The perceived effects of remote working on performance management at an ODeL institution of higher learning

Abstract

The global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic restrictions affected traditional face-to-face, physical office presence service provision, necessitating a shift to online remote work supported by technology. A shift that significantly transformed operations, and service delivery. The primary aim of this article is to investigates the effectiveness of remote working as a sustainable model for executing service delivery in a post-COVID-19 world. Exploring both scholarly and literature on to enhance and support continuous service delivery, upholding financial sustainability and the resilience of institutions in the aftermath of the pandemic. The secondary aim is to assess how institutions have adapted to remote working, its impact on productivity, employee well-being, stakeholder satisfaction, the development of technological infrastructure and conducive remote working environments. Using a mixed-methods research design, qualitative interviews were conducted with the human resources departmental heads as well as online quantitative questionnaires were distributed amongst the academic staff, administrative staff and students at the institution of higher learning. The study revealed the gaps that exists in the educational environment at open institutions of higher learning, where service provision and service delivery were altered from traditional physical presence, face-to-face, in a physical office environment, to working remotely supported by technology. The study also revealed the challenges brought by the pandemic in the working environment, employee engagements, communication, productivity, performance management, evaluation methods, and institutional effectiveness. Analysing both benefits and challenges of remote working, this study aims to provide insights into optimising performance strategies. To develop a remote working framework policy and advocate for student support in online environments highlight the importance of effective communication, the role of technology in facilitating performance assessments and the need for adaptive management strategies to support remote employees. The study concludes with recommendations for the development of a remote working framework to manage and evaluate remote working performance. Enhancing the evaluation and assessment of operations output in remote working settings, ensuring that ODeL institutions can maintain high standards of online education, service delivery, and operational efficiency.

Dithibelo tsa leroborobo la lefatshe lotlhe la coronavirus (COVID-19) di amile tlamelo ya tirelo ya sefatlhego le sefatlhego, ya go nna teng mo ofising, mme seno sa dira gore go tlhokege gore go fetogelwe kwa tirong e e dirwang kwa kgakala ya inthanete e e tshegediwang ke thekenoloji. Phetogo e e fetotseng thata ditiro, le thebolo ya ditirelo. Maikaelelo a konokono a athikele eno ke go batlisisa ka katlego ya go dira o le kgakala jaaka sekao se se tswelelang pele sa go diragatsa thebolo ya ditirelo mo lefatsheng la morago ga COVID-19. Go sekaseka bobedi barutegi le dikwalo ka ga go tokafatsa le go tshegetsa thebolo ya ditirelo e e tswelelang, go tshegetsa tsweletsopele ya matlole le go itsetsepela ga ditheo morago ga leroborobo. Maikaelelo a bobedi ke go sekaseka ka fao ditheo di tlwaetseng go dira kwa kgakala, khuetso ya yona mo ntshodikunong, itekanelo ya badiri, kgotsofalo ya bannaleseabe, tlhabololo ya mafaratlhatlha a thekenoloji le mafelo a a siametseng go dira kwa kgakala. Ka go dirisa thulaganyo ya patlisiso ya mekgwa e e tlhakaneng, go ne ga dirwa dipotsolotso tsa boleng le ditlhogo tsa mafapha a tsa badiri mmogo le go anamisiwa ga dipampiri tsa dipotso tsa dipalopalo tsa mo inthaneteng mo gare ga badiri ba thuto, badiri ba botsamaisi le baithuti kwa setheong sa thutogodimo. Thutopatlisiso e senotse diphatlha tse di leng teng mo tikologong ya thuto kwa ditheong tse di bulegileng tsa thutogodimo, koo tlamelo ya ditirelo le thebolo ya ditirelo di neng tsa fetolwa go tswa mo go nneng teng ga tlwaelo ka namana, sefatlhego le sefatlhego, mo tikologong ya ofisi ya mmatota, go ya go go bereka o le kgakala o tshegediwa ke thekenoloji. Thutopatlisiso e senotse gape dikgwetlho tse di tlisitsweng ke leroborobo mo tikologong ya tiro, go nna le seabe ga badiri, tlhaeletsano, ntshodikuno, taolo ya tiragatso, mekgwa ya tshekatsheko, le go dira sentle ga setheo. Go sekaseka melemo le dikgwetlho tsa go dira o le kgakala, thutopatlisiso eno e ikaeletse go tlamela ka dintlha tsa go tokafatsa maano a go dira. Go tlhama pholisi ya letlhomeso la go dira kwa kgakala le go buelela tshegetso ya baithuti mo ditikologong tsa mo inthaneteng go tlhagisa botlhokwa jwa tlhaeletsano e e nang le matswela, seabe sa thekenoloji mo go tlhofofatseng ditshekatsheko tsa tiragatso le tlhokego ya maano a botsamaisi a fetofetogang go tshegetsa badiri ba ba kwa kgakala. Thutopatlisiso e konela ka dikgakololo tsa go tlhama letlhomeso la go dira kwa kgakala go laola le go sekaseka tiragatso ya go dira kwa kgakala. Go tokafatsa tshekatsheko le tlhatlhobo ya dipholo tsa ditiro mo mafelong a go dira a a kgakala, go netefatsa gore ditheo tsa ODeL di ka tshegetsa maemo a a kwa godimo a thuto ya inthanete, thebolo ya ditirelo, le bokgoni jwa go dira.

Imikhawulo yomkhuhlane we-corona (COVID-19) ephasini loke ithinte ukuhlinzekwa kweenkonzo zokuqalana ubuso nobuso, ukuba khona ehhovisini, okwenza bona kutlhogeke ukutjhugulukela emsebenzini we-inthanethi osekelwa yithekhnoloji. Itjhuguluko elitjhugulule khulu imisebenzi, nokulethwa kweenkonzo. Umnqopho omkhulu wale-atikili kuphenya ukusebenza kuhle kokusebenza kude njengendlela esimemeko yokufeza ukulethwa kweenkonzo ephasini ngemva kwe-COVID-19. Ukuhlolisisa zombili izazi nemitlolo ukuthuthukisa nokusekela ukulethwa kweenkonzo okuragela phambili, ukusekela ukusimama kwezezimali nokuqina kwamaziko ngemva kobhubhane. Umnqopho wesibili kukuhlola bona iinkhungo zitjhuguluke njani ekusebenzeni ukude, umthelela wakho ekukhiqizeni, ukuphila kuhle kwabasebenzi, ukwaneliseka kwabathintekako, ukuthuthukiswa kwesakhiwo sethekhnoloji kanye neendawo ezifaneleko zokusebenza ukude. Ngokusebenzisa umklamo weendlela ezihlangeneko zokwenza irhubhululo, kwenziwa iintjumayelo zekhwalithi neenhloko zomnyango wezabasebenzi begodu namaphepha wemibuzo we-inthanethi asabalaliswe hlangana nabasebenzi bezefundo, abasebenzi bokuphatha nabafundi esikhungweni semfundo ephakemeko. Irhubhululo liveze iinkhala ezikhona endaweni yefundo eenkhungweni ezivulekileko zefundo ephakemeko, lapho ukunikelwa kweenkonzo nokulethwa kweenkonzo kwatjhugululwa ukusuka ekubeni khona ngokwesiko, ubuso nobuso, endaweni ye-ofisi ebonakalako, ukuya ekusebenzeni ukude kusekelwe yithekhnoloji. Irhubhululo libuye laveza iintjhijilo ezilethwe bulwelwe lobu endaweni yokusebenza, ukuzibandakanya kwabasebenzi, ukukhulumisana, ukukhiqiza, ukulawulwa kokusebenza, iindlela zokuhlola, nokusebenza kuhle kwesikhungo. Ukuhlaziya zombili iinzuzo neentjhijilo zokusebenza ukude, irhubhululo leli lihlose ukunikela ilwazi lokuthuthukisa amaqhinga wokusebenza. Ukuthuthukisa umthethomgomo wohlaka lokusebenza ukude nokukhuthaza ukusekelwa kwabafundi eendaweni ze-inthanethi kuveza ukuqakatheka kokukhulumisana okuphumelelako, indima yethekhnoloji ekusizeni ukuhlolwa kokusebenza kanye nesidingo samaqhinga wokulawula atjhugulukako ukusekela abasebenzi abakude. Irhubhululo liphetha ngeencomo zokuthuthukisa ihlelo lokusebenza ukude ukulawula nokuhlola ukusebenza kokusebenza ukude. Ukuthuthukisa ukuhlolwa nokuhlolwa kwemiphumela yokusebenza eendaweni zokusebenza ezikude, ukuqinisekisa bona iinkhungo ze-ODeL zingagcina amazinga aphezulu wefundo ye-inthanethi, ukulethwa kweenkonzo, nokusebenza kuhle.