Analysis of Lifeworld of Research Faculty Members with an Emphasis on Informal Relationships and Interactions

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Faculty Member, Theory-Oriented STI Studies Department, National Research Institute for Science Policy, Tehran, Iran

10.22034/jstp.2024.11598.1752

Abstract

Knowing the lifeworld of faculty members is important as knowing the real flow of daily life of the most influential actors of the institution of science for policy making and scholarly management of this institution. The lifeworld as a place of communication and interaction is non-unique and consists of actors and is realized based on a common language, which accurate understanding increases the realism of science policy makers. In-depth description and analysis of informal relations and interactions of research faculty members as an important part of their life world has been considered in the current research. For this purpose, qualitative approach, phenomenological method and semi-structured interview tool were used. Using the theoretical sampling method, interviews were conducted with 25 faculty members of 4 research institutes affiliated to the Ministry of Science, respecting the diversity of disciplines, and continued until theoretical saturation was reached. To analyze the collected data, Stoick-Kolaizi-Kine method considered by Moustakas was used. The findings show constructive and destructive semantic units in the lived experience of faculty members. Factors affecting these perceptions are also shown as the system, place of interactions, official interactions and social networks. As a result, some of the functions of the institutions can be left to the informal space of faculty members. The trust of management systems in this space and the facilitation of relationships and interactions, the cause of informal social supervision and the increase of unethical costs, the realization of implicit and collaborative learning, creating a sense of vitality and motivation to conduct research, helping the socialization of the new faculty, gaining understanding between disciplines. It is for agents and activists that it is realized in the informal atmosphere and in the form of soft and latent measures.

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References

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