A work-from-home framework for the South African private higher education institutions

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has had severe implications for businesses worldwide, whereby many businesses faced challenges in continuing their operations. Due to countries’ lockdown regulations, businesses had to implement work-from-home (WFH) arrangements for continuity and survival. Higher education was no exception. This study considers the WFH arrangement for private higher education in South Africa. It looks at the WFH factors impacting employee sentiment, employee engagement, organisational commitment, and perceptions of leadership styles. The primary objective of this study was to develop a WFH framework for academic personnel within private higher education in South Africa. The study used a quantitative research approach to investigate WFH within private higher education institutions. The respondents were employees from a private higher education institution in South Africa, holding various positions such as managers, lecturers, and academic administrators (i.e., academic personnel). Thus, the target population (133) comprised 16 managers, 27 academic lecturers (faculty members), and 90 support staff (academic administrators). A response rate of 75% was achieved (N = 105). Data were collected using an online self-administered questionnaire and analysed utilising descriptive, inferential, and multivariate techniques. The study's primary findings suggested that academic personnel within private higher education in South Africa held positive views and sentiments of WFH, were engaged and committed during the WFH period, and generally had positive feelings about the leadership they received during WFH. These could all be attributed to the appropriate support received by the institution that enabled the effective implementation of WFH. Several suggestions for improvement were received, while managerial shortcomings were also identified regarding managing academia during WFH. Through appropriate assessments of academic personnel’s perceptions of WFH, employee engagement during WFH, organisational commitment levels during WFH, and perceptions of leadership received during WFH, the study identified the requisite antecedents and factors for a WFH framework. The study identified four key antecedents comprising 13 factors. These antecedents and factors were to be included in the framework for WFH in private higher education. The study also found a lack or misalignment in existing WFH frameworks. This study’s framework followed a holistic approach and could assist private higher education in effectively managing WFH. This study's practical contribution was providing a WFH framework, allowing private higher education to implement and sustain remote working within their institutions effectively. Empirically, due to the absence of similar studies in South Africa and possibly globally, this study contributed to the body of knowledge surrounding the assessment of WFH in private higher education. Finally, methodologically, this is the first time a study has used the quantitative methodology to develop a framework for managing WFH for academic personnel in private higher education in South Africa.