Article Gold Open Access 2024

EXAMINING EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT AND ITS IMPORTANCE AT THE SELECTED SOUTH AFRICAN UNIVERSITY

Problems and Perspectives in Management
Journal · Vol. 22 · Issue 3 · pp. 385-397
Abstract

An engaged workforce is vital for higher education institutions to contribute positively to the developing world. The purpose of this study is to examine employee engagement and its significance for academic and administrative employees at the Durban University of Technology in the Province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. The study opted for a quantitative research design to explore the role and importance of employee engagement. The target population consisted of 1,861 university employees at the selected university in South Africa, and 320 employee from different university units and positions were selected using simple random sampling without replacement. The results revealed that 80% of respondents exert high levels of physical energy, concentration, and dedication toward achieving institutional objectives. Additionally, the results showed a significant difference in the support employees get, with administrative staff receiving more support than academic staff members. The study concluded that university employees exhibit high levels of physical energy at work. In addition, the study found a significant and positive relationship between employees exhibiting high levels of physical energy at work and employees who find their work meaningful and experience inspiration. © Tatenda Chikukwa, Melanie Elizabeth Lourens, SIzwe Vincent Mbona, 2024.

Keywords

Author Keywords

Higher education Support Academics Universities administrative staff members employee engagement vigor

Index Keywords

Author Affiliations
Department of Human Resources Management, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa
Department of Statistics, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa
Funding & Acknowledgements
No funding information
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