Job Demands, Job Resources and Academics’ Engagement in Selected Private Universities in Southwest Nigeria
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Date
2024-12
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Lead City University, Ibadan
Abstract
Employee engagement is essential for the sustainability and competitive advantage of higher education institutions. However, academic staff engagement levels have declined globally, including in Nigeria, due to increasing job demands without a corresponding increase in job resources. This study investigates the impact of job demands, job resources, and academics engagement in selected private universities in Southwest Nigeria. Additionally, it explores how job resources, such as social support, technological support, training, and autonomy, moderate the relationship between job demands and academic engagement. The objectives of the study are to examine the effects of job demands on academic commitment, job satisfaction, and turnover intentions, and to assess the mediating role of job resources in these relationships. A descriptive research design guided by a positivist philosophy was employed, utilizing both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods, including a cross-sectional
survey and key informant interviews. A sample of 333 academic staff from six purposively selected private universities was surveyed. Data were analyzed using SPSS, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), and content analysis. The findings indicate that job demands significantly enhance academic commitment (R² = 0.552, p < 0.001) and job satisfaction (R² = 0.331, p < 0.001), while also contributing to turnover intentions (R² = 0.398, p = 0.004) when specific demands are considered. Moreover, job resources were found to significantly mediate the relationship between job demands and academic engagement (R² = 0.124, p = 0.018), highlighting the importance of support systems in mitigating the adverse effects of high job demands. The study concludes that effective management of job demands and the enhancement of job resources are critical for fostering a more engaged, satisfied, and committed teaching staff. To enhance academic engagement and reduce turnover intentions, it is recommended that university administrators improve job resources such as social support, training, and technological tools, and ensure balanced workloads for academic staff.
Keywords: Employee Engagement, Sustainability, Competitive Advantage, Job Demands, Job Resources
Word Count: 305
Description
Keywords
Employee Engagement, Sustainability, Competitive Advantage, Job Demands, Job Resources
Citation
Kate Turabia