Orientation: The world economy is becoming increasingly knowledge driven, and intellectual capital is now considered as a human resource that affords organisations a competitive advantage. A high turnover rate in higher education and the importance of retaining staff are concerns that have resulted in increased interest in psychological variables, such as job embeddedness and work engagement that may influence employee retention.Research purpose: The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between job embeddedness, work engagement and turnover intention of staff in a higher education institution.Motivation for the study: Research on how employees’ job embeddedness and work engagement influence their turnover intention is important in the light of organisational concerns about retaining knowledgeable staff in the current higher education environment.Research design, approach and method: A cross-sectional quantitative survey was conducted on a non-probability purposive sample (N = 153) of academic and non-academic staff in a South African higher education institution.Main findings: Correlational analyses revealed significant relationships between job embeddedness, work engagement and turnover intention. Multiple regression analyses showed that organisational links and dedication significantly and negatively predict turnover intention.Practical/managerial implications: When designing retention strategies, management and human resource practitioners need to recognise how job embeddedness and work engagement influence the turnover intention of higher education staff.Contribution: These findings contribute valuable new knowledge that can be applied in the retention of staff in the higher education environment.

This study explored the relationship between the psychological career resources and career anchors of a sample of 2 997 working adults at predominantly managerial and supervisory levels in the service industry. The Psychological Career Resources Inventory and the Career Orientations Inventory were applied. Stepwise regression analyses indicated dimensions of psychological career resources as signifi cant predictors of participants' career anchors. The fi ndings add valuable new knowledge that can be used to inform organisational career development support practices as well as career counselling and guidance services concerned with promoting individuals' employability and experiences of intrinsic career success.

<strong>Orientation:</strong> The generation and development of knowledge for the benefit of the discipline of industrial and organisational psychology by means of research is a core academic focus.<p><strong>Research purpose:</strong> The purpose of this study was to explore general research trends in the field of industrial and organisational psychology in South Africa from 1950 to 2008.</p><p><strong>Motivation for study:</strong> Research in the field tends to be influenced by either the changing needs of business or the occupational or personal fields of interest of academics, which often lead to an overemphasis on specific subdisciplines at the expense of others. This research aims to critically review dominant trends in the research focus areas in the field, in the light of present challenges in the changing work context. Recommendations are also made for possible future research.</p><p><strong>Research design, approach and method:</strong> A broad systematic review was carried out to analyse documented published and accredited South African research in the field (<em>n</em> = 2501).</p><p><strong>Main findings:</strong> Although there has been a proportional decline in personnel psychology research since 1990, there has been a proportional increase in both organisational psychology and employee wellness research since 1980 and 1990, respectively. Some areas of the industrial and organisational psychology field appear to be consistently under-researched.</p><p><strong>Practical implications:</strong> The insights derived from the findings can be used by academia and researchers in the field to plan future research initiatives.</p><p><strong>Contribution/value-add:</strong> The findings provide preliminary insights that contribute to the body of knowledge concerned with the industrial and organisational psychology field in the South African context.</p><p><strong>How to cite this article:</strong><br />Schreuder, D., & Coetzee, M. (2010). An overview of industrial and organisational psychology research in South Africa: A preliminary study. <em>SA Journal of Industrial Psychology/SA Tydskrif vir Bedryfsielkunde, 36</em>(1), Art. #903, 11 pages. DOI: 10.4102/sajip.v36i1.903</p>

This study investigated the use of the Career Orientations Inventory as a measure to determine the career orientations of a random sample of 2 978 participants at predominantly managerial and supervisory level in the service industry. Whereas an exploratory factor analysis yielded a nine-factor structure, a confirmatory factor analysis confirmed five constructs as measures of the career orientations domain. A similar factorial pattern was observed across the African and white groups and a weaker factorial pattern across the Indian and coloured groups. The findings of this study contribute valuable new knowledge to both the practice and the field of Career Psychology.

Over the past 100 years, Industrial Psychology has developed into a viable discipline that has meaningfully contributed to society's knowledge of work behaviour. This has improved the effectiveness of organisations and has increased the job performance of individuals and groups. The world is in a transitional phase, with organisations finding themselves on the edge of chaos. Industrial psychologists must be ready to help organisations to survive in these uncertain times. It will probably be expected of industrial psychologists to assume specialised roles, rather than the maintenance roles of the past. This offers new challenges to universities regarding the training of industrial psychologists.<p> <strong>Opsomming</strong> <br>Oor die afgelope 100 jaar het Bedryfsielkunde in 'n lewensvatbare dissipline ontwikkel, wat betekenisvol tot die gemeenskap se kennis van werksgedrag bygedra het. Dit het die doeltreffendheid van organisasies verbeter en die werkprestasie van individue en groepe verhoog. Die wêreld is in 'n oorgangsfase, met organisasies wat hulself op die rand van chaos bevind. Bedryfsielkundiges moet gereed wees om organisasies te help om in hierdie onsekere tydperk te oorleef. Daar sal waarskynlik van bedryfsielkundiges verwag word om eerder gespesialiseerde rolle te speel teenoor die instandhoudingsrolle van die verlede. Dit bied nuwe uitdagings aan universiteite met betrekking tot die opleiding van bedryfsielkundiges