Hypothesis Summary 114

In summary this section has presented 12 overarching hypotheses with various sub-hypotheses. The first three hypotheses represent the common underlying constructs of emotional and cognitive engagement capabilities and the individual engagement outcomes. The other hypotheses focus on the exact testable relationships between all of the engagement dimensions as argued in the conceptual framework as presented in Chapter 4 (section 4.1). A proposition and hypothesis summary is presented in Table 5-3 and a diagrammatical hypothesis summary is presented in Figure 5-2. The next section explores the statistical techniques used to test the hypotheses.

Table 5-3 Summary of Research Propositions and Corresponding Hypotheses

Proposition Hypothesis

P1 The individual engagement capabilities, as defined by emotions and cognitions will positively affect the

individual engagement outcomes.

H5 The individual engagement capabilities (emotional and cognitive engagement capabilities) will have a positive effect on the individual engagement outcomes. P2 Individual engagement capabilities - Emotions

(emotional engagement capabilities) will have a

positive effect on the individual engagement

outcomes.

H4a Emotional engagement capabilities will have positive effect on the individual engagement outcomes. P3 Individual Engagement Capabilities - Cognitions

(cognitive engagement capabilities) will have a

positive effect on the individual engagement

outcomes.

H4b Cognitive engagement capabilities will have a positive effect on the individual engagement capabilities. H4d Cognitive engagement capabilities will have an indirect

effect on the individual engagement outcomes as mediated through emotional engagement capabilities. P4 Individual engagement capabilities - Cognitions

(cognitive engagement capabilities) will have a

positive effect on the emotional engagement

capabilities.

H4c Cognitive engagement capabilities will have a positive effect on the emotional engagement capabilities. P5 Organisational Characteristics - A supportive

organisational environment will have a positive

effect on the individual engagement capabilities

(emotions and cognitions) and the individual engagement outcomes.

H6a POS will have a direct positive effect on emotional engagement capabilities.

H6b POS will have a direct positive effect on cognitive engagement capabilities.

H6c POS will have a direct positive effect on individual engagement outcomes.

P6 Organisational Characteristics - The design of the

job (job characteristics) will have a positive effect on

the individual engagement capabilities (emotions

and cognitions) and the individual engagement outcomes.

H7a Job characteristics will have a direct positive effect on emotional engagement capabilities.

H7b Job characteristics will have a direct positive effect on cognitive engagement capabilities.

H7c Job characteristics will have a direct positive effect on individual engagement outcomes.

P7 The design of the job (characteristics) will positively affect the perception of a supportive organisational

environment.

H8 The job characteristics will have a positive effect on POS.

P8 Contextual Variables – The personal variables and the structural organisational variables will have a direct association with the organisational

characteristics (perceived organisational support

and job characteristics) and an indirect association with the engagement capabilities and outcomes.

H9a Gender will have a direct effect on POS and an indirect effect on the engagement capabilities and outcomes. H9b Gender will have a direct effect on the job

characteristics and an indirect effect on the engagement capabilities and outcomes.

H10a Age group will have a direct effect on POS and an indirect effect on the engagement capabilities and outcomes.

H10b Age group will have a direct effect on the job characteristics and an indirect effect on the engagement capabilities and outcomes.

H11a Academic lecturer level will have a direct effect on POS and an indirect effect on the engagement capabilities and outcomes.

H11b Academic lecturer level will have a direct effect on the job characteristics and an indirect effect on the engagement capabilities and outcomes.

H12a Group of Eight universities will have a direct effect on POS and an indirect effect on the engagement capabilities and outcomes.

H12b Group of Eight universities will have a direct effect on the job characteristics and an indirect effect on the engagement capabilities and outcomes. P9 Emotional engagement capabilities can be

represented as a common underlying construct comprising the variables of vigour, meaningfulness, safety, availability and psychological resources.

H1 The measures of meaningfulness, availability, psychological safety, psychological capabilities and vigour together have shared variance which will have the properties of a common underlying construct: emotional engagement capabilities.

P10 Cognitive engagement capabilities can be

represented as a common underlying construct comprising the measures of attention, absorption, dedication, job involvement and intrinsic motivation.

H2 The measures of attention, absorption, dedication, job involvement and intrinsic motivation together have shared variance which will have the properties of a higher order construct: cognitive engagement capabilities.

P11 The individual engagement outcomes can be represented as a common underlying construct comprising the factors affective commitment, job satisfaction, intention to quit, exhaustion and disengagement.

H3 The measures of affective commitment, job satisfaction, intention to quit, disengagement and exhaustion together have shared variance which will have the properties of a higher order construct: individual engagement outcomes.

Figure 5-2 Hypothesized Relationships INDIVIDUAL ENGAGEMENT CAPABILITIES INDIVIDUAL ENGAGEMENT OUTCOMES CONTEXTUAL

VARIABLES ORGANISATIONAL ASPECTS H5

Gender H4b STRUCTURAL VARIABLES PERSONAL VARIABLES Age Group Cognitive Engagement Capabilities Emotional Engagement Capabilities Job Characteristics H6a POS Lecturer Level Group of Eight Universities Individual Engagement Outcomes H12b H12a H11a H10b H9b H9a H10a H8 H6b H7a H7b H7c H4c H6c H4a H11b