Incentivising and Rewarding Research Outputs

Quality research is not only important as a source of external funding and national profile (e.g. PBRF), it is also essential to ensure continued accreditation to deliver degrees and post-graduate programmes.  

Further, research contributes to a national and international profile for both institute and individual. But what happens when vocational teachers, recruited directly from industry and trade, rather than academia, are required to support their new teaching role by producing research outputs and publications?

The answer is reluctance, and sometimes, downright resistance. So what can we do, and what do other organisations do, to encourage more staff to undertake research to inform their teaching? This research project sought to benchmark the supports and strategies to develop researcher capability offered across the 16 organisations which make up New Zealand’s Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (ITP) sector.

The first source of data was a survey of the rewards, incentives and organisational frameworks the different ITPs are offering. Next, the project team interviewed 30 colleagues from the home institute, across disciplines and faculties, experienced and novice, research-active and non-research-active. The ultimate aim was to identify a range of strategies which staff considered would offer compelling inducement to increase the quantity and/or quality of their research outputs.

Our findings revealed a range of both internal and external motivators for individuals; for institutions, there were strong indications of the structures and practices participants felt enabled, or hindered their research activity. Positive change, rejuvenation of ‘writing lives’, and (re)engagement in learning calls for a whole-organisation approach. Developing a culture where research is visible and valued needs leadership support and staff goodwill.

APA References: Fraser, C., Harrison, L., Millar, J., Banks, K., & Chutuape, D. (2019). Incentivising and rewarding research outputs. Presented at Business Education in a World of Changing Skills Demand, NZ Applied Business Education Conference, Ara Institute of Canterbury, Christchurch, NZ.

Read the full report: Incentivising and Rewarding Research Outputs (pdf, 701kb)