Title: Propensity to adopt new technologies and research productivity in a developing country context

Authors: Asaf Rubin; Chris William Callaghan

Addresses: School of Economic and Business Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa ' School of Economic and Business Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

Abstract: We present and test a theoretical model of academic research productivity, considering the relationship between the adoption of certain new modes of knowledge productivity and academic research output. 'Technological propensity' refers to the extent to which individuals seek to exploit new technological opportunities to enhance their own research productivity. We propose that there exists a positive relationship between technological propensity and research productivity, but that differences in personality, motivational values configurations and human capital investments may mediate this relationship. We empirically test theory in a sample of 457 academic respondents from nine South African universities and provide evidence that individuals who are more likely to utilise technological advances in their research are in fact no more research productive than those who do not. However, we also find that this relationship is mediated by an individual's 'openness to change'. Implications for theory, research and practice are discussed.

Keywords: innovation management; societal responsibility of research; personality; motivation; human capital.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBIR.2020.109033

International Journal of Business Innovation and Research, 2020 Vol.22 No.4, pp.546 - 568

Received: 19 Nov 2018
Accepted: 03 Feb 2019
Published online: 17 Aug 2020 *

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