Money, morale, and motivation: a study of the Output-Based Research Support Scheme in University College Dublin

Adapted from the Norwegian model, University College Dublin has implemented the Output-Based Research Support Scheme (OBRSS) to stimulate research performance. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to understand the perception of the OBRSS after two years of implementation, its implications on research and publication practices, and the responses to monetary reward as an incentive. This study shows that the effects of the OBRSS on publication practices are intertwined with intrinsic and instrumental values. More importantly and unexpectedly, the study reveals the norms and values concerning academic integrity and research culture, the importance of intrinsic motivation in research and scholarship, as well as morale issues in academic work environment. The findings are consistent with studies of self-determination theory that an incentive scheme can be highly effective if it conveys clear goals and values with a vision of enhanced intrinsic motivation; however, a scheme can be demoralizing when it is perceived as a controlling mechanism.