The continuing crisis caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has raised significant challenges for the higher education community globally. In South Africa, the government-forced lockdown measures and social distancing containment policy changed working arrangements across sectors and organisations. As a result, academics were forced to work from home (WFH), a task for which they were hardly prepared. Several researchers have engaged the WFH situation of academics to understand the relationship between WFH and productivity. As far as we know, very few studies have tried to describe academics’ WFH experiences in relation to the challenges, including determining possible ways of improving their satisfaction with working from home. We examine in this article the experiences of academics working from home across selected universities in South Africa. Using a qualitative approach and applying Atlas.ti for data analysis, our findings show that working from home in academia is a daunting task requiring extensive organisational, personal, and social adjustments. The population comprised all academics irrespective of any demographic or personality characteristic within the management faculty of the participating universities to secure the anonymity of the respondents. Five themes—inability to adapt, lack of a home office, loneliness and isolation, inability to balance family and work, and improving satisfaction with work from home—were identified as significant variables from the participants’ responses. Our analysis suggests that organisations need to customise approaches to engage with the experiences of academics who work from home during COVID-19 and to develop fit-for-purpose support for these academics. The study contributes to the growing research exploring the relationship between COVID-19 lockdown and work in higher education.

The dynamic changes in the South African higher education environment have seen academics immersed in increasing workloads to keep up with the university mandate. The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has raised significant challenges for the higher education community and intensified complications related to workload and in particular for female academics. The understanding of the management of workload is pertinent, and therefore the article examines the components of workload and implications of the Covid-19 pandemic for female academics. A descriptive research design and a quantitative research approach were adopted, and data was collected from 54 female academics in an unidentified university in South Africa. The data was analyzed using the Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 and presented using a descriptive and inferential format. Also, the study adopted a systematic review of literature leveraging reputable sources. The findings revealed that (i) time allocation to academic activities of teaching and learning, research, postgraduate supervision, administration matters, community service, and academic citizenship remains a challenge facing universities, and (ii) Covid-19 imposed remote working arrangements resulting in increased workloads, leading to reduced research productivity and inability to achieve work-life balance for the female academics. The results of the study highlight the need for institutional review and policy development on the academic workload management system to ensure work-life balance for the female academics and output maximization for the university, especially during a pandemic.

The paper examines the role cluster initiative management can play for women entrepreneurs in small medium enterprises in the South African informal sector economy as forms of employment. It looks inter-relationally into aspects that heighten awareness and significance of entrepreneurial development of women. The concept of cluster initiative management at local, national, regional and global levels in relation to rural women in the informal economy is of note. The paper contextualizes the cluster notion as an important approach especially for small and medium-sized enterprises to survive and compete successfully in changing business environments while identifying key issues for due consideration. The notion of clustering has evolved over time and four domains of women’s economic empowerment are put forward. Methodology in the paper follows an exploratory study premised on reviewing existing literature through dimensions of cluster initiative management and its relevance in women entrepreneurial development. Findings of the study provide insights and recommendations into the provision of a favourable environment for cluster initiatives to flourish and draws attention of key policy-makers in decision-making that supports sustainability of women entrepreneurs towards self-employment in informal sectors of the economy.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic took a sledgehammer to the education sector, shattering the established structured systems, norms and rituals of practices and procedures. To ensure continuity whilst adhering to the pandemic-induced containment measures, higher education institutions adopted a remote work model to address the needs of a dispersed workforce. Amidst the uncertainty and continuous changes posed by the pandemic, remote working arrangements gradually dominated the higher education workspace, thereby increasing demands on institutions and employees. Consequently, the notion of resilience as a crucial constituent of Crisis Management has never been more salient. Yet surprisingly, there has been a paucity of literature in this domain. Whilst research on resilience is gaining interest, there is a need for a comprehensive overview of what the concept means for academics during an emergency and its application in the Crisis Management framework. This article addresses this research gap using a systematic Literature Review method to unearth the current state of scientific research regarding resilience in Crisis Management in the context of remote work during COVID-19. The findings of the study provide a research agenda that centers on understanding how resilience in Crisis Management and its strategic use in remote work can advance the research streams.

Orientation: Prior research has identified several moderators that can mitigate the effects of abusive supervision on employee outcomes; however, the role of high-performing employees (HPEs) has been virtually overlooked. Research purpose: Drawing on social exchange theory (SET), this study explores the effects of abusive supervision on employee silence and employee alienation, as well as the moderating role of HPEs in the indigenous banking sector in Ghana. Motivation for the study: Supervisors, as key facilitators of employee performance and commitment, often face immense pressure to achieve departmental and organisational goals. While effective leadership promotes collaboration, commitment and performance, some supervisors resort to dysfunctional behaviours, such as abusive supervision, to drive results. Research approach/design and method: The study adopted a cross-sectional survey to collect data from 227 employees from indigenous banks in Ghana using cluster sampling. Four hypotheses were tested using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). Main findings: Abusive supervision significantly and positively affects employee silence and employee alienation. However, HPEs significantly reduced these effects. Practical/managerial implications: This study covered only the indigenous banking sector in Ghana, limiting generalisability. The results provide useful information for managers seeking to address abusive supervision and its outcomes. Contribution/value-add: This study contributes novel insights into the moderating effects of HPEs in mitigating the adverse effects of abusive supervision on employee silence and employee alienation in Ghana’s indigenous banking sector.