A Personal Narrative of Resilience – Working in a Top Management Office at a University of Technology

Abstract

This article discusses the experiences of one of the authors working in a top management office in one University of Technology. Despite misgivings which have sometimes culminated in assertions that overall, resilience as a construct is of dubious scientific value, the authors deem it pertinent as a theoretical perspective for this paper. The authors are also aware that critiques have generally focused on ambiguities in definitions and the central terminology of resilience. Given the stressful nature of the work situation of one of the authors, we are inclined to the definition of resilience as the maintenance of positive adaptation by individuals despite experiences of significant adversity or stressful work situations. We also are of the opinion that resilience is not static. We agree with Luther, Cicchetti and Becker (2007:543) that work on resilience possesses substantial potential for augmenting the understanding of processes affecting at-risk individuals, as is the case with one of the authors of this article.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n3p422