IMPLEMENTATION OF UNIVERSITY RESEARCH POLICIES FOR FACULTY'S ASPIRATIONS FOR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND CAREER SATISFACTION

Abstract

The faculty is the heart of the academy. To this end, addressing the developmental needs of the faculty should be a central mission of any institution of higher education. The quality of research output of the faculty working in a higher education institution is among the topics of contemporary debates in academia. The Higher Education Commission, Pakistan provides a complete framework for faculty development centered on research activities. The implementation of these policies is mandatory for all public and private universities of Pakistan. This research was conducted to determine the effect of the implementation of university research policies on faculty motivation, professional development, and career satisfaction. The multistage sampling technique was used to select 689 faculty members from 3 selected departments (social sciences, engineering, and business) of six public and private universities of Punjab. The survey questionnaire for faculty with reliability (.800) was used. Expert opinion was taken to check the face and content validity of the tool. Factor Analysis of quantitative data by SPSS yielded 5 factors. Pearson Correlation and Multiple Linear Regression were used to answer research questions. The study concluded that internal motivation is the key factor leading to career success, but this factor is minimally supported by the university management through ample career development opportunities. The faculty has reported zero organizational support to carry out research activities.  This pioneering study has emphasized the crucial missing factors needed to enhance research culture in Pakistani universities.