Exploring the Researcher’s Motivations for University Governance Some Configurations in the African Context

Abstract

The University governance is constantly in crisis in many developing countries especially in Africa. This article is built around the idea that this question cannot be addressed without a prior reflection on the personal expectations that determine the researchers´ commitment in their work. Our objective is to contribute to better understanding the researchers’ motivations when they decide to publish articles, to write or supervise theses. The study considers the field of Management Sciences where the conceptual debate concerning the value of research rarely mentions what the researcher earn for himself. Data were collected through comprehensive interviews with 55 researchers of two Cameroonian Universities. The analysis puts forth five configurations of motivations that are likely to inspire the deepen reflections on local Universities governance reform.