Precarious employment of academics in higher education institutions in South Africa
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Date
2024
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Publisher
University of the Western Cape
Abstract
The employment of contract academics has become a common practice among higher education institutions (HEIs) across the world. This is due to neoliberal business principles implemented in the sector. The impact of such employment practices has not been explored in a South African context. The current study seeks to bridge this gap by exploring the experiences of academics in precarious employment roles at HEIs in South Africa. The study aims to inform human resource (HR) policies and employment practices to ensure equitable, decent work for all categories of HEI employees. This is a thesis by publication. Four chapters present papers previously published in various journals, unpacking the precarious employment experiences of academics, heads of departments and HR professionals and precarious employment practices prevailing in South African HEIs. Three preceding chapters contextualise the literature, theoretical frameworks and methodology that informed the thesis as a whole, while a concluding chapter draws together the findings and insights gained from the research. The study thus includes four sub-studies, each with its own research methodology, data collection, analysis, results, discussions, conclusions, recommendations and practical implications. Sub-study one addressed the research question: What are the published experiences of precarious employment of individuals in higher education? The research reviewed the published experiences of individuals employed in precarious employment roles within universities by conducting a qualitative evidence synthesis from published literature. The review highlighted the precarity created and perpetuated through structural changes in the global economy and the wider education sector, wherein precariously employed staff often bear the brunt of these structural changes and management practices of universities. The sub-study found that HR management has to proactively reassess measures to combat the adverse effects on temporary staff and the impact on their health and well-being. From an individual perspective, staff employed on temporary contracts have to develop coping strategies to mitigate precarious employment. Sub-study two investigated the experiences of individuals in precarious employment roles within South African universities. The research objective was to explore the lived experiences of academics in precarious employment in South African universities. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews. It was evident from the findings that temporary academic staff members desire equal treatment to the rest of the staff at their institution and to be treated as valued members of staff with access to basic employment rights and benefits. The findings indicate the need for universities’ HR departments to evaluate their policies and practices and assess their impact on temporarily employed staff. HR departments need to actively engage and support individuals in these employment roles to ensure they receive the necessary support to perform their duties and responsibilities throughout the entire employment life cycle. Sub-study three examined precarious employment practices at South African HEIs. Data was collected in semi-structured interviews with academics in precarious employment roles at HEIs. The findings confirm that academics in precarious employment roles face challenges that negatively impact their work experience, well-being and career progression, including lack of job orientation and onboarding, last-minute contract offers, vague employment contract terms, lack of employment benefits, lack of rights and legal standing, a lack of career development and funding opportunities, unfair work demands, a lack of performance feedback and a lack of HR and organisational support. The findings collectively paint a picture of an undervalued, exploited and unsupported workforce. Sub-study four employed semi-structured interviews with HR professionals and heads of departments (HODs) in South African universities to gather data on organisational perspectives on managing precarious employment in South African higher education. Overall, the findings confirm that precarious employment is increasingly practised at South African HEIs, often with detrimental impacts on the affected staff. There is a clear misalignment between the role expectations of contract academics, line management and HR departments at universities, leading to unmet expectations, frustration, feelings of exploitation and dehumanising employment experiences. The study found an apparent need to clarify the roles of each stakeholder in the employment of contract academics within HEIs. In particular, HR procedures must be customised to effectively manage contract employees with more oversight from an HR perspective to mitigate the risk to individual employees. Finally, to inform best practices, the policies guiding the management of contract employment need to be clarified.
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Keywords
Precarious employment, Contract academics, Higher education, Precarity, Human resource practices