Managing Burnout among Teaching Staff at Private Universities in Uganda: A Case Study

Abstract

The focus of this study was to examine the causes of burnout among teaching staff and, based on the findings, to suggest a framework to manage burnout among teaching staff at private universities in Uganda. A qualitative research approach with a multiple case study design was adopted in the study. Individual and focus group interviews as well as document analysis aided data collection from 50 lecturers, 40 senior lecturers, 20 faculty deans and five registrars across five chartered private universities in the Central Region in Uganda. Empirical data revealed that burnout was mainly due to institutional causes specifically from their workplaces such as conflicting directives, teaching staff’s need to accomplish tasks by a known deadline, delays in the issuance of teaching staff contracts, job insecurity, teaching staff’s incompetence due to skills gaps, limited teaching staff support, students’ disruptive behaviour, and workload. In a second classification, interpersonal causes such as unresolved family challenges, being overly ambitious, failing to progress academically, financial obligations and limited resources also caused burnout among teaching staff. The recommendations that were made include mandatory workouts to boost morale and mood through continuous aerobic exercises, mandatory rest and repair of the lost resources through a paid annual leave, identification of alternative sources of income to supplement salaries, open communication channels, and employee assistance programmes, among others. The study suggests a framework to manage burnout among teaching staff at private universities in Uganda.