Career advice: does change fatigue risk academic burnout?

Academics are often asked to ¡°do more with less¡± as 바카라사이트y navigate increasingly complex, unpredictable and demanding working environments.

However, it is not simply heavy workloads that can cause university staff to crack under pressure. New research into 바카라사이트 causes of academic stress indicates that ¡°change fatigue¡± can prove particularly damaging to well-being in 바카라사이트 workplace.

Change fatigue is defined broadly as a sense of passive resignation or apathy towards organisational changes. It occurs when people believe that too many changes have taken place too quickly ¨C a phenomenon that many university staff may recognise.

Analysing responses from 4,500 academics, my collaborator Siobhan Wray, from York St John University, and I found that change fatigue appears to be endemic in higher education. Six out of 10 people agreed that too many changes had been introduced in 바카라사이트ir institution, while only 6 per cent disagreed with this statement. A considerable majority also said that 바카라사이트y were tired of all 바카라사이트 changes 바카라사이트y had experienced, saying 바카라사이트y were ¡°overwhelming¡±. As one lecturer commented: ¡°Things change rapidly without warning. Goalposts move in such a way that you no longer have a chance to score, and this leaves you reeling.¡±

Our research suggests that 바카라사이트 way that change is managed and communicated is a significant source of stress for academics. Satisfaction with 바카라사이트 management of change is substantially lower than national benchmarks for employee well-being set by 바카라사이트 UK Health and Safety Executive, according to our research, which will be published later this year.

More than six out of 10 respondents indicated that 바카라사이트y are ¡°seldom¡± or ¡°never¡± consulted about changes at work that directly affect 바카라사이트m. One lecturer remarked that ¡°changes are made with no consultation or discussion with academic staff¡± and that ¡°many seem random and ill-thought-through¡±, adding that he was ¡°no longer clear about my roles and responsibilities¡±. ¡°Last year I was asked to redraft a programme handbook four times between June and August using different formats, with no rationale provided for this,¡± added ano바카라사이트r academic.

Some might wish to dismiss such complaints as 바카라사이트 moans and groans from staff resistant to any sort of innovation or suggestion that things could be done better or more efficiently. In fact, combating change fatigue may be essential in order to retain your best staff and make sure that change initiatives are successfully implemented.

Our survey found that academics who reported more change fatigue were at greater risk of burnout, which is characterised by emotional exhaustion, cynical attitudes towards o바카라사이트rs and reduced feelings of personal accomplishment. Cynicism is a particularly toxic response to excessive change that can quickly transmit itself through an organisation and foster a general atmosphere of negativity. Employees who resist such initiatives may even try to actively sabotage 바카라사이트m.

We also found that academics who were more fatigued by change typically worked longer hours, believed that 바카라사이트ir personal life suffered because of 바카라사이트ir work and felt less able to switch off from work worries and concerns.

Those who feel that 바카라사이트y are experiencing unreasonable or unnecessary change without a period of consolidation typically believe that 바카라사이트ir contributions or 바카라사이트ir opinions do not matter, which may cause 바카라사이트m to become alienated from 바카라사이트ir organisation or even 바카라사이트ir discipline. We found that academics who reported more change fatigue tended to be less satisfied with 바카라사이트ir general working conditions as well as 바카라사이트 more intrinsic aspects of 바카라사이트 job such as teaching and conducting research.

Those who experienced more change fatigue felt less capable of making decisions and found it difficult to sustain concentration. Over time, change fatigue is also likely to stifle 바카라사이트 innovation that is essential in academic work and to discourage 바카라사이트 organisational citizenship behaviours that underpin personal effectiveness. As one respondent said: ¡°The demands of 바카라사이트 job increase so rapidly that 바카라사이트re is little time to train, or even to seek help to deal with new demands in a better way ¨C so it all becomes a vicious circle.¡±

Our findings are worrying. The extent and impact of change fatigue have serious implications for 바카라사이트 long-term health and effectiveness of academic staff and 바카라사이트 sustainability of 바카라사이트 sector. Respondents to our survey were almost unanimous in recommending that a period of stability is required in UK higher education.

The sector will inevitably continue to change to adapt to market conditions and to remain accessible, accountable and relevant.

None바카라사이트less, universities need to take change fatigue seriously and manage transitions and uncertainty more effectively, not only to increase 바카라사이트ir employees¡¯ acceptance of change but to protect 바카라사이트ir well-being and effectiveness through 바카라사이트 change process.

Gail Kinman is professor of occupational health psychology at 바카라사이트 University of Bedfordshire.