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The Human Side of Humanitarian Work: Well-Being and Performance Among Aid Workers in Egypt
Well-being and productivity are widely recognized as central to the work performance of humanitarian aid workers. Despite increasing attention to staff well-being, performance within the humanitarian sector in Egypt remains stagnant or, in some cases, declining. This study examines why expanded well...
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| Format: | Thesis |
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AUC Knowledge Fountain
2026
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| Summary: | Well-being and productivity are widely recognized as central to the work performance of humanitarian aid workers. Despite increasing attention to staff well-being, performance within the humanitarian sector in Egypt remains stagnant or, in some cases, declining. This study examines why expanded well-being initiatives have not yielded sustained performance improvements by examining how actors' external roles, organizational factors, and individual factors affect humanitarian workers’ well-being and work performance. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, combining ten in-depth interviews with humanitarian workers from international organizations, INGOs, and local NGOs, as well as a survey of eighty workers operating in the same context. The findings demonstrate that well-being plays a critical role in humanitarian performance, particularly given the work's purpose-driven nature. When organizational factors such as bureaucratic structures and donor-driven priorities are supportive, workers show higher motivation, ethical engagement, and sustainable, human-centered performance; when these factors are unsupportive, performance becomes increasingly mechanical and challenging to sustain. Addressing these organizational influences is essential for developing effective well-being initiatives. |
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