Job Security as a Determinant of Academic Staff Performance: Evidence from Public Universities in Uganda

Abstract

In today’s competitive higher education landscape, improving academic staff performance is essential for institutional success. This study investigated the relationship between employee job security and academic staff performance in three key areas: teaching, research, and community engagement at four public universities in Uganda. To understand how job security influences these domains, a cross-sectional survey design was utilised, with a sample of 350 participants selected through stratified random sampling. Data were collected using structured, close-ended questionnaires and analysed with IBM SPSS, employing both descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings indicated that job security has a statistically significant positive effect on academic staff performance across all three areas, with teaching (R = 0.260, R² = 0.067), research (R = 0.312, R² = 0.097), and community engagement (R = 0.278, R² = 0.077) demonstrating modest correlations. As a result, the study rejected the null hypotheses, confirming that improved job security can enhance academic staff performance in these critical domains. However, the modest effect size suggests that job security alone may not lead to substantial performance improvements. Therefore, it is recommended that universities prioritise enhancing job security through clear policies and institutional support measures, including competitive remuneration, comprehensive health insurance, and opportunities for career advancement, while also implementing innovative strategies to foster a stable and supportive working environment that boosts productivity and overall outcomes