Thoughts of managers and researchers in the general directorate of agricultural research about R&D activities

Objective From past to present, many problems have been encountered in the agricultural production and food sectors in Turkey, as in the world. Changing environmental conditions, on the one hand, and changing producer needs and differences in consumer preferences, on the other hand, make it necessary to develop research in the field of agriculture. Therefore, R&D studies to be carried out by stakeholders in the agriculture and food sector are very important in preparing Turkish agriculture for the future. The most important institution that currently undertakes R&D studies in agriculture in Turkey and is among the public agricultural research institutes is the General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies (TAGEM) affiliated with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. In this research, the agricultural research institutes affiliated to the institution and within the area of responsibility of the Aegean and Mediterranean Regions are discussed, and the role of the managers and researchers working in these institutes in R&D projects aimed at current and potential problems in the agricultural sector and the new developments in field studies are examined. It was aimed to evaluate the thoughts of the studies on the solutions to the problems in the field. Material and Methods: Qualitative method was used in the research. In accordance with the method, a field study was conducted and a total of 63 people working as managers and researchers in the institutions in question were interviewed face to face. In these interviews, in addition to demographic questions, the participants were asked one-on-one open-ended and semi-structured questions, including the reasons for working in research institutes, sources of motivation, the institutional culture of the institute, its distinguishing features from other institutes, the roles of TAGEM and its institutes, their suggestions and opinions. The data obtained through the in-depth interview method was organized under certain themes and analyzed thematically. Results: The findings were examined under two main headings. In the first one, there were findings related to managers working in research institutes, and in the second one, findings related to researchers. As a result of the analysis of the data obtained from the interviews, it was determined that the managers and researchers at the research institutes adopted the primary reason for working at the research institute because they liked doing research, and therefore their role in R&D activities positively affected their research motivation. As a matter of fact, these researchers continue their scientific and academic education with the financial support of TAGEM and stated that they think that they are beneficial to agriculture and society with their identity as researchers in public service. Conclusion: It has been determined that the most important source of motivation for the managers working at the research institute is their command of research, as they are appointed from among the technical staff of the institute. For this reason, managers of public agricultural research institutes can play their roles in R&D studies in accordance with their experience in the relationship between superior and subordinate, and they can establish correct communication with researchers in the dissemination and adoption of the information produced by R&D studies (breeding, breeding, plant protection, etc.). One of the most important sources of motivation for researchers working at the research institute is the opportunity to develop themselves personally. Because researchers at the institutes have a freer working environment compared to the provincial units of the ministry, project work done in the field is evaluated more actively than routine paperwork. For this reason, the researchers stated that their freedom to conduct research improved them scientifically and encouraged them to become more useful individuals to society, and that their superior effort and effort increased with the support of the institute. The research also concluded that existing institutes would be more successful if long-term and applicable policies that care about human capital in TAGEM were more effective. Key Words: R&D, TAGEM, Projects, Agricultural Research Institutes