A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, May 2016 / Universities in 21st century emerging knowledge economies seek to build a culture and practice of research activeness and intensiveness. How do university research sub-‐‑systems position universities to push through conditions of adversity to realise research activeness and intensiveness? Based on data collected from an exploratory study of selected research active universities in India and four case studies from a single research active university in South Africa, the research finds that university research sub-‐‑systems, operating in emerging knowledge economies, are engaged in quantum research games. Research complexity and adversity; uncertainty with respect to the outcomes and impact of research; and contestation with respect to resources, values and value; renders the university research game a quantum game, leading to the research entanglement of scientist-‐‑researchers. Epistemologically located in social constructionism and using grounded theory analytical methodology, the theory of positioning universities for research activeness and intensiveness through research entanglement identifies four trends of entanglement. Research actors who operate in a habitual state of heightened entanglement are able to push through adversity. It is theorised that the position of leaning towards heightened research entanglement creates an advantage for universities towards achieving greater research activeness and intensiveness. Where the position of leaning away from entanglement is dominant, this may create institutional stasis and an inability to advance the institution towards greater research effort / GR2018
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:wits/oai:wiredspace.wits.ac.za:10539/23815 |
| Date | January 2016 |
| Creators | Abrahams, Lucienne Ann |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | Online resource (xviii, 361 pages), application/pdf, application/pdf |
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