Developing a model to manage burnout among teaching staff at private universities in Uganda

Abstract

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.