The Empowerment Practices of Professional Support Services Staff

The Empowerment Practices of Professional Support Services Staff at the University of Kwa. Zulu-Natal Dr Phumelele Zakwe & Dr S Mbokazi 20 th International EMASA Conference North West Province 12 -15 September 2019 INSPIRING

Video Clip • https: //youtu. be/v. Q 0 c. Sm 0 lxe. U INSPIRING

Outline & Introduction 1 • Research objectives 2 • Research findings & Methodology 3 • Recommendations 4 • Observations & Conclusion INSPIRING

University Staff component Description of the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal staff component: • Academic • Professional services • College structures INSPIRING

Introduction • The paper focusses on employee empowerment. • It draws from a Ph. D study • Research is located within the phenomenological paradigm – aiming at capturing the silent features. • In-depth interviews were conducted • 6 Schools in the College of Humanities • A purposive sample of 4 participants per School • A total of 24 participants are invited to participate in the study INSPIRING

Research objectives • To determine The importance employee empowerment for the professional services staff at the University of Kwa. Zulu-Natal • To analyse Factors that affect employee empowerment for the professional services staff at the University of Kwa. Zulu-Natal. • To identify effective empowerment aspects for the professional services staff at the University of Kwa. Zulu-Natal INSPIRING

Findings: Importance of employee empowerment: • Employee empowerment is complex. It is about understanding the difference between responsibility and accountability. • There are variations in the perceptions of the importance of employee empowerment. This is related to employee empowerment culture practices and management possibilities while highlighting the significance of employees in a successful employee empowerment practice. • Participants were of the view that one of the most important demands of management today in any organization is to ensure that employees are well developed: In information processing technology and in the creation of a globalized and continuously-changing external environment. INSPIRING

Findings: Factors impacting employee empowerment: • Employees becomes dissatisfied if they are not empowered: Underpaid and Limited Career Growth. • Professional services has no allocation of funding for their Research Activities at the College Level. They are not eligible to research funding instruments available. • HR suggests that empowerment should be based on the current job only. • No encouragement to employees to further their studies: If that development is not within their scope of work. • There is no common understating of the importance of employee empowerment: Academics require Administrators to be at work all the time in order to process their requests. INSPIRING

Findings: Factors impacting employee empowerment • No prompt and effective communication with employee. If an employee do not have data, she/he will be unable to access emails at home • Employees’ resistance to empowerment relates negatively to their job satisfaction: • Age: Others want retirement • Line management: There are no rooms open for empowerment. • No financial support from the organization. INSPIRING

Findings: Employee empowerment aspects • University must act to strengthen employee empowerment: Provide tools that will detect their true potential and motivations • Research shows that the right combination of incentives and rewards, coupled with a certain organisational culture can breed empowerment among employees. • Communications: This includes establishment of relationship and easy access of employees to managers and supervisors. • Clarity of employees' working communications with managers and supervisors. • Employees knowledge about current affairs of the company in relation with their working fields. INSPIRING

Recommendations • Clarity of circulation of work and information is needed within the organization. • Documentation of working methods and periodical revision of working methods are imperative for employee empowerment. • Simplification of affairs are effective factors in optimization of processes and working methods. • Understanding the importance of employee empowerment issues is important to meet requirements of internationalization. INSPIRING

Recommendations • It is reasonable that relatively high self-efficacy that leads to increased motivation also increases voluntary and autonomous work behaviours. • At least two-thirds of employees who strongly agree that their manager helps them set work priorities and goals. • The more engaged employees are, the more productive they become • The organization becomes a more attractive employer and attracts higher quality employees. INSPIRING

Some Observations • The study observes that employee empowerment is crucial for achieving personal and organizational goals as employees are an important asset to any organization. • Employees can carry out their tasks well when they have enough knowledge and skill and are able to realize the goals of their organization well. • Information sharing about empowering employee is necessary, as it creates an intimate and responsible atmosphere. This also creates a sense of belonging to the organization and produce employees that are determined to improve the performance of the organization INSPIRING

Conclusions • The empowered employees have the knowledge and the confidence to make wise decisions for both themselves and the organisation. • The support of senior manager has effect on employee empowerment. • The disempowerment of first line employees makes them feel unappreciative, neglected and not taken care of. INSPIRING

Conclusion • It is reasonable that relatively high self-efficacy that leads to increased motivation also increases voluntary and autonomous work behaviours • Employees should make sure their individual work goals are aligned with those of the company. • Empowerment gives employees the chance to acquire new knowledge and perform higher tasks which often leads to an increased coefficient of loyalty to the organization INSPIRING