Academics’ prosocial motivation for engagement with society: The case of German academics in health science

Abstract

Although research has shown the importance of prosocial motivation for academic engagement in public good (universities’ so-called ‘third mission’), research is yet to examine such motivation in depth. This study develops an empirical understanding of the dimensions of prosocial motivation in academics’ engagement, focusing particularly on societal engagement. Self-determination theory and conceptual forms of prosocial motivation (principlism, egoism, collectivism, and altruism) assist in interpreting the dimensions. We conducted twenty-five qualitative interviews with academics in the field of health science in Germany. Three dimensions of prosocial motivation emerged from the data: (1) personal, (2) academic role, and (3) academic field. The results demonstrate how the various conceptual forms of prosocial motivation are reflected in these dimensions. Additionally, we advance our understanding of how intrinsic and extrinsic elements are reflected in academics’ prosocial motivation. We offer important theoretical, managerial, and policy implications by significantly improving the understanding of academics’ prosocial motivation.