Predictors of research productivity of academic staff in Kyambogo University: an empirical study based on Mantikayan and Abdulgani’s (2018) Model

Abstract

The research productivity (RP) of academic staff is of utmost significance as it contributes to the advancement of knowledge, enhances institutional reputation, facilitates funding opportunities, improves teaching quality, and enhances societal impact. In this research we aimed to investigate the predictors of RP among academic staff at Kyambogo University (KyU). Based on Mantikayan and Abdulgani’s (2018) model, we had four study objectives: to examine whether ascriptive, individual, leadership, and institutional factors predicted RP. Using a positivist research paradigm and a predictive cross-sectional survey design, data was collected through a questionnaire survey from 165 academic staff. Multiple linear regression was employed for data analysis. The findings revealed that ascriptive, leadership and institutional factors did not significantly predict RP. However, under the individual factor, it was found that only the constructs of motivation and research skills were significant and positive predictors of RP. The study concluded that Mantikayan and Abdulgani’s model lacked a comprehensive explanation of RP among academic staff at KyU. Therefore, there is a need for further research to develop a more inclusive model or framework that can capture the diverse factors influencing RP within the specific context.