Research Culture in Academia: A Conceptual Scheme and its Application

Research environment in the departments influences research in academia to a large extent. This study proposes a conceptual framework to analyse the effect of the department on various aspects of research. The framework proposes dimensions of research culture based on literature which are tested through a pilot study of four departments of an institute of science and technology in India. The results suggest that the departments with lower power distance exhibit greater collectivism. Also, low universalism, low collectivism, coupled with high achievement based practices and high power distance in the institute hamper joint publication activity in the department. The findings may have implications for policy makers.