Economy, Society, Citizenship, and Public Good: An Exploratory Study on Faculty Perceptions of Publicness of Universities

Abstract

 The purpose of this exploratory study is to empirically analyze university faculty members' views on the publicness of universities. In this paper, the term “publicness” refers to a broad range of social, economic, and public contributions by universities, as understood in the Japanese context. The study argues that there is a need for more attention and discussion on the normative and democratic roles of universities, and their contributions to “public good.”

 This study used factor analysis to identify two factors that shape faculty members' perceptions of the publicness of universities. The first factor is economic/social orientation, which relates to a wide range of social goods, and is supported by faculty members from various disciplines. The second factor is the civic/public-good orientation, which emphasizes openness, civic participation, and social justice, and is favored by those in the humanities and social sciences.

 Using regression analysis, the study examined the individual and organizational variables that contribute to each of the two factors. The findings show that variables such as professionalism and a culture of belongingness strengthen economic/social orientation, while autonomy and collegial relationships contribute to civic/public-good orientation.