Creating spaces of well-being in academia to mitigate academic burnout: a collaborative auto-ethnography
ISSN: 1443-9883
Article publication date: 18 July 2023
Issue publication date: 8 November 2023
Abstract
Purpose
In contrast to prior studies examining burnout in academic employees, this paper explores how academic employee agency mitigates burnout risks in the context of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) and how this agency facilitates research productivity and influences well-being in the face of changes in learning and teaching practices.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors use collaborative auto-ethnography (CAE) in the higher education (HE) sector to probe how an employee productivity group supported the group's members during the pandemic.
Findings
Thematic analysis revealed four emerging themes: burnout, beneficial habits for research productivity, blocking-out-time and belonging. The authors' findings suggest that by acknowledging and legitimising employee-initiated groups, feelings of neglect can be combatted. Purposeful employee groups have the potential to create a therapeutic, safe space and, in addition to the groups' productivity intent, diminish the negative effects of a crisis on organisational effectiveness.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to the literature by utilising a CAE approach to provide greater insight into how academics enact agency by creating digital research workspaces, attending to the spatial dimensions of well-being especially during turbulent times.
Keywords
Citation
de Villiers Scheepers, M., Williams, P., Schaffer, V., Grace, A., Walling, C., Campton, J., Hands, K., Fisher, D., Banks, H., Loth, J. and Scheelings, A. (2023), "Creating spaces of well-being in academia to mitigate academic burnout: a collaborative auto-ethnography", Qualitative Research Journal, Vol. 23 No. 5, pp. 569-587. https://doi.org/10.1108/QRJ-04-2023-0065
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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