Academic Productivity of Private University Lecturers: Analysis of the Impact of Workload, Motivation, and Institutional Support

  • Muhammad Syaifulloh University of Muhadi Setiabudi, Indonesia
  • Dedi Romli Triputra University of Muhadi Setiabudi, Indonesia
  • Slamet Bambang Riono University of Muhadi Setiabudi, Indonesia
  • Heru Mulyanto University of Ipwija, Indonesia
  • Anna Wulandari University of Pelita Bangsa, Indonesia
  • Suci Nur Utami University of Muhadi Setiabudi, Indonesia
Keywords: Academic Productivity, Workload Management, Lecturer Motivation, Institutional Support, Private Higher Education

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between workload, motivation, institutional support, and academic productivity among lecturers in private universities. Despite the growing emphasis on research output and academic productivity in higher education institutions, private university lecturers face unique challenges that may impact their productivity. Using a quantitative approach with a cross-sectional survey design, this study collected data from 217 full-time lecturers from 7 private universities across Brebes Regency, Tegal City, and Tegal Regency. The research employed stratified random sampling and utilized validated questionnaires measuring workload dimensions, academic motivation, perceived institutional support, and academic productivity indicators. Multiple regression analysis revealed that workload has a significant negative effect on academic productivity (β = -0.342, p < 0.01), while motivation (β = 0.418, p < 0.001) and institutional support (β = 0.376, p < 0.001) both demonstrated significant positive effects. Institutional support was found to moderate the relationship between workload and productivity, suggesting that strong institutional support can mitigate the negative effects of high workload. Path analysis indicated that motivation partially mediates the relationship between institutional support and academic productivity. The findings highlight the importance of balanced workload allocation, motivational strategies, and institutional support systems in enhancing academic productivity. This research contributes to the growing literature on academic productivity determinants in private higher education institutions in Indonesia and provides practical implications for institutional policy development aimed at fostering productive academic environments.

References

Abramo, G., & D'Angelo, C. A. (2018). Evaluating university research: Same performance indicator, different rankings. Journal of Informetrics, 12(1), 258-269. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joi.2018.01.007

Alarcón, M., Brunner, J. J., & Labraña, J. (2025). Between managerialism and collegiality: the transformation of the academic profession in Ibero-America. European Journal of Higher Education, 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1080/21568235.2025.2491076

Bonaparte, I., Abbey, A., & Okoro, E. (2014). Challenges facing beginning faculty in the 21st century higher education: Evaluating research productivity, teaching effectiveness, and service. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 4(1), 143-62.

Boyd, L., & Smith, C. (2018). Writing for publication in higher education: An academic literacies approach. Higher Education Research & Development, 37(5), 869-882. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2018.1471046

Cadena-Povea, H., Hernández-Martínez, M., Bastidas-Amador, G., & Torres-Andrade, H. (2025). What Pushes University Professors to Burnout? A Systematic Review of Sociodemographic and Psychosocial Determinants. International journal of environmental research and public health, 22(8), 1214. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22081214

Cadez, S., Dimovski, V., & Zaman Groff, M. (2017). Research, teaching and performance evaluation in academia: The salience of quality. Studies in Higher Education, 42(8), 1455-1473. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2015.1104659

Cai, L., Liu, B., Zhao, X., & Tan, T. (2018). Relationship between job burnout and humility among university teachers: Mediation of psychological capital. Education Studies, 44(1), 52-66. https://doi.org/10.1080/03055698.2017.1343119

Castellacci, F., & Viñas-Bardolet, C. (2021). Permanent contracts and job satisfaction in academia: Evidence from European countries. Studies in Higher Education, 46(9), 1866-1880. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1711041

Cherian, E., Jhariya, M. K., & Babu, P. S. (2024). CAREER SUCCESS: THE SIGNIFICANCE OF HUMAN CAPITAL AND LECTURER CAREER MOTIVATION. ADVANCING KNOWLEDGE FROM MULTIDISCIPLINARY PERSPECTIVE ENGINEERING, TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT, 81.

Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). SAGE Publications. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2021.115273

Effendi, M. S., Komariah, A., Agustina, S. S., & Dikdik, A. (2025). Beyond workload: Uncovering the link between supervisor support, work–life balance, and lecturer productivity. Education Sciences, 15(9), 1122. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15091122

Fathana, H., Herdianto, E. F., & Dewi, K. U. (2024). Academic Capitalism in Southeast Asia: Lessons from Islamic Universities in Indonesia. JAS (Journal of ASEAN Studies), 12(2), 263-282. https://doi.org/10.21512/jas.v12i2.11501

Heffernan, T. A., & Heffernan, A. (2019). The academic exodus: The role of institutional support in academics leaving universities and the academy. Professional Development in Education, 45(1), 102-113. https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2018.1474491

Helmy, A., Fairman, B., Suparto, S., Voak, A., & Babacan, H. (2025). Shaping the future: Satryo Brodjonegoro’s blueprint for education in Indonesia. Research and Development in Education (RaDEn), 5(1), 28-42. https://doi.org/10.22219/raden.v5i1.37497

Houston, D., Meyer, L. H., & Paewai, S. (2018). Academic staff workloads and job satisfaction: Expectations and values in academe. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 40(5), 504-515. https://doi.org/10.1080/1360080X.2018.1479949

Ismayilova, K., & Klassen, R. M. (2019). Research and teaching self-efficacy of university faculty: Relations with job satisfaction. International Journal of Educational Research, 98, 55-66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2019.08.012

Jhonshon, E., Mendoza, C., & Sobirin, M. S. (2024). Strategies of School Principals in Improving Educational Quality An Analysis of Best Practices in American Schools. JMPI: Jurnal Manajemen, Pendidikan dan Pemikiran Islam, 2(2), 112-124. https://doi.org/10.71305/jmpi.v2i2.84

Kusumastuti, D. (2019). Understanding the role of contextual factors in Indonesian higher education research productivity. International Journal of Educational Development, 72, 102124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2019.102124

Kyvik, S. (2018). The importance of personal factors for academic creativity. Higher Education Research & Development, 37(6), 1216-1228. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2018.1448751

Leisyte, L., & Dee, J. R. (2012). Understanding academic work in a changing institutional environment: Faculty autonomy, productivity, and identity in Europe and the United States. In Higher Education: Handbook of Theory and Research: Volume 27 (pp. 123-206). Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2950-6_3

Lin, Y., & Franz, B. (2022). Rising work stress among university teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from China. SAGE Open, 12(1), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440221080384

Mantikayan, J., & Abdulgani, M. (2018). Factors affecting faculty research productivity: Conclusions from a critical review of the literature. JPAIR Multidisciplinary Research, 31(1), 1-21. https://doi.org/10.7719/jpair.v31i1.561

Maswanku, L. M. (2024). Fostering Academic Excellence In Challenging Contexts: General Perspective On Research And Leadership In Faculties Of Arts And Social Sciences across Universities. Islamic University Journal of Social Sciences, 3(1), 110-129.

Maulana, H., Nur, H., Erik, E., Firdaus, F., & Damanik, N. (2025). Pro-environmental choices in Indonesia’s campus life: examining the extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) for sustainable behavior in a university setting. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 26(4), 872-889. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-11-2023-0572

Mushemeza, E. D. (2016). Opportunities and Challenges of Academic Staff in Higher Education in Africa. International Journal of Higher Education, 5(3), 236-246.

Ndirangu, L. W., & Mungai, J. G. (2024). Influence of principals’ financial incentives and exceptional performance recognition on teachers’ work performance in public secondary schools in Kenya. International Academic Journal of Social Sciences and Education (IAJSSE), 2(3), 415-442.

Otundo Richard, M. (2024). Shaping Institutional Policies for Enhancing Academic Success in Kenyan Universities: Key Considerations for Effective Policy Development. Shaping Institutional Policies for Enhancing Academic Success in Kenyan Universities: Key Considerations for Effective Policy Development (August 21, 2024). https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4933031

Owojori, A. M., Fadare, A. O., & Ogbaini, C. A. (2024). The Role Of Teachers’ Motivation In Enhancing Teachers’ Productivity In Akure-South Lga, Ondo State. JEMINOV (Journal of Education Management and Innovation), 1(1), 81-93.

Pentang, J. T., & Domingo, J. G. (2024). Research self-efficacy and productivity of select faculty members: Inferences for faculty development plan. European journal of educational research, 13(4), 1693-1709. https://doi.org/10.12973/eu-jer.13.4.1693

Puspitasari, D., & Dian, R. (2021). Challenges and opportunities for research productivity in Indonesian private universities: A case study. Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, 13(1), 104-121. https://doi.org/10.1108/JARHE-05-2020-0128

Ramli, R., Razali, R., Gadeng, A. N., Diana, N., & Hariadi, J. (2025). Integrating local knowledge into higher education: A qualitative study of curriculum innovation in Aceh, Indonesia. Education Sciences, 15(9), 1214. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15091214

Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2020). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation from a self-determination theory perspective: Definitions, theory, practices, and future directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 61, 101860. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2020.101860

Samala, A. D., Rawas, S., Criollo-C, S., Bondarenko, O., Samala, A. G., & Novaliendry, D. (2024). Harmony in Education: An In-Depth Exploration of Indonesian Academic Landscape, Challenges, and Prospects Towards the Golden Generation 2045 Vision. TEM Journal, 13(3).

Santos, J. M., Horta, H., & Heitor, M. (2021). The research agendas of diverse higher education systems: Justifying, implementing and using the academic profession perspective in contemporary higher education research. Higher Education Research & Development, 40(5), 926-940. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2020.1777499

Sarid, A., Boeve-de Pauw, J., Christodoulou, A., Doms, M., Gericke, N., Goldman, D., ... & Knippels, M. C. P. (2025). Reconceptualizing open schooling: towards a multidimensional model of school openness. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 57(2), 227-245. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220272.2024.2392592

Sayyed, K. (2024). Assessing research productivity and quality across disciplines in the School of Arts and Sciences at the Lebanese American University. Sage Open, 14(1), 21582440241237050. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440241237050

Stupnisky, R. H., BrckaLorenz, A., Yuhas, B., & Guay, F. (2018). Faculty members' motivation for teaching and best practices: Testing a model based on self-determination theory across institution types. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 53, 15-26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2018.01.004

Tight, M. (2019). Mass higher education and massification. Higher Education Policy, 32(1), 93-108. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41307-017-0075-3

Van den Besselaar, P., & Sandström, U. (2020). Combining performance-based funding and competitive grants: The role of funding accumulation in academic research. Higher Education Policy, 33(1), 89-108. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41307-019-00170-0

Wang, Y., Xu, W., Guan, K., Zhao, J., & Wu, P. (2024). English Teachers' Post-Pandemic Motivation in Macau's Higher Education System. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 14(7), 1990-2001.

Wang, Y., Xu, W., Guan, K., Zhao, J., & Wu, P. (2024). English Teachers' Post-Pandemic Motivation in Macau's Higher Education System. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 14(7), 1990-2001.

Wong, Z. Y., Liem, G. A. D., Chan, M., & Datu, J. A. D. (2024). Student engagement and its association with academic achievement and subjective well-being: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Educational Psychology, 116(1), 48. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/edu0000833

Yani, A., Pawirosumarto, S., & Ridwan, M. (2025). THE MODERATING ROLE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WORK MOTIVATION, LEADERSHIP STYLE, AND LECTURER WORK PRODUCTIVITY IN ISLAMIC HIGHER EDUCATION. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC LITERATURE, 2(10), 1162-1184.

Yusuf, F., Rahman, T. K. A., & Subiyakto, A. (2024). Information technology readiness and acceptance model for social media adoption in blended learning: A case study in higher education institutions in West Java, Indonesia. Journal of Applied Data Sciences, 5(2), 382-402.

Published
2025-12-08
How to Cite
Syaifulloh, M., Triputra, D. R., Riono, S. B., Mulyanto, H., Wulandari, A., & Utami, S. N. (2025). Academic Productivity of Private University Lecturers: Analysis of the Impact of Workload, Motivation, and Institutional Support. Journal La Edusci, 6(5), 1020-1039. https://doi.org/10.37899/journallaedusci.v6i5.2719