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This research was conducted from the perspective of a positive human behaviour paradigm in the context of human resource management. It investigated the interrelationships between work stress, work engagement and service delivery of academics in a changing distance-learning environment in Zimbabwe, for which there is a paucity of research. A descriptive, cross-sectional survey design was applied to a sample of 83 academics at the largest distance-learning university, against the background of their ever-changing roles. A sample of 101 students was also included, so that the students provided balanced data for analysis regarding their perception of service delivery by academics. Confirmatory and exploratory analysis revealed a four-construct measurement model for work stress, a three-construct measurement model for work engagement and a four-construct measurement model for service delivery. Correlational analysis and structural equation modelling revealed some significant relationships between these constructs. Tests for significant differences among different groups of academics and students based on socio-demographic variables were revealed and showed some interesting differences among these variables. The t-test did not reveal significant differences in service delivery perceptions between the academics and the students on the dimensions of responsiveness and assurance. The study makes a valuable contribution to the organisational behaviour literature in terms of how work stress and work engagement influence academics’ service delivery in a distance-learning university. On a theoretical level, the study did well to expand on available literature on the constructs of work stress, work engagement and service delivery provided by higher education distance-learning universities. The statistical techniques that were utilised expanded previous empirical studies by studying the interrelationship dynamics andoverall relationship dynamics between work stress, work engagement and service delivery provided by distance-learning universities. On a practical level, this study should bring new knowledge to managers at distance- learning universities by improving their understanding of how academics are affected by increasing, new job demands, which in turn increase their workload. Distance- learning universities thus should adapt their people management practices accordingly. Provision of adequate resources at both individual and organisational levels should be prioritised in order to minimise work stress and improve work engagement, and subsequently service delivery. / Hierdie navorsing is vanuit die perspektief van ’n positiewe menslike-gedragsparadigma in die konteks van menslikehulpbronbestuur uitgevoer. Dit het die onderlinge verhoudings tussen werkstres, werksbetrokkenheid en dienslewering van akademici in ’n veranderende afstandsleeromgewing in Zimbabwe, waaroor daar ’n gebrek aan navorsing is, ondersoek. ’n Beskrywende, deursnee-ondersoekontwerp is op ’n steekproef van 83 akademici by die grootste afstandsleeruniversiteit, teen die agtergrond van hulle voortdurend veranderende rolle, gedoen. ’n Steekproef van 101 studente is ook ingesluit sodat die studente gebalanseerde data vir ontleding rakende hulle persepsie van dienslewering deur die akademici kon verskaf. Bevestigende en verkenningsontleding het ’n vierkonstruk-metingsmodel vir werkstres, ’n driekonstruk-metingsmodel vir werksbetrokkenheid en ’n vierkonstruk-metingsmodel vir dienslewering aangetoon. Korrrelasie-ontleding en strukturele vergelykingsmodellering het betekenisvolle verhoudings tussen hierdie konstrukte uitgewys. Toetse vir beduidende verskille tussen die verskillende groepe akademici en studente, gegrond op sosio-demografiese veranderlikes, het interessante verskille tussen hierdie veranderlikes aangetoon. Die t-toets het nie beduidende verskille ten opsigte van diensleweringspersepsies tussen die akademici en die studente oor die dimensies van gevoeligheid en gerusstelling aangetoon nie. Die studie het ’n waardevolle bydra gelewer tot die literatuur oor organisatoriese gedrag en oor hoe werkstres en werksbetrokkenheid akademici se dienslewering by ’n afstandsleeruniversiteit kan beïnvloed. Op ’n teoretiese vlak het die studie ’n goeie viii bydra gelewer tot die beskikbare literatuur wat betref die konsepte van werkstres, werksbetrokkenheid en dienslewering wat deur hoëronderwys-afstandsleeruniversiteite verskaf word. Die statistiese tegnieke wat gebruik is, het voortgebou op vorige empiriese studies deur die onderlingeverhoudingsdinamika en algehele verhoudingsdinamika tussen werkstres, werksbetrokkenheid en dienslewering wat deur afstandsleeruniversiteite verskaf word, te bestudeer. Op ’n praktiese vlak behoort hierdie studie nuwe kennis verskaf aan bestuurders by afstandsleeruniversiteite deur hulle begrip te verbeter van hoe akademici deur toenemende, nuwe eise by die werk, wat op hulle beurt hul werkslading verhoog, beïnvloed word. Afstandsleeruniversiteite moet dus hulle mensebestuurspraktyke ooreenkomstig aanpas. Om voorsiening te maak vir voldoende hulpbronne op individuele sowel as organisatoriese vlakke, moet prioriteit daaraan gegee word om werkstres te verminder en werksbetrokkendheid, en uiteindelik dienslewering, te verbeter. / Lolu cwaningo lwenziwa ngokohlelo lomqondo wokuziphatha kahle komuntu, lokhu kwenzeka ngaphansi kohlelo lwezokuphathwa kwabasebenzi. Ucwaningo luye lwaphenya izinhlelo zobudlelwano obuphakathi kwengcindezi yomsebenzi, ukusebenza ngokuzikhandla kanye nokuhlinzeka ngemisebenzi yezifundiswa mayelana nesimo esiguqukayo sohlelo lokufunda ukude eZimbabwe, naphezu kokwentuleka kocwaningo. Idizayini yesaveyi echazayo naleyo yohlobo lwe-cross-sectionalzasetshenziswa kusampuli yezifundiswa ezingama-83 yezifundiswa enyuvesi enkulu yohlelo lokufunda ukude, phakathi kwezindima zenyuvesi ezihlala ziguquka njalo. Kuye kwafakwa isampuli yabafundi aba 101, ukuze abafundi banikeza uhlaziyo lwedatha elingene mayelana nomqondo wezokuhlinzeka ngezinsiza wezifundiswa. Izinhlelo zokuhlaziya eziqinisekisayo kanye nalezo ezihlolayo ziye zaveza imodeli elinganisayo yokwakha embaxa-zinne, okuyimodeli yokuhlinzeka ngezinsiza. Izinhlelo zokuhlaziya, phecelezi (correlation analysis) kanye nohlelo lokumodeli, phecelezi, (i-structural equation) ziye zaveza ubudlelwano obusemqoka obuphakathi kwalezi zakhiwo. Kuye kwavezwa izinhlelo zokuhlola ezahlukahlukene hlangana namaqembu ahlukahlukene ezifundiswa nabafundi, lokhu kususelwe phezu kwezimpawu zedemogilafi yezenhlalakahle yabantu, kanti lokhu kukhombise umehluko ohehayo hlangana nalezo zimpawu. Uhlelo lokuhlola, phecelezi i( t-test) aluzange luveze izimpawu ezehlukile ezimayelana nemiqondo yokuhlinzekwa ngezinsiza phakathi kwezifundiswa kanye nabafundi mayelana nemikhakha yendlela yokuphendula kanye nokuqinisekisa. Ucwaningo lwenze umsebenzi omkhulu omuhle mayelana nombhalo wokuziphatha kwenhlangano, mayelana nokuthi ingcindezi yomsebenzi kanye nokusebenza ngokuzikhandla kunomthintela muni phezu kokuhlinzeka ngomsebenzi kuzifundiswa enyuvesi yohlelo lokufunda ukude. Ngokwesigaba esiphathekayo, lolu cwaningo kufanele lulethe ulwazi olusha kubaphathi emanyuvesi ohlelo lokufunda ukude ngokuthuthukisa ulwazi lwabo mayelana nokuthi izifundiswa zithinteka kanjani ngokwengeza, izidingo ezintsha zomsebenzi, eziphinde zingeze umthwalo womsebenzi. Wazo. Ngalokho-ke, amanyuvesi ohlelo lokufunda ukude, kufanele ajwayele izingqubo zawo zokuphathwa kwabantu ngendlela efanele. Ukuhlinzekwa ngemithombo eyanele ezigabeni ezimbili, somuntu ngamunye nesigaba senhlangano kufanele kuqalwe ngakho ukuze kuncishiswe ingcindezi yomsebenzi kanye nokuthuthukisa indlela yokusebenza ngokuzikhandla, kanye nangokuhlinzeka ngezinsiza. / Business Management / D. Com. (Business Management)

The research was conducted from the perspective of a positive psychological paradigm and investigated the interrelationship dynamics between the psychological constructs of resistance to change, work engagement and psychological capital which have been under-researched in the rapidly changing open distance learning work environment of academics. A quantitative survey was conducted on a probability sample of 423 (N=423) academics at a South African open distance learning higher education institution. Confirmatory- and exploratory factor analysis, in the absence of goodness of fit, revealed a four-construct measurement model for resistance to change, a two-factor measurement model for work engagement and a four-construct measurement model for psychological capital. A correlational analysis revealed significant relationships between resistance to change, work engagement and psychological capital and structural equation modelling indicated an adequate fit of the conceptual structural model. Tests for statistically significant mean differences revealed no differences between male and female academics, or between the educational levels of groups of academics, with regard to levels of resistance to change, work engagement and psychological capital. At a theoretical level, the research provided insight into the different concepts and theoretical models that lead to the development of positive psychological functioning, such as understanding of the notion of resistance to change in the work environment. At an empirical level, the new knowledge and insights derived from the results may add to a broader perspective on interrelationships between the psychological behavioural constructs of resistance to change, work engagement and psychological capital. This research has also added to the body of knowledge on how academics’ positive psychological behaviour can contribute to a positive organisation as well as to individual well-being in a changing open distance learning work environment. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / D. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

Over the past five decades, universities across the globe have been subjected to powerful forces of change that have impacted their definition, governance and funding structures, and managerial practices. In South Africa, the reform process was amplified by the country’s apartheid legacy and the political and socio-economic realities. Consequently, the transformation has resulted in the corporatisation of universities and the re-engineering of the academic profession into a managed profession that brought about a changed work environment with less secure conditions of employment, more expectations and increased work pressure, with diminished autonomy. The changed and changing South African higher education environment has had and continues to have its effects on academic employees’ well-being, health and morale. Limited research has investigated the sense of purpose and meaning and psychological health of academic employees. Moreover, there is an absence of empirical studies that have reported on the development and evaluation of a brief group-based meaning-centred intervention that focuses on both the sense of purpose and meaning, and psychological health of academic employees. The primary aim of the study was to first explore the meaning and/or meaning frustration embedded in the academic employee experience, in order to develop and empirically assess a brief group-based meaning-centred intervention in a higher education setting. The intervention was articulated from a logotherapy perspective of Viktor Frankl’s system of psychotherapy. An intervention mixed methods design, consisting of four interdependent phases, was used to pursue the aim of the study. The phase one qualitative single case study was used to explore and describe the sense of meaning and/or meaning frustration embedded in academic employees’ experiences. This was used as a means of developing and supporting the intervention that was implemented in the phase three quantitative quasi- experimental single-group pre/post test study. Phase two was thus an applied phase where the intentional mixing of the qualitative and quantitative phases took place. Likewise, phase four was an applied phase since it was used to draw conclusions based on the integration of the phase one findings and the phase three results. The results of the quantitative study indicated that the majority of academic employees who participated in the study had a sense of definite purpose and meaning (MPIL-post = 114.59, SDPIL-post = 18.04) and psychological health, despite the changed and changing HE landscape. The main finding suggests that a logotherapy brief group-based intervention, with a strong cognitive restructuring component, may have a positive impact on the sense of purpose and meaning of academic employees, whilst reducing the presence of symptoms of depression, post traumatic stress, binge eating and panic. The experience of purpose and meaning in work, and adaptive psychological coping, was related to academic employees’ sense of making a difference in students’ development, the appreciation they have received from students, their freedom of choice, their view of work as a calling, the unique benefits of working in HE, meaning beyond the meaning in the moment (ultimate meaning) and making a difference in colleagues’ (staffs’) lives. Llimitations in the study are noted and recommendations are made to formalise existential analysis as a research method of meaning informed organisational assessment. / Psychology / Ph. D. (Counselling Psychology)

Abstracts in English, Zulu and Xhosa / The study developed a management model to address burnout among teaching staff at private universities in Uganda. It examined the causes of burnout among teaching staff; explored the effect of prolonged stressors on burnout; and investigated the impact of burnout on the performance of teaching staff. A qualitative research approach with a case study design was followed. Lecturers (50), senior lecturers (40), faculty deans (25), and directors of teaching and learning and academic registrars (5) from five private chartered universities in central Uganda participated in the study. Participants were purposively selected to constitute multiple case studies. This study was ethically cleared by the research ethics committees of the University of South Africa (Unisa) and Gulu University. The Uganda National Council for Science and Technology subsequently permitted the adoption of an inductive thematic synthesis to analyse the qualitative data. Empirical data revealed that burnout among teaching staff had institutional causes such as: • conflicting directives • teaching staff’s need to accomplish tasks by a known deadline • delays in the issuance of teaching staff contracts • job insecurity • teaching staff’s incompetence due to skills gaps • limited teaching staff support leading to inadequacy • students’ disruptive behaviour • workload Interpersonal causes were: • unresolved family challenges • being overly ambitious • failing to progress academically • financial obligations • limited resources The study indicated that prolonged stress, such as stress caused by being part of a sub-quality product or having limited authority, leads to emotional burnout. Prolonged stress also leads to physical burnout, as was evident in the panic that ensued when payments were delayed after examination results had been submitted. Prolonged stress results in emotional exhaustion and behavioural challenges in the work environment. Participants reported the following: • limited autonomy • overload and pressure arising from deadlines • teaching staff incompetence • conflicts of responsibilities Empirical data revealed that burnout led to the following: • cognitive workplace deficiencies • emotional detachment • employee turnover • ineffectiveness • poor relationships Psychological burnout among teaching staff presented as unfriendliness towards students and poor student performance. A burnout management model was developed based on the findings of the study to address burnout among teaching staff at private universities. The model emphasises individual and institutional management strategies. Suggestions for further research were made. / Lolu cwaningo lusungule isifanekiso sokuphathwa ukwethulwa inkulumo ngokutubeka phakathi kwabafundisi ezimfundweni eziphakeme ezizimele e-Uganda. Luhlole izimbangela zokutubeka phakathi kwabafundisi; luhlole umphumela ongapheli wabacindezeli ekutubekeni; futhi luphenye umthelela wokutubeka ekusebenzeni kwabafundisi. Indlela yocwaningo yokuqoqa nokuhlaziya ngokocwaningo oluhleliwe yalandelwa. Abafundisayo (50), abafundisayo abakhulu (40), abaphathi bezigaba zemfundo ezimfundweni eziphakeme (25), kanye nabaqondisi bokufundisa nokufunda kanye nababhalisi bezemfundo (5) kusukela ezimfundweni eziphakame ezinhlanu ezizimele ezingaphansi kwesivumelwano sikahulumeni wesifundazwe enkabeni yase-Uganda zibambe iqhaza kulolu cwaningo. Ababambe iqhaza bakhethwe ngokwenhloso ukuze bakhe ucwaningo oluningi. Lolu cwaningo lugunyazwe ngamakomidi okuziphatha ngokwezimiso aseMfundweni Ephakeme yaseNingizimu Afrika (Unisa), kanye neMfundo Ephakeme yaseGulu. Umkhandlu kaZwelonke wezeSayensi noBuchwepheshe e-Uganda kamuva uvumele ukwamukelwa kokungenisa kwenhlanganisela yendikimba ukuhlaziya kokuqoqwa komniningwano. Umniningwano wezobuciko wembule ukuthi ukutubeka phakathi kwabafundisi kube nezimbangela zesikhungo ezifana: • iziqondiso ezingqubuzanayo • izidingo zabafundisi ukufeza imisebenzi ngomnqamulajuqu owaziwayo • ukubambezeleka kokukhishwa kwezinkontileka zabafundisi • uvalo lokuphelelwa ngumsebenzi • Ukuhluleka kwabafundisi ngenxa yezikhala zamakhono • ukusekwa okulinganiselwe kwabafundisi okuholela kokungafanelekile • ukuziphatha okuphazamisayo kwabafundi • Izinga lomsebenzi izimbangela zokusebenzisana bekuyilezi: • izinselela zomndeni ezingaxazululwanga • ukuba ngovelele ngokweqile • ukwehluleka ukuqhubekela phambili ezifundweni • izibopho ngokwezimali • izinsiza ezilinganiselwe Ucwaningo lwakhombisa ukuthi ukucindezeleka okungapheli, okufana nokucindezeleka okubangelwa ukuba yingxenye yomkhiqizo engaphansi ngekhwalithi noma ekubeni negunya elilinganiselwe, kuholela ekutubekeni ngokozwelo. Ukucindezeleka okungapheli kuphinde kuholele ekutubekeni ngokomzimba, njengoba kwabonakala ovalweni olwalandela lapho izinkokhelo zabambezeleka emva kokuba imiphumela yokuhlolwa isithunyelwe. Ukucindezeleka okungapheli kubangela ukukhathala ngokozwelo nezinselela ekuziphatheni endaweni yomsebenzi. Ababambe iqhaza babike okulandelayo: • ukuzimela okulinganiselwe • umsebenzi omningi ngokweqile osuka kumnqamulajuqu • Ukungakwazi ukusebenza kwabafundisi • ukungqubuzana kwezibopho Umniningwano wezobuciko wembule ukuthi ukutubeka kwaholela kulokhu okulandelayo: • ukuntula kokuqonda endaweni yomsebenzi • ukuhlukanisa ngokozwelo • Inzuzo yomsebenzi • ukwehluleka • ubudlelwano obungebuhle Ukutubeka kwengqondo phakathi kwabafundisi kunikezwe njengokungabi nabungane maqondana nabafundi kanye nokungasebenzi kahle komfundi. Isifanekiso sokuphathwa sasungulwa ngokususelwe kokwatholakala kwesifundo ukwethula ukutubeka phakathi kwabafundisi ezimfundweni eziphakeme ezizimele. Isifanekiso sigcizelela amasu omuntu ngamunye nezikhungo zokuphathwa. Iziphakamiso zokuqhutshekiswa kocwaningo zenziwe. / Uphononongo lwavelisa imodeli yolawulo ukujongana nokudinwa phakathi kwabasebenzi abafundisayo kwiiyunivesithi zabucala eUganda. Luvavanye oonobangela bokudinwa phakathi kwabasebenzi abafundisayo; luvavanye impembelelo yezinto ezidala uxinzelelo lwexesha elide ekudinweni; kwaye iphande igalelo lokudinwa kwinkqubo yokusebenza kwabasebenzi abafundisayo. Inkqubo yophando esemgangathweni kunye noyilo lwezifundo lwalandelwa. Abahlohli (50), abahlohli abadala (40), iintloko zamasebe ezifundo (25), kunye nabalawuli bokufundisa nokufunda kunye nababhalisi bezemfundo (5) abavela kwiiyunivesithi ezintlanu zabucala ezinamalungelo kumbindi weUganda bathatha inxaxheba kolu phando. Abathathi-nxaxheba bakhethwa ngokwenjongo ukuba yinxalenye yezifundo zophando ezininzi. Olu phononongo lwacaciswa ngokusesikweni ziikomiti zokuziphatha zophando zeYunivesithi yoMzantsi Afrika (i-Unisa) kunye neYunivesithi yaseGulu. IBhunga leSizwe lase-Uganda lezeNzululwazi kunye neThekhnoloji kamva lavumela ukwamkelwa kwenkuthazo yokudityaniswa kwezihloko zokucalula idatha esemgangathweni. Idatha yangokwenene iveze ukuba ukudinwa phakathi kwabasebenzi abafundisayo (kwabafundisintsapho) kube ngoonobangela amaziko anje ngala: • izikhokelo eziphikisanayo • Iimfuno zabasebenzi abafundisayo ukugqiba imisebenzi ngomhla obekiweyo • Ukulibaziseka ekukhutshweni kweekhontrakthi zabafundisintsapho • Ukungaqiniseki ngomsebenzi • Ukungakwazi kwabasebenzi abafundisayo (abafundisi) ukufundisa ngenxa yezikhewu kwizakhono • Inkxaso engonelanga kubasebenzi abafundisayo ekukhokelela ekusileleni • Ukuziphatha okuphazamisayo kubafundi • ubungakanani bomsebenzi Oonabangela bonxibelelwano phakathi kwabantu ngaba: • iingxaki ezingasonjululwanga kusapho • ukuba namabhongo ngokugqithisileyo • ukungabi nankqubela phambili ngokwezemfundo • izibophelelo zemali • izixhobo ezingonelanga Uphononongo lubonise ukuba uxinzelelo oluthathe ixesha elide, olufana noxinzelelo olubangelwa kukuba yinxalenye yemveliso ekumgangatho ophantsi okanye ukuba negunya elilinganiselweyo, kukhokelela ekudinweni ngokweemvakalelo. Uxinzelelo lwexesha elide lukwakhokelela ekudinweni ngokwasemzimbeni, njengoko kwakubonakala kuloyiko olwalulapho xa kulibaziseka ukuhlawulwa emva kokungeniswa kweziphumo zoviwo. Uxinzelelo lwexesha elide luba neziphumo zokudinwa ngokweemvakalelo kunye nemicelimngeni yokuziphatha kwindawo yokusebenza. Abathathi-nxaxheba baxele oku kulandelayo: • Ukuzilawula okunyiniweyo • umsebenzi omninzi kunye noxinzelelo oluvela kwimihla emiselweyo yokungenisa • umsebenzi. • Ukungakwazi kwabasebenzi abafundisayo ukufundisa ngokupheleleyo • Ukungqubana koxanduva lwemisebenzi Idatha yokongokwenene iveze ukuba ukudinwa kukhokelele koku kulandelayo: • ukusilela kwengqondo emsebenzini • ukukhululeka ngokweemvakalelo • Ukutshintsha kwabaqeshwa • ukungasebenzi kakuhle • ubudlelwane obubi Ukudinwa kwengqondo phakathi kwabasebenzi abafundisayo (abafundisi) kuboniswe njengokungenabubele kubafundi kunye nokusebenza kakubi kwabo.Imodeli yokulawula ukudinwa yaphuhliswa ngokusekwe kwiziphumo zophando ukujongana nokudinwa phakathi kwabasebenzi abafundisayo kwiiyunivesithi zabucala. Imodeli igxininisa izicwangciso zolawulo lomntu ngamnye neziko. Iingcebiso zophando olunokuqhutyelwa phambili zenziwa. / Educational Management and Leadership / D. Ed. (Educational Leadership and Management)