A Non-Parametric DEA Analysis of Research Efficacy as a Proxy for Academic Citizenship in South African Public Universities: Do Academic Ranks Matter?

This study adopts a distinct perspective on the academic citizenship debate, arguing that senior academics are drawn to academic citizenship due to their perceived research efficacy, and their participation enhances the research output of their universities. The contention is intended to bridge the quantification gap of academic citizenship and, as a result, provide empirical evidence in the discourse over whether academic ranks matter in academic citizenship. The study proposes a hypothesis based on the academic citizenship literature and data envelopment analysis (DEA) approach, arguing that academic ranks matter if the sampled data satisfy the DEA–BCC (Banker–Charnes–Cooper) model assumptions and not if the data satisfy the DEA–CCR (Charnes–Cooper–Rhodes) model assumptions. The empirical analysis is conducted using a sample of 23 South African public universities from 2009 to 2016. This study period is constrained by the availability of data. The findings support the DEA–BCC model. Specifically, the findings show that research efficiency and productivity, which in this study are considered to be the main determinants of academic citizenship participation, increase with academic rank. We therefore recommend that South African universities implement policies that promote the growth of their academic staff towards professorship ranks to boost their participation in academic citizenship and, consequently, the universities’ research output.