The functioning of academic employees in a dynamic South African higher education environment

Abstract

IntroductionThe higher education sector is experiencing changes in the profile of employees and stakeholders. Current employees are expected to function effectively and efficiently in institutions to achieve individual and organisational goals. The functioning aspect of the capability approach presents the opportunity to investigate how academic employees function in the current work environment. The study aimed to investigate the functioning of academic employees in the current work environment. Understanding how academic employees function in their current work environment provides the opportunity to develop relevant talent management practices to motivate, retain, support, develop, and lead academic employees.MethodsA qualitative research approach and a critical realism perspective was utilised to explore social relations in the sample environment. Purposive sampling was employed to identify appropriate participants for the study. Nine online semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from the participants.ResultsThe findings of the study show that academic employees function effectively when they experience support and relationships at work as well as when autonomy and technology are available among various aspects of work. Talent management strategies require proactive reviewing to meet academic employees’ needs to enhance performance.DiscussionHuman resource practitioners and leaders in the institution have the responsibility to explore the functioning of academics in their environment to understand how they can enhance their performance and develop and retain these employees to meet institutional goals. The study adds some insights to the current literature related to the functioning of academic employees using the capability approach. The institution can develop new mechanisms to enhance the performance of these employees in a dynamic environment through talent management practices.

Demands, resources and institutional factors in the work of academic staff in Central and Eastern Europe: results of a qualitative research among university teachers in five countries

“…Higher education is a labor-intensive industry that relies heavily on the skills and goodwill of the employees in order to ensure quality. The increased stress level of the employees can also lead to the institution not being able to function properly, because if its employees do not feel well, are too tired, listless, and undermotivated, it negatively affects the operation of the whole university/college as an organization (Bell et al, 2012;ChaaCha and Oosthuysen, 2023).…”

Analysis the Quality of Human Resources and the Effectiveness of Higher Education Management on Student Academic Performance at Universities in Samarinda, East Kalimantan

“…It involves administrative and leadership practices that guide the institution's mission, vision, resource allocation, and decision-making processes [16], [17]. A well-managed institution focuses on individualization of employee motivation, development of talent management practices, and the use of innovative approaches to enhance performance and job satisfaction [18]- [21]. Additionally, the management of higher vocational colleges can benefit from the use of information technology, such as student information management systems, to improve overall work efficiency and ensure the quality and safety of the educational environment [22].…”