– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the key drivers for motivation within a small team of academics within a relatively small UK university.
– The research follows a combined interpretivist and ethnographic stance and using a mixed methods approach.
– The research identifies that fundamentally academics are driven by the desire for expertise and a search for meaning, while material reward and a need for power play a low significance in their forces. Also increase in managerialism has led to reductions in motivation.
– The paper provides a limited focus due to the nature of being a small scale study.
– The paper considers the drivers which motivate academics. Managers and HR departments may consider approaches to managing and leading individuals to achieve improved organisational performance.
– The paper focuses on motivational drivers within the academy.
