IMPACT OF STRESS ON ACADEMIC STAFF: IMPLICATION FOR HIGHER EDUCATION MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP

Abstract

Stress influences staff performance as well as attainment of organizational goals. Members of academic staff in higher education institutions in Nigeria undergo a lot of stress when discharging their daily responsibilities. Their stress range from teaching, learning to other nonteaching responsibilities which have great influence on staff commitment and effectiveness in teaching and learning activities within the university system. This study therefore explores the impact of stress on academic staff performance in Nigerian universities. It adopted a qualitative approach in exploring the impact of stress factors on academic staff in Nigerian universities. A total of 10 academic staff members were randomly selected from 10 public universities in both Northern and South-Western Nigeria for this study. The findings of this study revealed that academic staffs in Nigerian universities are going through academic, administrative, job-related, student-imposed, social and psychological stress. In order to reduce academic staff stress and improve performance in Nigerian universities, school administrators, policy makers and Ministry of Education need to provide an enabling environment for academic staff, increase teachers’ motivation, support them in achieving their set goals and facilitate their job satisfaction.