Magister Commercii - MCom / Higher education institutions (HEIs) worldwide are faced with complex changes and challenges. Employees at these institutions are also faced with even greater demands and obstacles. Academics often work under pressure and fail to achieve balance in their work and other life activities as they strive to meet their job demands. As a result, the academic employee’s well-being may suffer. As the job demands of academics escalate, the level of support and other resources that academics receive appears to decline. Other resources include staffing, support from management, and spaces and places for wellness. When such support is limited or missing, the ensuing stress, burnout, and ill health affect the well-being of academics. Therefore, it is important for universities to invest in a holistic wellness programme formulated specifically to meet the needs of their employees.

Magister Commercii (Industrial Psychology) - MCom(IPS) / Universities worldwide have to contend with a changing landscape due to the massification of education, additional pressure being placed on academia with respect to research outputs, teaching a transforming student base, along with political and social pressures. In South Africa, in particular, there has been increasing pressure on government to effect socio-political and legislative changes to ensure that those that were previously disadvantaged are granted free educational opportunities. Within an academic milieu, talent retention of staff at higher education institutions (HEIs) in South Africa has become a challenge. Research highlights many changes in the nature of work over the past few decades, including an increasingly prevalent culture of long working hours and increasing work intensity across many sectors. Within academia, recent research indicates a culture of increasing work intensity over time often combined with decreasing resources and competing demands. Once assumed to be a low-pressure job, research reports that significant mind set shifts have been needed within academia in order to cope with the heavy workloads, administrative, teaching, community outreach and publishing requirements and expectations within this group of employees. These additional expectations are likely to result in burnout, which is defined as a prolonged response or “‘psychological syndrome’” in response to chronic interpersonal stressors on the job. Burnout affects all professions but tends to be more pervasive in human service occupations such as education. Despite this evident recognition, there is a paucity of research on burnout among South African academics. Amongst the studies conducted, however, evidence suggests that burnout is escalating, and consequently academic careers are becoming less attractive. The extant research reveals that the repercussions of burnout are accompanied by declines in mental and physical health, low morale, substance abuse, weakening of interpersonal relationships, deterioration in teaching and research performance, increased absenteeism and ultimately considerations of leaving the profession. This is likely to be exacerbated in those academics who display a propensity towards workaholism. Workaholism has become a prevalent phenomenon within organisations, which needs to be managed more effectively to offset its damaging effects on employee health and productivity. Associations have been established between workaholism, absenteeism, psychological ill -health, physical ill ill-health, stress and burnout. Faced with increasing professional and operational challenges, academics may develop the resultant impact and be inclined to intend to quit. The main objective of the research study was to determine the relationship between workaholism and burnout on the intention to quit amongst academic employees at a uUniversity in the Western Cape. A quantitative method was used to generate the result by means of survey distribution to the targeted population. Convenience sampling was used to select academic staff in the study. Questionnaires were sent electronically and an additional one hundred and fifty 150 hardcopy questionnaires were administered. Fifty-three responses were received electronically, and fifty-three53 hardcopy completed questionnaires. In total, one hundred and six106 questionnaires were completed, of which one hundred 100 questionnaires were used for the study. The surveys included a biographical questionnaire, Workaholism Analysis Questionnaire (WAQ) (2013), the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) (1981) and the Turnover Intentions Questionnaire (TIQ) (2008). The results indicated that there is a significant positive relationship between Eemotional Eexhaustion and turnover, Eemotional Eexhaustion and workaholism, Ddepersonalisation and workaholism, and workaholism and turnover intention. In addition, the results further indicated a strong negative relationship between Ppersonal Aaccomplishment and Tturnover Iintention. The results further showed that a medium positive relationship between Ddepersonalisation and turnover intention exists. The regression analysis indicated that a significant proportion of the variance in turnover intention is explained by Eemotional Eexhaustion. Conclusions were drawn, and recommendations are made to the uUniversity in order to address this potential problem. / 2021-04-30

Baigiamojo darbo tema: Vilniaus pedagoginio universiteto akademinio humanitarinių ir socialinių mokslų personalo kvalifikacijos kėlimo sistemos tobulinimas. Darbo tikslas: Ištirti ir patikrinti Vilniaus pedagoginio universiteto akademinių humanitarinių ir socialinių mokslų darbuotojų kvalifikacijos kėlimo sistemą ir pateikti pasiūlymus šios sistemos tobulinimui. Darbo uždaviniai: 1. Išanalizuoti Vilniaus pedagoginio universiteto vidinę bei išorinę aplinkas, atlikti įstaigos SWOT analizę bei identifikuoti problemą; 2. Atlikti empirinį tyrimą, kurio tikslas nustatyti VPU akademinio humanitarinių ir socialinių mokslų personalo kvalifikacijos kėlimo poreikius, esamus tobulinimosi būdus, bei pageidaujamus kvalifikacijos kėlimo būdus; 3. Atlikus tyrimą, gautus rezultatus išanalizuoti bei pateikti vadybinius sprendimus. Tyrimo metodika: pasirinkta atlikti apklausą raštu anoniminių klausimynų pagalba. Pasirinktas empirinis kiekybinis tyrimo metodas. Darbo rezultatai: 1. Išanalizuotos VPU vidinės bei išorinės aplinkos, identifikuota problema. 2. Atliktas empirinis tyrimas, kurio metu išsiaiškinti VPU HSM akademinio personalo kvalifikacijos kėlimo poreikiai, esami tobulinimosi būdai bei nustatytos pageidaujamos kvalifikacijos kėlimo priemonės. 3. Išanalizavus tyrimo rezultatus pateikti vadybiniai sprendimai, kaip galima būtų patobulinta kvalifikacijos kėlimo sistemą. / Bachelor’s graduation thesis topic: The improvement of qualification development system of humane and social sciences academic employees in Vilnius pedagogical university. Main goal: To examine the qualification development system of humane and social sciences academic employees in Vilnius pedagogical university and to propose the suggestions for system improvement. Goals: 1. To analyze the internal and external environment of Vilnius pedagogical university and to determine the existing problem; 2. To do an empirical research that aim is to ascertain the qualification improvement demand of humane and social sciences academic employees of Vilnius pedagogical university, also to ascertain the existing qualification development methods and the desirable methods for qualification improvement; 3. To analyze the received data; and to propose the managerial solutions. The methodology of research: Survey was performed by anonymous paper questionnaires. The empirical quantitative method was chosen for research. Results: 1. Analyzed internal and external environment of Vilnius pedagogical university; 2. Accomplished empirical research that revealed the demand for qualification development, existing methods for qualification development, also ascertained the desirable qualification development methods. 3. After analyzing the research data, the managerial solution were given, how to improve the qualification development system.

<p>In an attempt to make South Africa a more just society after the first democratic elections on 27 April 1994, the South African society had to undergo a number of radical changes which impacted the social, economical, political and educational arena. These changes have influenced recruitment, retention and turnover. Changes at leadership levels in the private and public sphere coupled with a huge exodus of highly skilled professionals are evident as topics of equality and social justice appear at the top of company agendas. Many proponents have conducted research on organisational justice and the fact that more than twenty five thousand articles have been published on job satisfaction attest to the importance of these two variables on organisational performance. In an article examining past, present and future states of organisational justice it is argued that organisational justice has the potential to explain many organisational behavioural outcome variables. An investigation of the relationship between organisational justice perceptions and work behavior found job satisfaction to be made up of a large fairness component. The rationale behind the support for the study is the argument that employees who perceive that they have been fairly treated is likely to hold positive attitudes about their work, their work outcomes and their managers. If South African organisations wish to remain competitive then organisations need to understand how perceptions of justice influence attitudes and behaviour and consequently affect the success of the organisation. Agricultural Colleges, a division of the Department of Agriculture are no exception. The Agricultural Colleges' primary aim is to provide training to its prospective communities, and is continuously being evaluated in terms of how well its academic employees achieve its vision, mission and goals. It is evident from responses to job advertisements, low morale and high turnover that most of the academic employees in Agricultural Colleges are dissatisfied with their jobs, pay, management and the institutions based on their current salary. Attracting, recruiting and retraining highly skilled, internationally marketable and mobile employees are critical factors in determining the present and future success in agricultural training in South Africa. Limited research to examine the effects of organisational justice on organisational outcomes in an environment where the workforce consists of academics is the gap this research attempts to fill. This study is designed to assess the impact of organisational justice on job satisfaction of academic employees in agricultural colleges in South Africa. Also, to determine whether biographical values influence the relationship between organisational justice and job satisfaction.</p>

<p>In an attempt to make South Africa a more just society after the first democratic elections on 27 April 1994, the South African society had to undergo a number of radical changes which impacted the social, economical, political and educational arena. These changes have influenced recruitment, retention and turnover. Changes at leadership levels in the private and public sphere coupled with a huge exodus of highly skilled professionals are evident as topics of equality and social justice appear at the top of company agendas. Many proponents have conducted research on organisational justice and the fact that more than twenty five thousand articles have been published on job satisfaction attest to the importance of these two variables on organisational performance. In an article examining past, present and future states of organisational justice it is argued that organisational justice has the potential to explain many organisational behavioural outcome variables. An investigation of the relationship between organisational justice perceptions and work behavior found job satisfaction to be made up of a large fairness component. The rationale behind the support for the study is the argument that employees who perceive that they have been fairly treated is likely to hold positive attitudes about their work, their work outcomes and their managers. If South African organisations wish to remain competitive then organisations need to understand how perceptions of justice influence attitudes and behaviour and consequently affect the success of the organisation. Agricultural Colleges, a division of the Department of Agriculture are no exception. The Agricultural Colleges' primary aim is to provide training to its prospective communities, and is continuously being evaluated in terms of how well its academic employees achieve its vision, mission and goals. It is evident from responses to job advertisements, low morale and high turnover that most of the academic employees in Agricultural Colleges are dissatisfied with their jobs, pay, management and the institutions based on their current salary. Attracting, recruiting and retraining highly skilled, internationally marketable and mobile employees are critical factors in determining the present and future success in agricultural training in South Africa. Limited research to examine the effects of organisational justice on organisational outcomes in an environment where the workforce consists of academics is the gap this research attempts to fill. This study is designed to assess the impact of organisational justice on job satisfaction of academic employees in agricultural colleges in South Africa. Also, to determine whether biographical values influence the relationship between organisational justice and job satisfaction.</p>

Magister Administrationis - MAdmin / In an attempt to make South Africa a more just society after the first democratic elections on 27 April 1994, the South African society had to undergo a number of radical changes which impacted the social, economical, political and educational arena. These changes have influenced recruitment, retention and turnover. Changes at leadership levels in the private and public sphere coupled with a huge exodus of highly skilled professionals are evident as topics of equality and social justice appear at the top of company agendas. Many proponents have conducted research on organisational justice and the fact that more than twenty five thousand articles have been published on job satisfaction attest to the importance of these two variables on organisational performance. In an article examining past, present and future states of organisational justice it is argued that organisational justice has the potential to explain many organisational behavioural outcome variables. An investigation of the relationship between organisational justice perceptions and work behavior found job satisfaction to be made up of a large fairness component. The rationale behind the support for the study is the argument that employees who perceive that they have been fairly treated is likely to hold positive attitudes about their work, their work outcomes and their managers. If South African organisations wish to remain competitive then organisations need to understand how perceptions of justice influence attitudes and behaviour and consequently affect the success of the organisation. Agricultural Colleges, a division of the Department of Agriculture are no exception. The Agricultural Colleges' primary aim is to provide training to its prospective communities, and is continuously being evaluated in terms of how well its academic employees achieve its vision, mission and goals. It is evident from responses to job advertisements, low morale and high turnover that most of the academic employees in Agricultural Colleges are dissatisfied with their jobs, pay, management and the institutions based on their current salary. Attracting, recruiting and retraining highly skilled, internationally marketable and mobile employees are critical factors in determining the present and future success in agricultural training in South Africa. Limited research to examine the effects of organisational justice on organisational outcomes in an environment where the workforce consists of academics is the gap this research attempts to fill. This study is designed to assess the impact of organisational justice on job satisfaction of academic employees in agricultural colleges in South Africa. Also, to determine whether biographical values influence the relationship between organisational justice and job satisfaction. / South Africa

M. Tech. (Department of Human Resource Management, Faculty of Management Sciences), Vaal University of Technology. / The relationship between motivation and job satisfaction at work has been one of the more widely researched areas in the field of management in different professions, but few studies in South Africa have explored these two constructs among academic employees in Higher Education. Although there is a positive relationship between the two constructs, it has been somewhat overlooked by researchers. The objective of this study therefore, is to determine the relationship between motivation and job satisfaction among academic employees at a University. In view of this the researcher seeks to establish whether a there is a relationship between the constructs understudy. The literature study explored the theoretical aspects of motivation and job satisfaction and their relationship. Using a quantitative research approach, the study hypothesised and investigated motivation and job satisfaction in a sample that consisted of 162 academic employees. Two instruments, namely the Work Preference Inventory (WPI) and the Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS), were used to collect the data and determine the existence of a relationship between motivation and job satisfaction. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21.0 for Windows was used to analyse the data; these results are presented and discussed in detail. The study adopted a Confirmatory Factor Analysis technique using Structural Equation Modelling with a Partial Least Squares (semPLS) approach, to measure the relationship by calculating the Cronbach Alpha, the Composite Reliability (CR) value, the Average Value Extracted (AVE), Goodness of Fit and hypotheses. Findings of this study revealed that a significant positive relationship exists between motivation and job satisfaction with the enjoyment variable and job satisfaction reflecting a positive relationship and the other three variables (Challenge, Compensation and Outward Motivation) showing that a negative but significant relationship exists between these three constructs and job satisfaction. It has been recommended that management should look into putting proper motivation and job satisfaction initiatives into place and should also create opportunities for growth by giving academics challenging assignments and providing training and development strategies that will increase their motivation and job satisfaction.

Within the context of technological development, the needs and preferences of the 21st century student (Generation Y), the changing higher education environment, the increasing use of technology in teaching and learning, and the significant role of online learning facilitators in e-learning, the e-readiness of academic employees became imperative. Thus, considering the importance of academic employees' e-readiness, the primary objective of the study aims to determine the role of key human factors in their e-readiness, with specific focus on personal work profile patterns, preferred learning style and pace and style of technology adoption. The research problem therefore is how to determine the role of these key human factors in the e-readiness of academic employees. In this respect the study argues that the e-readiness assessment of academic employees must be included in the human resource performance appraisal process. The purpose of this research is to develop a framework for assessing the ereadiness of academic employees during their performance appraisals, as well as determining and assessing the role of key human factors in their e-readiness in order to draft an e-profile which will provide guidance in terms of structuring unique training and development approaches for each e-profile. Once accademic employees' e-readiness has been assessed during their performance appraisals, they can be plotted on the framework. The outcome of their e-readiness assessments will reveal their e-profiles, which will portray insight into the presence or absence of particular ereadiness indicators, outlined in an e-readiness construct. Subsequently, a personal development plan can be drafted, making provision for uniquely structured training and development interventions, best suited for each accademic employees' e-profile. The most suitable motivating factors for each employee will also be considered during the drafting of the personal development plan. The empirical research by means of a self-administered questionnaire and a focus group discussion revealed two prominent e-profiles indicating various levels of ereadiness, namely an early adopter-pragmatist-compliance e-profile and an early majority-theorist-steadiness e-profile. The findings made it evident that the traits portrayed by a person belonging to a certain technology adoption category show similarities to traits portrayed by particular learning styles and personal work profile patterns. Certain profiles could be identified, based on trends and similarities pertaining to interpersonal traits. The findings further revealed that with an increase in age and teaching experience of respondents (which also imply an increase in age), the willingness to be assessed on e-readiness declined. It was also determined that the human resource performance management policies and practices at the North-West University (NWU) (which is used as case study), do not make provision for the inclusion of e-readiness in performance appraisals of academic employees. Further it became evident that training and development interventions should not only focus on the technical skill of e-learning, but follow a broader teaching and learning approach, also including the philosophy of e-learning and the use and adaptation of teaching and learning strategies to obtain optimal learner learning. The findings of the study thus supported the need for a framework, providing guidance in this regard. Presently, neither the literature of human resource performance appraisal nor the literature of e-readiness or e-learning makes provision for assessing the e-readiness of academic employees. The study thus contributes to the scholarly discourse and knowledge in the field of public human resource management, as sub-field of Public Administration, by developing a theoretical framework (that currently does not exist), consisting of three matrixes for this purpose to determine the role of the key human factors in the e-readiness of academic employees. / Public Administration / D. Litt. et Phil. (Public Administration)

Within the context of technological development, the needs and preferences of the 21st century student (Generation Y), the changing higher education environment, the increasing use of technology in teaching and learning, and the significant role of online learning facilitators in e-learning, the e-readiness of academic employees became imperative. Thus, considering the importance of academic employees' e-readiness, the primary objective of the study aims to determine the role of key human factors in their e-readiness, with specific focus on personal work profile patterns, preferred learning style and pace and style of technology adoption. The research problem therefore is how to determine the role of these key human factors in the e-readiness of academic employees. In this respect the study argues that the e-readiness assessment of academic employees must be included in the human resource performance appraisal process. The purpose of this research is to develop a framework for assessing the ereadiness of academic employees during their performance appraisals, as well as determining and assessing the role of key human factors in their e-readiness in order to draft an e-profile which will provide guidance in terms of structuring unique training and development approaches for each e-profile. Once accademic employees' e-readiness has been assessed during their performance appraisals, they can be plotted on the framework. The outcome of their e-readiness assessments will reveal their e-profiles, which will portray insight into the presence or absence of particular ereadiness indicators, outlined in an e-readiness construct. Subsequently, a personal development plan can be drafted, making provision for uniquely structured training and development interventions, best suited for each accademic employees' e-profile. The most suitable motivating factors for each employee will also be considered during the drafting of the personal development plan. The empirical research by means of a self-administered questionnaire and a focus group discussion revealed two prominent e-profiles indicating various levels of ereadiness, namely an early adopter-pragmatist-compliance e-profile and an early majority-theorist-steadiness e-profile. The findings made it evident that the traits portrayed by a person belonging to a certain technology adoption category show similarities to traits portrayed by particular learning styles and personal work profile patterns. Certain profiles could be identified, based on trends and similarities pertaining to interpersonal traits. The findings further revealed that with an increase in age and teaching experience of respondents (which also imply an increase in age), the willingness to be assessed on e-readiness declined. It was also determined that the human resource performance management policies and practices at the North-West University (NWU) (which is used as case study), do not make provision for the inclusion of e-readiness in performance appraisals of academic employees. Further it became evident that training and development interventions should not only focus on the technical skill of e-learning, but follow a broader teaching and learning approach, also including the philosophy of e-learning and the use and adaptation of teaching and learning strategies to obtain optimal learner learning. The findings of the study thus supported the need for a framework, providing guidance in this regard. Presently, neither the literature of human resource performance appraisal nor the literature of e-readiness or e-learning makes provision for assessing the e-readiness of academic employees. The study thus contributes to the scholarly discourse and knowledge in the field of public human resource management, as sub-field of Public Administration, by developing a theoretical framework (that currently does not exist), consisting of three matrixes for this purpose to determine the role of the key human factors in the e-readiness of academic employees. / Public Administration and Management / D. Litt. et Phil. (Public Administration)