Crouch, touch, pause, engage: performance and stress factors during restructuring in a tertiary institution.

Abstract

This article reports on stress during restructuring in a tertiary institution in New Zealand and compares it with South African legislation. The aim of this research is the engaging of HR to minimise the impact of stress on staff effectiveness and performance.

Data was collected using a quantitative instrument distributing the survey electronically to 291 staff from “Faculty A” at a Tertiary Education Organisation in Auckland; the response rate was 20.3%. The findings of the study demonstrate high positive results to factors that cause stress within organisations during organisational restructuring. Stress can enhance a person’s performance; excessive stress can have a reverse impact on a person’s health resulting in lower productivity. Stress was not managed up to taff expectations during the restructuring and the impact was more severe than was expected.