On the governance of social science research: the replacement of profession with performance contracts Online publication date: Wed, 25-Feb-2009
by Mai S. Linneberg, Hanne Norreklit, Philipp J.H. Schroder
International Journal of Public Policy (IJPP), Vol. 4, No. 3/4, 2009
Abstract: The majority of social science research is conducted within public or semipublic institutions, such as universities. Over the past decades, these institutions have experienced substantial changes in governance structures and an increased focus on performance contracts. Obviously, the new structures do not enter into a governance vacuum, but replace the existing profession-based governance structures. The present paper has a twofold purpose. First, we map the key features and problems of a profession-based governance system, focusing on principal-agent issues and motivational drivers. Second, we study the implications of the current changes in the social science research landscape, along with the central aspects of mechanism design, validity and employee motivation, as well as the ability to establish socially optimal resource allocations. We identify a number of potential problems that may come along with the current changes in governance structures and suggest directions for alternative solutions.
Existing subscribers:
Go to Inderscience Online Journals to access the Full Text of this article.
If you are not a subscriber and you just want to read the full contents of this article, buy online access here.Complimentary Subscribers, Editors or Members of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Public Policy (IJPP):
Login with your Inderscience username and password:
Want to subscribe?
A subscription gives you complete access to all articles in the current issue, as well as to all articles in the previous three years (where applicable). See our Orders page to subscribe.
If you still need assistance, please email subs@inderscience.com
Our Blog 
Follow us on Twitter 
Visit us on Facebook