Sense of coherence and employees’ perceptions of helping and restraining factors in an organisation

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to assess the construct validity and reliability of the 13-item version of the Orientation to Life Questionnaire (OLQ)  and to investigate whether employees with a strong sense of coherence perceived helping and restraining factors in their organisation differently to those with a weak sense of coherence. A cross-sectional survey design was used. The total population (N = 2 678) of employees in a financial institution in Gauteng participated in the study. The OLQ was administered and it showed acceptable reliability and construct validity. Individuals with high scores (n = 300) and those with low scores (n = 300) on sense of coherence differed regarding their perceptions of helping and restraining factors in their work and organisation.