An exploratory study on factors affecting the quality of work life in a University in South Africa

Abstract

The radical changes in conventional administrative systems and processes driven by the New Public Management (NPM) philosophy in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) has degraded the Quality of Worklife (QoWL) of employees. This study investigates the impact of this philosophy on the QoWL of employees at university “A”. The study employed a mixed-methods approach whereby 160 structured questionnaires were completed and 16 in-depth interviews were conducted with university employees. The study findings revealed contradictory views regarding the research participants’ knowledge of the policies related to the QoWL with equally claiming their availability though inconsistently applied and not enforced by the university leaders.