Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the perception of university staff and students in implementing flexible working arrangements (FWA) to increase space efficiency, lower overheads and improve productivity at the Namibia University of Science and Technology.

Design/methodology/approach

Data was collected using questionnaires, interviews and document searches. A total of 253 university staff (academic and support) and students were surveyed to solicit their perceptions on the extent to which FWA could be implemented to ensure space optimisation, minimise property related costs and improve employee productivity.

Findings

The study confirms that the successful implementation of FWA needs coordinated institutional policy to effectively support and cater to university staff’s different needs while meeting those of the university. Implementing FWA may reduce demand on utilities resulting in lower overheads for the institution. Based on the findings, the study is inconclusive on whether FWA improves or reduces staff productivity.

Practical implications

In the era of austerity measures in institutions of higher education (IHE), with rapid advances in communication information technologies, FWA are not only a possibility but inevitable to ensure optimal use of space, lower operating costs and improved work productivity. This study provides a cursory understanding of the possibility to implementing FWA in higher education.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the FWA body of knowledge from the perspective of both academic, non-academic staff and students in IHE.

中文翻译：

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师生对高校实行弹性工作制的感悟

目的

本文的目的是调查大学教职工和学生对纳米比亚科技大学实施灵活工作安排 (FWA) 以提高空间效率、降低管理费用和提高生产力的看法。

设计/方法/方法

数据是通过问卷调查、访谈和文件搜索收集的。共有 253 名大学教职员工（学术和支持人员）和学生接受了调查，以征求他们对实施 FWA 以确保空间优化、最小化财产相关成本和提高员工生产力的程度的看法。

发现

研究证实，FWA 的成功实施需要协调的制度政策，以有效支持和满足大学教职工的不同需求，同时满足大学的需求。实施 FWA 可能会减少对公用事业的需求，从而降低机构的管理费用。根据调查结果，该研究对于 FWA 是提高还是降低了员工生产力尚无定论。

实际影响

在高等教育机构（IHE）紧缩措施的时代，随着通信信息技术的快速发展，FWA不仅是确保空间优化利用、降低运营成本和提高工作效率的可能，而且是不可避免的。本研究粗略地了解了在高等教育中实施 FWA 的可能性。

原创性/价值

本研究从 IHE 的学术、非学术人员和学生的角度为 FWA 知识体系做出了贡献。