The ODT has obtained copies of the 2023 marketing department’s staff survey.
While the sample size is small, they are significantly poorer than other university departments and the university as a whole.
The ODT also obtained minutes from a meeting held last year to address the poor survey results.
Among the results for the marketing department were that 46% of those who responded reported bullying of and by staff; 31% had experienced discrimination at work; and only 31% said they would recommend the university as a great place to work.
Otago University acting human resources director Carolyn King said yesterday while the results highlighted some negative feedback, it was crucial to acknowledge the challenging circumstances the institution faced during that year.
"As with any survey it is ‘a snapshot in time’ and at the time the survey was undertaken, the university was grappling with a significant financial deficit, undergoing redundancy processes and navigating multiple change initiatives.
"These factors undoubtedly influenced the department’s results. Similarly, results were varied across the university."
In August last year poor morale within the marketing department was flagged by the marketing department’s senior leadership team.
Minutes obtained from the August meeting showed the leadership team considered bringing in the pro-vice-chancellor as an external facilitator.
Dr John Williams said in the meeting that historically, the department of marketing was one of the biggest departments in the university, but "over recent years our size has declined significantly, and the results shown in the survey may reflect that".
Dr Mathew Parackal said the survey results posed many "searching questions".
"Why are our junior staff not able to stay around?
"We need to ask honest questions and find answers to these questions, so that moving forward we won't have to repeat this conversation again.
"There is an environment which creates this kind of reaction, and that is what needs to be fixed."
There was "a sense of a lack of freedom and liberty which are the things we need to manipulate or change".
Other staff raised several "red flags", such as racial abuse in the department, a lack of support for junior staff and a "strained" relationship with the Clocktower — university’s senior leadership.
Some staff said some people in the department did not feel safe and that their opinions and ideas were not welcome.
Prof Leah Watkins said "we need to look at how we create an environment in which we can feel safe, confident and welcome".
She queried whether a facilitated session was needed.
The ODT understands several staff meetings which were assigned to discuss the survey and related matters were either cancelled or postponed last year.
Mediation for staff was scheduled to be discussed at a meeting last month, the ODT understands.
A former department staff member said it was a sad situation.
"This department has very good people, but the way management is acting is making real problems.
"We already lost many good staff, but still we don't learn from this, and the problems are still there.
"If we don't face these issues directly, the future of the department is not clear."
Ms King said the university was taking a comprehensive approach to staff wellbeing, engagement and morale, including appointing a staff wellbeing manager.
