Exploring workplace environmental factors affecting female academics' psychological resilience: a mixed methods sequential explanatory study.

Abstract

A review of the relevant extant literature suggested that Higher Education Institutions [HEIs] are heavily dependent on the psychological resilience [PR] of academic staff members to achieve excellence in teaching and learning. However, there is a dearth of research that focuses specifically on the PR of female academics [FAs] in the context of workplace environmental factors [WEFs] in South African HEIs. In response, this study was conducted to identify some of the most prevalent WEFs-related adversities that may put FAs at risk for high levels of negative mental health outcomes [NMHOs], and the fundamental building blocks of psychological resilience [BBPRs] that FAs may exhibit in response to WEFs-related NMHOs. A mixed method sequential explanatory approach within the pragmatism paradigm was applied in this study. Through this approach, a sample of 135 FAs was drawn from the University of KwaZulu-Natal [UKZN] to participate in the dominant quantitative phase. Of the 135 FAs, 27 FAs were purposefully selected to participate in the follow-up qualitative phase. Informed consent was obtained from all FAs/participants prior to participation in this study. The quantitative and qualitative data were collected using online self-report surveys and indepth/ semi-structured interviews respectively; and subsequently analysed using Stata and Thematic Analysis, respectively. Primarily, the results of the study indicated that administrative demands and skewed workloads; research demands; teaching demands; and compensation and rewards were reported as the highest WEFs causing NMHOs. However, knowledge, skill, and ability [KSAs]; coaching support; professional and personal networking; and mentoring support were ranked as the lowest WEFs causing NMHOs. Generally, as a group, while participants reported having positive experiences towards the BBPRs [i.e., neuroticism, mindfulness, self-efficacy, and coping]; the majority of participants expressed experiencing high levels of NMHOs [i.e., stress, burnout, depression, anxiety, and compassion fatigue]. Overall, this study concluded that the PR of FAs depended crucially on individual factors [i.e., demographic characteristics] and work-related factors [i.e., support from the university management and human resource management [HRM]. The conceptual, theoretical, methodological, and empirical contributions made by this study are discussed; limitations and delimitations are acknowledged; and recommendations for UKZN management and HRM, and future research are proposed.