The influence of presenteeism on job satisfaction and organisational commitment among government employees within the Cacadu district

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of presenteeism on job satisfaction and organisational commitment among government employees within the Cacadu district. Research on presenteeism has been conducted and the majority of research on presenteeism has predominantly focused on its prevalence, determinants and economic effects, in the process neglecting important attitudinal results. Sickness presenteeism may signify physical presence and mental absence and can be associated with affective-motivational states such as job satisfaction and organisational commitment. The research methodology used to conduct the study is a combination of a literature review and an empirical study. A quantitative research paradigm and a descriptive research method were used to investigate a sample size of 220 employees within government departments in the Cacadu district. In order to minimise the study bias, simple random sampling was used to ensure that the sample accurately reflects the larger population (N=1025). Data were collected by means of a structured questionnaire. The instrument was piloted with 40 respondents and the instrument was hand delivered to all the participants. The results of the correlation analysis indicated that there is a moderate relationship between presenteeism and job satisfaction and a moderate relationship between presenteeism and organisational commitment. Regression analysis showed mixed results among presenteeism, job satisfaction and organisational commitment. Findings and recommendations of this study are significant to employees as they provide essential information regarding the influence and impact of presenteeism within the working environment and how these affect the performance of employees in delivering quality service within the Cacadu district. Given that there is presently little available research on the attitudinal consequences of sickness presenteeism and also non-work related presenteeism, these findings offer further opportunity for conducting research in the area.