This editorial is translated from Norwegian to English by UiOGPT
A big thank you to the managers, safety representatives, and the local ARK coordinators for the work you did prior to the deployment of the actual survey, not least in mobilizing participation. This time, we had a response rate at the faculty of over 67 percent. Although a bit lower than the UiO average, it is higher than the average for the entire Higher Education sector, and it is significantly higher than the last time we conducted the ARK survey, which was in the fall of 2021. At that time, the response rate at the faculty was just over 59 percent, so this progress is substantial and very pleasing. A wark thank you also to all who answered the questions about how you experience the work environment at your workplace. It is your responses that lay the foundation for developing measures to make our work environment even better.
For the faculty as a whole, we see that some areas are doing well and that there are challenges in others. The question we score lowest on is perceived workload. The experience of working under too strong time pressure and not having sufficient time to perform work tasks is prevalent in all employee categories, but is especially strong among the generally and the permanently scientific staff in particular. It is a poor consolation that the problem of overload is not limited to our faculty, but is also the dimension on which UiO as a whole and the entire sector for higher education sector score the lowest.
We see that we also have potential for improvement related to participation and information flow. Our employees try to stay updated about important decisions regarding their work, but there are indications that it is not always easy to find the relevant information.
Fortunately, there are mostly positive results in the survey. Having to perform work tasks that conflict with one's own values is not a problem for us. The feeling of using one’s knowledge and skills in the work is widespread. Not surprisingly, our employees experience a high degree of autonomy in the way work is performed. Power struggles, intrigues, and tensions tied to prestige, do not seem to be a part of our everyday work life. The employees experience clear expectations about their tasks, both from their manager and their colleagues.
Especially positive for the faculty as a whole is the relationship with our colleagues. Many different questions were asked about the relationship with colleagues in the ARK survey, and the average score for all the various variables is well above 4 (on a 5-point scale). The experience of being supported by colleagues is widespread, as is the experience of helping colleagues succeed in their work. The feeling of belonging to a colleague community with a good atmosphere, and a sense of community where there is room to express one's opinions, is prevalent. There is little doubt that we value our colleagues and that colleagues are important resources to us. This strong collegial community is something we will nurture; it is a very important part of the work environment at the faculty.
The development of measures takes place at the departments and centers. The work environment at the departments and centres may be characterized by slightly different strengths and challenges, which is why it is important that the development of measures takes place locally. At the faculty, we look forward to keep track on the local processes and enhance our work environment even more.
UiO has decided that work environment surveys at the various faculties and other units should occur simultaneously every three years, meaning we will conduct the survey again in 2027. This will offer good opportunities for continuous targeted and strategic work to attain the best possible work environment at UiO and at the Faculty of Social Sciences.
Good luck with the development of measures!
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Results from the ARK survey at the SV faculty level (PowerPoint presentation)