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Trends, tropes and positioning in the university research sub-system n emerging knowledge economies : a theory of research entanglement

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

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:wits/oai:wiredspace.wits.ac.za:10539/23815
Date January 2016
CreatorsAbrahams, Lucienne Ann
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis
FormatOnline resource (xviii, 361 pages), application/pdf, application/pdf

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