Mental wellbeing programs and performance of academic staff in selected chartered public universities in Kenya

Abstract

Performance of academic staff in Kenya drives the country’s economic growth and the well-being of the society, and the universities are central in the development of the human capital that is required for national progress. Despite the critical role they offer in higher education through teaching, carrying out research, and engagement in community service, it is only one university in Kenya that appeared at position 1425 in the 2023 Global 2000 list. This was a drop from the year 2022, and this was due to reduced employability of graduands and academic staff research performance. Statistics indicate that about 91% of public universities in Kenya face challenges in their service delivery. There is also criticism about low-quality education, inefficiencies, limited quality research, and poor performance in their teaching, carrying out research, and engagement in community service. This study therefore sought to establish the effect of mental wellbeing programs and performance of academic staff in selected chartered public universities in Kenya.The study employed positivism philosophy, and the study was drawn upon a theoretical framework informed by social exchange theory and the social ecological model. The study used both descriptive and cross-sectional designs. The study population comprised 7,090 academic staff, with a sample of 379 from eight public universities that were purposefully selected. Stratified random sampling and simple random sampling were used to select academic staff. Data was gathered using semi-structured questionnaires based on a 5-point Likert scale.A pilot study was conducted to establish the study’s suitability and appropriateness during data collection. The content analysis technique was used in analyzing qualitative data that was presented in narrative form. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze quantitative data in close-ended questions comprising frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviation. The study used both simple and multiple regression with inferential analysis to assess the association of the hypothesized constructs. The research used a 95% confidence level to test the hypothesis.The study established that the mental wellbeing programs were statistically significant and had a positive effect on the performance of academic staff in chartered public universities in Kenya. To enhance academic staff performance, the research recommends the public universities promote inclusive recognition and enhance counseling and promotion of communication and feedback. It is imperative to enhance participation of academic staff in mental wellbeing programs since this fosters a supportive environment that supports sustainable staff performance. To further enhance employees’ performance, the institution should strengthen research support and community engagement and integrate mental wellbeing initiatives into performance systems.