Showing the work ethics of South African black adolescents is determined by parent involvement, their time concept, and efficacy

• Published in: Education (Chula Vista) Vol. 122; no. 3; pp. 531 - 556
• Main Authors: Myburgh, CPH, Niehaus, L, Poggenpoel, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Project Innovation Austin LLC 22-03-2002
• Subjects: Ethical aspects; Psychological aspects; Social science research; South African students; Teenagers; Work ethic; Youth; South Africa
• ISSN: 0013-1172

The aim of this research project was to develop and empirically test a path-analytical model appropriate for explaining black adolescents' work ethics within the context of a productive inclination by addressing the following issue: "How do adolescents arrive at their perceptions of work ethics?" Addressing this issue entailed investigating the complex interaction of variables which determine adolescents' perceptions of their work ethics within the context of a productive inclination. A structured questionnaire, on the basis of a theoretical framework, was developed to obtain information from adolescents about their work ethics and relevant factors which could play significant roles in arriving at particular perceptions of their work ethics. Various consecutive factor analyses, item analyses and combinations of multivariate regression analyses were conducted on the data obtained. The results obtained were generally supportive of the proposed path-analytical model. Moreover. adolescents' perceptions of their parents' involvement in their personal development, their time concept and their perceptions of their personal competence were identified as key variables which play particularly significant roles in arriving at perceptions of their work ethics.