Factors that Motivate to Use Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) on Faculty Research Productivity in Sri Lankan

Abstract

Attached

One of the basic goals of universities is to provide enabling environment for the conduct of research and dissemination of knowledge for societal/national development (Ani, 2013). Over the last two decades, the Internet and related computer-mediated communication (CMC) technologies have become increasingly central to scientific work. CMC is a process in which human data interaction occur; through one or more networked telecommunication systems. It is imperative that the use of CMC in research is one of the major shifts in processes of scientific knowledge production. Therefore, a sound understanding of how academics use the CMC in their scholarly activities is important. However, there is a dearth of studies on the relationship between the use of CMC and research praductivity in university academia from a theoretical perspective. No evidence was found on the impact of the use of CMCon academic productivity in Sri Lanka and therefor this research contributes on to the possible impact of CMC on academic research productivity. Thus this paper has examined some of the literature on motivation and performance of academics in the CMC environment. Based on the literature and some initial interviews, a draft framework has been devised by integrating the Vrooms Expectancy model (Vroom, 1978) and Task Technology Fit model (Goodhue and Thompson, 1995). Future research will further test this framework to determine effectiveness as a tool to assist not only Sri Lankan Universities to recognize and provide needs of academics to achieve productivity increases in research and also the present study will offer suggestions to the policy makers in Sri Lankan universities to develop a long term effective motivation strategy to increase the research.