Chapter 1 Introduction and overview of the study
1.6 Problem statement
At the end of 2009, the selected HEI completed two years as a new university type (University of Technology) that had emerged from the process of mergers and redesignations announced by the Minister of Education in 2002 and 2003. The first technikons became Universities of Technology in 2004, followed by the rest in 2005.
However, in 2002, ML Sultan Technikon and Technikon Natal had already merged under the name of Durban Institute of Technology (DIT). In 2006, the merged institution changed its name to Durban University of Technology (DUT) to bring it in line with other previous technikons. During this time, the DIT/DUT continued to
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operate as a technikon, with technikon policies, processes, procedures, practices and structures.
In 2007, the selected HEI appointed a new Council, new Vice-Chancellor and new Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic. At the end of that year the HEI consolidated the merger and rounded it off, and in 2008 it embarked on the major mission of its young life: transforming into a University of Technology, not just in name, but in practice.
The selected HEI faced many challenges regarding its plans and efforts to refocus itself as a new type of university. While the two constituent institutions had been similar institutional types (that is, technikons), they had had different cultures and artefacts in relation to academic and religious backgrounds and to their distinguishing colours and symbols. This had been a bedevilling factor during the merger process, which sought to create a cohesive and settled university community (Durban University of Technology Annual Review Report, 2009:34).
For five years, the researcher had been active in union activities as a shop steward, including being a Vice-Chair: Academic for the Nutesa Staff Union in 2009. Included in the researcher's portfolio was addressing all complaints by Nutesa staff at the new institution. Many complaints were handled that arose from the merger of the constituent institutions. Some of the staff complained about being unfairly treated in their departments, some had misunderstanding with colleagues and Heads of Departments, and others felt harassed and bullied. Some of the issues were so serious that some staff wanted to be transferred to other departments. Others even considered resigning from the institution.
The problem this research sought to address may be stated as follows: As far as the researcher knew, there has been very little research done throughout South Africa on workplace harassment in general. The research that has been done focuses mostly on school bullying among learners. There seems to have been very limited awareness of the fact that harassment can occur in the workplace as well, and limited understanding of the different forms harassment takes or of what constitutes harassment. The main research problem of the study is to investigate the nature and
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extent of harassment and its impact on performance of staff at the selected higher education institution (HEI).
1.6.1 Harassment situations
Harassments can occur in a variety of circumstances. Often, but not always, the harasser is in a position of power or authority over the victim (due to differences in age, or social, political, educational or employment relationships). Forms the harassment relationship may be characterised by some of the following:
The harasser can be anyone, such as a client, a co-worker, a parent or legal guardian, a teacher or professor, a student, a friend, or a stranger.
The victim does not have to be the person directly harassed but can be anyone who finds the behaviour offensive and is affected by it.
Adverse effects on the target are common.
The victim and harasser can be any gender.
The harasser does not have to be of the opposite sex.
The harasser may be completely unaware that his or her behaviour is offensive or constitutes sexual harassment or may be completely unaware that his or her actions could be unlawful.
Misunderstanding can result from a situation where one thinks one is making oneself clear, but is not understood as intended. The misunderstanding can either be reasonable or unreasonable. An example of unreasonable misunderstanding is when a manager holds a certain stereotypical view of a subordinate such that he/she does not understand the subordinate's explicit message to stop (Paludi, 1991:2).
1.6.2 Common effects of harassment on victims
Keashly and Neuman (2009:21) provide common professional, academic, financial and social effects of harassment, which include:
decreased work performance; and/or increased absenteeism
loss of job or loss of income
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having one's personal life offered up for public scrutiny in that the victim becomes the accused, and his/her dress, lifestyle and private life often comes under attack
being objectified and humiliated by scrutiny and gossip
becoming publicly sexualised (where groups of people evaluate the victim to establish if he/she is worth the sexual attention or the risk to the harasser's career)
defamation of character and reputation
loss of trust in environments similar to where the harassment occurred
loss of trust in the types of people who occupy similar positions as the harasser or his or her colleagues
extreme stress upon relationships with significant others, sometimes resulting in divorce; extreme stress on peer relationships, or relationships with colleagues
weakening of support network, or being ostracised from professional or academic circles
having to relocate to another city or find another job
loss of references/recommendations
Depression, anxiety, sleeplessness, shame and guilt, difficulty concentrating, headaches, fatigue or loss of motivation, stomach problems, eating disorders (weight loss or gain), alcoholism, feeling betrayed and/or violated, feeling angry or violent towards the perpetrator, feeling powerless or out of control, increased blood pressure, loss of confidence and self-esteem, withdrawal and isolation, overall loss of trust in people, traumatic stress, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), complex post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal thoughts or attempts and suicide are some of the psychological and health effects that can occur in an individual who has been harassed. Organisations should be aware of the impact of workplace harassment on staff performance and take a closer look at whether harassment is a problem within their own environment and implement workplace harassment policies (Keashly &
Neuman, 2009:22).
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