Determinants of academics’ grievances

Abstract

Grievances are inherent elements of any working organization and this leads to create more unfavorable consequences for the development of both individual and organization. Thus, today's human resources managers are facing challenge of effectively managing employee's grievances while maintaining tradeoff between individual and organizational goal achievement. This paper aims to investigate the factors leading to grievances among university academics. Further, relationship between demographic variables (gender and marital) and grievances also explored. Data were collected using self reported questionnaire from 86 university academics in the University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka. Sample of 86 academics was selected from four faculties located at Wellamadama premises: Management and Finance, Science, Fisheries and Marine science and Humanities and social sciences. Survey results revealed that a grievance is a multidimensional construct which can be measured by means of several factors. Further factor analysis concluded that these determinants can be categorized three elements job related, working condition related and human resource policy related grievances. Further, it was found that there is no significant difference between gender and marital of the academics with regard to the determinants of grievances. Since no empirical studies carried out on this issue in Sri Lanka context particularly focusing on this employee group, the findings of the study would be important for university administration and career counselors in making decisions and implementing program for assisting employees to manage the stress pertaining to the grievances.