Abstract
In the context of global innovation systems, it has become a universal law that the resource elements of scientific and technological innovation, such as talents, flow along the track of high efficiency to the regions that can produce high benefits. As faculty in research universities are important resources of scientific and technological innovation, developing countries such as China have sought to accelerate the transnational mobility of faculty by leveraging income. This study endeavors to gain a better understanding of the motivations for and the outcomes of faculty mobility at Chinese research universities and to determine whether attaining higher income levels through academic mobility can be considered a lever for facilitating change and improving the status of the academic profession in China. Using survey data from 445 faculty members at 11 major research universities in China, this study found a significant relationship between mobility frequency and indirect income. The findings also revealed, however that employees’ different attitudes toward income during the process of mobility are a key variable in confirming academic professional boundaries. The findings suggest that more successful mechanisms to attract or retain talented scholars should be developed and that these mechanisms should not focus exclusively on income.
Highlights
In today’s globalized world, with the closer economic and technological links between countries, the original barriers have been continuously broken, and the mobility of innovative resources such as talents, technology, and capital has continued to increase
Will faculty members choose to move because of high income (Is money the key factor that influences faculty mobility?)? Does income in China increase following a move compared to countries with mature academic labor markets, such as the U.S and European countries? We know little about experiences with and motivations for mobility among faculty from countries in which the academic profession is undergoing dramatic alterations in terms of emerging or changing academic labor markets
The results reveal that marked income changes occur for faculty members following a move, but unlike mobility in the industry sector, academic mobility leads to a decrease in faculty members’ direct income
Summary
In today’s globalized world, with the closer economic and technological links between countries, the original barriers have been continuously broken, and the mobility of innovative resources such as talents, technology, and capital has continued to increase. Mindful of the facets of the “pull-push” phenomenon [12], this study endeavors to gain a better understanding of the motivations for and the outcomes of faculty mobility at Chinese research universities and to determine whether attaining higher income levels through academic mobility can be considered a lever for facilitating change and improving the status of the academic profession in China. Related to the main research questions, this study endeavors to determine the types of academic institutions and faculties that benefit most from mobility. More comprehensive investigation of the role of faculty mobility is of great significance for improving the environment of the academic profession, promoting job satisfaction and facilitating the management of faculty in higher education institutions (HEIs)
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