Abstract
Orientation: A literature search for studies on the well-being of support staff of higher education institutions (HEIs) produced very little results. Appreciation was then used to identify elements that might enhance the well-being of a selected HEI’s support staff.Research purpose: The aim was to explore the strengths of a selected HEI that might serve as driving forces for enhancing its support staff’s well-being.Motivation for the study: The lack of research on the well-being of support staff motivated the study. A need was identified to explore driving forces that might enhance their well-being.Research design, approach and method: A literature review guided by theoretical perspectives and theories on staff well-being was conducted. Subsequently, a qualitative action research design involving an Appreciative Inquiry (AI) workshop with support staff of an institution was followed.Main findings: The following strengths that might serve as driving forces for enhancing the well-being of the institution’s support services staff were identified: hard-working and dedicated support staff, positive relations among colleagues, a willingness to adapt to change,good remuneration and benefits, job security and a supportive work environment. Appreciative Inquiry was found to be well suited for identifying such strengths, as opposed to methods that focus on identifying problems or weaknesses of an organisation. As a result of this study, the relevant institution might react and build on these identified strengths towards promoting the well-being of its support staff.Practical/managerial implications: Institutions should make an effort to enhance staff well being. The results of the study could also be used to encourage HEIs to use AI to establish optimal staff well-being.Contribution/value add: The study confirmed the power of appreciation to identify the strengths that might serve as driving forces for enhancing the well-being of support staff of an HEI.
Highlights
Higher education institutions (HEIs) play an important role in the ongoing transformation of society in South Africa, and as such, they present an interesting context for studying matters of well-being (Field & Buitendach, 2011)
This study explored, by means of Appreciative Inquiry (AI), the strengths of a South African HEI that drive the well-being of its support services staff
It eventually became evident that AI, with its focus on identifying the strengths and the positive core of organisations, can be an effective tool in identifying driving forces for transforming organisations and improving the well-being of their staff
Summary
Higher education institutions (HEIs) play an important role in the ongoing transformation of society in South Africa, and as such, they present an interesting context for studying matters of well-being (Field & Buitendach, 2011). To an increasing extent, rely on their work to define their own meaning in life (Beukes & Botha, 2013; Burger, Crous & Roodt, 2012; Ghoshal & Bartlett, 1994; Heil, Bennis & Stephens, 2000; Seligman, 2011). Their levels of job satisfaction are affected by their morale, levels of engagement in their work and their performance (Johnsrud, Heck & Rosser, 2000; Upadhyah & Gupta, 2012). Sufficient job resources, such as growth opportunities, organisational support and career advancement, have proved to positively affect the levels of staff’s engagement in their work (Rothmann & Jordaan, 2006)
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