Feeling heard or feeling invisible: Organisational support and psychosocial safety climate in a distance-learning university

Abstract

Orientation: Staff well-being in distance-learning universities is shaped by leadership practices, institutional communication and the broader organisational environment.
Research purpose: This study explored how academic and professional staff at a distance-learning university perceive and experience organisational support, and how these perceptions relate to their well-being at work.
Motivation for the study: Although well-being initiatives in higher education often prioritise individual coping and self-care, limited empirical attention has been given to how organisational conditions within South African distance-learning institutions influence staff well-being.
Research approach/design and method: A qualitative research design was employed, using open-ended survey responses from 840 academic and professional staff members at a large South African distance-learning university. Data were analysed through reflexive thematic analysis, informed by psychosocial safety climate and perceived organisational support frameworks.
Main findings: Three interconnected themes emerged: increasing work demands linked to workload governance, variation in opportunities for staff voice and line management support, and differing views on organisational responsibility for well-being. Everyday leadership and human resource practices, particularly those related to workload management, communication and recognition, played a central role in shaping staff experiences of support and well-being.
Practical/managerial implications: Enhancing staff well-being in distance-learning contexts requires transparent communication, meaningful recognition and leadership practices that foster psychological safety across organisational levels.
Contribution/value-add: This study highlights organisational support and everyday leadership behaviours (e.g. communication and feedback) as key influences on staff well-being.