The experiences of psychological empowerment in
relation to the UN Sustainable Development Goals
among staff in a Kenyan Children’s Centre:
A qualitative field study
COURSE: Bachelor thesis, 15 hp
PROGRAM: Human Resources with a bachelor’s degree in psychology AUTHORS: Evelina Hjortskog, Mikaela Norberg
EXAMINATOR: Vezir Aktas SEMESTER: Spring semester 2020
Spring semester 2020 ABSTRACT
Evelina Hjortskog, Mikaela Norberg
The experiences of psychological empowerment in relation to the UN Sustainable Development Goals among staff in a Kenyan Children’s Centre:
A qualitative field study
Number of pages: 77
The aim of the study was to identify the prevalence of psychological empowerment factors among staff in a children’s centre in Kenya and explore how their work is connected to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s). A qualitative approach was used, based on interviews as the method of data gathering. The sample of the study consisted of 10
participants (N=10), whereby 8 were men and 2 were women. The sample was selected using a convenience sample method. The data material was analyzed using a thematic approach and revealed five different psychologically empowering factors: competence, meaning, self-determination, impact and organisation and management in accordance with previous psychological and structural empowerment literature. Additionally the data revealed eight potential psychologically disempowering factors: lack of competence, self-determination, impact, of work-life balance, financial resources, decent working conditions, community poverty and child neglect. The study provided both positive and negative linkages between the data and the UN SDG’s. Further, it adds a newfound understanding of the complexity of psychological empowerment within a Kenyan lower socio-economic community.
Introduction
The study was based on a wish to explore and fill the existing gap in the study of psychological empowerment within a cultural and demographic context, as suggested by Spreitzer (1995). The study will focus on an in-depth qualitative analysis regarding the experiences of psychological empowerment in relation to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) in a Kenyan cultural setting. The nature of the study arose from the
researchers’ interest in foreign cultures and human rights. No previous studies have studied psychological empowerment among Kenyan staff and connected it to the UN SDG’s and this study will therefore provide a unique and important contribution to the field. Further,
studying the experiences of psychological empowerment among staff in a children’s centre in Kenya is of importance for different reasons. The positive outcomes of psychologically empowered staff are many but in order to achieve them, an understanding of the underlying factors is important. Previous studies showed that the emotional well-being of staff working with children affects the well-being of the children (Raskin et al., 2015; Wolff & Fesseha, 1998), which emphasizes the importance of psychologically empowered staff. Staff working with children help to shape the future, not only for the children but also for society and the world as a whole, making it an important field of work. Considering the grand influence they have, it is also of importance to discover what factors motivate them and influence their performance. By identifying aforementioned factors, organisations can create opportunities for empowering staff and in turn contribute with a greater, positive influence on the children. Lee and Nie (2014) found that in order for teachers to stay motivated, satisfied and
functioning in their roles, psychological empowerment plays an important contributing role. Background
This section of the report will first and foremost present the organisation where this study was conducted. Further, theoretical facts will be provided about empowerment as a
concept, specifically the development and definition of empowerment, which underlying factors may enable empowerment and the potential outcomes of psychological
empowerment. In addition, this section will provide knowledge regarding cultural influences, specifically the Kenyan one, as well as the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Information about the children’s centre
The information about the children’s centre was retrieved from its website. However, in order to reassure confidentiality and protect the participants in regard to the ethical
guidelines, no references will be included in this section.
The children’s centre which this study builds upon is an integrated unit existing of both an orphanage and two schools, one for primary and one for secondary education. The children’s centre is a community-based organisation (CBO) meaning it relies solely on support from fundraising and/or donors or sponsors. The orphanage was founded in 2003 in order to meet the needs of children who had lost their parents due to HIV and AIDS or poverty. Later on, the school emerged as an additional effort in order to provide education and increase the quality of life for the children. Today, the schools are providing education for 646 students whereof 53 of them are orphans who live in the orphanage.
Orphanages have received criticism and efforts are being made across Eastern Europe and Central Asia to change childcare systems to that of more family focused ones (Greenberg & Partskhaladze, 2014). However, in nations that are less developed, the existence of
orphanages fills an important societal function in order for orphans to survive (Wolff & Fesseha, 1998).
Psychological empowerment
As previously mentioned, the topic is of importance because of several different reasons. Lee and Nie (2014) emphasized that studying psychological empowerment among teachers have increased in vitality due to more demands and complexity in the workplace.
The complexity in the workplace is influenced by a dynamic working environment with ties to the community (Paul et al., 2019). Psychological empowerment is a complex phenomenon and the concept will be explained next.
Psychological empowerment is a part of a broader empowerment concept.
Empowerment in general terms consists of both psychological and structural empowerment. The two different concepts are intertwined in a complexity where structural empowerment focuses on power sharing within the organisation and psychological empowerment puts focus on the employee’s emotions in connection to the power sharing (Abel & Hand, 2018;
Puskulluoglu & Altinkurt, 2017; Quiñones et al., 2013). Due to the close connection between the concepts, organisational and management aspects of the workplace are important
considerations not only when studying the structural aspect but also when studying psychological empowerment (Abel & Hand, 2018).
Development and definition of psychological empowerment
The development of empowerment started due to Western ideologies, such as delegation, participation and equality, which contradicted the mechanization that came with the industrial revolution in the 1980’s (Baruch, 1998). During the late 1980’s a different approach on how to view empowerment started to emerge through the study of Conger and Kanungo (1988). Before this time, and even to the present date, the concept of empowerment is seen as an equivalent of delegating and sharing powers (Abel & Hand, 2018; Baruch, 1998; Conger & Kanungo, 1988; Puskulluoglu & Altinkurt, 2017; Quiñones et al., 2013). However, in the 1980’s, empowerment was explained to have two different perspectives: empowerment as a relational construct, explained as the relation of power, as well as empowerment as a motivational construct (Conger & Kanungo, 1988). This distinction of two different perspectives is what in the present-day literature is conceptualized as the distinction of structural empowerment (Kanter, 1983) and psychological empowerment (Spreitzer, 1995).
Regarding the definition of empowerment, a review of existing literature reveals both disagreement and a lack of consensus upon its definition and terminology (Herrenkohl et al., 1999; Lashley, 1996; Pardo del Val & Lloyd, 2003; Thomas & Velthouse, 1990). However, when Conger and Kanungo (1988) studied empowerment, they realized a lack of knowledge regarding the connection between empowerment as a relational construct and subordinates’ perceived experiences. In posing this question, an explanation of empowerment through the Oxford English dictionary definition of empower: “to enable” was created. While the earlier definitions of empowerment focused mainly on delegation within organisations, that of authority and resources, the word enabling inclined Conger and Kanungo (1988) to look at motivation through a process of enhancing personal efficacy. Based on the self-efficacy concept as coined by Bandura (1986), Conger and Kanungo (1988) explained motivational empowerment as “... a process whereby an individual’s belief in his or her self-efficacy is enhanced” (p.474). In other words, to feel empowered is equivalent to feeling less personal powerlessness. Personal powerlessness is connected to feelings of role ambiguity, role conflict and role overload. Personal powerlessness can also be felt if an individual experiences minimal challenges and a low sense of meaning in the workplace.
Another literature milestone in what is today conceptualized as psychological empowerment was the development of “The Cognitive Model” by Thomas and Velthouse (1990). The model was a further development of empowerment as a motivational concept as explained by Conger and Kanungo (1988), but with a greater complexity (Spreitzer, 1995; Thomas & Velthouse, 1990). The cognitive model built upon a notion that empowerment contains several aspects and therefore can’t be explained with a single aspect: self-efficacy. Instead, they found that intrinsic task motivation should be measured in order to understand the perceived sense of empowerment among employees, and it was therefore the main focus of the model. Thomas and Velthouse (1990) explained intrinsic task motivation as “positively
valued experiences that individuals derive directly from a task” (p.668). In order to measure intrinsic task motivation, four cognitive constructs were used. The cognitive constructs help to show an individual’s relation to his or her work role. The development of the four
cognitive constructs resulted in the following: meaning, competence, self-determination, and impact. Meaning entails the relation between the value of a work purpose or goal, and the standards or ideals of the individual (Thomas & Velthouse, 1990). Competence is similar to Conger and Kanungo’s (1988) notion of self-efficacy and self-confidence (Thomas &
Velthouse, 1990). Self-determination is defined as the responsibility of an individual for their own actions and their feelings of perceived choice. The last cognitive construct, Impact, is referred to as the perceived feeling of “making a difference” (Thomas & Velthouse, 1990). According to Spreitzer (1995), the development of the cognitive model contributed to an understanding of psychological empowerment as a motivational construct. The four cognitive constructs show an orientation in which people can perceive an ability to shape their work role. In her study, Spreitzer (1995) tested the validity of the concept empowerment as a motivational construct and therefore also provided evidence for its construct validity, based on the cognitive model from Thomas and Velthouse (1990). Further, Spreitzer (1995) defined this concept as psychological empowerment. The development of the concept psychological empowerment as explained above, enabled studies to find further applications for the concept (Ugwu et al., 2014). Since the definition of psychological empowerment, it has been broadly researched. In order to understand psychological empowerment more clearly, it is of
importance to know which underlying factors may enable psychological empowerment among workers.
Factors enabling psychological empowerment
The above-mentioned conceptualization and definition shows which psychological components help in motivating positive behaviors in the workplace (Ugwu et al., 2014).
Since Thomas and Velthouse (1990), found that meaning, competence, self-determination and impact are the factors that make up psychological empowerment, many studies have searched for which factors enable the cognitive constructs. Regarding empowerment among teachers, several factors have been identified to influence their perceived psychological empowerment in the workplace: leadership, trust, work environment, social importance and respect from the community (Jose & Mampilly, 2015; Khany & Tazik, 2016; Lee & Nie, 2014; Lee et al., 2011; Muduli & Pandya, 2018; Shapira-Lishchinsky & Tsemach, 2014; Singh & Sarkar, 2012; Sinha et al., 2016; Zimmerman, 1990). In addition, social workers empowerment is influenced by another kind of motivation. More specifically, their
satisfaction and motivation for working is connected to their compassion towards others and an altruistic wish to see the people they work for suffer less and progress in life, termed compassion satisfaction (Harr, 2013; Radey & Figley, 2007).
Without further depth into different leadership styles, several studies showed that teachers psychological empowerment is affected by influences from leaders, such as principals and supervisors, especially the cognitive construct of competence (Lee & Nie, 2014; Shapira-Lishchinsky & Tsemach, 2014). An authentic leader who encourages the teacher to make changes creates for psychological empowerment, improved performance and increased control at work (Shapira-Lishchinsky & Tsemach, 2014). In addition, leaders who are trusted and encourages involvement in decision-making also affect teachers feeling of psychological empowerment. Feeling trust created more innovative solutions and inclined teachers to utilize their competence to make changes in their work (Khany & Tazik, 2016; Sinha et al., 2016). However, the quality of the supervision also affects the perceived psychological empowerment (Lee et al., 2011), which was showed by Janssen (2004) who found that conflict with a supervisor may affect the employee’s psychological
Further studies focusing on motivational factors among teachers and social workers showed that they perceive their jobs to be very meaningful due to its social
importance (Bessaha et al., 2017; Singh & Sarkar, 2012). The social importance of being a teacher is influenced by respect from the community (Singh & Sarkar, 2012). Apart from extrinsic motivational factors, a link also exists between intrinsic motivation and satisfaction and perceiving you job as meaningful (Muduli & Pandya, 2018). Paul et al., (2019) showed similar findings, whereby a teacher’s performance at work is influenced by inner
job-satisfaction, feeling a sense of purpose, ability for independent decision-making and rapport with students and colleagues.
As shown above, many different factors enables psychological empowerment among teachers and social workers. But why are these factors of importance to fulfill? What does psychological empowerment really lead to? The next section will explain the potential outcomes of having psychologically empowered employees.
Potential outcomes of psychological empowerment
Psychological empowerment has a positive effect on organisations since it increases certain work outcomes such as job-satisfaction, creativity, involvement, performance,
engagement and commitment (Janssen, 2004; Jose & Mampilly, 2015; Khany & Tazik, 2016; Lee & Nie, 2014; Liu et al., 2007; Paul et al., 2019; Singh & Sarkar, 2012; Sinha et al., 2016; Spreitzer et al., 1997; Wang & Lee, 2009; Zembylas & Papanastasiou, E, 2005). The
literature also showed that psychological empowerment enables proactive, adaptive, agile and resilient behaviors at work (Huang, 2017; Muduli & Pandya, 2018) which is suitable in a dynamic profession such as teaching. However, an agile workforce is not possible without intrinsic motivation (Muduli & Pandya, 2018; Paul et al., 2019). Furthermore, a connection has also been found between psychological empowerment and task performance, employee loyalty and turnover intentions (Sinha et al., 2016; Yao et al., 2013).
Taken together, the literature showed many reasons as to why having psychologically empowered staff is beneficial. For example, using and understanding empowerment is of importance since it can help organisational leaders with setting higher goals and having the employees accepting them. It may also help in making the employees stay in times of organisational change (Conger & Kanungo, 1988; Lamm & Gordon, 2010; Morin et al., 2016). Furthermore, studies also found that psychologically empowered teachers are more likely to have cooperative parent-teacher relationships, increase their organisational citizen behavior and reduce their absenteeism (Bogler & Somech, 2004; Chung & Kim, 2018; Shapira-Lishchinsky & Tsemach, 2014). However, in regard to the parent-teacher relationships, Gordon and Cui (2014) found that parental involvement in school-related activities decreases in communities with higher poverty. Poverty is one factor influencing this study, since it took place in a slum in Kenya. In order to understand the results better,
understanding the cultural influences and differences is of importance. Cultural influences
According to Zimmerman (1990), empowerment should not be studied too individualistically in order to not limit the understanding of the concept. Although
psychological empowerment has an individual focus and includes intrapsychic traits such as self-efficacy and motivation to control, other external factors are also of importance to consider, especially ecological and cultural influences (Spreitzer, 1995; Zimmerman, 1990). Psychological empowerment includes environmental factors such as collective action, cultural awareness and skill development (Zimmerman, 1990) which shows the importance of understanding the culture of which the study is conducted in.
Kenyan culture
“It takes a village to raise a child” (Njue et al., 2007). Kenyan culture has a
individualistic cultures (Ma & Schoeneman, 1997; Njue, et al., 2007; Schwartz, 1999). Culture is an important aspect of work centrality, work values, self-concept, community behaviors and religion (Ma & Schoeneman, 1997; Njue, et al., 2007; Putman et al., 2011; Schwartz, 1999). However, even within cultures, the amount of collectivism or individualism may differ due to different factors such as development, education and modernization. The sense of self in collectivistic cultures is connected to the surroundings and the personal position within the community. This can be shown in the Kenyan culture, which is based on social units and groups of which the individual is a part of and a sense of the notion that the common good outweighs individual interests (Ma and Schoeneman, 1997; Njue, et al., 2007). In Kenya, the “Harambee philosophy” is an important factor of the culture. The Harambee philosophy is the notion of pulling together and means that individuals network together to meet their collective needs and provide financial, emotional and participatory support for those in need (Njue et al., 2007). In addition, religion has a strong influence on collectivistic cultures, such as the Kenyan one (Putman et al., 2011).
Kenya is a less developed country and therefore has a higher rate of poverty than Western countries, which makes it of interest to make connections between the results and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The goals will be explained further in the next section.
UN Sustainable Development Goals
The study is a scholarship study, supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and the Swedish trade union, Vision. A requirement from SIDA was to connect the results to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The Sustainable Development Goals are described on the United Nations website (UN, n.d:a) and consists of 17 goals that were created to develop a universal response in
order to better the world, through ending poverty, protecting the planet and improving the lives of every human. All the goals consists of different targets that are measured with indicators. All UN Members States adopted the goals in 2015, with a 15-year plan to achieve the objectives of the goals. The study takes into account three of the SDG’s: Quality
education, Decent work and economic growth and Reduced inequalities.
SDG 4: Quality Education
The United Nations expressed on their website (UN, n.d:b) that quality education is the foundation of reaching sustainable development and that it helps in improving the quality of life. A report by the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD, 2019) emphasized that education is an important factor in ending poverty. In the world today, millions of children don’t have access to education and some of the ones that do, aren’t learning. Sub-Saharan Africa is mentioned as one of the regions that are behind in educational opportunities. The report (UNSD, 2019) also showed that it is the region that faces the biggest challenges in providing schools with basic resources and trained teachers.
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
Decent work was explained on the United Nations website (UN, n.d:c) as everyone’s right to access a work that meets certain standards. In order for the work to be considered decent it should, for example, provide a fair income, security in the workplace and prospects for personal development. A report by the International Labour Organization (ILO, 2019) emphasized that labor standards plays an important role in achieving inclusion, protection and equity in workplaces.
SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
The goal is explained on the United Nations website (UN, n.d:d) and takes into account the need for global policies in order to help the disadvantaged and less developed nations. The goal focuses for example on increasing foreign investment and adopting policies
for wages and social protection in order to reduce inequalities within but also between countries.
Aim
The main purpose of the study is to identify the prevalence of psychological empowerment factors among staff in a children’s centre in Kenya. The study also aims to explore how their work is connected to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. According to the purposes of the study, the following research questions were formulated:
• Which psychological empowerment factors are prevalent among the staff in a children’s centre and how are these linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals?
Method Research methodology
The purpose of the study was to examine psychological empowerment among staff in a children’s centre in Kenya. Therefore, an applied research method became a suitable approach (Patton, 2002). Using an applied research method enabled connections between theories and knowledge to real life phenomenon. Furthermore, this method was suitable due to the non-generalizability and the specificity of the study regarding time and place (Patton, 2002). Due to the researchers’ wish to explore and describe the experiences of the
participants, a qualitative method was used (Cruz & Tantia, 2017). An important
consideration was the ambiguity of a qualitative research design, as explained by Patton (2002) as following: “a qualitative design needs to remain sufficiently open and flexible to permit exploration of whatever the phenomenon under study offers for inquiry” (p.254).
The study was conducted based on a seven-step model as proposed by Kvale (1997). Generally, this seven-step model was beneficial as it provided the researchers with guidelines and structure on procedures of the study, from its start to its end. The first step included
thematization of the study and the creation of a comprehensive method. Secondly, the seven different stages were planned thoroughly. The following step in the model included the performance of the interviews in accordance with the interview guide. Furthermore, the interviews were transcribed, and in the fifth step the data was analyzed. The next step included verification and assessment regarding the reliability and validity of the data. The final step included reporting the results and also what methods were used. Each step will be presented more thoroughly later in this report.
Sample
The sampling strategy was based on purposeful sampling rather than probability sampling due to the aim to create an understanding of the complexity of psychological empowerment, rather than a generalization. The participants included in this study were chosen by a convenience sample, which was beneficial in order to fit the aim of focusing on the staff in the organisation (Bryman, 2011; Patton, 2002). The convenience sample method has been criticized as an undesirable method due to it being based solely on convenience. Further criticism takes into account the simplicity of the model compared to other sampling methods (Patton, 2002). However, since this study took place in Kenya, during a restricted period of time, establishing a contact before traveling to the country was required. A convenience sampling method therefore became a consequence of that established contact. The selection process began with contacting the manager of the organisation. In the first step, the manager was informed about the purpose of the study. Secondly, the manager selected respective participants for the interviews, eight men and two women (N=10). The sample consisted of seven teachers, one social worker, the manager and the assistant manager. Measures
In order to retrieve data for the study, qualitative interviews were performed. The interviews were conducted in English which is one of the official languages in Kenya. A
combined approach was used in order to the data collection to be as relevant and thorough as possible (Patton, 2002). Following aforementioned approach meant using a general interview guide approach, in combination with a standardized open-ended interview approach (Patton, 2002). Using a general interview guide approach aligned the fixed questions with the four factors meaning, competence, self-determination and impact, as formulated by Thomas and Velthouse (1990), see appendix 1. However, the fixed questions were formulated according to the researchers’ subjective interpretations of what questions could be related to each factor. During the interviews, the sequence of the questions was restructured in order to create a conversational flow. The fixed questions helped in ensuring that the same questions were asked to all respondents. However, semi-structured interviews were used to enable the participants to share their experiences more openly and freely and allowed for greater
dynamics and flexibility in the interview setting (Bryman, 2011; Kvale, 1997; Patton, 2002), which was considered important due to the focus on depth. Therefore, questions were
designed to be as open and broad as possible, and contained some predetermined follow-up questions while space also was provided to ask more follow-up questions, based on the content of each interview. This was an important aspect to consider while gathering the data, in order to provide opportunity and space for other potential themes to emerge outside the theory.
Due to a restricted time period, the number of participants was limited, providing the study with less breadth. However, this allowed for an increased focus on depth which created an understanding about different psychological processes within the employees (Patton, 2002).
Procedure
The contact with the children’s centre was firstly established during the planning stage by contacting the manager via email where the researchers informed about the purpose
of the study. The researchers had an additionally contact person who at the time was located in Kenya and helped to facilitate the information sharing between the researchers and the manager, while the researchers still were in Sweden. One month before flying to Kenya, the researchers participated in a two day, mandatory and preparatory course organised by one of the sponsors, SIDA. During this time, the contact person was emailed a project plan which contained detailed information in regards to the purpose and implementation of the study. Upon arrival in Kenya, the researchers were invited to visit the children’s centre during the first week. An introductory day was arranged in order for the researchers to be informed about the organisational operations as well as presenting themselves to the managers and the staff working at the children’s centre. Additionally, the first week was spent planning for the process and considerable time was also spent getting to know the internal language and cultural setting. According to Patton (2002), using a language in the interview setting that is understandable for the respondent and which they can relate to is of importance. Taking time for researching cultural norms was considered valuable in order to gain more credibility as interviewers and create a bigger trust amongst the participants (Patton, 2002).
Further, the second, third and fourth weeks were spent formulating the interview questions, setting up meetings and conducting the interviews. An informed consent was also established during this time which will be thoroughly described and presented under “Ethical
considerations”. The interviews were conducted at the children’s centre and different rooms were used depending on which ones were available at the time. The interview time with the participants varied from 30 minutes to 2 hours. With permission from the participants, the interviews were recorded on mobile phones. The citations used in this study have been fairly adjusted and shortened, in order to improve the readability.
The remaining weeks were spent transcribing, analyzing and verifying the collected data while simultaneously finalizing the report. Additionally, the collection of previous
research literature was an ongoing process throughout the entire time in order to keep the procedure dynamic and minimize biases (Patton, 2002). The importance of having an
ongoing collection in the literature review was expressed by Marshall and Rossman (1989) as follows: “Literature review should go on simultaneously with field work to permit a creative interplay between the processes of data collection, literature review and researcher
introspection” (p.38-40).
The study was originally to be conducted in Mombasa during nine weeks in total, however due to unforeseen changes in the Kenyan political climate as a consequence of Covid-19, that time was interrupted. Instead, the study was conducted in Mombasa during five weeks and the remaining weeks were spent finishing the study in Sweden.
Ethical considerations
The study followed the ethical Swedish “good research practice” guidelines
(Vetenskapsrådet, 2017). An ethical protocol was established, taking into account any ethical issues that may occur, see Appendix 2 (Kvale, 1997). The protocol covered important ethical principles such as informed consent and confidentiality. The participants were also informed that their answers would only be used for the purpose of the study. Informed consent means providing participants with relevant information about the aim and implementation of the study which the participants in turn must consent to and give approval of. The informed consent form also stated that participation is fully voluntary and thus participants have the right to withdraw from our study at any time. Furthermore, the participants were treated with integrity (Bryman, 2011; Kvale 1997).
At the beginning of each interview, participants received a copy of the protocol and were thoroughly informed about its content. The protocol also contained the researchers’ contact details, in case the participants needed to contact them afterwards. Each participant was given time to carefully read through the protocol and ask questions in the event of any
ambiguity. The participants as well as the researchers had to sign two protocols before each interview started.
In order to reassure the confidentiality, the names of the participants and the location of the organisation were excluded in the report. Thus, any data that might identify the participants has not been reported (Kvale, 1997). In order to exclude the names they were replaced with “respondent 1”, “respondent 2” etc. Citations including the name of the organisation have been labeled as X. In addition, in citations where a name is mentioned it has been shortened to one random letter.
Quality research
Since the qualitative data has been retrieved through interviews with participants in their own workplace, it provides for a higher ecological validity (Willig, 2008). In addition, a reflexive method has been used throughout the entire interview process, which has provided space for the research process to continuously be reviewed during the given time. As a first step the researchers analyzed and coded the data material separately to increase and generate reliable results. As a second step, the researchers analyzed gathered data together, which provided opportunity for discussions and comparisons of the different codes. Different interpretations of the data were thoroughly discussed to ensure agreement in the final
compilation of emerged themes. Hence, the undertaken steps throughout the analysis process have ensured the degree of reliability (Willig, 2008). Furthermore, both researchers
participated in every interview, which enabled more in-depth discussions of data interpretations afterwards as well as during the analysis process.
Data analysis
The data was analyzed using a thematic approach. The thematic analysis followed a six-step model, as proposed by Braun and Clarke (2006). The six phases were: (1)
Reviewing themes, (5) Defining and naming themes, (6) Producing the report. In the first
step, the researchers transcribed the verbal data. To retain the original material when
transcribing, laughter and inaudible sounds were coded and a distinction was made between short and long pauses. The data material was read separately, in order for the researchers to get familiar with the content, as well as to start searching for meanings and patterns. In the second step the researchers identified and produced codes that were in line with the research question. To avoid interfering with each other´s interpretations of the data at this stage, the coding was also done separately. Once the data had been coded, the researchers went through it together to compare any similarities or differences between the produced codes. In the third step, the researchers compiled the codes and categorized them and made a distinction
between which codes indicated signs of empowerment or disempowerment. In the fourth step, it was categorized into different main themes and sub-themes. Several potential main themes existed in the beginning of this procedure. However, the researchers agreed that some of the themes could be intertwined and connected to the factors of psychological
empowerment; competence, meaning, self-determination and impact. In addition, nine other themes were found, see table 1. In the fifth step, themes were reviewed in order to find a potential relationship between them. The themes were validated in relation to the data material through a process of continuously reading the material to reassure the connection to the themes. In the sixth step, the different themes were defined and named, see table 1. The last and final step was producing the report (Braun & Clarke, 2006). The results and discussions of the themes will be presented below.
Table 1
Compilation of main themes and subthemes
Results and discussion Empowerment factors
The main purpose of the study is to identify the prevalence of psychological
empowerment factors among staff in a children’s centre in Kenya. The results after analyzing the interviews showed support for the psychological empowerment factors: competence, meaning, self-determination and impact as proposed by Thomas and Velthouse (1990) and Spreitzer (1995). However, patterns were also found of another important factor in enabling psychological empowerment. The additional factor was connected to organisational aspects. This section will present the results from the study.
Competence
The empowerment factor competence is related to a feeling of efficacy and self-confidence (Conger & Kanungo, 1988; Thomas and Velthouse, 1990). The importance of having knowledge while working with children was expressed by participant 4 as following: ”(…) staying with the children which are not of your own, at times you do something you feel you are doing good maybe, and to them it is not good, so you need, you just need to learn (…)”.
The results showed that all the participants had either an education within their field and/or previous work experiences. While analyzing the interviews, the responds showed that it was both the previous experiences in connection to the education that helped the staff in handling situations in their work.
I’ve attended so many, (…) workshops. And as I have told you I have also traveled a lot. Through traveling and experience and the seminars that I’ve attended and with also the level of my education I have a broad knowledge about children. (…) Ok, because I’ve told you I’m specifically with children, through the experience has prepared me, (…). (Respondent 3).
A recurring pattern in the interviews was the respondents’ emphasis on their experiences rather than their education. A similar result emerged from another participant who expressed it as following:
(…) you have experience, and trainings, yeah, so, but once you undergo training and then you on the ground, (…), you have particular experience, you combine these two things and then you get things moving on well. (Respondent 10).
An important factor to keep in mind when analyzing the results regarding educational backgrounds is the financial factor of being able to afford schooling. Many of the participants expressed that they come from a humble background which has led to an inability to gain for example a higher education such as university studies. This should be seen as an important consideration regarding the emphasis on experiences as previously shown.
My educational experience was rough, because number one, (…), I come from a very humble background. Many times, when I was in primary school, I could be sent home, stay home for a week, two weeks, three weeks, without going to school because of school fees. The same happened (…), through (…) to high school, same, after high school I stayed home for seven good years before joining college, because
of school fees problem. So, when I manage to collect some cash, I went to college, and that is why I´m here. (…) it had several ups and down for me to get this far that I got, but I thank God only now. (Respondent 1).
The answer indicated a gratitude to religion in order to get through the difficult time. The finding lends support to Putman et al. (2011), in that religion is seen as an important aspect in their lives, which was a recurring pattern. A similar experience was explained by another participant:
The education situation was difficult concerning to the family background, I come from a poor family background (…), I come from a (…) family whereby it is only the father who was working, (….) you found that you can go to school, you are sent back home for the school fees, there is a time we sat home almost a year without school fees but I thank God (….). It was difficult, even when we went to the secondary, I was to drop from boarding school (…). The same happened then when I finished the secondary I had no other option because of my lack of money, I went for the
carpenter whereby I worked but because of the push from (…), my friends (…) it forced me to go to the college whereby it was up and down, you go to the college, you are sent back, you need money but all in all I thank God I managed to finish it. (Respondent 7).
The financial obstacle to gain higher education has led to an analysis of whether this
phenomenon reflect a perceived lack of education and therefore led to decreased perception of psychological empowerment or whether it is encouraging a personal wish to further educate themselves. However, one may not exclude the other and there may be a potential intercorrelation between the two different interpretations. The wish to have a professional growth in regards of gaining a higher education was expressed by participant 2 as following: “(…) I mean to go further. Because in early years we have three stages, we start with the
certificate, diploma and then P1. So, I did certificate so I’m planning to go for (…) diploma and then degree”. In addition, the results showed that due to the financial restraint of
affording your own education, other alternatives had to be considered in order to gain
sufficient competence to perform the work. This was explained by a participant who went for seminars in order to fill the gap in her educational background:
(…) so after primary I went to high school where I just went up to form four, then later on, I wanted to go further, but now, the issue of finance money I could not afford that. So, I’ve been to small seminars, educating about children, how to stay with the children, how to take care of the children, so that’s where I’ve got more education. But you know, after form four I was to go at least to a college, but my qualification was not for university according to Kenya. I was just to go for a college, but now the money to pay was a little bit difficult, so I just started going to small seminars where you just pay a little money (…). (Respondent 4).
In similarity the manager of the organisation explained that he gains knowledge from external courses that are not related to academical studies:
(…) I been lucky to undergo these short courses like 3 weeks, one months, being sponsored by (…) UN and the department with the Kenyan organisation. (…) I went for children’s rights, and such kinds of trainings, paralegal training, what law requires with us, as an institution and a society. So, (…) let’s say, for children’s right, (…) that one also empowered me to know that, (…) it’s not good to violate their rights (…). So, you see, if I could not have undergone psychological training like the children’s right training, maybe (…) I would be violating their rights, you know. (….) Yeah, so (…) trainings have also really empowered me, very much, apart from experience. (Respondent 10).
The example explained in this statement shows the crucial need for competence among staff who work with children. In addition, the results in this section showed that in spite of an inability to afford academical studies, the participants showed a dedication towards their work and a will to develop even more which may indicate a feeling of feeling empowered.
Furthermore, children's centres may put a higher demand on the competence level among the staff. In combination with the participants’ restraints in gaining higher educational competencies, an increased demand on organisational information sharing becomes important in order to maintain a sufficient level of competence among its staff.
(….) when one person goes for training, when he or she comes back, he has to share with the rest whatever you learned. You know, they can’t train all people but (…) it should be a trainer to train the others, so that you share the information,
(…). Because, if you keep it for yourself then it won’t be of help, (…). (…) when you share with them you also empower them. So, that even if you are not there, they do the right thing. And if you are there as a team, you know that you are all in the same tune (…). (Respondent 10).
The results showed that information sharing from the management is an important aspect in order to increase competence among the staff, which confirms previous literature (Lee & Nie, 2014).
Meaning
The empowerment factor meaning includes the intercorrelation between individual values and the value of the work (Spreitzer, 1995; Thomas & Velthouse, 1990). Teachers and social workers experience a deep connection to their work that is motivated by the will to help others and making a difference (Bessaha et al., 2017; Harr, 2013; Radey & Figley, 2007; Singh & Sarkar, 2012). There is also a link between intrinsic motivation and satisfaction and perceiving your job as meaningful (Muduli & Pandya, 2018). Radey and Figley (2007)
expressed it as following “(…) social workers are guided by compassion for humanity and an altruistic desire to improve individual and societal conditions” (p. 207).
The findings of what factors made the staff feel meaning in their work is an
intercorrelation between intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors. In addition, a connection was found between the linkage of work and personality and the perceived sense of meaning. The intrinsic motivational factors are important findings in the study considering their recurrence in every interview.
Intrinsic motivation. The results showed that one of the main reasons for working as a teacher was the experience of having personally experienced difficulties in school due to a humble background. This was an interesting finding since it showed that the humble
background that led to obstacles in gaining academical education as explained above, also led to an internal desire to help children that are in the same position.
(…) I really struggled through my education line to reach here. So, I normally feel that, once a learner has an opportunity to be in a better school like this one, then as a teacher I need to give the best of me to this learner, to shape the life of this learner, so that, at least, this learner will have a future (….). So I’ll try as much as I can to make sure that whatever I’m parting on this learner will have a positive change and will have to change or shape this learners in future life (…). (Respondent 1).
Another participant expressed a similar statement:
(….) I really struggle ‘til where I am and that one made me (…) to gain the
experiences of life and I, that one models me to get to the other side of the life, and (…) here I am now, I’m just taking my work as (…) a precious thing to serve (…) so that I (…) can change the, the life hood of somebody because I know where I started my education (…). (Respondent 6).
In similarity, the co-founder of the children’s centre expressed her motivation for working in the organisation due to having personally experienced being an orphan herself. Her statement showed that the will to help others is rooted in both an intrinsic will to help, but also in a gratitude to the people who once helped her and knowing how that affected her life. An analysis was made in regard to viewing the gratitude from external occurrences as a foundation for an intrinsic motivation to help others:
(…) I grew up without parents. My mother passed on when I was very young (…) when I was 7 years old. So, at that time so many people took care of me in the village. When I started going to school there are people who just use to give us food in the village. (…) So, from that assistance people did to me, I always used to say I`ll give back to the community, I have to help someone. (….) So, from there I said God, I also have to do such like work. (….) So, that’s where I decided to help also because me I was helped by people so much. (….) the way I grew up being an orphan, is one thing that motivates me. Motivates because if people in my area were to overlook me (…) maybe I would not be where I am right now. But since they had that heart, they had that mind to help me, so that I can be where I am right now. (….) So, it motivates me (…) in that, if you do good or if you help somebody, maybe it’s just one person, but you are helping many people through that person. Yeah, so, it motivates me, to, to at least be here, and do what I can for the children. (Respondent 4).
While analyzing the findings regarding intrinsic motivation among the staff, a high degree of compassion satisfaction was shown (Harr, 2013; Radey & Figley, 2007). This was expressed in the participant’s perceived sense of internal passion for teaching and serving the children which was a recurring answer in the majority of the interviews. Three of the
interviews provided examples of this intrinsic motivation. It was shown that the wish to help the children stems from an internal drive rather than external financial factors such as salary.
(…) I don’t have anything because this job we just do it with a passion and with a lot of enthusiasm. (….) Because where I get my satisfaction is to see a child developing, giving the right direction in life and seeing him succeeding in life and living
independently, that’s my satisfaction. So sometimes you can be doing business, business you know you have to get a profit and me, my profit I get, because the pay also is not all that much that you can say that it’s satisfying but my satisfaction is to see child benefitting a lot because I know that that’s the future! Of our great nation or the community that child comes from. (Respondent 3).
A similar statement was made from the assistant manager and co-founder of the organisation:
(…) But to me, you know, if you look on what we have, (…) it’s very little. If you say maybe I want to pay myself, J wants to pay himself, then the teachers won’t have their salaries, (…). So, whatever we get, you found that that money is very little. (….) Because to me, I always want to work where children´s are. (…). So, mostly even when I come, maybe I’m sad, just, from just normal life, the way at times you can be sad, (…) but when the children comes in they start making fun, (…) I just start
laughing, and I see life to be very good. Yes, so that’s why mostly, even when I am in my house where I stay, when things are not working well, I just feel I have to come here. (…). (Respondent 4).
The citations shown above may indicate a connection between intrinsic motivation and some degree of job-satisfaction, confirming the findings of Muduli & Pandya (2018). In addition, the results showed that many of the participants had a motivation to increase the knowledge among the students. This motivation that emerged in the majority of interviews showed to be connected to a will of creating a good life for the children:
(…) my major wish that I have, it’s to see a good number of children go through the academic system (…). Become independent in life, (…) that’s the major achievement. Yeah, in fact, that’s the major goal for X (…). (Respondent 10).
What I would like to do more is just to impart knowledge, to put knowledge into these learners, because knowledge is power. So, when they are informed, then they can make their own decision. I believe of an individual making his or her own
decision and this one only comes when you knowledgeable enough (…). (Respondent 1).
The deep-rooted intrinsic motivation connected to helping the children could be seen as both a desire to help people (Bessaha et al., 2017; Radey & Figley, 2007; Singh & Sarkar, 2012) but also as an indication on the Harambee philosophy and a cultural aspect whereby in Kenyan culture the well-being of children is seen as a communal responsibility (Njue et al., 2007). The sense of communal responsibility to raise a child can be seen in the following answer from one of the participants:
(…) here, those factors are not satisfying more especially financial but we look at the situation (…) we go far with the salary (…) you go far to support some of the pupils (…) so you find that you also sacrifice, (…) we are working to support. We are here, when I came here I felt that because it is also supporting the orphans (…), I also say that ‘let me also play a role in that’. (….) So, I saw that it is wise even if I’m working here and I’m being paid, also I should sacrifice myself (…) to give back to these people, (…) who needs our help. That is why I find that I should also join hand in hand to help those kids, the orphans. (Respondent 7).
Not only did the participants express a strong connection to their work in regard of helping the children and give back, but the majority of the interviews also indicated a strong sense of passion for their work. Being a teacher was expressed by one participant to be “a
calling more than a profession” (Respondent 1). In similarity, other participants expressed similar motivations of teaching being an inborn talent by expressing it as following: “a talent from God” (Respondent 8) and that “teaching is in my heart” (Respondent 2). These findings indicated a linkage between personality and work.
Work and personality linkage. The findings showed a linkage between work values and personality, which could indicate a connection to the empowering factor meaning in regard to the findings of Thomas and Velthouse (1990) and Spreitzer (1995). In the
interviews, different levels of connections emerged within the intercorrelation of work and personality. Prevalent in five interviews was the first level of intercorrelation, which showed that the participants felt a connection inherently in their personality. The phenomenon was expressed as following by one of the participants:
(…) my profession as a teacher and my personality they are marrying, (…), I’m a person of service, a service man. So, I have that, the service spilled in me. (…) So, that one goes hand in hand with (…) the service in me and the service that I require to (…) bring in here as a teacher to the learners. Yeah, so that one goes hand in hand with my personality (…). (Respondent 6).
In addition to the inherent connection between work values and personality, another level was found. The second level showed that the personality was not only connected to the work, but also majorly affected and shaped by the work. Two different reasons were found for this influence. The first reason was due to external pressures of how teachers are viewed in the society and the second reason showed more of an incline towards being a role model for the children.
Ok, first of all my job as a teacher, professionally teaching grooms someone, (…) as a teacher you need to be like a mirror in the society (…). So, because of being a teacher you try as much as you can to up your standard in terms of reflection, that’s
personality. So, teaching and my personality it has bring that kind of a change to me. (Respondent 9).
(….) when you serve the children, you have to hold outmost standard, you have to set standards of yourself in terms of social life, in terms of the way you carry yourself in the society. (….) it’s also shaped also my character (…) because I have to behave in front of the children. I have to show them, straight forward person, person with integrity, upright person, hardworking person, because (…), these children are looking on you (...) (Respondent 3).
Finally, the third level of work and personality linkage was the finding of a connection between the profession and a high degree of status and respect in the society.
(…) In Kenya, they say that teachers are the mirrors of the society, so whatever teachers does will be seen by everybody. Teachers in Kenya are used as examples everywhere. So, basing on my career, and how I see, or I view it, the way I’m being perceived out there, is because of the career. So, whatever people say, whatever people sees there, that respect is because of the career that I have. (….). (Respondent 1).
(…) when you are in a society, people recognize you, know that, that man, that woman is doing something worthy to the society. So, with the status of yourself when you are serving the child, that one makes you also in yourself to work hard (…) because the moment, mentioning something bad or whatever, you know your reputation will always go to a waste. (Respondent 3).
During an analysis of the answers regarding the linkage between work and personality, it became apparent that the three different levels does not exclude each other but are rather synergetic in their effect on the participants’ motivations.
In similarity to the two above-mentioned statements made by one teacher and a social worker, the manager also expressed the connection between the profession and status.
However, the manager expressed an additional motivation in being a role model, not specifically for the children but also towards his employees and the community:
(…) being a manager, I’m a role model first in this institution, to my staff and to the entire institution and the society. So, (…) I have to make sure that (…) whatever (…) policies I put on the ground, my staff can take me serious. (Respondent 10).
The interrelatedness of the profession and the respect and status given from others, also showed to bring some degree of job-satisfaction among some of the participants. Further, this finding may be connected to cultural differences, specifically the Harambee philosophy and the collectivistic culture in Kenya (Ma & Schoeneman, 1997; Njue et al., 2007). The job-satisfaction connected to the profession status was explained as following:
So many people respect even me, even those people from the churches, there are some people who come here and (…) they say V, how did this come about, (…) the school here, they say this (…) to be very big. So, the children’s home makes me, (…) happy (…) and makes me like working here. (Respondent 4).
(…) in fact as a teacher when you get out they say ‘Hey, that one is a teacher from X!’, yeah and it motivates you, in fact if they greet you (…) ‘hey teacher!’. You know the minute you see that you feel like you are very important. (…) So, these people really respect the teachers and they always talk good of us and that’s why we’re here, personally that’s why I’m here (…). (Respondent 5).
The findings presented above linking both intrinsic motivation and respect from the
surroundings, to some degree of job-satisfaction, may indicate that there are many different aspects contributing to the staff’s perceived empowerment. The status and respect from the community shows not only an intrinsic motivation but also another kind of motivation, an
extrinsic motivation. The findings lends support for existing literature suggesting that people within collectivistic cultures identify themselves with their personal position within the community (Ma & Schoeneman, 1997).
Extrinsic motivation. An interesting finding in the collected data was an extrinsic motivation connected to finances. Previous results have indicated an intrinsic motivation to work without any regards to the lack of organisational abilities to pay out sufficient salaries. Two of the participants expressed interesting contradictions to this, whereby one of them expressed that one of the reasons he started working at the children’s centre was due to the financial aspect that he receives a higher salary there than in his previous workplace. This finding was interesting considering it was a contradiction to the intrinsic motivations
expressed above. The other participant expressed a motivation among the teachers connected to receiving money from the parents as an acknowledgement of the students’ performances:
(…) in this place, (…) teachers are not paid (…) much. In this place when a parent maybe will come and give you 100 Shillings because the child have performed, as a teacher you add more effort, so that maybe one day, this hundred shillings will be two hundred, you never know. Another parent will come with a different thing. So, those are some of the factors that motivate teachers, at least to work here. Or even just a parent coming to thank you of the good work you done to the learner, (....).
(Respondent 1).
In addition to causing a contradiction, these two findings also indicate that the financial aspect may also be a contributing factor to feeling empowered in their work.
Other extrinsic motivations were expressed in the interviews. One of the frequently recurring statements indicating an external motivation was the focus on achievements and its connection to the perceived satisfaction of the participants. This was explained by participant one:
(…) So, when the result becomes positive, definitely, yes I have to feel happy, so I feel happy working here when my learners perform (…). Because, honestly, when you are doing something and the results is negative, there must be a problem somewhere. But, to us here, (…) every work we do, the happiness is based on the result. So, when the results are good, definitely, you will be happy. (Respondent 1). In addition to the achievements being an extrinsic factor of empowerment, the appreciation from the children, the colleagues, the administration and the community all play an important role in why one of the participants decided to stay within the organisation:
(…) all that a teacher needs, (…) to have confidence, it’s the love. You know if you get love from people within the area, (…) starting with the kids, the colleague teachers, administration and the entire community, it becomes easy for you to work. That is all that I need, the moment I go, I get those ones then I move on, yeah without any problem. (….) In fact, that’s what has kept me, (…) because minus love then it means will you expect rejection so if they would have rejected me then I wouldn’t have been here. Yes, that’s what gives me confidence. (…) you feel ‘ah, it’s the right place to be’. (Respondent 5).
The above-mentioned finding was recurring in many of the interviews which indicates it being an important factor of empowerment among the staff in the children’s centre.
A perceived sense of meaning, especially the intrinsic motivation, showed to be one of the most consistent findings in the data. Therefore, meaning may be of high importance in feeling empowered. All of the participants expressed some form of intrinsic meaning
connected to their work, as shown above. In addition with the extrinsic motivations and the linkage between work and personality, this section had provided a thorough insight into what motivates the staff in their work at this children’s centre in Kenya.
The empowerment factor self-determination, proposed by Thomas and Velthouse (1990) and validated by Spreitzer (1995), takes into account the amount of perceived choice and responsibility individual’s have in their work. The results of this study showed that all the participants felt some degree of self-determination. The individual ability to plan the working days, perceived freedom in performing tasks and the ability to make decisions were the patterns that indicated self-determination. A recurring result in the majority of the interviews was the individual planning.
When you arrive, you prepared yourself for the day before, that is you plan for what you do today, whatever you will do tomorrow you plan for it today. So, like we have this scheme of work, the lesson plan. So, we normally write the scheme for work for the whole term, then lesson plan, we plan on a daily basis. (Respondent 1).
The ability and opportunity to individually plan for your days, may increase the participants’ sense of self-determination. In addition, the perceived freedom in performing tasks was another result, that was expressed by the participants.
(….) you find that everyone has a role to perform and as a teacher you understand what you are supposed to, to do. (…) You know what you are supposed to do. (…) so you are free to do it and exploit your potential without being limited (…).
(Respondent 9).
(…) nobody’s there to pressurize me, I do what I want but following what is there on the timetable as it has been planned. (…) you find that when you worked for another institution there is somebody, as you are working somebody is there supervising you and ‘ah, ah do not do this, do this’ so you find that here, although there is a time table to be followed but there is nobody who is there to supervise you, they just say that you should use a common sense, you work, you came here to work and you should do
the right thing, (…) that is what makes me to (…) feel comfortable working here. (Respondent 7).
The findings revealed that there is a trust in the staff to use their freedom in an appropriate manner. In addition, the results indicated that although there might be some restrictions in the freedom to perform tasks in the form of a timetable, it is not expressed to be a major
hindrance. Instead, the results may indicate that there is a connection between the perceived freedom and some degree of job-satisfaction. Lastly, the ability to make decisions was a recurring finding in the interviews. Among the teachers, the ability to make decisions was mostly connected to their work within the classroom setting. This was explained by
participant 2 as following: “(…) if I decided today that I don’t want to teach I can also take pupils to do outdoor activities, like physical education, or (…) we can have other activities apart from classwork, (….). (Respondent 2). However, the assistant manager expressed another type of decision-making more in connection to bettering the organisation.
(…) maybe if something is not working in a good way, (…) I can make decision and say no, (…) this one is not good. So, that one, I can make a decision. Let me just say, the decisions which are good, I can just make them, (…), maybe to improve some things which have not been working well (….). (Respondent 4).
The findings provided support for the psychological empowerment factor self-determination (Khany & Tazik, 2016; Spreitzer, 1995; Thomas & Velthouse, 1990). Although most of the participants expressed an ability to make decisions, additional limitations in the individual decision-making were prevalent in the answers, which will be presented later in this report.
Impact
The fourth psychological empowerment factor is impact which shows through a worker’s perceived ability to make a difference (Spreitzer, 1995; Thomas & Velthouse, 1990). The importance of making a difference was expressed by one of the participants as
following: “(…) I believe (…) that when you go somewhere you find that place the way you find it but leaving it, leave it not the way you found it. (…) leave that place when (…) you have made an impact, positive and not negative.” (Respondent 7).
The results of the study in regard to making a difference, indicated different levels of creating an impact. Although somewhat restricted, the participants showed examples of an ability to make a difference in four different areas: society, child development, academics and organisation. The impact on the society was expressed by the manager and founder of the children’s centre as following:
(…) even the society around here, they are also benefiting from this project. That’s a difference we have created in the society already. (…) I have created employment opportunities for a few Kenyans here. It may be very little the earning, but it’s better than (…) poverty outside there. So, that’s a difference that I have even created in the society, which is being felt in the society. Just establishing X here as a project has helped a lot of children access education, quality education. It may be not 100 % but if it’s 65 % or 70 I feel it’s better. (Respondent 10).
The manager expressed an ability to not only help the children in creating opportunities for them through education but also to provide opportunities for employment as well. An
interpretation can be made that this opportunity to help people gave the participant a sense of achievement and satisfaction. In addition, another participant expressed a perceived impact on society, however, it was connected to changing the way society perceives orphans:
(…) bringing something meaningful in the society. The society should not look just for orphan children (…) or street children as useless people or stubborn children (…), no. This child, when given a right chance again, it can restitute and become a very responsible person in the society, I have seen it, (…) it not just something that I’m saying just to please anybody but I’ve seen. Take your time, don’t give up, whenever
a child brings trouble, just be persistent with him, he will change in one way or another. (Respondent 3).
Making education accessible for children, creating employment opportunities and changing the way society perceives orphans showed impacts that the participants’ have made on a societal level, helping multiple people. The findings also revealed that in addition to helping many people, the participants also felt like they could make an impact in helping the individual lives of the children. Participant number one perceived that he had made a
difference in adding moral values in the students:
(…) when I came in to this school 2016, several things were not in place. (….) Learners must have respect, moral values. So, basing on the community we have around, you realize that most of youths there, also they are not school good, so respect and moral are not in them. So, when we came here, I together with other teachers that we have around, we tried to make sure that each and every day we at least make these learners get the inputs of, (…) having moral values in them. So, that is one thing that I’m proud of that, as teachers, and as a teacher of this school, we really tried to make our learners be disciplined, be respectful, and show that moral values in them (…). (Respondent 1).
The statement was made by a teacher and showed his will to incorporate moral values in the children. The results indicated a perceived feeling of making an impact which may
potentially contribute to feelings of job-satisfaction. In similarity, another participant expressed a feeling of making a difference through adding value to the children. However, this participant worked as a social worker instead of a teacher and was therefore taking care of the orphans. The perceived feeling of making a change was connected to a feeling of helping the vulnerable orphans through the hard paths of their lives. The example below was specifically taken from a context where the social workers mentioned a case of when the
