Perishing the publication pressure: master thesis on the moral responsibilities of research institutes towards the well-being of their academic staff

Abstract

Research has shown that PhD students and other (young) researchers are more at risk for health problems than their highly educated peers. This seems to be the result of the culture within academia. Elements of this culture are a high workload and a quantitative focus on scientific output, which leads to stress and, therefore, a decrease in the well-being of the researcher. As employers, research institutes might be able to alleviate this stress. This thesis explores the moral responsibilities research institutes have towards the well-being of their academic staff.

Our research showed that being employed plays a substantial role in the well-being of a person, both positively and negatively. Research institutes have the opportunity to contribute to the well-being of their employees by eliminating the negative influences work can bring.

Organisations are moral agents who have a moral responsibility towards promoting the wellbeing of their employees. Research institutes, specifically, have the moral responsibility to tackle problems like publication pressure, because these originate in the research institute or because of the academic climate. They cannot transfer this responsibility to other institutions.

Organisations are crucial to human capabilities and functionings, as their policies influence human agency. To maximize the capability of the organisation to take care of the well-being of their employees, research institutes should anchor support for their employees’ functionings and capabilities in corporate policy. Research institutes, thus, have the moral responsibility to use the capability of the organisation to support their academic staff in pursuing individual sets of capabilities, thereby enhancing individual well-being.

Despite recent developments regarding the topics of publication pressure and the quantitative focus on scientific output, research institutes have not yet successfully alleviated the factor of stress. This is most likely the result of the mentality in academia. We listed advice for corporate policy, which should be used to ensure a higher level of well-being of academic staff within research institutes.