In a period of transformation and change at NUST, where full university status has been accorded to the institution, academic staff are increasingly challenged to perform better regarding issues such as new demands in course design and delivery, innovative teaching techniques, the integration of technology in teaching and learning, and higher research output, amongst others. The awareness of higher work engagement amongst academics should thus be particularly appealing to the higher education system in Namibia. However, when the environment is not conducive and job demands are high, staff members may find it difficult to become fully engage in their work. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of job demands on the work engagement levels of academic staff at NUST. To achieve the aims of the study a self-administered questionnaire was administered to full-time academic staff members across the six faculties and a total of 201 academic staff members participated in the study. Inferential analysis such as chi-square and correlation analysis were used to determine the strength of the relationships between engagement and job demands. The results indicated that job demands, specifically the work situations and emotions, have an impact on the engagement levels of the academic staff. Since high job demands are directly linked to burnout, it is recommended that the institution develop intervention strategies specifically related to the work situation and coping strategies of academic staff.
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In-Text Citation: (Enkali & Geoffrey, 2019)
To Cite this Article: Enkali, E. J., & Geoffrey, N. (2019). The exploration of job demands on engagement at a transforming tertiary institution in Namibia. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 9(10), 373–384.
Copyright: © 2019 The Author(s)
Published by Human Resource Management Academic Research Society (www.hrmars.com)
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