Going places: exploring the impact of intra-sectoral mobility on research productivity and communication behaviors in Japanese academia

• Published in: Asia Pacific education review Vol. 14; no. 4; pp. 537 - 547
• Main Authors: Horta, Hugo, Yonezawa, Akiyoshi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.12.2013; Springer; Springer Nature B.V; 교육연구소
• Subjects: Career Change; Communication; Communication (Thought Transfer); Education; Educational Policy; Educational Research; Educational Researchers; Educational Technology; Faculty Mobility; Foreign Countries; Foreign Nationals; Global Approach; Higher education; Human Capital; Human Resources; Innovation; Japan; Literature Reviews; Mobility; Occupational Mobility; Productivity; R&D; Research & development; Research and Development; Scientists; Shared Resources and Services; Social Capital; Technology Transfer; University research; 교육학; Japan; Intra-sectoral mobility; Communication behaviors; Academic mobility; Japan; Internationalization; Research productivity; Research collaboration
• ISSN: 1598-1037; 1876-407X
• DOI: 10.1007/s12564-013-9279-4

This study analyzes the impact of intra-sectoral mobility of academics on research productivity and R&D information exchange dynamics in Japan. The analysis shows intra-sectoral mobility impacting positively both research productivity and information exchange dynamics, but that this effect—except for information exchange with peers based abroad—has a threshold. This result highlights the importance of academic job mobility but also alerts for cases of “overloads of mobility,” leading us to argue for some degree of stability in academic careers, supported by policies fostering temporary international mobility spells. We also find that the role of foreign academics in the Japanese higher education is one of national and international gatekeepers being this role shaped by where the doctorate was obtained (Japan vs abroad). Japanese academics that have performed the doctorate abroad are also key international gatekeepers.