Interviewer Stress and Coping: Interpreting Admission Interview Experiences of Higher Education Faculty Members

Abstract

In any higher education institution, the discussions on admission-related stress have always focused on the interviewee. There are limited studies examining stress experienced by the academician while conducting the admission process. This study addresses this gap in the literature by examining various aspects of stress and coping mechanisms adopted by faculty. An interpretive phenomenological analysis is chosen to understand the meaning ascribed by the faculty to their experience of stress. A total of 22 participants were interviewed for the study. In-depth interviews were conducted with the faculty using a semi-structured questionnaire; addressing the cause of stress, the consequence of stress, and coping mechanisms adopted by faculty to tackle stress. The study highlighted factors such as perceived competency, interpersonal dynamics, time management and brand management, which stressed academicians and caused physical and psychological discomfort. To deal with stress, faculty adopted measures ranging from seeking social support and creating mental boundaries. Findings from the study can be leveraged by higher education institutions to design measures to tackle the occupational stress of faculty arising out of non-academic activities.