Academic autonomy in the managerial university: The impact of metrification on academic flourishing

Abstract

The value of academic research is increasingly quantified through research metrics, including individual, journal, and institutional rankings. These measures are used to allocate research funding, inform hiring and promotion, and assess scholarly contributions. An emphasis on metrification reshapes academic work, challenging academic values and identities, and creating a managerial environment that privileges certain research and publication strategies.

This thesis examines academics’ attitudes and behaviours towards research metrics and the research impact agenda through a comparative qualitative case study of two Australian business schools. Through in-depth interviews with 38 academics and a document analysis of institutional research policies, I investigate how academics navigate competing metrics and managerial objectives, exploring the implications for individual researchers, universities, and academic flourishing. While a narrow focus on measurable outcomes may appear strategic from an administrative perspective, it risks stifling creativity, innovation, and the less quantifiable aspects of academic work that enhance wellbeing.

I contextualise this study with an historical analysis of Australian government research policies, tracing the evolution of a research agenda prioritising societal and economic impacts over scholarly impact. Drawing on institutional logics, I contrast the traditional logic of academic excellence with the emerging logic of impact, analysing the consequences of shifting priorities for academic work.

Based on my results, I argue for greater metrics literacy among academics and administrators, so that researchers can make more informed and meaningful decisions about their research agenda and research outputs. With a deeper understanding of metrics and their implications, the academic community can preserve the epistemic integrity of knowledge creation and promote a scholarly culture that supports wellbeing and academic flourishing.