Investigating the imperatives of research transformation at a University of Technology in South Africa

Abstract

This case study investigated the imperative of research transformation amongst academics at the selected Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) in South Africa, considering its low ranking of research output amongst 26 public higher education institutions (HEIs) by the South African Department of Higher Education and Training. The research problem for this case study was designed to investigate the main mitigating factors and barriers that inhibited academic careers of staff at this institution to transform to become productive researchers from a system dynamics perspective. Hence, the significance of this study was to address one of the three pillars of HEIs in terms of its research transformation and research productivity at this institution. Furthermore, this case study established how environmental dynamics holistically influenced academic staff to engage or not engage in research transformation. This was despite lucrative financial benefits offered, namely, research funding and study leave including other concrete incentives associated with research transformation. This was initiated for academic staff to inter alia, improving staff qualifications towards Master’s and Doctoral qualifications, conference presentations, technology transfer and knowledge production, and publications in accredited journals to produce the anticipated measured research output. Whilst there are a few prolific researchers within a few departments, it is alarmingly short in its endeavour towards attaining DHET research output goals and research transformation holistically at MUT. The aim of this study was to explore and develop an original system dynamics causal loop model with various components underscored by critical systems thinking and its impact of the holistic study per se. The research design for this study adopted a qualitative interpretative paradigm linked to system dynamics and the variables of the Causal Loop Diagram Model with an Interviewing Schedule. Thus, data was collected using a semi-structured interviewing schedule with open-ended questions in sync with a qualitative research design. Individual interviews were conducted with five academic staff members from each of the three faculties. Additionally, interviews with a focus group of six participants with similar interests were also included for the interviews. The key variables of the Causal Loop Model were tabulated and linked to research transformation from the participants at MUT. The data analysis collected from the interviews and policy documents were analysed under each of the research questions. Both participants’ reflections and institutional factors were also assimilated for the data analysis, vis-à-vis, research transformation at MUT. The findings revealed several individual and institutional factors contributing to low research transformation at this institution, namely, a small number of academic staff with PhDs, an uneven staff to student ratio, heavy workloads on teaching staff with limited time to engage in research productivity, unawareness of available incentives, lack of retention strategies of talented staff, poaching of academic staff, the interpretation of sabbatical leave and mentoring and supervision support initiatives. Furthermore, the study found several enablers aligned to research capacity building initiatives and critical factors to support a research culture at this institution. The main recommendations suggested were, inter-alia a buy-into research transformation by Executive Management and academic staff, improvement of vertical qualifications, supplementing academic support staff and tutors, employment of additional retired research professors, offering of structured mentoring and supervision assistance, specific training related to research productivity, review of the teaching workloads, implementation of sabbatical leave and retention policies. Finally, this case study has shown empirical evidence for further research opportunities related to research transformation in the higher education sector that could interface with the perceptions of research productivity and accelerate research outputs in peer reviewed accredited journals.