ABSTRACT
The
paper focused on both the positive as well as negative factors that influenced
academics’ enthusiasm to engage in research and scholarly endeavors. A
qualitative strategy was chosen, and review summaries were used to support it
in three higher education institutions (HEIs). In-depth interviews,
observation, and document analysis were done. Factors responsible for academics’
research enthusiasm, included; international, national, institutional and
personal factors. Majorly, national and institutional factors such as;
distorted benchmarking, the “triad
and multi-faceted” academics roles and workload rationalization. Personal factors that negatively
influenced academic enthusiasm included; procrastination, perfectionism and
self-pity, while, positive influencers included; intellectual curiosity, drive
for career growth, inquiry acumen and self-fulfillment, which inevitably
attracts a dual reward arrangement, leading to two sides of the coin. While
those who had published were recognized and/or promoted, the ones who had not
go demoralized, a feeling of humiliation, emotional resignation, and sometimes,
complete refusal to even try, as they considered themselves losers. Hence,
aside from the institutional factors that affected every academic,
self-determination and intellectual curiosity were majorly responsible for
academics’ research enthusiasm. Therefore, in order to enhance every academic’
research enthusiasm, institutions should establish mentorship programs in
research and scholarly writing, set up rotational leadership rules in research
clusters to give each member a chance to be the “first author,” and launch more
series of journals as viable avenues for academics to publish.