The role of leaders in building research cultures in sub-Saharan African universities: A six-nation study

IF 1.2 Q4 MANAGEMENT

Africa Journal of Management Pub Date : 2022-03-19 DOI:10.1080/23322373.2022.2039050

B. Puplampu, S. Nkomo, Y. du Plessis, Jolly Byarugaba Kabagabe, E. C. Garwe, J. Namada, K. Ogunyemi, Juliet Thondhlana, Inusah Abdul-Nasiru, A. Agina, Kwesi Amponsah-Tawiah, R. Danesi, Justice Gameli Djokoto, Denise Diana Duncan, J. Lekunze, S. McGrath, J. Ndegwa, N. Ngowa, Michael Akomeah Ofori Ntow, Emily Ayieta Ondondo, R. Rena, M. Sandada

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引用次数: 1

Abstract

ABSTRACT Existing research attributes the problem of weak research productivity of academics in African universities primarily to institutional resource poverty and inadequate research skills. However, there has been little attention to research cultures and the role of leaders in fostering productive ones. Drawing from the literature on organizational culture, this study examines the role of university leaders in developing research cultures. The study explores how institution leaders do this within the higher education contexts in their countries. The empirical work is based on qualitative interviews with senior and mid-level university leaders in six countries in sub-Saharan Africa. While all of the leaders espoused clear views about the elements of a productive research culture, results indicate a significant gap remains between espoused values for research and the actual research culture. Theoretically, the research extends the concept of research cultures by demonstrating the complex dynamics between research cultures, culture embedding mechanisms, and leader behavior within contextual constraints.

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领导者在撒哈拉以南非洲大学建立研究文化中的作用：一项六国研究

现有研究将非洲大学学术界科研生产力低下的问题主要归结为机构资源匮乏和科研技能不足。然而，很少有人关注研究文化和领导者在培养富有成效的文化中的作用。从组织文化的文献中，本研究考察了大学领导在发展研究文化中的作用。该研究探讨了机构领导者如何在各自国家的高等教育背景下做到这一点。实证工作是基于对撒哈拉以南非洲六个国家的高级和中级大学领导的定性访谈。虽然所有的领导者都对富有成效的研究文化的要素提出了明确的看法，但结果表明，在所支持的研究价值观与实际的研究文化之间仍然存在着巨大的差距。从理论上讲，本研究通过展示研究文化、文化嵌入机制和情境约束下领导者行为之间的复杂动态关系，扩展了研究文化的概念。

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来源期刊

Africa Journal of Management Business, Management and Accounting-Business and International Management

CiteScore

2.80

自引率

15.40%

发文量

期刊介绍： The beginning of the Twenty First Century has witnessed Africa’s rise and progress as one of the fastest growing and most promising regions of the world. At the same time, serious challenges remain. To sustain and speed up momentum, avoid reversal, and deal effectively with emerging challenges and opportunities, Africa needs better management scholarship, education and practice. The purpose of the Africa Journal of Management (AJOM) is to advance management theory, research, education, practice and service in Africa by promoting the production and dissemination of high quality and relevant manuscripts. AJOM is committed to publishing original, rigorous, scholarly empirical and theoretical research papers, which demonstrate clear understanding of the management literature and draw on Africa’s local indigenous knowledge, wisdom and current realities. As the first scholarly journal of the Africa Academy of Management (AFAM), AJOM gives voice to all those who are committed to advancing management scholarship, education and practice in or about Africa, for the benefit of all of Africa. AJOM welcomes manuscripts that develop, test, replicate or validate management theories, tools and methods with Africa as the starting point. The journal is open to a wide range of quality, evidence-based methodological approaches and methods that “link” “Western” management theories with Africa’s indigenous knowledge systems, methods and practice. We are particularly interested in manuscripts which address Africa’s most important development needs, challenges and opportunities as well as the big management questions of the day. We are interested in research papers which address issues of ethical conduct in different African settings.