A Proposed Workload Policy in the Zambian Higher Education Sector: A Business Re-Engineering Approach

The purpose of the study was to assess the workload policy adopted by universities in the Zambian Higher Education Sector. It utilized regression analyses, revealing weak correlations between time allocated to teaching, research, and community service with total faculty workload. Specifically, teaching had an F-statistic of 1.333 (p = 0.265), research and innovation F = 0.821 (p = 0.513), and community engagement F = 1.857 (p = 0.138), with R² values of 0.02, 0.017, and 0.028, respectively, indicating minimal explanatory power. The study's key challenges factors (KCFs) scale demonstrated good internal consistency with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.783. Motivational theories applied included Equity Theory, Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory, and Vroom's Expectancy Theory, emphasizing fairness, recognition, and alignment between rewards and effort to enhance faculty motivation. Qualitative findings indicated that faculty in private institutions often faced excessive workloads, teaching four or more courses per semester, with large class sizes exacerbating the issue. Public institutions had structured policies, allocating 40% of faculty time to teaching, 40% to research, and 20% to administrative duties. The study concluded that both public and private institutions should refine workload policies to improve faculty well-being and institutional performance, recommending clear, sustainable policies to address excessive workloads, especially in private institutions, to promote academic excellence, improve faculty retention, and ensure long-term institutional success.