Effects of Anglophone crisis on employees’ work engagement before and during: A comparative analysis in The University of Bamenda

Abstract

This research aimed to determine and compare the employees’ work engagement levels before and during the Anglophone Crisis. Data were collected through a survey from the employees of The University of Bamenda for the academic years 2016 and 2021-2023. The survey covered 170 of workers administrators, teaching and support staffs for the academic years 2016 and 2021-2023 however 97 responded through simple random sampling. The statistical analysis using the Mean, Standard Deviation, and t-Test of Independent Means revealed that, as a whole, the employees were very strongly engaged at work before and during the Crisis, and their levels of work engagement between these periods did not significantly differ. Administrative interventions in the form of technical, physical, moral, emotional, and financial support and well-managed employee engagement activities that could boost their mental and emotional wellness were recommended to mitigate the effect of a Crisis. The study recommends a follow-up investigation on employees’ engagement at work, considering other variables such as age, sex, tenure, and generational groupings. It also recommends a more objective assessment of employee work engagement with the list of criteria in harmony with the three pillars of the institution: instruction, research, and extension.