Academic career of young scientists: Motivations and professional roles

Abstract

The paper investigates the problems of human capital reproduction in higher school. Falling effectiveness of graduate school underlie the research interest in the way, in which motivations for entering a doctoral program affect the choice of young scientists and lecturers about their career development and professional roles in the academic environment. Methodologically the study relies on Vroom’s expectancy theory of motivation, as well as theoretical approaches to analyzing the motives behind embarking on a doctorate and the role in academia. The information base includes the results of a survey of 1,429 graduate students from five Russian federal universities. Applying multinomial logistic regression, the authors test the hypothesis that each of the professional roles (tutor, researcher and administrator) is dependent on an individual set of motivations for entering graduate school. The choice of the professional role is largely conscious and independent. Graduates who prefer the roles of tutor and researcher are usually motivated towards this type of activity and interested in benefits of the higher education system, such as flexible working hours, stable pay, etc. The career of researcher exhibits a wider range of motivations and is more sustainable in comparison with the others. The choice of the administrator role is typical of those entering higher school by inertia. The results of the study allow us to identify key motives of graduate students behind choosing particular professional roles. This is of value when formulating the applicant selection policy in accordance with the goals of the university and needs of society and the state.

Keywords

• human capital of higher education
• tutor roles
• academic labour market
• postgraduate education
• multinomial logistic regression
• motivations to enter graduate education