Work stress, work engagement and service delivery within Zimbabwe's changing distance-learning environment

Abstract

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.