Barriers to research productivity of academics in Tanzania higher education institutions: the need for policy interventions

Abstract

Higher education institutions dominate research productivity in many parts of the world. Nonetheless, many academics in developing countries—including Tanzania—perform poorly in research. This study aims to qualitatively explore the barriers to research productivity in Tanzanian public higher education institutions. Using semi-structured interviews with thirty university leaders, regulatory agency officials, and academics from Tanzania’s four largest public institutions and reviewing official documents on higher education, the study found that institutional and individual factors hinder academic research productivity. Institutional barriers include inadequate research funding, heavy workloads, weak collaboration, fragmented research policies, a lack of researchers with impeccable credentials, weak databases, weak mentorship, and informal rewards and incentives. Individual barriers included limited research expertise and interest. Overcoming these challenges requires strategic inter- and intra-institutional collaboration. It also requires capacity-building, instituted mentorship for young researchers, redesigned incentive and rewards programs, improved funding, policy harmonization, and strengthened institutional and national research repositories.

Keywords:

• Higher education institutions
• research productivity
• research promotion
• research barriers
• research policies

Reviewing Editor:

• Stephen Darwin, Universidad Alberto Hurtado, Chile

Subjects:

• Educational Psychology
• Organizational Communication
• Higher Education
• Research Methods in Education
• Education – Social Sciences

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Abel Charles Kadikilo

Abel Charles Kadikilo is an Assistant Lecturer in Management Studies at the Institute of Finance Management (IFM), Simiyu Campus, Tanzania. He is an experienced academician with a demonstrated history of over 25 years working in the education management industry as an academic administrator, facilitator, and consultant. He has developed expertise in higher education management, strategic management, management practices, research methodology, and customer service. He is currently the head of academic services at the IFM-Simiyu campus. Kadikilo holds a master’s in education management and administration from the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Currently, he is pursuing a Ph.D. in management at Birla Global University.

Parameswar Nayak

Parameswar Nayak is currently working as Dean, Birla School of Management, Birla Global University, Bhubaneswar, India. He is an alumnus of University of Delhi and an ardent Professor in Human Resource Management, an academic administrator, a corporate trainer, a management consultant, and a professional social worker. He has about 33 years of work experience and vast international exposure, including about 20 years in leadership positions. He has been the guest editors of two special issues of a Scopus indexed journal and published 3 books and 32 research papers in Scopus indexed and other peer reviewed journals and edited books.

Arunaditya Sahay

Arunaditya Sahay, presently Professor of Strategic Management and Dean (Research), is a hard-core business executive turned an academician, who is an innovator, a corporate entrepreneur, a researcher, a teacher and an institution builder. Starting his career as an academician, he turned to the corporate world early in life wading his way to become the CEO of a large Public Sector Enterprise. In industry, he worked with many reputed companies during which he innovated many products, processes and business models getting patents and design registrations. In industry, he is known as a strategist, especially a Turnaround Manager. Returning to academics, he not only bagged the best researcher award but became champion in delivering MDPs in General Management that included Corporate Strategy, Turnaround Strategy, Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Sustainability and CSR. His consulting experience includes projects sponsored by the European Union, the Government of India, and some leading companies. He serves on the Boards of various universities and companies. He has to his credit 6 books and over 220 research/case publications.