Evaluating key factors for designing policies to foster research: insights from Mexican private universities

Purpose We implement the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) to prioritize factors that can help university authorities and decision-makers incorporate researchers’ perspectives into the design of the incentives to bridge the gap between research strategic management and deployment in private universities. It highlights the importance of research institutionalization as a competitive factor. Design/methodology/approach The AHP helped to evaluate factors and sub-factors that influence the research incentive policies design, incorporating researchers’ situational knowledge as a key input. Findings The results highlight three factors for effectively designing incentive policies to improve academic performance: work–life balance, research funding and institutional support. Research limitations/implications It is necessary to include public universities in the evaluation to improve incentive policies and research management. We also consider the AHP’s inability to account for cognitive biases, as the respondents’ expertise influences responses despite validation criteria to minimize these effects. Practical implications University authorities should incorporate tenure scholars into the research policy design, and the incentive program must consider factors such as work–life balance, adequate funding and institutional support when designing incentive policies to foster research productivity. Social implications The study highlights how a well-designed incentive policy can promote excellence in research and the welfare of academics, address sustainability goals, and thus contribute to the advancement of knowledge and the social impact of universities. Originality/value This study contributes to the debate on improving the management of research promotion policies from the perspective of researchers, highlighting variations between the design of incentive policies and their perception by researchers.