The COVID-19 pandemic: Perspectives on work engagement and work-from-home in a higher education institution

SA Journal of Human Resource Management

 
 
Field Value
 
Title The COVID-19 pandemic: Perspectives on work engagement and work-from-home in a higher education institution
 
Creator Botha, Doret van Dijk, Gerda Marais, Amori
 
Subject — COVID-19 pandemic; employee engagement; higher education; South Africa; work engagement; work-from-home
Description Orientation: Globally, the repercussions of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic infiltrated many areas within societies. Like all other institutions, higher education institutions (HEIs) had to migrate to online and blended activities, and work-from-home (WFH) became characteristic of the ‘new normal’.Research purpose: The main purpose of the study was to determine the perspectives on work engagement and WFH among employees of an HEI in South Africa during the global COVID-19 pandemic.Motivation for the study: There is limited published research reporting on WFH and work engagement in HEIs.Research approach/design and method: The study employed a quantitative-based cross-sectional design. The target population of this study included all employees an HEI in South Africa who worked from home during the COVID-19 lockdown. A web-based survey was used to collect the data. In total, 399 respondents participated in the research.Main results: The results of the study revealed that the employees were to a great extent engaged in their work because of the organisational support received from the institution. It was also evident that some employees experienced difficulties with establishing a work routine, a lack of sufficient equipment and resources to function at home, work–home interference, increased workload and working hours, isolation and work–life balance issues.Practical/managerial implications: The results of the study are important to inform business decisions regarding the WFH model as an alternative working arrangement to be considered in HEIs.Contribution/value-add: This study contributes to the body of knowledge regarding work engagement and WFH in HEIs in the context of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor
Date 2023-04-14
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — Survey
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/sajhrm.v21i0.2131
 
Source SA Journal of Human Resource Management; Vol 21 (2023); 14 pages 2071-078X 1683-7584
 
Language eng
 
Relation
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https://sajhrm.co.za/index.php/sajhrm/article/view/2131/3240 https://sajhrm.co.za/index.php/sajhrm/article/view/2131/3241 https://sajhrm.co.za/index.php/sajhrm/article/view/2131/3242 https://sajhrm.co.za/index.php/sajhrm/article/view/2131/3243
 
Coverage — — —
Rights Copyright (c) 2023 Doret Botha, Gerda van Dijk, Amori Marais https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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