method: A systematic literature review of 68 peer-reviewed articles was conducted across varied industries and international settings, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses framework. Main findings: Analytics capability, data quality, HR-business partnership and decision-making quality are the four primary drivers of HRA effectiveness. These capabilities translate into improved performance when mediated by organisational culture, ethical governance and digital maturity. Practical/managerial implications: Managers should invest in data literacy and analytical skills before deploying predictive models and ensure that foundational infrastructure and governance frameworks are in place to maximise HRA value. Contribution/value-add: The review presents an integrative, multi-level framework that explains HRA’s role in organisational performance and identifies seven priority directions for future research.
Orientation: Organisational agility is vital for public-sector organisations facing rapid change. Effective leadership and employees’ readiness for change enhance adaptability and innovation. Research purpose: This study examines how servant leadership (SL) and individual readiness to change (RTC) influence organisational agility in the public sector, with innovative work behaviour (IWB) serving as a mediating mechanism. Motivation for the study: While organisational agility has been widely studied in private-sector contexts, limited research explores how agility emerges within bureaucratic public institutions. This study addresses this gap by integrating leadership, change readiness, and innovation behaviour into a unified framework explaining agility in public organisations. Research approach/design and method: A quantitative approach was employed using survey data from 400 public-sector employees. The proposed model was tested using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to examine direct and mediating relationships among the constructs. Main findings: The results show that SL and RTC have significant positive effects on organisational agility. Innovative work behaviour partially mediates these relationships, indicating that employee innovation serves as a key mechanism that translates leadership and psychological readiness into agile organisational outcomes. Practical/managerial implications: Public organisations should foster SL, strengthen employees’ RTC, and encourage IWB to improve adaptability and responsiveness. Contribution/value-add: This study contributes to public management literature by providing empirical evidence that organisational agility can emerge in bureaucratic environments through the alignment of leadership practices, employee readiness for change, and innovation behaviour.
Orientation: Although leadership development is fundamental to public health laboratory systems, structured leadership development opportunities for public health medical laboratory specialists in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) remain limited. Research purpose: This study maps and synthesises existing Laboratory Leadership Development Programmes (LLDPs) in SSA, examining their structure, content, delivery models, and evaluation practices to generate evidence that informs context-appropriate, effective, and sustainable leadership policy and programme design. Motivation for the study: Despite major investments in laboratory systems, leadership capacity remains a challenge. Limited evidence on LLDP design and evaluation in SSA constrains informed policy and practice. Research approach/design and method: A scoping review following Arksey and O’Malley’s framework was conducted. Searches of academic databases and grey literature (2008–2025) identified eligible studies, which were thematically analysed according to programme orientation, design, evaluation and implementation. Main findings: Twenty-eight studies describing nine LLDPs were included. Most LLDPs focused on team and organisational leadership, with limited emphasis on personal leadership and public health systems integration. Competency-based training predominated, but leadership theories and locally grounded frameworks were rarely explicit. Evaluations focused on short-term learning, while donor dependence and weak alignment with national strategies limited sustainability. Practical/managerial implications: National laboratory systems should institutionalise context-specific LLDPs and competency frameworks. Existing LLDPs should emphasise personal leadership and long-term evaluation to strengthen sustainable leadership capacity. Contribution/value-add: This review provides the first comprehensive synthesis of LLDPs in SSA, informing laboratory leadership development, policy and programme design.
Orientation: Persistent misalignment between university curricula and labour market expectations constrains the employability of human resource management (HRM) graduates in South Africa. These challenges are further intensified by rapid technological change and evolving professional standards associated with the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) demands, necessitating systemic curriculum reform. Research purpose: This study aimed to develop and operationalise an integrated, evidence-informed curriculum development framework to strengthen HRM graduate competence by aligning stakeholder expectations, professional standards and curriculum processes within a systems perspective. Motivation for the study: Although curriculum models and HRM competence frameworks are well established, there is a lack of empirically grounded, integrated approaches that connect competence architecture, pedagogy, assessment, stakeholder engagement and governance within a unified framework. Research approach/design and method: A qualitative design grounded in a constructivist paradigm was employed. Data were generated through a thematic literature review (2013–2024) and semi-structured interviews with 14 HRM academics from a selected university and three representatives of the South African Board for People Practices. Thematic analysis guided data interpretation and informed framework development. Main findings: The study empirically validates three interdependent competence domains – technical-digital, strategic-cognitive and relational-ethical – and demonstrates that curriculum misalignment is systemic rather than content-specific. Practical/managerial implications: The resulting Integrated Curriculum Development Framework, together with a prototype curriculum scorecard and accreditation rubric, provides empirically derived and traceable governance tools. Contribution/value-add: The study advances a systems-oriented curriculum governance framework for HRM education and offers a systems-based framework supported by empirical findings and prototype instruments requiring further validation.
Orientation: The W&R SETA identified retail manager and retail supervisor as the most difficult-to-fill vacancies in South Africa, citing deficits in experience, qualifications and skills. No fit-for-purpose blended learning framework for this context existed. Research purpose: This study aimed to develop, implement and evaluate the effectiveness of a blended learning framework for developing critical management competencies in a large South African hardware retailer. Motivation for the study: Existing models did not account for South Africa’s limited Information Technology (IT) infrastructure, low digital literacy, geographic dispersion or operational constraints preventing extended off-site training. Research approach/design and method: A quantitative pre–post survey design was used with a purposive sample of 94 management development programme participants across six South African regions. A 50-item questionnaire measuring nine competency constructs was completed by learners and line managers before training and 6 weeks post-training. Scale reliability, factor analysis and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) established reliability and validity. Main findings: Improvements were recorded for all nine constructs – communication, motivation, conflict management, problem-solving, time management, decision-making, goal-setting, delegation and self-awareness – with a mean improvement of 11.2% (learner) and 12.3% (line-manager). All 94 participants were assessed as competent against the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Level 4 unit standards by accredited Wholesale & Retail Sector Education and Training Authority (W&R SETA) assessors. Practical/managerial implications: Seven framework refinements – on-the-job primacy, role differentiation, structured coaching, pre-reading orientation, social interaction, e-learning as a complement and distributed assessment – provide actionable design principles for training practitioners in resource-constrained retail environments. Contribution/value-add: This study produced an empirically evaluated blended learning framework, the first of its kind reported in the literature for the South African retail context, grounded in adult learning theory and responsive to W&R SETA management competency priorities.
Orientation: Employee experience (EX) has gained increasing attention in human resource management; however, limited research has explained how organisational practices and work stress shape EX within highly formalised heavy-industry state-owned enterprises (SOEs), particularly in emerging economies such as Vietnam. Research purpose: This study examined how organisational practices and work stress influenced EX in heavy-industry SOEs, focusing on the mediating role of perceived organisational support (POS) and the moderating role of organisational culture. Motivation for the study: Prior research has rarely integrated psychological mechanisms and contextual boundary conditions to explain how EX is formed in institutionalised industrial environments. Research approach/design and method: A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted among 403 employees in large Vietnamese heavy-industry SOEs. Data were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling to assess measurement validity, direct and indirect relationships and interaction effects. Main findings: Career development, communication and recognition, working conditions and welfare and work stress significantly influenced POS. Perceived organisational support positively affected EX and mediated the relationships between organisational practices, work stress and EX. Organisational culture strengthened the positive relationship between POS and EX. Practical/managerial implications: Managers should strengthen development, communication and welfare systems, manage work stress proactively and cultivate supportive cultures to improve EX. Contribution/value-add: The study offers a context-sensitive integration of EX and POS theory in heavy-industry SOEs, with relevance for Global South public-sector human resource management (HRM).
Orientation: Employee motivation is essential for banking performance, service quality, and retention, yet research remains fragmented with thematic, geographic, and methodological gaps that hinder theory and practice. Research purpose: This study reviews empirical studies from 2000 to 2025 to consolidate knowledge and develop a multidimensional framework for measuring employee motivation in banking. Motivation for the study: Despite extensive research, no unified model captures financial, relational, developmental, and digital factors, limiting evidence-based human resource (HR) strategies and global relevance. Research approach/design and method: A systematic review used PRISMA guidelines and multistage thematic synthesis in five academic databases, assessing thematic trends, geographic distribution, and methodological rigour. Main findings: Motivation research is dominated by transactional and leadership constructs, such as financial incentives and leadership styles, while holistic indicators, such as career development and work-life balance, receive moderate attention. Relational and cultural factors remain under-explored. About 75% of studies originate from Asia, and most employ cross-sectional surveys, limiting explanatory depth. To address these gaps, a six-dimensional framework integrates 21 metrics across compensation and financial rewards, leadership and governance, recognition and non-financial engagement, growth and development, work environment and well-being, and digital transformation. Practical/managerial implications: The framework offers HR practitioners a structured tool for motivation strategies, balancing financial and non-financial drivers and adapting to cultural and technological shifts. Contribution/value-add: This study introduces an integrated, practice-oriented motivation measurement framework to improve banking performance.
Orientation: Organisational transformations routinely generated uncertainty, resistance and quiet withdrawal. Procedural justice and transparent communication were examined as governance mechanisms for stabilising change. Research purpose: The study treated procedural justice and transparent communication as intertwined governance mechanisms in organisational change, with affective commitment and destructive behaviours as the focal outcomes. Motivation for the study: An interdisciplinary synthesis was needed to explain how participation and structured feedback turned uncertainty into acceptance, providing a conceptual basis for later contextualisation in African human resource management (HRM) settings. Research approach/design and method: An integrative review synthesised methodologically robust studies from OECD contexts in Q1 and Q2 journals, including longitudinal research and randomised field experiments, to derive a conceptual framework. Main findings: Transparent communication and clear justification of managerial decisions reduced uncertainty and resistance, while authentic participation operated through psychological ownership. The synthesis identified four parallel mediating pathways, namely perceived organisational support, cognitive and affective trust, psychological ownership and leadership enactment, whose effect sizes varied across boundary conditions. Practical/managerial implications: Organisations should institutionalise meaningful participation and professionally moderated feedback to reduce implementation frictions and participation fatigue, particularly where uncertainty was high, restructuring was contested and employee relations were complex. Contribution/value-add: The study reframed procedural justice and transparent communication as both ethical principles and governance mechanisms that explain trust, commitment and implementation effectiveness, and identified research directions for African HRM contexts.
Orientation: Investment professionals operate in high-pressure environments characterised by market volatility, demanding performance expectations and limited access to support structures. Research purpose: These conditions increase stress, impair emotional regulation and judgement and weaken individuals’ ability to pursue well-being. While organisational coaching could help, it is costly, time-consuming and difficult to scale, leaving organisations with limited mechanisms to help employees manage the psychological strain associated with high-performance financial work. Motivation for the study: This study therefore investigated whether artificial intelligence (AI) coaching could offer practical, affordable support for well-being and goal attainment within the asset management industry. Research approach/design and method: This qualitative study used thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with 10 South African investment professionals who engaged with an AI coaching chatbot over 4 weeks. Main findings: Four themes were identified: Ease of use and accessibility; reflection, self-awareness and well-being; accountability and goal attainment and tensions between AI coaching and human coaching. The findings show that the chatbot supported participants by prompting reflective thinking, enhancing emotional awareness, offering structured accountability and providing immediate support during stressful moments. Limitations emerged around the absence of empathy, richer insight and the more subtle understanding typically offered by human coaches. Practical/managerial implications: These insights suggest that AI coaching could be effective when used within a blended developmental approach, where AI delivers continuous, low-cost support and human coaches facilitate deeper emotional and interpersonal work. Contribution/value-add: The study contributes practical guidance for organisations seeking scalable ways to strengthen resilience, performance and well-being in high-pressure investment environments.
Orientation: Organisational change is inevitable in the public sector, specifically in developing countries such as Indonesia, which faces demands for accountability and pressure to improve the quality of public services. Research purpose: This study aims to analyse the influence of authentic leadership and internal locus of control on change readiness and the mediating role of innovative work behaviour among civil servants in Indonesia. Motivation for the study: This study arose from a gap in the literature, as prior studies have examined authentic leadership and locus of control in isolation and rarely within the Indonesian public-sector context. Research approach/design and method: This study used a quantitative approach with a cross-sectional survey design. Data were collected via an online questionnaire distributed using purposive sampling, involving 312 civil servants in West Sumatra, Indonesia. Data were analysed using structural equation modelling-partial least squares (SEM-PLS). Main findings: The study indicates that authentic leadership and an internal locus of control have a positive and significant influence on change readiness. Innovative work behaviour also mediates the relationship between authentic leadership, internal locus of control and change readiness. Practical/managerial implications: At the managerial level, public-sector organisations need to develop authentic leadership, strengthen internal locus of control through policies and create a work environment that encourages innovation to increase change readiness systematically. Contribution/value-add: This study simultaneously tests the relationship between authentic leadership, internal locus of control, innovative work behaviour, and change readiness, offering context-specific insights into public-sector change readiness that are absent from the existing literature.
Orientation: Employee retention represents a critical challenge for organisations, with flourishing increasingly recognised as a psychological resource that supports employees’ willingness to stay. Research purpose: This study examines the relationship between flourishing and employee retention intention, testing the mediating roles of workplace well-being and work engagement. Motivation for the study: While flourishing has been associated with positive outcomes, limited evidence exists on the mechanisms through which it fosters employees’ intention to remain. Addressing this gap advances theory and informs HR practice. Research approach/design and method: A cross-sectional survey of 401 employees was conducted using validated instruments. Hypotheses were tested with Hayes’s PROCESS macro (Model 6), supported by confirmatory factor analysis and bootstrapping. Main findings: All hypotheses were supported. Flourishing predicted employee retention intention directly and indirectly. Workplace well-being and work engagement acted as mediators, with workplace well-being emerging as the strongest pathway. The sequential effect was also significant, though weaker than the simple mediations. Practical/managerial implications: HR practitioners should design policies that promote flourishing and create supportive environments that enhance workplace well-being and work engagement. Tailored interventions are needed across generations, roles and tenure groups to address workforce diversity. Contribution/value-add: The study integrates flourishing, workplace well-being and work engagement into a single framework, clarifying their contributions to employee retention intention. It advances understanding of positive organisational psychology while offering actionable strategies for sustainable HRM in competitive labour markets.
Orientation: Although the impostor phenomenon has been widely examined internationally, empirical evidence on its prevalence and demographic variation among human resource (HR) professionals in South Africa remains limited, despite the strategic role of this group in organisational functioning and transformation. Research purpose: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of the impostor phenomenon among South African HR professionals and to examine differences across self-identified gender and racial groups. Research approach/design and method: A positivist, quantitative research design was employed. Data were collected from a voluntary sample of 317 HR professionals across multiple industry sectors. Impostor phenomenon was measured using the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale. Descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, independent-samples t-tests and analysis of variance were conducted using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), Version 29, IBM Corp. Main findings: The findings indicate a high prevalence of the impostor phenomenon, with the majority of participants (83%) reporting moderate to high levels. No statistically significant differences were observed based on gender. However, significant differences emerged across racial groups, with moderate effect sizes, suggesting the influence of contextual and social identity-related factors. Practical implications: The results highlight the need for targeted organisational interventions, including professional development initiatives, mentoring, psychological support and awareness programmes aimed at addressing impostor experiences and strengthening HR professionals’ confidence and effectiveness. Contribution/value-add: This study provides context-specific empirical evidence on the impostor phenomenon within South African HR practice. By integrating self-efficacy and social identity perspectives, the study extends existing theory beyond Western contexts and informs evidence-based HR development strategies focused on professional well-being, inclusion and organisational effectiveness.
Orientation: Employees face high work pressure, work–life imbalance, and insufficient organisational support, which can diminish loyalty. Employee engagement is posited as a key mechanism linking life–work skills and organisational support to loyalty. Research purpose: This study examines the mediating role of employee engagement in the relationships between two types of life–work skills (life–work effectiveness skills and harmony of life skills), organisational support, and employee loyalty. Motivation for the study: Little research has explored how different life–work skills and organisational support influence loyalty in collectivist cultures such as Indonesia. Research approach/design and method: A quantitative, cross-sectional survey was conducted with 200 permanent employees across various Indonesian industries. Data were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling in SmartPLS. Main findings: Both harmony of life skills and organisational support positively affect employee engagement, and life–work effectiveness skills also show a significant positive effect on engagement. Only organisational support and employee engagement directly enhance loyalty. Employee engagement fully mediates the effects of both types of life–work skills on loyalty, and partially mediates the effect of organisational support on loyalty. Practical/managerial implications: Organisations should foster loyalty by strengthening organisational support, promoting work–life harmony, and developing employees’ life–work effectiveness skills – all of which enhance engagement. In collectivist cultures like Indonesia, special emphasis should be placed on relational support and reciprocity. Contribution/value-add: This study clarifies the distinct pathways through which personal and organisational resources affect loyalty, highlighting the central mediating role of engagement. It extends the Job Demands–Resources and Social Exchange theories to a collectivist cultural setting.
