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Publish or Teach ? The Role of the Scientific Environment on Academics’ Multitasking

Author

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  • Yann Kossi

    (Université de Lyon, Lyon, F-69007, France ; CNRS, GATE Lyon St Etienne,F-69130 Ecully, France)

  • Jean-Yves Lesueur

    (Université de Lyon, Lyon, F-69007, France ; CNRS, GATE Lyon St Etienne,F-69130 Ecully, France)

  • Mareva Sabatier

    (Université de Savoie, IAE Savoie - Mont Blanc BP 80439, 74944 Annecy-le-Vieux Cedex, France)

Abstract

The scientific environment might influence university researchers’ job designs. In a principal–agent model, researchers must choose between substitutable tasks, publishing or teaching, according to their individual abilities and the scientific and pedagogical context that exists in their universities. This proposed model shows that scientific production can increase, regardless of researchers’ abilities, if the scientific environment favours agglomeration effects. The authors test these predictions using an original data set of French economics professors that reveals their individual investments in both teaching and publishing. The econometric results confirm that the tasks conflict and that the scientific context affects researchers’ investments in each task.

Suggested Citation

  • Yann Kossi & Jean-Yves Lesueur & Mareva Sabatier, 2013. "Publish or Teach ? The Role of the Scientific Environment on Academics’ Multitasking," Working Papers 1315, Groupe d'Analyse et de Théorie Economique Lyon St-Étienne (GATE Lyon St-Étienne), Université de Lyon.
    • Handle: RePEc:gat:wpaper:1315
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    Cited by:

    1. Alberto Baccini & Lucio Barabesi & Martina Cioni & Caterina Pisani, 2013. "Crossing the hurdle: the determinants of individual scientific performance," Department of Economics University of Siena 691, Department of Economics, University of Siena.
    2. Ingvild Reymert & Taran Thune, 2020. "Complementarity and trade-off between academic work tasks," Working Papers on Innovation Studies 20200825, Centre for Technology, Innovation and Culture, University of Oslo.
    3. A. Baccini & L. Barabesi & M. Cioni & C. Pisani, 2014. "Crossing the hurdle: the determinants of individual scientific performance," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 101(3), pages 2035-2062, December.
    4. Ingvild Reymert & Taran Thune, 2023. "Task complementarity in academic work: a study of the relationship between research, education and third mission tasks among university professors," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 48(1), pages 331-360, February.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Tournament scientific production; multitasking; scientific environment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C3 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables
    • D2 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations
    • D8 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty

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