Psychosocial Environment of Universities: How Satisfied are Academics with Work-Related Factors?

Abstract

University academics are critical actors in knowledge production and human resource development through teaching and research. However, despite the significant roles of university academics in the knowledge society, the psychosocial work environment of universities particularly in developing nations has witnessed agitations, threats and strikes over one work-related issue or the other. The current study examined how academic staff of selected universities in Ghana perceived work-related factors in their psychosocial environment using the mixed methods explanatory sequential design. A sample of 376 academic staff were stratified and selected based on rank and gender. Structured questionnaire was employed to collect data for the quantitative phase of the study while semi-structured interview guide was used to gather the qualitative data. Results from the study showed that academic staff of universities were dissatisfied with criteria for promotion, salary, as well as training and development as they perceived these factors negatively in their psychosocial work environment. It was recommended that managements of universities in Ghana make pragmatic efforts to review conditions of service of academic staff in order to create favourable psychosocial work environments for university academics to promote effective teaching, research and innovation