Identification of key performance dimensions of academic professionals: A qualitative exploration

Abstract

This study seeks to explore the dimensions of performance of academic professionals in various universities in Bangladesh. This qualitative study used 21 in-depth, semi-structured interviews to collect data from 10 public universities across four administrative regions of Bangladesh. The data was analyzed thematically using the interpretive phenomenological approach in NVivo 12 Pro software. This study has identified four crucial performance characteristics of academic professionals in public institutions in Bangladesh. These dimensions include teaching, research and publication, administrative tasks, and managing external funds. The results also indicated that academic professionals must participate in this activity throughout their careers. A range of respondents' perspectives were utilized to characterize the performance aspects of academic professionals. During the process of selecting the university category, there was some overlap. For instance, this study does not include private universities, medical universities, other specialized universities, and off-campus universities in Bangladesh. There is a better possibility of getting better outcomes if all kinds of universities are included in this study. By outlining the shortcomings of the present study, the article also serves as a rallying cry for additional research. The findings of the study will improve the understanding of the academic professional about the key performance dimensions. The results also offer a useful framework for relevant authorities, HR departments, university administrations, and lawmakers by describing the most important aspects of academic professionals' performance that they must exhibit at different career points. The study sheds light on the possible societal contributions of performance and its various sub-dimensions. This research constructs a comprehensive model of the links between HRM practices, university authority orientation, and academic professionals' productivity based on theoretical assumptions and empirical evidence. This study's results have practical consequences because they examine critical components of academic professionals' performance that may influence their employment.