The Role of Teaching, Scholarly Activities, and Service on Tenure, Promotion, and Merit Pay Decisions: Deans' Perspectives

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of scholarly activities, teaching, and service upon promotion, tenure, and merit-pay decisions for business faculty at both teaching and research colleges in the USA. A survey questionnaire, which requested opinions regarding the role scholarly activities have on promotion, tenure, and merit pay decisions, was sent to deans of business colleges at accredited or AACSB (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) candidate schools. Additionally, information was collected regarding techniques utilized for nonproductive tenured faculty, primary purposes of scholarly activities, and the average number of scholarly contributions each year for total faculty. Results showed that there were significant differences regarding merit allocations between teaching and research institutions, accredited and AA CSB candidate schools but not between public and private universities. The study also provided a benchmark for assigning appropriate weights for scholarly activities with respect to promotion, tenure, and merit-pay decisions. INTRODUCTION Faculty members assume academic roles for many reasons. Lindholm (2004) surveyed professors at a public university. She observed that they generally spoke somewhat passionately about their jobs and appreciated the personal freedom afforded by such employment. In practice, faculty members are appraised on a combination of teaching, research, and service activities. However, evaluation priorities reflect a variety of perspectives regarding institutional policies (Grant and Fogarty, 1998). Hanna et al., (2005) reported that faculty satisfaction or dissatisfaction toward promotion/tenure policies correlated quite highly with availability of research support systems. For faculty, professional career success depends upon administrative decisions involving tenure/promotion and salary increases. The National Center for Postsecondary Improvement (2000) reported results from a cross-section sample of faculty at four-year Carnegie institutions. To them, tenure was the most important reward/incentive factor with research activities perceived to be more relevant than teaching. Im and Hartman (1997) studied MIS faculty appraisal practices at AACSB schools and learned that research was a maj or factor used for annual evaluations by deans and chairs. In a sample of 233 professors at six regional state institutions in Tennessee, Tang and Chamberlain (2003) found that length of service, rather than rank and tenure, significantly influenced faculty attitudes toward research. Faculty with 20 or more years of teaching appeared to have the lowest orientation toward research. PURPOSE OF STUDY Much has been written regarding research and scholarly activities at the university level. Little information can be found on the emphasis school of business deans give to scholarly activities, teaching, and service with reference to promotion, tenure, and merit pay. Comparisons of teaching vs. research, private vs. public, and accredited vs. AACSB candidate schools regarding these activities may provide some insight into how institutions differed in their decision-making approaches. The following specific research questions were formulated: 1 . What is the current status of meritorious scholarly activities in schools of business with reference to promotion, tenure, and merit pay? 2. Is there a significant difference in scholarly, teaching, and service activities upon promotion, tenure, and merit pay decisions between teaching and research, public and private, and accredited and AACSB candidate schools? 3. What emphasis do school of business deans suggest be given to scholarly activities in promotion, tenure, and merit pay decisions? BACKGROUND PERSPECTIVES Educators are challenged to prepare students for professional careers in an increasingly complex business environment characterized by accelerated rates of change and greater uncertainty. …