Publish or perish: academic life as management faculty live it

Abstract

PurposeAlthough many in academe have speculated about the effects of pressure to publish on the management discipline – often referred to as “publish or perish” – prevailing knowledge has been based on anecdotal rather than empirical evidence. The aim of the present paper is to shed light on the perceptions of management faculty regarding the pressure to publish imperative.Design/methodology/approachThe authors surveyed faculty in 104 management departments of AACSB accredited, research‐oriented US business schools to explore the prevalence, sources, and effects of pressure to publish.FindingsResults indicate that pressure to publish affects both tenured and tenure‐track management faculty, although the latter, as a group, feel significantly more pressure than those who are tenured. The primary source of this pressure is faculty themselves who are motivated by the prospects of enhancing their professional reputation, leaving a permanent mark on their profession, and increasing their salary and job mobility. The effects of pressure to publish include heightened stress levels; the marginalization of teaching; and research that may lack relevance, creativity, and innovation.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample was intentionally restricted to faculty from management departments affiliated with research‐oriented US business schools and does not include faculty from departments that are less research‐oriented and, therefore, would be expected to put less pressure on their faculty to publish.Practical implicationsAlthough the effects of pressure to publish are not necessarily always negative, the paper offers some fundamental suggestions to management (and other) faculty who wish to mitigate the deleterious effects of pressure to publish.Originality/valueAlthough the findings may not be surprising to more seasoned faculty, to the authors' knowledge this is the first time they have been documented in the published literature. As such, they advance discussions of “publish or perish” beyond mere conjecture and “shared myths” allowing management faculty to more rationally debate its consequences and their implications for academic life.

Creating a medical education enterprise: leveling the playing fields of medical education vs. medical science research within core missions

“…Most academicians are painfully aware of the old adage ‘Publish or Perish,’ a trite summation of the pressure many faculty members encounter as they seek advancement, recognition, and promotion [1]. Medical educators face even greater challenges, as many of their scholarly achievements have not always received proper recognition, often are more nebulous than are standard publications, and require different criteria for appreciation and positive evaluations [2–4].…”

Motivos de rejeição dos artigos nos periódicos de administração

“…Esses resultados corroboram outros estudos de Bornmann, Weymuth e Daniel (2009), Turcotte, Drolet e Girard (2004, Byrne (2000) e Radford, Smillie e Wilson (1999) sobre os motivos de rejeição. As pressões para publicação constante resultam em artigos menos relevantes, menos originais e menos inovadores (MILLER; TAYLOR; BEDEIAN, 2011).…”

“…Pesquisadores acabam por publicar trabalhos apenas para atender às pressões institucionais (BERTERO et al, 2013). A disfunção surge quando a pressão para publicar conduz apenas a um foco em maior quantidade de artigos em detrimento de pesquisas que tenham efetivo impacto e contribuição, pontuados por criatividade e inovação (MILLER; TAYLOR; BEDEIAN, 2011). No entanto, do outro lado estão editores e revisores que buscam artigos que apresentam contribuições efetivas.…”

“…As pressões institucionais para publicar (KIRSCHBAUM; MAS-CARENHAS, 2009;FARIA, 2011;TAYLOR;BEDEIAN, 2011), o reconhecimento dos pesquisadores mais prolíficos (BEDEIAN; VAN FLEET;HYMAN, 2009), a importação da cultura do publish or perish (MASCARENHAS; ZAMBALDI; MORAES, 2011; MILLER; TAYLOR; BEDEIAN, 2011) e a incorporação de sistemas financeiros de incentivos à publicação (GOMES, 2010) desafiam, e pressionam, os pesquisadores a publicar mais e em melhores periódicos (MILLER; TAYLOR; BEDEIAN, 2011).…”

“…A partir dos resultados, discutimos implicações dessas questões para a pesquisa, o ensino nos programas de stricto sensu e a publicação científica nacional em administração. É possível que os nossos resultados possam ser debatidos face à política do publish or perish, amplamente difundida na comunidade científica, que parece priorizar a quantidade e o impacto dos artigos em detrimento de contribuições mais criativas e inovadoras (MILLER; TAYLOR; BEDEIAN, 2011). www.revistaoes.ufba.br…”