Abstract
Many argue that the changing nature of research universities globally is making the academic profession demanding. Academics are expected to do more, produce more, and ‘justify their existence’ at their respective universities often in the form of outcomes-based performance measures that are historically foreign to the academic profession. At the same time, they may have to engage in volunteerism outside the academy. Despite much existing research on volunteerism within the context of higher education, a few studies have been conducted on volunteerism among senior academics in non-Western countries, in an attempt to understand how academics balance these pluralistic roles and responsibilities, and the personal philosophy behind their ongoing engagement in volunteerism. To address this gap, this study explored the personal volunteerism philosophies of university professors from a leading research university in Malaysia. Using a purposeful sampling approach, the authors conducted in-depth, semi-structured qualitative interviews with seven professors from different academic departments who have regular engagement in volunteering activities beyond their internal academic obligations. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. From the analysis, three factors were found to contribute to the formulation of the personal philosophies about volunteerism. These were: (a) individual orientation and exposure; (b) religious beliefs; and (c) work related identities. Volunteerism was found to foster recognition for academics in their related field of expertise. The study concludes with suggestions for enhancing the volunteerism experiences of academics and implications for future research.
Highlights
It is very difficult to volunteer, if I detach myself from my academic work, because academic work is my life, I don’t have free time
As revealed by the participants, individual orientation and early life exposure to volunteering activities helped the professors formulate a personal philosophy about volunteerism in the course of their academic career development
In line with related past research, the findings revealed that their engagement in volunteer work supported their career development (Tight, 2002; Ismail, 2005; Newmann et al, 2006; Ismail et al, 2011; Safiah et al, 2012; Terosky et al, 2014)
Summary
It is very difficult to volunteer, if I detach myself from my academic work, because academic work is my life, I don’t have free time. Professorship is a highly prominent position in the academic profession and volunteer work is an extension of an academic career often critical for faculty members to gain real-world work experience and to boost the reputation of their respective institutions. Professors are acknowledged leaders in their subject fields and most influential in the academic world (Tight, 2002; Ismail, 2005; Neumann et al, 2006; Ismail, Silong, Asimiran & Hassan, 2011; Safiah, Mohd-Taib, Norliah & Mahadi, 2012). Becoming a professor is not the final destination of an academic career, but a means to continue with one’s work and to be confident of one's ability (Ismail, 2005; Terosky, 2005). In formal organizations like universities, corporate organizations, ministries and government agencies where professors are mostly employed, it is often assumed that voluntary engagement in knowledge sharing and service to community by professors is undervalued due to numerous commitments in the form of teaching, research, scholarship and service (Boyle & Sawyer 2010; Terosky et al 2014)
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