Section of Organisational Psychology

Assoc. Prof. Burger van Lill

Introduction

I studied psychology with a specialisation in research methodology and statistics at the University of Stellenbosch and graduated with an MA.

My first official job was that of researcher in the Institute of Communication Research of the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC). We developed, studied and evaluated communication programmes for a variety of organisations.

I left the HSRC to become a lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of South Africa (UNISA). There I taught research methodology, psychometrics and organisational psychology and supervised postgraduate research. During that time I completed my doctorate and an MBL at UNISA and I registered as a Psychologist (Independent Practice Research Psychology) at the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA).

After lecturing for 16 years and with a newly acquired MBL, I decided that a career change would be a good idea. During the next few years I consulted for a number of small, medium and multinational private sector companies. The work ranged from climate studies and employment equity audits to market research and the structuring of provident funds and retirement packages.

Subsequently I decided to return to academe and was the Head of the Department of Industrial Psychology at the University of Venda and later on at the University of the Western Cape.

I joined the University of Cape Town in May 2005 as an Associate Professor in the Section for Organisational Psychology, School of Management Studies. Here I am the convenor of the Master of Organisational Psychology programme, I am teaching a variety of research methods and psychological assessment modules and I supervise postgraduate research projects.

Focus areas for supervision

Psychometrics, research methodology and epistemology, different aspects of assessment in the workplace, measurement of stress and coping, burnout, managerial degeneration and bullying in the workplace.

Publications

• Denton, J.M. & Van Lill, J.B. (2006). Managerial derailment. Vilakashan XIMB Journal of Management, III(2), 231 250.
• Denton, J.M. & Van Lill, J.B. (2007). Phenomenological Experience of Workplace Bullying. World Journal of Management and Economics, 1(1), 28 41.
• Van Lill, S., Bunkall, D. & Van Lill, J.B. (2005). Development and validation of a computer-based nutrition screening tool for older people [Abstract]. In proceedings of 3rd Annual Congress International Academy on Nutrition and Aging, Saint Louis, Missouri, May 6-8, 2005, The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging, 9(3), 151.