| Abstract: |
In line with the growing relevance of higher education and science for
societal development and innovation processes, there has been a steady
increase in the salience of interrelations with the extra-academic environment
in the context of academics' work. Insights into the status of this so-called
third mission in the academic profession remain fragmented, however. We use
the concept of an academic identity as an analytical lens to investigate this
status empirically based on an original survey among 4,284 professors in
Germany across the full range of academic disciplines. The results show that
the third mission is firmly included in the academic identities of many, but
not all, professors and that the forms of inclusion differ. Specifically, we
are able to identify four types of identities: (1) the dedicated type who
embraces the third mission as a whole; (2) the idealistic type who emphasizes
responsibility toward society and sociopolitical matters; (3) the pragmatic
type who emphasizes material work-related and personal benefits; and (4) the
reserved type, characterized by an overall distanced stance. We furthermore
find evidence of a strong impact of disciplinary communities on the specific
types of identities that academics develop, whereas the organizational context
and the cohorts to which academics belong appear less relevant. In addition,
there are indications that individual characteristics shape the identity
formation process. Last, there are strong and differential associations
between academics' identities and their actual third mission engagement.
Overall, it appears that the third mission—at least if its multifaceted nature
is considered—is a relevant area of activity for a significant share of the
academic profession. |