Striving for Success or Struggling for Identity? Navigating Promotion Expectations and Academics’ Professional Aspirations

Background/purpose. As core educational spaces, higher education institutions emphasize a holistic approach to academic promotion, valuing research, teaching, and service equally. However, promotion criteria often reflect institutional expectations that may not match academics’ professional identity preferences. This study contributes to educational research by exploring how promotion criteria shape academics' roles as educators and affect their professional identity development within teaching and learning contexts. Understanding how academics navigate these challenges can highlight needed support for career advancement, though research in this area is limited. Materials/methods. Data were gathered from semi-structured interviews with and the reflexive journals of nine conveniently sampled academics at a South African university. They were thematically analyzed through the social identity theory lens. The analysis revealed contrasts in institutional promotion expectations, faculty changes, and academics’ promotion preferences. Results. First, a misalignment exists between promotion policies and academic priorities, creating role conflict, identity dissonance, and career dissatisfaction among academics. Second, an overemphasis on research metrics and the requirement to publish in high-impact journals marginalizes the importance of key performance areas (KPAs). Third, a balanced promotion structure is needed to ensure equitable recognition of diverse academic contributions and holistic career progression. The study suggests that universities implement inclusive promotion policies that fairly recognize all KPAs. Conclusion. Stakeholders should revise promotion metrics to acknowledge diverse contributions, use flexible evaluation methods, and create role-specific tracks to align career paths with individual interests, reducing burnout and improving job satisfaction.