Academic engagement in Portugal: the role of institutional diversity, individual characteristics and modes of knowledge production

Abstract

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) play a crucial role in knowledge society by providing and disseminating knowledge. In this regard, academics have been encouraged to collaborate with society, leading to the emergence of new modes of knowledge production. Several institutional and individual factors have been identified as determinants of the academic engagement. Hence, using data from a survey delivered to a representative sample of Portuguese academics, this paper analyses the influence of different modes of knowledge production, institutional diversity and individual characteristics on distinct dimensions of academic engagement (Formal Research Collaboration; Informal Dissemination of Knowledge; Commercialization of Knowledge; and Teaching-related Activities and Supervision of Students). We propose as research hypotheses the existence of an influence of individual academics’ values, identity and types of knowledge on the engagement with society, addressing them using a linear regression. Results suggest the influence of CUDOS, (i.e. communalism, disinterestedness and organized scepticism) and PLACE, (i.e. proprietary, local, authority, commissioned and expert) on academic engagement, although this influence differs according to distinct dimensions. The findings also reveal differences according to the type of institutional affiliation. Moreover, the study confirms the relevance of individual characteristics in explaining different forms of academic engagement, such as gender, discipline and seniority. Since the results do not align entirely with the theory, this paper may be of particular relevance to launch a discussion around the type of engagement higher education institutions intend to promote and how far their own characteristics and those of their academics may influence such engagement.