EFFECT OF INTERDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATION ON INNOVATIVE PERFORMANCE OF ACADEMIC STAFF OF FEDERAL UNIVERSITIES IN NORTH CENTRAL NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examines the effect of interdisciplinary collaboration on innovative performance of Academic Staff of Federal Universities in North Central, Nigeria using Structural Equation Model (SEM) to analyse the 378 valid responses collected through the use of questionnaire in Microsoft Form from the Academic Staff. The study used Cross Disciplinary Publication (CDP), Cross Listed Courses (CLC), Inter-Disciplinary Centre (IDC), and Joint Research Project (JRP), as the main proxies for measuring interdisciplinary collaboration, while Research quality is used for measuring innovative performance. The study found that Interdisciplinary collaboration via CDP, CLC, IDC, and JRP has positive and significant effect on research quality of the Academic Staff of Federal Universities in North Central, Nigeria. The study therefore recommends that the management of Federal Universities in North Central, Nigeria, should optimize the use of interdisciplinary collaboration for improving the innovative performance of Academic Staff in the area of qualities research by paying attention to variables such as Cross Disciplinary Publication (CDP), Cross Listed Courses (CLC), Inter-Disciplinary Centre (IDC), and Joint Research Project (JRP) in order to remain relevant as global change movers