Announced Papers - Special Issue 6, 2026

Shifts in Management in Challenging Times

Planned papers will be announced on this page (title/abstract/authors) as soon as authors send proposals to the Editorial Team.

1. ALWAYS ON, ALWAYS STRESSED? HYBRID WORK, BOUNDARY BLURRING, AND EMPLOYEE WELL-BEING IN THE MODERN ORGANISATION

PUBLISHED

Dinko Herman BOIKANYO

University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg

South Africa

Hybrid work has become a defining feature of the modern organisation, widely promoted for its potential to enhance flexibility and autonomy. However, growing evidence suggests that hybrid work may intensify employee stress by eroding traditional work non work boundaries. Drawing on boundary theory, the Job Demands Resources model, and Conservation of Resources theory, this conceptual paper develops an integrative framework explaining how hybrid work generates stress through boundary blurring. Boundary blurring is conceptualised as a multidimensional construct encompassing temporal, spatial, and psychological domains that function as chronic job demands, depleting employee resources and undermining recovery. The framework identifies key stress mechanisms including cognitive overload, impaired psychological detachment, and role conflict, and highlights individual, organisational, and institutional factors that moderate these relationships. By reframing employee stress as a systemic outcome of hybrid work design rather than an individual coping failure, the paper advances theory on new ways of working and offers insights for more sustainable, well-being oriented hybrid work practices.

2. JOB SATISFACTION IN HEALTHCARE INSTITUTIONS: EVIDENCE FROM RANGPUR COMMUNITY DENTAL MEDICAL COLLEGE AND HOSPITAL

PUBLISHED

Shamim UDDIN

Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur

Bangladesh

Employee job satisfaction plays a crucial role in enhancing organizational performance, service quality, and employee retention in healthcare institutions. This study examines job satisfaction among doctors, nurses, and support staff at Rangpur Community Dental Medical College and Hospital in Bangladesh, focusing on seven key domains: job privileges, interpersonal relations and cooperation, working environment, patient relationships, organizational facilities, career development, and human resource practices. A descriptive, cross-sectional, and quantitative research design was employed, collecting data from 90 employees, including 35 doctors, 26 nurses, and 29 support staff, using a structured questionnaire and the validated Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS) scale. Findings indicate moderate overall satisfaction, with notable variations across domains. Interpersonal relations and cooperation were rated most positively, reflecting a supportive work culture, whereas financial benefits, organizational facilities, and certain career development opportunities were areas of dissatisfaction. Human resource practices, including recruitment transparency and workload management, also require attention. The study highlights the importance of enhancing job-related benefits, promoting professional growth, and providing institutional support to improve employee satisfaction. These insights provide actionable recommendations for hospital management to optimize workforce motivation, performance, and, ultimately, patient care outcomes.

3. EVALUATING THE EFFICACY OF INSTITUTIONAL WORKSHOPS ON EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION IN A SOUTH AFRICAN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION

PUBLISHED

Alfred Mvunyelwa MSOMI

Mangosuthu University of Technology, Durban

South Africa

Sandiso NGCOBO

Mangosuthu University of Technology, Durban

South Africa

Rapid technological progress calls for continuous professional development in digital literacy for academic staff to accommodate the transformative integration of educational technology within education. This research assesses the effects of faculty participation in such workshops and its subsequent practical application in educational contexts. Utilising purposive sampling, twenty-one academic members who consistently attended educational technology workshops during 2021-2023 completed a closed-response online questionnaire using Microsoft Forms. The study incorporates the Kirkpatrick’s Evaluation Model’s (KEM) and the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework to provide rigour in its evaluation of training efficacy. Our findings reveal substantial barriers to sustained technology integration, namely limited post-workshop support, insufficient time for practical application, unreliable infrastructure, and varying levels of digital literacy among academic staff. This data highlights the need for strategic enhancements in workshop structure and presentation to better cultivate substantial technological integration within teaching practices.