Balancing the double-edged sword of technology within a modern university workplace
-
DOIhttp://dx.doi.org/10.21511/ppm.15(3-2).2017.10
-
Article InfoVolume 15 2017, Issue #3, pp. 425-437
- 911 Views
-
169 Downloads
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Globalization has influenced the identity of universities worldwide to such an extent that they have become servants for economic growth by producing scientific knowledge and highly educated graduates. In a South African (SA) dispensation, the transformation of higher education (HE) focused on restructuring the system to meet the needs of a technology-orientated economy. The latter resulted in more specialized and complex university work that was reliant on technological devices for its completion. It is on this premise that the author investigated the extent to which technological devices as a ‘job resource’ kept SA University staff constantly connected to their work life.
This study was subject to a mixed methods research design whereby three data collection instruments were used to obtain both quantitative and qualitative data, which were combined via triangulation of factor analysis and theme identification. Purposive sampling included both academic and non-academic staff from a selected SA university. Stemming from the results, it became apparent that problematic merger issues led to inadequate workspaces, job resources and IT network. Consequently, staff were experiencing occupational stressors related to work overload and inadequate job resources, which perpetuated staffs’ work-life transcending into their personal life, as they were constantly plugged into their technological devices to complete job tasks.
- Keywords
-
JEL Classification (Paper profile tab)I15, I25, O15, O32
-
References64
-
Tables1
-
Figures5
-
- Figure 1. Talents utilized
- Figure 2. Concentration
- Figure 3. Workspace
- Figure 4. Working equipment
- Figure 5. Equipment availability
-
- Table 1. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for employee wellness factor 2: wellness working environment
-
- Aikins, D. (2010). The modern workforce. People Dynamics, 16, January.
- Amos, T. L., Ristow, A., Ristow, L., & Pearse, N. J. (2008). Human Resource Management (3rd ed.). Cape Town: Juta and Co. Ltd., pp. 174-175.
- Anonymous. (2011b). Stress: how much more can we take? Sunday Times: Business Times Money & Careers, 5, November 13.
- Armour, R. A., Caffarella, R. S., Fuhrmann, B. S., & Wergin, J. F. (1987). Academic burnout: Faculty responsibility and institutional climate. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 29, 3-11.
- Association of University Teachers (2003). Survey of members. London: AUT.
- Babbie, E., & Mouton, J. (2001). The practice of social research. Cape Town: Oxford University Press, 28 p.
- Barkhuizen, E. N., Rothmann, S., & Tytherleigh, M. Y. (2004). Burnout of academic staff in a higher education institutions. Paper presented at the 2nd South African Wellness Conference. Potchefstroom, March 2004.
- Barkhuizen, N., & Rothmann, S. (2005). Occupational stress of academic staff in South African higher education institutions (Unpublished Ph.D. thesis, North-West University, Potchefstroom), pp. 84-87.
- Becher, T., & Trowler, P. R. (2001). Academic tribes and territories (2nd ed.). Buckingham: SRHE & Open University Press.
- Bellamy, S., Morley, C., & Watty, K. (2003). Why business academics remain in Australian Universities despite deteriorating working conditions and reduced job satisfaction: an intellectual puzzle. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 25, 13-28.
- Bezuidenhout, A., & Cilliers, F. V. N. (2010). Burnout, work engagement and sense of coherence in female academics in higher education institutions in South Africa. SA Journal of Industrial Psychology / SA Tydskif vir Bedryfsielkunde, 36(1), 10.
- Blix, A. G., Cruise, R. J., Mitchell, B. M., & Blix, G. G. (1994). Occupational stress among university teachers. Educational Research, 36, 157-169.
- Boyd, S., & Wylie, C. (1994). Workload and stress in New Zealand Universities. Wellington: New Zealand Council for Educational Research and the Association of University staff of New Zealand.
- Coetzee, S. E., & Rothmann, S. (2004). An adapted model of burnout for employees at a higher education institution in South Africa. SA Journal of Industrial Psychology / SA Tydskif vir Bedryfsielkunde, 30(3), 29-40.
- Cross, G., & Carroll, D. (1990). Goodwill under stress: morale in UK universities. London: Association of University Teachers.
- Currie, J., & Newson, J. (1998). Universities and globalization: critical perspectives. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
- Daniels, K., & Guppy, A. (1994). An exploratory study of stress in a British university. Higher Education Quarterly, 48, 135-144.
- De Vos, A. S., Strydom, H., Fouche, C. B., & Delport, C. S. L. (2013). Research at grass roots for the social sciences and human service professionals (4th ed.). Pretoria, South Africa: Van Schaik Publishers, pp. 435-436.
- Demerouti, E., Bakker, A. B., Nachreiner, F., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2001). The job demands – resourced model of burnout. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86, 499-512.
- Dhobale, R. S. (2009). Stress management training: a boon to employee wellness! The Icfai University Journal of Soft Skills, 3(1), 39-44.
- Donaldson, S. I. (1993). Effects of lifestyle and stress on the employee and organization: implications for promoting health at work. Anxiety, stress, and coping: An International Journal, 6(3), 155-177.
- Doyle, C., & Hind, P. (1998). Occupational stress, burnout and jobs status in female academics. Gender, Work and Organizations, 5, 67-82.
- Dubrin, A. J. (1994). Applying psychology: individual and organizational effectiveness (4th ed.). Englewoods Cliff, NJ: Prentice Hall, pp. 180-184.
- Dubrin, A. J. (2004). Human Relations: Interpersonal, Job – oriented skills (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, pp. 318-320.
- Fittogether (2004). Workplace Wellness Toolkit.
- Gillespie, N. A., Walsh, M., Winefield, A. H., Dua, S. J., & Stough, C. (2001). Occupational stress in universities: staff perceptions of the causes, consequences and moderators of stress. Work & Stress, 15, 53-72.
- Greenberg, J., & Baron, R. A. (1995). Behavior in organizations: understanding and managing the human side of work (5th ed.). Trenton, NJ: Prentice Hall, 250 p.
- Grinnell, R. M., & Unrau, Y. A. (2008). Social work research and evaluation: foundations of evidence-based practice. New York: Oxford University Press, 153 p.
- Grinnell, R. M., & Williams, M. (1990). Research in social work: a primer. Itasca, IL: Peacock, 127 p.
- Homburg, C., Fassnacht, M., & Guenther, C. (2000). The role of soft factors in implementing a service-orientated strategy in industrial marketing companies (Unpublished ISBM report 18). Mannheim: University of Mannheim.
- Huysamen, G. K. (1991). Steekproefgroottes in plaaslik gepubliseerde psigologiese navorsing [Sample sizes in locally published psychology research]. Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskrif vir Sielkunde, 21(3), 183-190.
- Janice, T. S., & Ho, C. (1997). Corporate wellness programmes in Singapore: effect on stress, satisfaction and absenteeism. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 12(3), 177-189.
- Jaye, J. (2010). Identify and address job stress. HR Future, 43 p., March.
- Khan, M. T. (2015). Development of Human Capital through Institution of Islamic Waqf. International Journal of Information, Business and Management, 7(3), 36-50.
- Kinman, G. (1998). Pressure points: a survey into the causes and consequences of occupational stress in the UK academics and related staff. London: Association of University Teachers.
- Kinman, G., & Jones, F. (2003). Running up and down the escalator: stressors and strains in UK academics. Quality in Higher Education, 9, 21-38.
- Klaas, N. P. (2007). Factors influencing the retention of nurses in the rural health facilities of the Eastern Cape Province (Unpublished Master’s thesis. Pretoria: University of South Africa).
- Lange, L. (2012). The public purposes of the university: a historical view, 1995–2010. In Leibowitz, B. (Ed), Higher education for the public good: views from the south (pp. 45-57). Stellenbosch Trentham Books in association with Sun Media.
- Levert, T., Lucas, M., & Ortlepp, K. (2000). Burnout in psychiatric nurses: contributions of the work environment and a sense of coherence. South African Journal of Psychology, 30, 36-43.
- Lockwood, N. R. (2003). Work / life balance: challenges and solutions – 2003 Research Quarterly. HR Magazine, June.
- Maslach, C. (1982). Burnout: the cost of caring. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
- Maune, A. (2016). Human capital intelligence and economic development. Problems and Perspectives in Management, 14(3), 564-574.
- McInnis, C. (2000). Changing academic work roles: the everyday realities challenging quality in teaching. Quality in Higher Education, 6, 143-152.
- McKenna, S. (2012). Interrogating the academic project. In Quinn, L. (Ed.), Re-imagining academic staff development: spaces for disruption (pp. 15-26). Stellenbosch: Sun Media.
- Michie, S. (2002). Causes and management of stress at work. Occup Environ Med, 59, 67-72.
- Monette, D. R., Sullivan, T. J., & De Jong, C. R. (2005). Applied social research: a tool for the human services (6th ed.). Australia: Thomson Brooks/Cole, 184 p.
- Neuman, W. L. (2003). Social research methods: qualitative and quantitative approaches (5th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 75 p.
- Nompula, T. I. (2007). An exploratory investigation of the factors that influence the retention of knowledge workers at the national energy regulator of South Africa (Unpublished Masters in Business Administration thesis). Grahamstown: Rhodes Investec Business School, 71 p.
- Olivier, M. A. J., Venter, D. J. H., & De Lange, N. (2004). Emotional intelligence of academics. Paper presented at the 2nd South African Wellness Conference, Potchefstroom, March 2004.
- Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (6th ed.). (2004). Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1230 p.
- Pienaar, C., & Bester, C. (2009). Addressing career obstacles within a changing higher education work environment: perspectives of academics. South African Journal of Psychology, 39(3), 376-385.
- Rose, R. C., Beh, L., Uli, J., & Idris, K. (2006). Quality of work life: implications of career dimensions. Journal of Social Sciences, 2(2), 61-67.
- Rosse, J. G., Boss, R. W., Johnson, A. E., & Crown, D. F. (1991). Conceptualizing the role of self-esteem in the burnout process. Group and Organization Studies, 16, 197-204.
- Rothmann, S., Barkhuizen, N., & Tytherleigh, M. Y. (2008). Model of work-related ill health of academic staff in a South African higher education institution. South African Journal of Higher Education, 22(2), 404-422.
- Schaufeli, W. B., & Enzmann, D. (1998). The burnout companion to study and practice: a critical analysis. London: Taylor and Francis.
- Shamir, B., & Salomon, I. (1985). Work-at-home and the quality of working life. Academic Management, 10, 455-464.
- Singh, M. (2012). Re-inserting the ‘public good’ into higher education transformation. In Leibowitz, B. (ed), Higher education for the public good: views from the south (pp. 1-15). Stellenbosch: Trentham Books in association with Sun Media.
- South Africa. Department of Education. (1997). White Paper 3. A programme for the transformation of higher education. Pretoria: Government Printer.
- The Word Spy (2002). Work-life-balance.
- Ungerer, M., Herholdt, J., & Uys, K. (2006). Leveraging knowledge-based assets – The new value equation to create competitive advantage. Johannesburg, South Africa: Knowledge Resources, 13 p.
- Wilmont, C., Williams, B., Guest, J., & Amos, T. (2010). The factors that influence the retention of academics at a tertiary education institution: an exploratory study (pp. 1-22). Proceedings of the 22nd Annual Conference of the Southern Africa Institute of Management Scientists, Mpekweni, 12-15 September 2010.
- Winefield, A. H., & Jarrett, R. J. (2001). Occupational stress in university staff. International Journal of Stress Management, 8, 285-298.
- Winefield, A. H., Gillespie, N., Stough, C., Dua, J., & Hapuararchi, J. (2002). Occupational stress in Australian universities: a national survey. Melbourne, Australia: National Tertiary Education Union.
- World Health Organization (n.d.). Occupational health: Stress at the workplace.