A human resource practitioner framework to support the engagement of academics in research ethics

Abstract

This study explored academic researchers’ engagement in research ethics at an OpenDistance Learning (ODL) institution in South Africa (SA), with the intention of discovering the way in which human resource management (HRM) practitioners, employed at the same institution, can support academic researchers’ engagement in research ethics. The study’s purpose was to develop a conceptual framework for HRM practitioners to support academic researchers’ engagement in research ethics, at an ODL institution in SA.For this qualitative study, an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach was followed. Data were collected from 13 purposively selected academic researchers, employed at an ODL institution, by means of semi-structured individual interviews, naive sketches and fieldnotes. The IPA approach offers an analysis method that was accordingly employed. Thereafter, the findings were interpreted with the Job-Demands Resource (JD-R) theory.These interpretations were used to construct the conceptual framework according to the organising principles of Dickhoff, James and Wiedenbach (1968) Academic researchers have some resources to support engagement in research ethics, but also face several job demands, which has a negative influence on their ability to engage in research ethics. HRM practitioners have a critical role to fulfil to support academic researchers’ engagement in research ethics, by facilitating a work environment where job resources are readily available. In addition, the ODL institution must be well-balanced, successful, and endorse a culture of ethics within its organisational culture, for academic researchers to engage in research ethics. HRM practitioners have an essential role to endorse a culture of ethics within the ODL institution. The findings will benefit both academic researchers and the ODL institution. The support that HRM practitioners provide, should include, inter alia, a) enabling an engaging leadership style, b) ensuring that ethical values are embedded in the recruitment strategy, and c) revising the performance agreements and performance appraisals of academic employees to include research ethics. This study forms part of a limited pool of qualitative studies to investigate WE, using the JD-R theory as a theoretical framework. This study is furthermore a forerunner in exploring the role that HRM practitioners can play in supporting academic researchers’ engagement in research ethics. It is the first study to use the IPA approach in the field of Management Sciences to investigate WE with the JD-R theory as a theory of engagement. By using the organising principles of Dickoff et al. (1968), for conceptual framework development to explain WE according to the JD-R theory, a seminal contribution was made.

Hierdie studie ondersoek akademiese navorsers se verbintenis tot navorsingsetiek by ’n oopafstandleerinstelling (ODL institution) in Suid-Afrika met die voorneme om ’n manier te vind waarop nslikehulpbronbestuurspraktisyns (MHB-praktisyns) wat by dieselfde instelling werksaam is, akademiese navorsers se verbintenis tot navorsingsetiek kan ondersteun. Die studie se oogmerk was om ’n konseptuele raamwerk vir MHB-praktisyns te ontwikkel om akademiese navorsers se verbintenis tot navorsingsetiek by ’n pafstandleerinstelling te ondersteun. Vir hierdie kwalitatiewe studie is ’n Interpreterende Fenomenologiese Ontledingsbenadering (Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis [IPA] approach) gevolg. Data is by 13 doelbewusgeselekteerde akademiese navorsers, werksaam by ’n oopafstandleerinstelling, ingesamel deur middel van migestruktureerde- individuele onderhoude, naïewe sketse en veldnotas. Die Interpreterende Fenomenologiese Ontledingsbenadering bied ’n ntledingsmetode wat dienooreenkomstig gebruik is. Hierna is die bevindings met die werk- vereistes-hulpbronneteorie (job-demands resource [JD-R] theory) geïnterpreteer. Hierdie interpretasies is gebruik om die konseptuele raamwerk te ontwikkel volgens die organiseringsbeginsels van Dickhoff, James en Wiedenbach (1968).

Akademiese navorsers beskik oor ’n paar hulpbronne wat ’n verbintenis tot navorsingsetiek ondersteun, maar word ook met verskeie werkseise gekonfronteer wat ’n negatiewe invloed op hulle vermoë om hul tot navorsingsetiek te verbind, kan hê. MHB-praktisyns speel ’n kritiese rol om akademiese navorsers te ondersteun ten opsigte van hul verbintenis tot navorsingsetiek deur ’n werksomgewing te fasiliteer waar werkshulpbronne geredelik beskikbaar is. Verder moet die oopafstandleerinstelling ‘n gebalanseerde etiese organisasiekultuur onderskryf om akademiese navorsers te help om hulle te verbind tot etiese navorsing. MHB-praktisyns speel ’n noodsaaklike rol om ’n etiese kultuur binne die ODL- instelling te ondersteun.

Akademiese navorsers, sowel as die oopafstandleerinstelling, sal baat vind by die bevindinge. Die ondersteuning wat MHB-praktisyns bied, behoort onder meer die volgende in te sluit: a) om ’n werksbegeesterde leierskapstyl moontlik te maak; b) om te verseker dat etiese waardes by die werwingstrategie ingesluit is; en c) om die prestasie-ooreenkomste en prestasiebeoordelings van akademiese personeel te hersien om navorsingsetiek in te sluit.

Lolu cwaningo lwacubungula ukulandela nokusebenzisa kwabacwaningi inkambiso yocwaningo enhle nelungileyo esikhungweni seMfundo-buqama Evulelekile (ODL), phecelezi, i-Open Distance Learning institution eNingizimu Afrika (SA), ngenhloso yokuthola indlela engasetshenziswa ngabasebenzi abangongoti bezokuphathwa kwabasebenzi (HRM), abaqashwe esikhungweni leso, ukweseka ukulandela nokusebenzisa kwabacwaningi bezikhungo zemfundo ephakeme inkambiso yocwaningo enhle nelungileyo uma benza ucwaningo. Inhloso yalolu cwaningo kwabe kuwukwakha okuthuthukisa uhlaka-kuhlaziya lokuqonda olwenzelwe abasebenzi be-HRM ekusekeleni abacwaningi bezikhungo zemfundo ephakeme ukuze bakwazi ukulandela nokusebenzisa inkambiso enhle nelungileyo uma benza ucwaningo esikhungweni esiyi-ODL eNingizimu Afrika. Kulolu cwaningo olwabe luwucwaningo olugxile ekuxoxisaneni okunzulu futhi okunohlonze nababambiqhaza bocwaningo bakhethiweyo abayingcosana (qualitative research) kwalandelwa indlela-kuhlaziya egxile kwisimo-kuqonda sombambiqhaza ocwaningo, phecelezi i-Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Imininingo yocwaningo yaqoqwa kubacwaningi bezikhungo zemfundo ephakeme abayi-13 abakhethwe ngenhloso, kusetshenziswa indlela-kuxoxisana engagcini nje kuphela ohlwini lwemibuzo ehlelekile, kepha elandelisa nangeminye imibuzo evulekile, phecelezi ama-semi-structured individual interviews, nemidwebo elula kanye namanothi athathwe endaweni okwenzelwa kuyona ucwaningo. Indlela-kuhlaziya i-IPA ihlinzeka ngendlela yokuhlaziya okuyiyona eyasetshenziswa ocwaningweni. Emuva kwalokho imiphumela eyatholakala ocwaningweni yahunyushwa kusetshenziswa ithiyori i-Job-Demands Resource (JD-R) theory. Ngokusho kuka-Dickhoff, James no-Wiedenbach (1968) lezi zihumusho zabe sezisetshenziselwa ukwakha uhlaka-kuhlaziya lokuqonda. Abacwaningi bezikhungo zemfundo ephakeme banazo izinsiza-kusebenza zokulandela nokusebenzisa inkambiso yocwaningo enhle nelungileyo, kodwa-ke zikhona futhi nezingcindezi-zidingo zomsebenzi eziningana ezinomthelela ongemuhle emandleni abo okulandela nokusebenzisa inkambiso enhle nelungileyo uma benza ucwaningo. Abasebenzi be-HRM banendima esemqoka kakhulu okumele bayidlale ekwesekeni abacwaningi bezikhungo zemfundo ephakeme ekulandeleni nokusebenzisa inkambiso enhle nelungileyo uma benza ucwaningo, ngokuthi bakhe isimo sokusebenzela lapho ziyinala futhi zitholakala kalula izinsiza-kusebenza. Ngaphezu kwalokho isikhungo esiyi-ODL kumele kube ngesizinzile nesihleleke kahle, esiphumelelayo futhi eseseka usiko-mpilo lwenkambiso enhle nelungileyo ngaphakathi kusiko-mpilo lwaso njengenhlangano, ukuze abacwaningi bezikhungo zemfundo ephakeme bakwazi ukulandela nokusebenzisa inkambiso enhle nelungileyo uma benza ucwaningo. Abasebenzi be-HRM banendima esemqoka okumele bayidlale ekwesekeni usikompilo lwenkambiso enhle nelungileyo ngaphakathi esikhungweni esiyi-ODL. Imiphumela etholakale ocwaningweni izohlomulila abacwaningi bezikhungo zemfundo ephakeme iphinde futhi ihlomulise nezikhungo eziyi-ODL. Ukwesekwa okuhlinzekwa ngabasebenzi be-HRM kumele kubandakanye, phakathi kokunye, a) ukwakhiwa kwesitayela sobuholi senzebenziswano, ubambiswano nokubonisana b) kuqinisekisa ukuthi izimo-mpilo zenkambiso enhle nelungileyo ziyisisekelo seqhingasu lokuqashwa kwabasebenzi, kanye c) nokubuyekezwa kwezivumelwano zensebenzo kanye nokuhlolwa nokubuyekezwa komsebenzi wabasebenzi bezikhungo zemfundo ephakeme ukuze kubandakanywe inkambiso enhle nelungileyo. Lolu cwaningo luyingxenye yeqoqwana elincane lomsebenzi osuwenziwe kuze kube manje wocwaningo olugxile ekuxoxisaneni okunzulu futhi okunohlonze nababambiqhaza bocwaningo abakhethiweyo abayingcosana okuhloswe ngalo ukuphenya nokucwaninga i-WE, kusetshenziswa ithiyori i-JD-R njengohlaka lwethiyori yocwaningo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, lolu cwaningo luyivulandlela ekucubunguleni indima engadlalwa ngabasebenzi be-HRM ekwesekeni ukulandela nokusebenzisa kwabacwaningi bezikhungo zemfundo ephakeme inkambiso enhle nelungileyo uma benza ucwaningo. Lolu wucwaningo lokuqala olusebenzisa indlela-kuhlaziya i-IPA emkhakheni wamaSayensi Ezokuphatha ngenhloso yokuphenya nokuhlola i-WE kusetshenziswa ithiyori i-JD-R njengethiyori yokucubungula umsebenzi wocwaningo. Kwaba negalelo elikhulukazi impela ukusetshenziswa kwemigomo yokuhlela ka- Dickoff nabanye (1968), ekwakheni nokuthuthukisa uhlaka-kuhlaziya lokuqonda ngenhloso yokuchaza i-WE ngokuhambisana nethiyori i-JD-R