NATIONAL TERTIARY EDUCATION STAFF UNION INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

Re-Shaping WORK in Higher Education in Africa

Durban 13-15 January 2008

Title of paper: Through the magnifying glass: A descriptive theoretical analysis of the possible impact of the S.A. Higher Education Policies on academic staff and their job satisfaction

Presenter: ‘Mabokang Monnapula-Mapesela

Institution: University of the Free State

Centre for Higher Education Studies and Development

Box 4345

Bloemfontein 9300

Tel: 051 4013777

Fax: 051 4446357

E-mail: mapesela.rd@ufs.ac.za

Through the magnifying glass: A descriptive theoretical analysis of the possible impact of the S.A. Higher Education Policies on academic staff and their job satisfaction

Abstract

This paper provides a descriptive theoretical analysis of the most important higher education policies and initiatives which were developed by the democratically elected government of South Africa after 1994 to transform the its higher education system. The paper sheds light on the rationale for the policies under scrutiny; how they take cognisance of academics’ diverse needs; as well as how their implementation affects academics and possibly influence job satisfaction. The paper argues that the South African higher education fraternity, which is overwhelmed by mammoth change initiatives, is simultaneously faced with two processes, namely transforming the socio-political state of the country, as well as transformation to respond to national higher education policy imperatives. South African policy-makers, in their attempts to break away from the past, seem oblivious of the realities of thorough policy implementation and do not take the voluminous nature of policies into consideration as an inhibiting factor. Undoubtedly this could have adverse effects for academic staff who are expected to propel change and transformation, but who are oftentimes confronted with the complexities of implementation which entail among others, dealing with cumbersome procedures, processes, bureaucratic structures as well as increasing workloads.