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Article
Publication date: 10 May 2011

Aleksandra Pop‐Vasileva, Kevin Baird and Bill Blair

The purpose of this paper is to examine the work‐related attitudes (job satisfaction, job stress and the propensity to remain) of Australian academics and their association with…

3835

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the work‐related attitudes (job satisfaction, job stress and the propensity to remain) of Australian academics and their association with organisational, institutional and demographic factors.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected by distributing a survey questionnaire to 750 academics, from 37 Australian universities.

Findings

The results indicate a moderately low level of job satisfaction, moderately high level of job stress, and high propensity to remain. The findings reveal that the organisational factors (management style, perceived organisational support, and the characteristics of the performance management system) exhibited the most significant association with academic work‐related attitudes, with the only significant institutional factor, the declining ability of students, negatively impacting on job satisfaction and job stress. The findings revealed that work‐related attitudes differ, based on discipline, with science academics found to be more stressed and less satisfied than accounting academics. Different organisational and institutional factors were associated with the work‐related attitudes of academics from these two disciplines.

Practical implications

The findings will make university management aware of the work‐related attitudes of staff, and the factors that are associated with such attitudes, thereby assisting management in developing management policies, and taking appropriate action to address the concerns of staff.

Originality/value

The study provides an initial comparison of the work‐related attitudes (job satisfaction, job stress, and propensity to remain) of Australian academics across the accounting and science disciplines. The study also provides an important insight into the association between specific organisational and institutional factors, with the work‐related attitudes of Australian academics across both disciplines.

Details

Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, vol. 24 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-3574

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 March 2019

Noorliza Karia and Muhammad Hasmi Abu Hassan Asaari

The purpose of this paper is to understand the emergence of employee leadership attributes and, further, examine its impact on employee work-related attitudes in terms of the…

2910

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand the emergence of employee leadership attributes and, further, examine its impact on employee work-related attitudes in terms of the competitive context of higher education institutions.

Design/methodology/approach

A data from a survey of 245 academic employees in Malaysian public universities were tested and analyzed on the 12 proposed hypotheses.

Findings

The results reveal that the emergence of employee leadership attributes, independently, has a significantly positive effect on work-related attitudes. Specifically, executive leadership has a significantly positive effect on organizational commitment, career satisfaction and job satisfaction, while innovative leadership has a significantly positive effect on organizational commitment and career satisfaction. In contrast, adaptive and effective leadership is associated when explaining organizational commitment, career satisfaction and job satisfaction, while innovative leadership is associated when explaining job satisfaction.

Practical implications

Academic scholars/leaders in higher education should realize that the emergence of employee leadership attributes has a positive effect on work-related attitudes, such as organizational commitment, career satisfaction and job satisfaction.

Originality/value

The paper extends the knowledge regarding complexity leadership theory which explains the emergence of employee leadership attributes naturally and, further, provides empirical evidence.

Article
Publication date: 13 January 2021

Miao Wang, Jianfeng Cai and Hina Munir

Drawing on the social cognition theory, the purpose of this research is to explore how selected individual and organizational determinants, namely individual academic output (AO…

1089

Abstract

Purpose

Drawing on the social cognition theory, the purpose of this research is to explore how selected individual and organizational determinants, namely individual academic output (AO) and previous commercialization experience, organizational scientific reputation and entrepreneurial support policies (ESPs) influence their broadly-defined academic entrepreneurial intentions, involving spin-off intention (SOI), patenting and licensing intention (PLI), contract research and consulting intention (CCI) through theory of planned behaviour (TPB) modelling.

Design/methodology/approach

The current research constructs the framework by combining reciprocal determinism in the social cognition theory with TPB. To testify the hypotheses, partial least squares structural equational modelling (PLS–SEM) technique with 272 observations from Chinese universities was utilized.

Findings

The findings show that academic-related determinants, namely individual AO and organizational reputation (OR), are more likely to influence academic scientists' SOI through TPB modelling, while entrepreneurial-related determinants in terms of individual previous commercialization experience (PCE) and ESPs in higher education organizations are more influential for promoting behavioural intention to all kinds of academic entrepreneurship activities through TPB modelling. The more formal academic entrepreneurship involvement (engaging in creating spin-offs) is better explained through TPB modelling, especially the continuous mediating effects of subjective norms and entrepreneurial attitude and perceived behavioural control are more effective on spin-off activities. In addition, subjective norms are more influential in mediating relationships between individual or organizational antecedents and academic entrepreneurial intentions in the Chinese context.

Originality/value

Combining the social cognition theory and TPB, this study first investigated how individual intentions to engage in broadly-defined academic entrepreneurial activities are promoted through TPB modelling. The results, relating to the divergence of different determinants shaping different academic entrepreneurial intentions through various paths in TPB modelling, will provide insight into university managers and policymakers to improve academic entrepreneurship engagement in the Chinese context.

Details

European Journal of Innovation Management, vol. 24 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1460-1060

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 3 February 2020

Enrico Guarini, Francesca Magli and Andrea Francesconi

The purpose of this study is to analyse how academic staff cope with the new culture of performance measurement and assessment in universities. In particular, the study aims to…

3426

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to analyse how academic staff cope with the new culture of performance measurement and assessment in universities. In particular, the study aims to shed light on how external pressures related to measurement of research performance are translated into organisational and individual academic responses within the university and the extent to which these responses are related specifically to the operational features of performance measurement systems (PMS).

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on a case study conducted in an Italian public university and based on interviews with a cross-disciplinary sample of faculty members.

Findings

The study provides insights into how linking financial incentives and career progression to research performance metrics at the system and organisational levels may have important reorientation effects on individual behaviours and epistemic consequences for the academic work.

Research limitations/implications

The study is based on interviews, so one limitation is related to the risk of researcher and interviewee personal bias. Moreover, this study is focused on one single case of a specific university setting, which cannot be fully representative of the experiences of others.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the literature on management accounting by exploring the factors that might explain why the unintended effects of PMS on academics’ behaviour reported by several studies might occur. From a practitioner’s point of view, it shows features of PMS that may produce unintended effects on academic activities. It also highlights the need to rethink PMS for the evaluation of university performance through the involvement of different stakeholders.

Details

Qualitative Research in Accounting & Management, vol. 17 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1176-6093

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 September 2018

Saima Ahmad, Syed Muhammad Fazal-E-Hasan and Ahmad Kaleem

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between ethical leadership and academics’ retention in universities. It draws on the conservation of resources theory…

2091

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between ethical leadership and academics’ retention in universities. It draws on the conservation of resources theory to deepen the understanding of a process underlying this relationship whereby academics are more likely to stay in universities through the practice of ethical leadership. Specifically, it advances academics’ job-related affective well-being as a potential mediating mechanism, fostered by ethical leadership, which lowers their intention to leave.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is conducted through a cross-sectional survey of 303 academics in Australian universities. Univariate, bivariate and multivariate analysis procedures are deployed to analyse academics’ data. The research hypotheses are tested through a bootstrapped regression analysis of academics’ perceived ethical leadership, affective well-being and intention to leave.

Findings

The findings lend support to the hypothesised relations, indicating a significant role of ethical leadership on enhanced intentions of academics to stay in universities by directly conserving their job-related affective well-being.

Research limitations/implications

This paper contributes to knowledge of the relationship between ethical leadership and academics’ retention by identifying job-related affective well-being as an underlying mechanism in the university sector.

Practical implications

This paper has practical implications for higher educational institutes seeking to retain their academic staff. Its findings show that the practice of ethical leadership in universities matters, because it lowers academics’ intentions to leave by nurturing their well-being at work.

Originality/value

This is the first study to examine the impact of ethical leadership on academics’ well-being and intentions to leave in the context of universities in Australia. It is one of the first studies to explore the mediating role of affective well-being in the ethical leadership and leadership and intention to leave relationship.

Details

International Journal of Educational Management, vol. 32 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-354X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 March 2013

Jungwoon Kim, Soyoung Boo and Yonghwi Kim

The purpose of this paper is to investigate shifts and patterns evident in event studies over the past 30 years. It aims to review events‐related academic articles published…

4177

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate shifts and patterns evident in event studies over the past 30 years. It aims to review events‐related academic articles published between 1980 and 2010 in the top three tourism journals.

Design/methodology/approach

By reviewing 178 event‐related articles collected from the Annals of Tourism Research, the Journal of Travel Research and Tourism Management, published between 1980 and 2010, a content analysis was carried out in regard to trends in academic writings related to events.

Findings

The study found that, even though the number of event studies has dramatically increased since 2000, and subject areas have become more diversified, the focus has still remained on a very limited number of topics.

Originality/value

The present study will increase awareness among academia and researchers about the characteristics and development of research in event studies; will increase the understating of the meaning of “event” in the tourism industry by reviewing event studies published in tourism journals; will be a useful reference guide for academic researchers who contribute to event studies, which is a relatively new area of research; and will extend practical knowledge of the event field.

Details

International Journal of Event and Festival Management, vol. 4 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1758-2954

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 June 2018

Tarvo Vaarmets

Gender inequalities in higher education have attracted interest in the academic literature. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Abstract

Purpose

Gender inequalities in higher education have attracted interest in the academic literature. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

The author uses standardized high school final exam results and probit regression analysis to contribute to this highly important discussion.

Findings

Based on secondary, non-survey data, female students tend to outperform males in subjects requiring creativity. Consistent with this comparative advantage, female students also tend to be more affected by their abilities in choosing and preferring the related field of humanities as a higher education. In line with female students’ choices, the results presented in the paper confirm that men are more inclined toward exact and natural sciences, even though they do not prove to have stronger abilities in related subjects. In addition, men are also more influenced by their abilities in obtaining a professional higher education. The choice of social sciences is quite similarly affected by the academic abilities of men and women. The paper also provides evidence that, on average, individuals choose their field of study according to their academic abilities.

Originality/value

For evidence, a data set that makes it possible to relate quantitative measures of very different academic abilities to all major academic disciplines is used in the paper. This unique approach has so far been lacking in the literature due to data limitations. In other words, instead of concentrating on a specific area, such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), the author takes a broader view.

Details

Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, vol. 10 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-7003

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 August 2011

William Kernan, Jane Bogart and Mary E. Wheat

The purpose of this paper is to report the perceived impact of various health concerns on the academic performance of health sciences graduate students.

3411

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report the perceived impact of various health concerns on the academic performance of health sciences graduate students.

Design/methodology/approach

The American College Health Association's National College Health Assessment (ACHA‐NCHA), a 58‐item anonymous survey, was distributed to all graduate health science students during a five‐week period in the spring semester.

Findings

Students (n=1,355) were most likely to report a negative perceived academic impact related to psychosocial concerns such as stress, depression/anxiety, and relationship problems. The students' most pressing felt concerns were upper respiratory infections, stress, concerns about troubled loved ones and sleep difficulties. Clinical graduate students (n=712) were significantly more likely to report negative academic impacts related to upper respiratory infections (p=0.001), concern about a troubled friend or family member (p=0.001), sleep difficulties (p=0.005), relationship difficulties (p=0.030), and internet use/computer games (p=0.015) than non‐clinical graduate students. However, the magnitude of those differences was small.

Practical implications

This paper adds to one's knowledge of student health concerns, which may help to address health‐related barriers to learning.

Originality/value

This paper presents findings that further explicate the reciprocal relationship between student health and learning by suggesting methodology to identify priority health issues among a graduate student population. Findings from this study of over 20 different health concerns indicate that the priority health concerns of graduate health science students are primarily psychological and psychosocial health issues.

Details

Health Education, vol. 111 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0965-4283

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 December 2018

Komal Chopra

The purpose of study is to understand the motivation of academic library users by developing Vroom’s expectancy theory in the context of academic libraries using the grounded…

2510

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of study is to understand the motivation of academic library users by developing Vroom’s expectancy theory in the context of academic libraries using the grounded theory approach.

Design/methodology/approach

The grounded theory approach has been used for data collection, analysis and development of theory. The data were collected through the process of theoretical sampling. Interviews of faculty and students belonging to government and private universities in India were recorded and transcribed till theoretical saturation was achieved. The interviews were analysed in three stages, i.e. open coding, axial coding and selective coding, to identify concepts of Vroom’s theory and integrate them into a theoretical model.

Findings

The components of Vroom’s theory, i.e. motivation, expectancy, instrumentality and valence were generated from data. The motivation to visit an academic library can be classified as intrinsic motivation and force choice motivation. Expectancy in the context of academic libraries is related to ease or difficulty in accessing library and its resources which relates to ease of location access, timing access, remote access, access to siblings and discipline norms for access. Instrumentality is related to infrastructure, information, service and promotion. Valence is related to pleasure and satisfaction. The concepts were integrated into a theoretical model.

Research limitations/implications

The study is limited to academic libraries under state universities and private universities in India. Hence, the study cannot be generalised across institutions enjoying autonomy by the Government of India. Users of academic libraries may be motivated by several factors other than those considered with respect to motivation, expectancy, instrumentality and valence. The findings are based on the grounded theory approach which is an inductive approach. Alternate research methodologies, both inductive and deductive, need to be used to strengthen the external validity.

Practical implications

The understanding of user motivation through Vroom’s theory will help academic libraries to increase user motivation, thereby increasing usage of library resources.

Originality/value

Vroom’s expectancy theory of motivation in the context of academic libraries was developed using the grounded theory approach.

Details

Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication, vol. 68 no. 4/5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0024-2535

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 13 August 2014

Paul Sander, David Putwain and Jesús de la Fuente

This chapter argues that there are many, just many many variables which contribute to academic performance as measured in degree outcome, and, as such, simple bivariate analysis…

Abstract

This chapter argues that there are many, just many many variables which contribute to academic performance as measured in degree outcome, and, as such, simple bivariate analysis is inappropriate. We use structural equation modelling, and explore the contribution of academic behavioural confidence, to make the point that it does contribute to academic performance, but to a lesser extent than self-efficacy theory argues. We suggest that this is because degree outcome is made up of many efficacy variables, which we argue are better captured overall in academic behavioural confidence.

Details

Theory and Method in Higher Education Research
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78190-682-8

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