a study on some factors affecting faculty member research
TRANSCRIPT
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A study on some factors affecting faculty member s
research in Islamic Azad University, Rudehen branch,
faculties of education
Maryam Babaei Master of Educational Planning, Faculty member of
Payame Noor University, Garmsar, Iran
Mohammad Kiyanifar Master of Educational Management,
Payame Noor University, Garmsar, Iran
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to find some main factors affecting faculty member s
research. Using a questionnaire of 33 milti – choice items, 98 faculty member s views were
investigated though 79 questionnaire were completed to analyze and gain the following
results:(1)There is a meaningful correlation between managerial-organizational, educational,
financial, cultural-social, and political factors and the faculty member s research. (2)Managerial-
organizational factors stood the first while political factors stood the last according to the gained
views.
Keyword: research activities, managerial-organizational, educational, financial, cultural-social, and
political factors.
1- Introduction
According to National 20-year Development Vision “Iran should become a developed state
with a top rank of economics, sciences and technology across the region, under Islamic,
revolutionary identity, impressing state in Islamic world, with constructive, effective role in
international relations, possessing modern sciences, capable in sciences and technology
with special focus on software movements, to produce knowledge in continuous process, to
improve earnings and achieve full employment, to enhance ethical standards, to achieve
thinking dynamicity etc. (National 20-year Development Vision, 2005, p.1)
Although these all may impress every Iranian individual, achieving them requires
hardworking in scientific, cultural areas and community believes. Lives of nations lie in
discovering unknowns and nature’s secrets. Due to their intellectual status, universities
and higher education foundations play the role of centers for introducing and flourishing
new ideas for any given community. Scientifically independence and self-reliance may be
achieved only when universities serve national excellence and development. Research is a
mission by which a university can guarantee national development and excellence.
Although the rate of faculty members research has increased significantly, it is evident that
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we have a long way to obtain our deserved capabilities, reputation and proud (the same, p.
3).
There is no doubt that knowledge is the most important and valuable human capital which
guarantees human societies and civilization, such that it has come to be a main objective of
our modern age to develop knowledge boundaries in order to gain more power (Mohseni
2004, p.8). Today the main gap between developed and underdeveloped countries is not
caused by capital/financial resources/manpower/ population, but is due, among other things,
to scientific gaps. After trained manpower, research ranks top in cultural/social/economical
development, without which no development may be achieved (Bazari, 1984, p.9).
Research is a main criterion to evaluate scientific production. A comparative study between
Iran and other countries during the recent decades reveals that our research strength is not
strong enough. US has produced 260.000 scientific papers in 1997 which corresponds to 1
paper in lieu of every 1000 to 1500 typical American person, while at the same year, Iran
had produced only 483 registered papers which corresponds to 1 paper to every 120.000
typical Iranian person, and South Korea with smaller population than Iran had produced
7700 papers which meant 1 paper in lieu of every 60.000 Koran person (Paryad 1996,
p.235). according to the latest report by Iranian Scientific Data & Records Center, US
produced 450287 papers with a ratio of 47 papers to 100 researcher and ranked first among
other countries, while at the same year, Iran had produced 3852 papers almost 8 paper for
every 100 researcher. South Korea produced 24924 papers which meant 18 papers for every
100 researchers (Ostadzadeh 2005, p. 47). Turkey is the first scientific paper producer
among its Islamic counterparts, ranking first in Islamic world (Sabouri 2002, p. 88).
World estimations suggest that ratio of research budget to national gross production is 2.5
to 3 percent in advanced countries, while this ratio for Iran has ranged from 0.2 to 0.4
percent for the recent ten years (Fereydoun 2004, p. 592-594). Further, Iranian position
among other countries in terms of scientific productions is noticeable as well. At the current
time, Iranian mean scientific production in the world is 0.2 percent (Ensafi and Gharibi
2007). However, we need to boost our scientific productions in proportion with our
population to the world population in order to make sure our scientific position is
maintained worldwide. Iran possesses one percent of world manpower, so its share in world
scientific production must reasonably not be less than 1 percent. Our current share of 0.2
percent implies that we need to increase our efforts up to at least five times to make sure
we achieve National 20-year Development Vision (Ostadzadeh, 2005, p.50).
Although research is not limited to certain organizations or entities, universities have
reasonably taken much portion of mission and responsibility to engage in research. Thanks
to enjoying the best resources and the most knowledgeable manpower and sufficient
research/laboratory equipments, universities and higher education institutes have become
ideal places to research, to produce knowledge, to discover facts and to guarantee
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development of the whole community (Toroghi 2004, p. 180). Near 32000 faculty members
are working for Ministry of Sciences, Research and Technology and Ministry of Health,
Treatment and Medical Education, and 25000 faculty members work for non-profit
education sector which sums 57000 academic force altogether. Assuming that each faculty
member releases only one paper each year we can improve our scientific position to the top
10 countries in the world, which is quite achievable (Sabouri 2006, p. 44). However, in spite
of recent advancements in the bulk of scientific-research papers in our country, it seems we
are far away from a deserved position in the world, while we possess all requirements for a
sustainable development including diverse resources, energy, economical/financial sources
as well as manpower. We host the most valuable human capabilities and talents. A nation
believing in “Knowledge is power”; an idea that has been passed down from its intellectuals
over one thousand years ago, must have a stronger passion for discovery and exploration,
and it is definitely not deserved to the current scientific position. Indeed, universities
turned into centers of directing and guiding intellectual matters in communities from the
second half of twentieth century to serve nation better(selected articles from higher
education encyclopedia , 1992, vol. 1, translated in 1997, p.4).
On the other hand, at least advanced countries have accepted the pioneer role of
universities in scientific production and advancement that “all things universities require
from resources, knowledgeable faculty members, technical equipments, classrooms,
conference halls, rich libraries etc. must be provided”, but universities’ success to perform
their social responsibility in discovery and promotion of science lies in their ability to
attract and maintain … individuals (the same, p. 152) and their optimal utilization of
learned individuals to reach a point that it could be claimed :“ higher education did well not
only in promotion of knowledge but in research/technological/ scientific advancements as
well” because “fundamental- applied researches can bring huge value-added for total
production of the whole community (practical ways to enhance manpower productivity,
1996, p. 598).
Ministry of Sciences Establishment Law-1977- prescribes a number of basic duties for the
Ministry which the following four ones are linked to our discussion:
1. To set objectives with respect of scientific, research and educational affairs and to
make plans for ministries of sciences and higher education with focus on national
needs.
2. To push forward national scientific development process and to direct communal
researches
3. To expand and coordinate research projects of ministries, governmental agencies
and research institutions
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4. To coordinate research projects of ministries, governmental agencies and research
institutions in academic settings, and to prescribe which research projects must be
carried out by government (Bayani, 1998, p. 10)
For better understanding such goals and prescription of universities duties, the above-
mentioned author (Bayani) writes:
Production of thoughts and understanding in universities and research institutes
help us influence and be influenced by industries and engage in importing and
exporting information (the same, p. 17).
In spite of stresses and recommendations, academic researchers have always been
questioned from a variety of perspectives. For example, Dr. Bayani writes:
Academic researches have become trivial, discontinuous and lost their relevance to research
community, and there is no route for our universities for cooperation with world academic
settings specifically those of advanced countries (pp.94 & 95).
In researches presented to Iranian Higher Education Seminar (1997, p. 48) it has been
declared that for enhance their capabilities, faculty members should involve in such
academic activities that benefit both themselves and others and improve their learning-
teaching skills and research capabilities.
Since it has always been stressed that universities must be research –oriented in line with
being education- oriented, there are some impediments to it:
In higher education encyclopedia selected papers- vol. 1- it has been said:”according to
different experimental studies, professors even tend to resist to educational-research
reformations” which has both abstract and concrete aspects (p. 51).
In other point of the said papers, it has been said that “sometimes universities finance
makes some talented individuals unwilling to joint academic circles” (p. 169).
Whereas from functionalist point of view, a change for better in higher education system
can benefit the community and the public socially and economically.
Second volume of the said work elaborates on the reasons for universities to be research –
oriented and the obstacles to fulfillment of such a responsibility as follows:
All countries have essentially defined missions for their higher education systems. Soviet
Union, for instance, had prescribed that “faculty members ought to be free in their
educational-research activities” (p. 8), while setting the goal that “higher educational
system must back effective exploitation of all higher educational facilities to foster national
scientific-technological advancement” (p. 24). Italian National Council for Researches works
on theoretical and practical research projects in academic settings both in domestic and
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international levels (p. 121). In line with the Council, Italian universities had long engaged
in research activities because they recognized an essential link between research and
education (p. 122). In this country, educational professors and research professors are paid
equally (p. 131). In Ireland: “research forms an integral and fundamental part of
universities missions” (p. 148). In Britain, research finance may seldom be reduced (p. 190).
From 1990, Pakistan has defined researches as a main pre-requisites for improvement (p.
223). In Chile, when higher education finance is declined, research budget is decreased as
well (p. 359). Canadians base academic improvement upon excellence in education and
research (p. 434). In Cuba, scientific research has been defined as a major building block of
higher education (p. 467).
Papers presented to the 1st conference on Iranian higher reduction system determined the
obstacles preventing faculty members from engaging in research activities as follows:
Research has not been institutionalize in Iran and that Iran has already not stepped into
production, distribution and public consumption cycle of its economical-social process (p. 83)
Above – mentioned conference recommendations:
Most of the scholars and speeches in the conference stressed that research must be
institutionalized in universities and fundamental, practical researches must be developed.
Its central role on sciences and technology development as well a establishment of research
culture over academic settings with the focus to cater for society’s needs have been
prescribed (p. 217)
Ahmad Bayani takes a look a different look at the matter:
Universities appeared in industrial countries as a result of their appreciation for necessity
for research to cater for community’s needs, while it was to the contrary in developing
countries (p. 24). While universities in former ones work to produce innovative ideas,
universities in the latter ones suffice to transfer ideas (p. 25).
Research titled “academic research limitations and impediments from faculty members’
perspective” conducted by Seyed Mahmoud Hosseini and Ebrahim Shamsaei was another
paper submitted to the Conference, which tells:
- Research task has always been affected by education task
- Economic, financial, organizational, managerial, facility, equipments, private, social,
professional factors form the main obstacles to academic research.
Other obstacles from faculty members views are:
In his Master’s dissertation, Sadeghi (1991) focused on research obstacles in humanities
from a number of Esfahan University professors opinion. He found that: main impediments
to academic research in the realm of humanities are caused by financial and money
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limitations, shortage of research resources, information concealing, lack of research spirit
and delay in payment of authors fee for service.
Fazilatkhah (1992) studied main social inhibitors in Iranian community from researchers’
perspective finding that: financial/money limitations, shortage of research resources,
information concealing, lack of research spirit and delay in payment of authors fee for
service are the main social factors inhibiting research activities.
Sadeghi (1995) concentrated on effective factors for improvement of student research in
postgraduate studies from students’ viewpoint. He found that such factors include: not
being efficient in research task, lack of knowledgeable faculty members to guide students in
their research, poor performance of higher education system to back students from
education and research perspectives, lack of due cooperation by organizations and
companies.
During his survey study titled “main factors affecting willingness of medical students of
Tabriz University of Medicine to engage in research” Doroudi (1998) found that
unavailability of financial sources is the most important factor affecting such engagement.
Farmanbar and Askari (2004) studied main factors affecting research activities from faculty
members of Gilan University of Medicine, finding that administrative- organizational
bureaucracy and long delays in finalization of research projects as well as education-
orientation mentality of university professors are the main impediments which prevent
research activities.
Creamer and Perry (1989) conducted a national study on academic research in the United
States and identified four important factors that are required to develop and strengthen
research activities in academic settings: organizational support, faculty members’ abilities,
research resources and organizational dynamicity.
Kyvik (1995) studied the impact of “size” of a university on”productivity” of faculty
members in research activities. His findings suggested that faculty members’ productivity
is higher in large universities than small ones. I –author of this paper- think it can be
attributed to facilities and equipments as well as efficient professionals that may be
profound in a large university than a small one.
Kajermo et al (1983) studied inhibitors and facilitators of research by nurses in Sweden.
According to his findings, the main factors that inhibit research outcomes to be put into
operation in nursing field of study are: inaccessibility of research findings, shortage of
facilities, research weaknesses, lack of sufficient authority by nurses to put research
findings into practice, heavy burden of medical treatment, lack of sufficient time.
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Shanklin (2001) launched a study aiming to focus on the effective factors on research
motivations in faculty members of postgraduate studies in Kansas University. The main
factors were identified to be: in addition to effect of university’s management,
organizational factors, occupational habits and field of study, there are some other factors
that can motivate faculty members to engage in research activities which include: having
research-oriented students, professor-student links in postgraduate studies, witness of
student’s progress in research process. This is particularly true when a faculty member is
guiding the first doctorate level.
Shamai and Kfir (2002) conducted a study titled “research activities and research culture in
instructor education universities” in Haifa – Israeli (occupied Palestine) to focus on the
factors that affect research activities of faculty members in the said universities. They
found that such factors include cultural barriers, financial/funding limitations, nonexistent
research skills, organizational obstacles (lack of a long-term plan, lack of a research-
oriented vision in managers to stimulate research culture, lack of sufficient resources to be
allocated to research). It was further found that size of a college is an effective factor on
research activities by it. A small college may enjoy limited facilities and professionals.
Jane Hemsley Brown (2004) focused on the factors that facilitate research outcomes to be
practicable in Britain. Her findings suggested that researcher – consumer gap,
organizational barriers, nonexistence of link between research settings and industries,
unavailability of researches and lack of confidence in research designs and processes.
Furthermore, there are some other factors that can facilitate research activity including
supportive managers, continued education to researchers, fostering participations by both
researchers and managers and stimulating links between them, establishing
communication network and databank available to researchers.
Yonghong & Meyer (2007) reviewed the relationship between faculty members productivity
and educational technology applications (website and email), suggesting that faculty
members productivity has a direct link with the extent of their use of above-said
technologies. In doing so, faculty members who are older may tend less to use such
technologies than their younger counterparts. Women use email more than do men and
men use website more than women do.
Previous findings suggest that education is not essentially a lonely way to achieve
knowledge and technology, what which has built up our modern civilization, has been
nothing but knowledge production. Thanks to their intellectual capabilities, universities
have come to be the main centers of knowledge production and launching research
activities. Therefore, identifying the limitations and barriers inhibiting researchers to
engage in researches is a major task which can bring about an insightful vision in academic
managers and planners and help them solve them one-by-one.
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For this purpose, we devise the following questions:
1. To what extent may managerial-organizational barriers affect research activities in
faculty members views?
2. To what extent may educational barriers affect research activities in faculty
members’ views?
3. To what extent may financial barriers affect research activities in faculty members
views?
4. To what extent may cultural-social barriers affect research activities in faculty
members views?
5. To what extent may political barriers affect research activities in faculty members
views?
2- Methodology
The present research is applied one which uses descriptive- survey method. Its statistical
population is formed by all faculty members of “Educational Sciences Faculty” and
“Psychology Faculty” of Islamic Azad University – branch of Roudehen- 95 individuals in
number who were instructing in 2998-09 academic year. From the questionnaires that had
been distributed among them, 79 questionnaires were received sound and perfect. Such
questionnaires were devised as an instrument to gather data. Questions had been
organized in two demographic sections and 33 questions of five options each. For the
purpose of validity and ensuring that all questions are proper for our objective, a number of
students and professionals were asked for comment. For the purpose of reliability the
questionnaire was first implemented on 30 professors in pilot. Then Cranach alpha was
estimated to be 0.82 which is acceptable. Descriptive data were used for analysis:
frequency, percentage, inductive statistics. Also Chi 2 test was used to avoid spending long
times.
1. To what extent may managerial-organizational barriers affect research activities in
faculty members’ views?
Table 1- chi 2 test for the first question
items
Index
Option
Observed frequency
Anticipated frequency
Average Freedom degree
Calculated Chi
Chi 2 table (0.02)
significance
man
ageri
a
l-
org
an
izati
on
al
barr
iers
Very low 0 15.8
4.37 4 92.20 13.28 0.000
Low 0 15.8
Average 6 15.8
large 38 15.8
Very large 35 15.8
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Since the chi2 (92.20) is larger than the table’s critical chi2 (13.28) with alpha 0.01 and
freedom of 4 degree, it is most likely –99%- that faculty members selection of “high” and
“very high” is meaningful. The average (4.37) suggests that faculty member identified
organizational-managerial factors as highly important.
2. To what extent may educational barriers affect research activities in faculty
members’ views?
Table 2- chi 2 test for the second question
ite
ms
Index
Option
Observed
frequency
Anticipated
frequency Average
Freedom
degree
Calculated
Chi
Chi 2 table
(0.02) significance
Ed
uca
tion
al
barr
iers
Very low 0 15.8
4.00 4 93.85 13.28 0.000
Low 1 15.8
Average 11 15.8
large 47 15.8
Very large 20 15.8
Since the chi2 (93.85) is larger than the table’s critical chi2 (13.28) with alpha 0.01 and
freedom of 4 degree, it is most likely –99%- that faculty members selection of “high” and
“very high” is meaningful. The average (4.00) suggests that faculty member identified
educational factors as highly important.
3. To what extent may financial barriers affect research activities in faculty members
views?
Table 3- chi 2 test for the third question
item
s
Index
Option
Observe
d frequency
Anticip
ated
frequency
Aver
age
Freedom
degree
Calcula
ted Chi
Chi 2
table (0.02)
signific
ance
Fin
an
cial
barr
iers
Very low 0 15.8
4.09 4 73.72 13.28 0.000
Low 0 15.8
Average 12 15.8
large 37 15.8
Very large 30 15.8
Since the chi2 (73.72) is larger than the table’s critical chi2 (13.28) with alpha 0.01 and
freedom of 4 degree, it is most likely –99%- that faculty member identified financial factors
as highly important.
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4. To what extent may cultural-social barriers affect research activities in faculty members
views?
Table 4- chi 2 test for the fourth question
items
Index
Option
Observed
frequency
Anticip
ated
frequency
Avera
ge
Freedo
m degree
Calculat
ed Chi
Chi 2 table
(0.02)
significa
nce
Cu
ltu
ral
barr
iers
Very low 0 15.8
4.37 4 96.63 13.28 0.000
Low 1 15.8
Average 22 15.8
large 47 15.8
Very large 9 15.8
Since the chi2 (96.63) is larger than the table’s critical chi2 (13.28) with alpha 0.01 and
freedom of 4 degree, it is most likely –99%- that faculty member identified social-cultural
factors as highly important.
5. To what extent may political barriers affect research activities in faculty members views?
Table 5- chi 2 test for the fifth question
items
Index
Option
Observed
frequency
Anticipated
frequency Average
Freedom
degree
Calculated
Chi
Chi 2 table
(0.02) significance
Poli
tica
l
barr
iers
Very low 0 15.8
3.47 4 72.96 13.28 0.000
Low 6 15.8
Average 27 15.8
large 40 15.8
Very large 6 15.8
Since the chi2 (72.96) is larger than the table’s critical chi2 (13.28) with alpha 0.01 and
freedom of 4 degree, so zero hypothesis can be rejected. it is most likely –99%- that faculty
member identified political factors as highly important.
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Table 6- a summary of statistical indices of the five barriers to research activities
Index
Barrier Nu
mber
of
an
swers
Avera
ge
Sta
nd
ard
devia
tion
Com
pari
son
mean
lim
it
Avera
ge
Exp
on
en
t
Sta
nd
ard
devia
toin
Vari
an
ce
Sk
ew
ness
Exte
nti
on
Sco
pe
Managerial-
organiazational 79 4.38 0.60 3 4.45 5 0.53 0.29 -1.08 1.45 2.45
Educational 79 4.00 0.73 3 4.00 3.71 0.65 0.42 -0.63 0.70 3.00
Financial 79 4.09 0.73 3 4.17 4.00 0.65 0.42 -0.49 -0.5 2.50
Cultural 70 3.80 0.70 3 4.00 4.00 0.62 0.39 -0.36 0.40 2.80
Political 79 3.46 0.76 3 3.50 3.50 0.68 0.46 -0.04 0.18 2.00
With comparison between the calculated averages and the standard value (3), it can be
found that all the five above-mentioned factors (managerial-organizational, educational,
cultural-social, political) were commented as important by faculty members. The first factor
had highest significance (4.38) and the last one had smallest significance (3.46).
3- Discussion & Conclusion
Results of this research indicate that faculty members chose managerial-organizational
factors as the most important inhibitors of research activities. They further commented
that none practicing research outcomes for the correction of community has come to be one
of the most important aspects of managerial-organizational weakness. Farmanbar and
Askari (2004) and Craemer and Perry (1989) findings were line with our findings by this
research. Educational factors were also identified as important inhibitors which has 7
subsections: non-efficient faculty members in foreign language and their unfamiliarity with
research methodologies have the highest impact on research activities. Craemer and Perry
(1989) findings were in line with our findings with respect of educational factors. Financial
inhibitors were also other bundle of factors that faculty members commented on. Among its
subsections, university’s low earnings from research activities in proportionate with its
other earnings are the most important financial factors.
Doroudi et al (1998), Farmanbar and Askari (2004) from Iranian authors and Craemer and
Perry (1989) and Kyvik (1995) and Kajermo et al. (1998) from non-Iranian authors support
our findings.
Cultural-social factors had also impacts on research activities from faculty members’
perspective. Lack of research-oriented spirit was identified the top cultural-social inhibitor.
Sadeghi (1991) and Shamai and Kfir (2002) support this finding. Political factors are other
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bundles of factors that affect research activities. Although it has remained untouched by
previous researches, Fazilatkhah (1992) implied that lack of scientific independence by
researchers and research institutions are the top political factors affecting research
activities, which supports our finding.
4- Recommendations
It is now clear that faculty members believe that managerial-organizational factors
significantly affect research activities. Therefore, it is recommended for managers to adopt
relevant actions to remove such barriers. For more transparency, we can make the
following recommendations:
- To evaluate/stimulate/support research activities in academic settings and research
institutions and then in the whole community
- To set transparent standards for research and to clarify the authority in charge of
making the decision as to approving research projects, to determine who is best
qualified to meet the possible problems with respect of research, if necessary.
- To establish continuous communication between various research institutes and to
provide for current and potential means for communication with each other.
- To provide occupational security as well as necessary facilities for the purpose of
recruitments and promotions for faculty members.
- To arrange conferences inside the country and abroad with the intention to create
research opportunities and improved facilities for faculty members regarding the
proper recognition of qualified research projects.
- To eliminate troublesome rules relating to finalization of plans and books.
According to the research findings and perspectives of faculty members who
recognized educational factors as inhibitors of research following recommendations
can be made in order to reduce or remove these barriers:
- To hold trainings and during service courses for strengthening faculty members
scientific level.
- To establish a time compatibility between research and educational activities and to
moderate education duration of faculty members.
- To create professional database and libraries.
- To arrange workshops for faculty members to get them familiar with the new
techniques of research, statistical tools and computer software as well as Internet.
Based on the results, financial barriers also affect the bulk of research. Therefore,
the following suggestions are offered:
- To increase research funding and proper distribution of funds between the research
institutions’ and agencies.
- To reform financial regulations with regards to allocation and disbursement of funds
for researches conducted.
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- To balance research pay and instruction pay and to balance research earnings in
proportionate to non-research university earnings.
- To arrange for improved welfare of university professors.
- Considering the influence of cultural barriers the following recommendations are
made:
- To foster a spirit of teamwork and partnership in research and interdisciplinary
activities among students and faculty members.
- To foster self-esteem and confidence.
- To grow future-looking approach in research and to avoid the risk of boredom.
- To foster attitude of academic research in the management of academic settings and
bodies
- To strengthen cultural character motivations in research and scientific activities.
Political obstacles are also inhibitors from the perspective of faculty members. As a
result, it is proposed academic leaders keep away from political conflicts in favor of a
neutral space for scientific productions and innovations beyond political inclinations.
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