Assessing Quality at the
Individual Level
Huw Morris
Assessing Quality at the Individual Level
• It is getting more difficult!
• Why is this happening?
• Underlying economic performance
• What will happen next?
It is getting more difficult!
1980s
2000s
Postgraduate degree or experience
as a research officer
Faculty hire – PhD and publications
Adjunct and part-time staff increase
(a) RAEable a bonus
REFable for research post,
Journal ranking, impact factor, citation, H index, income (250k)
(b) Retention an issue, rapid expansion
Doctorate by publication for teaching post
HIRE
REVIEW
PROMOTION
Rare
EXPRESSION
Prized
On publication and grant income
Applicants increasingly internalising metrics
Rare?
Morris, H. (2003) ‘Changing Academic Communities at Work,’ Work, Employment and Society, Vol, 17. No. 3, pp557-568.
Morris, H. (2008) ‘More ways to gain status,’ Times Higher Education Supplement, July 17th
Why is this happening?
The financial limits of growth in challenged economies
Zero and possibly soon a negative sum game
Morris, H. (2011) ‘Business and Management Research 1900 to 2008,’ Cassell, C and Lee, B. (Eds) Challenges and controversies
in management research. New York: Routledge.
Underlying Economic Performance
Annual Debt
Cummalative
Youth
GDP
Research
as % GDP
Debt as % GDP
unemployment
Greece
-10.0%
156%
58%
0.6%
NA
Spain
-10.6%
84%
55%
0.9%
1.4% (constant)
Ireland
-7.6%
117%
29%
2.2%
1.7% (down)
Portugal
-6.4%
123%
38%
1.1%
1.6% (constant)
UK
-6.3%
90%
21%
1.7%
1.6% (constant)
France
-4.8
90%
25%
0.6%
2.3% (constant)
Slovakia
-4.3
52%
35%
2.8%
0.6 (constant)
Denmark
-4.0%
45%
14%
1.2%
3.1% (constant)
Belgium
-3.9%
99%
22%
1.2%
1.9% (down)
Italy
-3.0%
127%
37%
0.7%
1.2% (constant)
Finland
-1.9%
53%
19%
1.0%
3.9% (constant)
Germany
+0.2%
81%
7.9%
2.8%
2.8% (constant)
Sweden
+0.2%
38.2%
24%
2.5%
3.4% (up)
EU Target
3%
60%
10%
GERD
3%
What will happen next?
• Move from focus on outputs to focus on outcomes
• Big Data
• Bayesian adjusted impact and citation measures
• UK experiment with loan based finance/graduate tax
• Salary return for students
• Market for research activity to include mutual and private sector
The Matthew Effect
"For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have
abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that
which he hath." (Matthew 25:29).
Why do you research and publish?
MASLOW’S HEIRARCHY OF
OF NEEDS
• SELF ACTUALISATION
• ESTEEM
• BELONGING
• SAFETY
• PHYSIOLOGICAL
MORRIS’ HEIRARCHY OF
RESEARCH AND PUBLICATION
* Self expression
* Status
* Research culture
* To survive (not perish)
* I am paid to research
Morris, H. (2013) ‘Business and management: a revew of the field, Times Higher Education Supplement, May 10th
Morris, H. (forthcoming) ‘Business and management research,’ Times Higher Education Supplement.