The strategic research agenda of academics and the involvement of non-academic peers in research in regimes of academic nested hybridity

Abstract

ABSTRACT The involvement of non-academics in academic research is key to boosting knowledge exchange and ensuring that academic research is more effective in contributing to tackling the challenges faced by organizations and citizens. Although incentives, together with new organizational and knowledge producing modes, have fostered this involvement, the literature has found that the willingness of academics to collaborate with non-academics is mixed and related to individual traits and preferences, conflicting working logics, and other constraints. This study contributes to this literature by assessing the strategic research agendas of academics as a novel factor in determining their willingness to involve non-academic peers in research activities. The findings underlined the critical importance of academics’ strategic research agendas in determining their engagement with non-academics in their research. The findings also showed conflicting logics, suggesting that PhD training, career progression, and organizational incentives fostering knowledge output activities need to be considered and adapted.