Career wellbeing framework within the Namibian higher education context

Abstract

The study investigated the role of career-related dispositions (job satisfaction and career agility) and career wellbeing in the construction of a career wellbeing framework within the Namibian higher education context in the digital career space, with an emphasis on digital transformation in the higher education context accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study thus aimed to determine whether a significant relationship exists between career-related dispositions and career wellbeing in the digital career space, whether career-related dispositions significantly predict career wellbeing in the digital career space, and, lastly, whether individuals differ by means of their socio-demographic groups (such as gender, age, marital status, race, job level and parental status) in terms of job satisfaction, career agility and career wellbeing in the digital career space within the Namibian higher education context. To address this gap, a quantitative approach using valid and reliable measuring instruments was used to achieve the study objectives. The sample of the study included 253 full-time permanent academic employees of the public higher education institution in Namibia. The study employed a cross-sectional design within a single institution using non-probability convenience sampling; therefore, the findings are context-specific and do not imply national representativeness. Inferential statistics such as descriptive statistics, canonical analysis, correlation analysis, regression analysis and ANOVA/T tests were used to test the research hypotheses. Key findings revealed that job satisfaction showed the strongest statistical association with career wellbeing in this sample, whereas career agility did not demonstrate a statistically significant relationship with career wellbeing in this study, challenging contemporary Western career theories emphasising agility. The study contributes by validating multidimensional career wellbeing constructs, providing the first rigorous documentation of career wellbeing patterns in Namibian higher education, and integrating the Ubuntu philosophy with career theory. The findings suggest prioritising career satisfaction-building initiatives over career agility-development programmes, establishing comprehensive transformation frameworks, implementing differentiated career support systems, and developing family-supportive policies. The results demonstrate that in resource-constrained African contexts, career wellbeing derives primarily from career satisfaction rather than agility competencies, requiring institutional responsibility for creating fair, adequately resourced and supportive employment conditions.

Die studie het die rol van loopbaanverwante ingesteldhede (werksbevrediging en loopbaanbuigsaamheid) en loopbaanwelstand ondersoek in die ontwikkeling van ’n loopbaanwelstand-raamwerk binne die Namibiese hoëronderwyskonteks en die digitale loopbaanruimte, met spesifieke klem op digitale transformasie in hoër onderwys, wat deur die Covid-19-pandemie versnel is. Die doel van hierdie studie was daarom om vas te stel of daar ’n beduidende verband bestaan tussen loopbaanverwante ingesteldhede en loopbaanwelstand binne die digitale loopbaanruimte; of loopbaanverwante ingesteldhede ’n beduidende voorspeller is van loopbaanwelstand binne die digitale loopbaanruimte; en, laastens, of daar ’n verskil by individue bestaan oor sosiodemografiese groepe (soos geslag, ouderdom, huwelikstatus, ras, werkvlak en ouerstatus) met betrekking tot werkstevredenheid, loopbaanbuigsaamheid en loopbaanwelstand in die digitale loopbaanruimte binne die Namibiese hoëronderwyskonteks. Ten einde die studiedoelwitte te bereik, is ’n kwantitatiewe benadering, wat die gebruik van geldige en betroubare meetinstrumente behels, aangewend. Die populasie van die studie het bestaan uit 253 voltydse, permanente akademiese werknemers aan ’n openbare hoëronderwysinstelling in Namibië, wat deur middel van nie-waarskynlikheidsgerieflikheidsteekproefneming gekies is. Die navorsingshipoteses is getoets deur middel van inferensiële statistiese tegnieke, insluitend beskrywende statistiek, korrelasie-analise, kanonieke analise, regressie-analise en ANOVA/t-toetse. Sleutelbevindinge het getoon dat loopbaantevredenheid as die dominante voorspeller van loopbaanwelstand vorendag gekom het, terwyl loopbaanbuigsaamheid geen beduidende voorspellende verband getoon het nie. Hedendaagse Westerse loopbaanteorieë wat beklemtoon dat buigsaamheid sentraal tot welstand is, word deur hierdie bevinding uitgedaag. Die studie dra by tot die literatuur deur ’n multidimensionele konstruk van loopbaanwelstand geldig te maak, die eerste gestrenge dokumentasie van loopbaanwelstandspatrone in Namibië se hoëronderwyssektor te bied, en die Ubuntu-filosofie binne loopbaanteorie te integreer. Aanbevelings wat uit die bevindinge voortspruit, sluit in die prioritisering van inisiatiewe wat loopbaantevredenheid bo programme bevorder wat uitsluitlik op die ontwikkeling van loopbaanbuigsaamheid fokus; die vestiging van omvattende transformasieraamwerke; die implementering van gedifferensieerde loopbaanondersteuningstelsels; en die ontwikkeling van institusionele beleide wat die gesin ondersteun. Oor die algemeen dui die resultate daarop dat loopbaanwelstand in hulpbronbeperkte Afrika-kontekste hoofsaaklik uit loopbaantevredenheid spruit eerder as uit buigsame vaardighede, en dit beklemtoon die institusionele verantwoordelikheid om regverdige, voldoende befondsde en ondersteunende werksomstandighede te skep.

Ucwaningo luhlole iqhaza lezimo ezihlobene nomsebenzi (ukwaneliseka ngomsebenzi kanye nekhono lomsebenzi) kanye nenhlalonhle emsebenzini ngenhloso yokwakha uhlaka lokusebenza oluphilile ngaphakathi emfundweni ephakeme eNamibia kanye nalapho kusetshenzwa khona ngedijithali, ukugxila kakhulu kuguquko lwedijithali emfundweni ephakeme, nokusheshiswe ubhubhane lweCovid-19. Ngakho-ke inhloso yalolu cwaningo bekuwukuthola ukuthi ngabe bukhona yini ubudlelwano obuqinile phakathi kwezimo ezihlobene nomsebenzi kanye nenhlalonhle endaweni yomsebenzi wedijithali; ukuba ngabe izimo ezihlobene nomsebenzi zibikezela ngokuphawulekayo yini inhlalonhle yomsebenzi emsebenzini wedijithali; futhi, okokugcina, ngabe kwehluka ngokwabantu yini (ngobulili, ubudala, isimo somshado, ubuhlanga, izinga lomsebenzi kanye nesimo sabazali) maqondana nokugculiseka ngomsebenzi, ubuchule emsebenzini nenhlalonhle emsebenzini wedijithali emfundweni ephakeme eNamibia. Kusetshenziswe indlela yocwaningozinombolo ehlanganisa ukusetshenziswa kwamathuluzi okulinganisa asemthethweni futhi athembekile ngenhloso yokuzuza izinjongo zocwaningo. Inani labantu ababeyingxenye yocwaningo lihlanganisa abasebenzi abangu-253 abaqashwe ngokugcwele esikhungweni sikahulemeni semfundo ephakeme eNamibia, abakhethwe ngoba bekulula ukusebenzisana nabo ngesikhathi socwaningo (non-probability convenience sampling). Imibono engafakazelwe yocwaningo ihlolwe kusetsheniswa izindlela zokuhlaziya ezihlanganisa idescriptive statistics, correlation analysis, canonical analysis, regression analysis and ANOVA/t-tests. Okutholakele okubalulekile ukuthi ukwaneliseka ngomsebenzi yikhona okuhamba phambili okuholela ekutheni kubenenhlalonhle emsebenzini, kanti ubuchule bomsebenzi bona abuhlobene nakancane nalokho, nokuphikisana nemibono yaseNtshonalanga kwezemisebenzi ethi ubuchule bomsebenzi bunomthelela omkhulu kwezenhlalonhle emsebenzini. Ucwaningo luneqhaza ekubhalweni ngokuqinisekisa ukwakheka kwenhlalonhle kwezemisebenzi ehlukahlukene, lunikeza imibhalo yokuqala eqinile yamaphethini enhlalonhle emkhakheni wezemfundo ephakeme eNamibia, kuhlanganisa noBuntu ngaphakathi kwinjulalwazi yemisebenzi. Izincomo ngalokhu okutholakele zibandakanya izinhlelo ezibeka phambili ukuthuthukisa ukwaneliseka kwabasebenzi kunalezo ezigxile kuphela ekuthuthukisweni kobuchule bomsebenzi; ukusungula izinhlaka eziphelele zoguquko; ukusebenzisa izinhlelo ezehlukene zokwesekela imisebenzi; kanye nokuthuthukisa izinqubomgomo zesikhungo ezisekela umndeni. Sekukonke, imiphumela iphakamisa ukuthi ezimweni zase-Afrika ezentula izinsiza, inhlalonhle emsebenzini incike kakhulu ekwanelisekeni emisebenzini esikhundleni sekhono lobuchule, okugcizelela isibopho sesikhungo sokwenza izimo zokusebenza ezilinganayo, ezinezinsiza ezanele nezisekelanayo.