Linking motivation and alliance to perceived ambidexterity outcomes at the individual level in academia
Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education
ISSN: 2050-7003
Article publication date: 30 May 2019
Issue publication date: 2 October 2019
Abstract
Purpose
Previous research has considered human motivation as a determinant of inquisitiveness, learning and innovation. However, how student’s motivation affects both exploitative/exploratory research outcomes has not yet been sufficiently addressed. The purpose of this paper is to examine self-determination theory (SDT) as a conceptual tool to understand post-graduate student’s academic motivation and how it affects two types of ambidextrous outcomes (exploitative and exploratory), and thus posit relational capital as an important mediator in the motivation–innovation process.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors draw conclusions using 331 valid post-graduate foreign scholars data collected via online survey in three Chinese Universities and conduct data analysis using the structural equation modeling technique (AMOS).
Findings
Results indicate that: academic motivation and perceived collaboration capability both has a significant effect on exploitation behavior; there was no significant relationship between academic motivation and tendency to collaborate with actors within their networks; collaboration capability and exploitation behavior mediate the relationship between academic motivation and exploration behavior; and further a complementary link was found to exist between exploitation behavior and exploration behavior in students attempt to be ambidextrous.
Originality/value
The authors advance innovation research by expanding SDT to include relational perspective as an antecedent of ambidexterity (exploration/exploitation behaviors) and provide new insights into current understanding of research engagement in higher education settings. The authors highlight some implications for educational agencies seeking to promote the emergence of psychological and relational conditions to enhance novelty in post-graduate internationalized education.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Conflict of Interest: no potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors. Grateful thanks are due Professor Song Wei, Professor Zhang Xhe, Professor Peng Xiaobao and Zhao Shu Liang (PhD) for providing helpful comments on an earlier draft of this paper. Kind appreciation to the Chinese Government Scholarship Council for providing the corresponding author with study grants to pursue his postgraduate studies at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC).
Citation
Teye, E.T., Abosi, B.A., Tetteh, A.N., Ntim, S.Y., Teye, A., Aseidua-Ayeh, O.L. and Dubi, S.A. (2019), "Linking motivation and alliance to perceived ambidexterity outcomes at the individual level in academia", Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, Vol. 11 No. 4, pp. 664-685. https://doi.org/10.1108/JARHE-10-2018-0205
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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