Managing academics vis-a-vis the university’s third mission: continuity and change in the literature, 2002-2022

This paper systematically reviews the literature from 2002 to 2022 on the evolving roles of academics within universities, focusing on the impact of the third mission – i.e., societal engagement – alongside the traditional missions of education and research. The review synthesises the findings from the scholarly literature, categorised into six primary dimensions, each reflecting different facets of how academics are adapting to new expectations. The findings indicate that the third mission significantly influences academic career paths, performance metrics and institutional cultures, often prompting a reconfiguration of traditional academic roles. The main conclusions point to increasing complexity in academic responsibilities, as well as the emergence of new academic subjectivities that reflect the increasing demands for societal engagement. This study contributes to the ongoing discourse on the future of higher education, highlighting the need for universities to balance their traditional missions with evolving societal expectations.