Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, universities worldwide have provided continuity to research and teaching through mandatory work from home. Taking into account the specificities of the Italian academic environment and using the Job Demand-Resource-Recovery model, the present study provides, through an online survey, for the first time a description of the experiences of a large sample of academics (N = 2365) and technical and administrative staff (N = 4086) working in Italian universities. The study analyzes the main differences between genders, roles or work areas, in terms of some job demands, recovery experiences, and outcomes, all important dimensions to achieve goals 3, 4, and 5 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The results support the reflections on gender equality measures in universities and provide a general framework useful for further in-depth analysis and development of measures in order to improve well-being (SDG 3), quality of education (SDG 4), and gender equality (SDG 5).
Highlights
Mandatory work from home (Kniffin et al 2021; Ghislieri et al 2021b) at universities worldwide allowed academic organizational life to continue during the COVID-19 pandemic and ensured continuity of research and teaching, despite some well-known limitations
Taking into account the specificities of the Italian academic context (Ghislieri et al 2014; Converso et al 2019) and using as main reference the Job Demand-Resource-Recovery model (Kinnunen et al 2011), the present study provides, for the first time, a snapshot of the experiences of a large sample of academics and technical and administrative staff (TAS) working in Italian universities
According to the Job Demands-Resources model (JD-R)-R model, we examined recovery experiences along with various job demands, namely workload, cognitive demands, and off-hours technology-assisted job demands; we included workaholism and work–family conflict, which can be considered both outcomes and demands
Summary
Mandatory work from home (Kniffin et al 2021; Ghislieri et al 2021b) at universities worldwide allowed academic organizational life to continue during the COVID-19 pandemic and ensured continuity of research and teaching, despite some well-known limitations (such as lack of access to laboratories and lack of informal interpersonal relationships). Remote academic work has prevented students from having to interrupt their careers, helping to compensate for the lack of social and activities time, despite heavy study loads and not always satisfactory support from faculty (Aristovnik et al 2020). How was this experience lived by the academics and the technical and administrative staff (TAS), in terms of some important variables modulating the organizational experience?. The focus on gender differences is consistent with the gender equality dimension (Goal 5)
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