Job sharing practices and organisational performance in higher education: a Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) approach in Tanzanian universities

The study investigates how job-sharing practices influence academic staff’s perceived organisational performance of universities in Tanzania. Guided by Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory, the study conceptualises job sharing through three responsibility configurations; shared responsibility, divided responsibility, and unequal ratio splits, and tests their effects on perceived organisational performance. A positivist cross-sectional survey design was employed. The institutional study frame comprised operational universities in Tanzania, while the analytical unit was academic staff; usable data were obtained from 306 academic staff drawn from 11 public and 17 private universities. Data were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) in SmartPLS 4. The measurement model demonstrated satisfactory indicator reliability, internal consistency, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. The structural model showed that shared responsibility, divided responsibility, and unequal ratio splits all had positive and significant effects on perceived organisational performance. A substantial proportion of the variance in perceived organisational performance was explained by the model, and blindfolding results showed adequate predictive relevance. The findings indicate that collaboration in accountability, clear division of tasks, and transparent workload allocation are performance-supportive ways of organising shared academic work. The study adds to job sharing theory by modelling job sharing in the form of a multidimensional responsibility structure as opposed to a generic flexible work strategy and demonstrating that unequal ratio divisions are not always performance destructive. The study recommends that universities establish formalised job-sharing structures that align work distribution with expertise, transparency, and coordination in shared academic work.