The role of mental and cognitive resources among university professors in promoting work-related wellbeing and performance

Swiss partners

• HES-SO, HE Arc Gestion HEG Arc: Armand Brice Kouadio (main applicant)

Partners in the MENA region

• Université Hassan II de Casablanca: Adam Chati (main applicant)

Presentation of the project

For the last decade, University professors have been overwhelmed with manyfold changes within their teaching environments. Among these changes are higher demands for renewed lecturing strategies, the evolving expectations of students, and most importantly digitalization and remote teaching. In particular, modern information and communication technologies, respectively the hybridization of professors' workplace imply new challenges for university’s professors, which in turn may influence academic outcomes. Notwithstanding its evident benefits, the digital workplace and the new conditions of work puts university professors under higher work demands. Thus, faced with new responsibilities and performance criteria, university professors need higher cognitive workloads (mental efforts) in order to keep up the good work, which could influence their work-related health and well-being, engagement and performance. The aim of our project is firstly to analyze the mental and cognitive factors influencing university professors' health and well-being at work, respectively the possible impacts thereof on higher education system performance. Then to provide evidence-based practice guidelines for universities in order to promote work related wellbeing among professors within their new hybrid work environments.