What drives academics to engage with actors from society? Answers to this question are becoming ever-more relevant given that science–society relations are crucial for addressing key societal challenges such as climate change and social inequalities. Vitus Püttmann and Stephan Thomsen addressed this question in an empirical study, now published as “The Microfoundations of Academics’ Engagement with Society” in Technovation.
To obtain in-depth insights into the drivers of academics’ engagement with society, the study develops a differentiated perspective that considers academics’ value orientations and engagement motives and accounts for differences between engagement forms. From this perspective, the authors develop hypotheses in response to three research questions: First, which differences are there between academics as regards their value orientations? Second, how are these value orientations linked to academics’ motives? Third, are these differences reflected in academics’ actual engagement? The hypotheses are then tested empirically using survey data on 4,249 professors at German higher education institutions.
The analysis reveals that there are four types of value orientations exhibited by academics, which are characterized by differences in the boundaries that they draw between science and other societal sectors and in the importance they assign to societal engagement as part of their academic duties. The types are also systematically linked to academics’ motives to engage, especially the question whether they are intrinsically or extrinsically motivated. Both value orientations and motives are furthermore reflected in academics’ actual engagement. The findings thus highlight that understanding and fostering academics’ societal roles requires consideration of the diverse forms of academics’ engagement and the specific microfoundations underlying it.
About the journal (from the publisher's webpage):
Technovation – The International Journal of Technological Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Technology Management
The interdisciplinary journal encompasses all facets of technological innovation. Innovation is considered from both the perspectives of process and product, social innovations (regulation and policy as well as creation of non-economic benefit), conceptualization of a new technology-based product or process through commercial utilization.
