Institutional climate, size, and culture in relation to academic staff teaching, community service, and research performance in Nigerian universities
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Peter Owogoga Aduma 1 2 , Chinedu Ositadimma Chukwu 1 3 , Valentine Joseph Owan 1 3 4 * , Chinenye Blessing Amaonye 1 5 , Tina Joseph Owan 1 6
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1 Ultimate Research Network, Calabar, Cross River State, NIGERIA2 Department of Health Education, University of Calabar, Calabar, Cross River State, NIGERIA3 Department of Educational Psychology, University of Calabar, Calabar, Cross River State, NIGERIA4 School of Public Health, University of Port Harcourt, Choba, Rivers State, NIGERIA5 Department of Educational Management, Nnamdi Azikwe University, Awka, Anambra State, NIGERIA6 Department of Educational Technology, University of Calabar, Calabar, Cross River State, NIGERIA* Corresponding Author

Abstract

Academic staff play a central role in fulfilling the teaching, research, and community service missions of universities, yet their performance may be influenced by institutional conditions. This study examined how the relationships between institutional climate, culture, and perceived institutional size influence academic staff performance in teaching, research, and community service within universities in Cross River State, Nigeria. An ex post facto cross-sectional design was adopted, with data collected from 449 lecturers across three public universities using validated instruments assessing institutional characteristics and job performance. Multivariate analyses of variance were employed to examine differences in performance outcomes across institutional conditions. Results indicated that institutional climate was significantly associated with academic staff performance (Pillai’s trace = 0.691, F (6, 890) = 78.30, p < .001, partial η² = 0.345), with more supportive climates corresponding to higher self-reported teaching, research, and service engagement. Perceived institutional size was also significantly related to performance outcomes (Pillai’s trace = 0.672, F (6, 890) = 75.11, p < .001, partial η² = 0.336), while institutional culture demonstrated the strongest multivariate association (Pillai’s trace = 0.737, F (6, 890) = 86.52, p < .001, partial η² = 0.368), particularly in institutions characterized by collaborative norms. The findings suggest that institutional climate, culture, and size are meaningfully associated with variations in academic staff performance within the Nigerian university context. These findings support the importance of internal organizational conditions in shaping staff engagement, while highlighting the need for cautious interpretation given the cross-sectional and self-reported nature of the data.

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Article Type: Research Article

PEDAGOGICAL RES, Volume 11, Issue 1, January 2026, Article No: em0254

https://doi.org/10.29333/pr/17918

Publication date: 15 Feb 2026

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Article Downloads: 14

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