Alessandro Muscio (Università di Foggia)

The pursuit of happiness: the effects of scholars’ wellbeing on academic activities

Abstract: Well-being is a powerful driver of academic productivity, yet empirical evidence on academic well-being remains limited. At the institutional level, academic productivity strongly correlates with workplace well-being. Studies confirm that institutions fostering a supportive, inclusive climate achieve higher research output and faculty retention (Torrisi, 2013). However, individual-level evidence is more limited. Early-career researchers, in particular, experience significant stress due to unclear career prospects, impacting both performance and well-being (Signoret et al., 2019). Similar concerns arise for PhD candidates, with recent studies emphasizing the need for a comprehensive approach to their well-being (Martínez-García et al., 2024). Academic well-being is crucial to performance in higher education. Challenges include job-related stress, high demands, and precarious employment. Academics also struggle to balance institutional compliance with creativity. Raiden et al. (2019) note that growing bureaucratic pressures undermine well-being and innovation, reducing intrinsic motivation for research and teaching. Furthermore, well-being is closely tied to gender disparities, highlighting discrimination, the gender gap (Muscio & Vallanti, 2024), and productivity losses. Research underscores well-being’s impact on scientific productivity, engagement, and job satisfaction (Smith & Ulus, 2020). Organizational climate plays a pivotal role in workplace satisfaction and academic output. A positive climate enhances publication rates and grant success (Barrile et al., 2023), whereas a negative one fosters stress and burnout, reducing productivity (Castelló et al., 2017). Temporary contracts worsen these issues, lowering job security and satisfaction (Fontinha et al., 2018). Beyond institutional factors, well-being encompasses emotional and social dimensions. Social connectedness is essential, and its absence increases stress and dissatisfaction (Hosoda & Estrada, 2024). Emotional regulation also plays a key role in academic well-being and professional success (Salimzadeh et al., 2020). Despite growing research on well-being in academia, many universities fail to prioritize it. The culture of performativity, which values productivity over personal well-being, leads to job insecurity and mental health issues (Jayman et al., 2022). This systemic neglect highlights the need for institutional reforms to support well-being. Universities must redefine success and productivity, integrating holistic support that addresses both professional and personal challenges. More research is needed to understand the specific well-being needs of postdoctoral and senior academics, as existing literature remains limited (Nicholls et al., 2022). This paper examines how academic well-being affects scientific productivity, innovation and academic entrepreneurship in Italian universities. Particular emphasis is given to gender issues. Italy presents an interesting case, ranking high in global scientific performance despite having relatively few researchers and limited research funding.

Joint work with Barbara Napoli (University of Foggia), Federica Salvatore (University of Foggia), Giuseppina Testa (University of Foggia)