Is it better to “Stand on Two Boats” or “Sit on the Chinese Lap”?: Examining the cultural contingency of network structures in the contemporary Chinese academic labor market

Xiao Lu and Paul-Brian McInerney

Research Policy, 2016, vol. 45, issue 10, 2125-2137

Abstract: We examine the Chinese academic labor market to understand the cultural contingency of two different network structures: those affording structural holes and those that feature network closure. Empirical results show that the labor market benefits of network structures differ for returnees and domestically trained PhDs throughout their respective careers. Networks affording structural holes are only helpful for returnees' first promotion. Network closure benefits domestically trained PhDs gain their first promotion and subsequent promotions for all PhDs. The importance of cohesive networks of reciprocal favors (guanxi) for Chinese culture shapes the academic labor market for the advanced stages of academic careers.

Keywords: Network structure; Careers; Structural holes; guanxi (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048733316301354
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:respol:v:45:y:2016:i:10:p:2125-2137

DOI: 10.1016/j.respol.2016.09.001

Access Statistics for this article

Research Policy is currently edited by M. Bell, B. Martin, W.E. Steinmueller, A. Arora, M. Callon, M. Kenney, S. Kuhlmann, Keun Lee and F. Murray

More articles in Research Policy from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().