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Volume :25 Issue : 2 2018
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The Influence of Individual Characteristics on Faculty Research Attitudes, Intentions, Behaviors, and Perceived Barriers: The Case of Kuwait University
Auther : Omar Khalil
Knowing what individual characteristics influence research performance and perceived research barriers are essential to guiding research productivity improvement efforts in academia. While most, if not all, of the studies on faculty research productivity have explored the influence of individual characteristics on research behavior, almost none has examined the influence of these characteristics on research attitudes, intentions, and perceived research barriers. This study explored the influence of gender, age, nationality, academic rank, experience, academic field, and time spent on research and teaching on research attitudes, intentions, behaviors, and barriers at Kuwait University (KU). Although the faculties hold positive attitudes toward research and intend to engage in future research, their research productivity is relatively low. They also believe that engaging in research-impeding activities, lack of extrinsic motivators, and lack of research resources challenge research performance. Although the individual characteristics variably influence research attitudes, intentions, behaviors, and perceived barriers, academic field, time spent on research, time spent on teaching, and academic rank are the most influential characteristics. These results should serve as a foundation for articulating scholarly productivity improving policies at KU and other similar HE institutions.