2011-NMMU-Research-Report - Research Management - Nelson ...

70 NMMU Research and Innovation Report 2011 - Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences
Prof Niekie Dorfling
Executive Dean:
Faculty of Business and
Economic Sciences
Dean’s Overview
The Faculty uses its RTI strategic plan as the conceptual framework for steering and empowering the longerterm
development of its research capacity and output. The strategic plan recognises three primary drivers
for research development, namely: increasing staff capacity to do research, increasing postgraduate student
numbers, and thirdly, developing a clear focus for research. During 2011, we continued to strengthen our
initiatives in support of these three drivers. We are also encouraged by the early-phase results we have seen
in terms of research outputs.
A number of initiatives were launched to support the first driver, namely research capacity. One challenge in
this regard remains the high student-to-staff ratio (40+) across the different departments. In an attempt to
provide staff with more time for research and research supervision the Faculty has created additional posts
and is actively recruiting staff for vacant positions. Furthermore, the workload system of the Faculty is utilised
to set aside time for staff to do research in a manner that is both fair and responsive to research needs. The
sabbatical research facility also provides staff with dedicated time to do research, including for purposes of
postgraduate studies. Assisting staff with converting research into publications was also recognised as a major
need and to this end the Faculty has provided training interventions as well as arranged for inexperienced
researchers to be partnered and mentored by more experienced colleagues. The Faculty has also introduced a
number of initiatives aimed at recognising research including special incentives for publishing in high-quality
accredited journals. A new Researcher of the Year category for Green/Sustainability Research has also been
established.
In an attempt to provide staff with more time for research and research supervision the
Faculty has created additional posts and is actively recruiting staff for vacant positions.
Growing the postgraduate student component of the Faculty remains a primary strategy for supporting its
research development. While developing and introducing new postgraduate programmes and recruiting
students remain essential, the availability of competent supervisors is recognised as a major limiting factor.