This study is an attempt to look at the factors that affect the research involvement of Burkinabe academics at the University of Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso. Previous studies of African universities have suggested that the lack of involvement in research of African academics can be related to economic, historical, and political constraints. Using Herzberg's two-factor theory and Vroom's expectancy approach to motivation, the framework developed in this study suggests that involvement of academics in research is a function of: (1) personal characteristics that academics bring to the work site; (2) the academic's belief that he or she can successfully engage in research (high or low expectancy); (3) the perceived relationship between research and rewards (high or low instrumentality); (4) the subjective attractiveness of the available rewards (positive or negative valence); (5) political and economic constraints that may impinge upon the availability of resources; and (6) the academic's experience with the university's compensation process (positive or negative experiential feedback).
Thirty-seven male Burkinabe academics from the University of Ouagadougou were sampled and interviewed.
The findings revealed that the expectancy of Burkinabe faculty members to engage in research is low. The findings also suggest that academics at the University of Ouagadougou perceive a low instrumental link between involvement in research and either promotion or tenure. In addition, the data indicates that as academics gain experience with both the University's lack of resources and the low instrumental link between research and reward, their perceptions change and the likelihood of engaging in future research is diminished.
These findings represent an important initial step in understanding the factors that affect the involvement in research of African academics. A better understanding of what motivates African scholars to engage in research could be useful in helping African universities develop an environment that is more conducive to research.
