Restricted opportunities under employment reform: the experiences of select universities in the Chinese Mainland

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis study investigates changes to academic work life under recent employment reform in the Chinese Mainland. It employs a mixed-methods research approach, first conducting a survey of 1,770 teachers at nine universities in Mainland China. These nine universities consist of first-tier, second-tier, and ordinary universities. Next, through a qualitative research approach, 60 teachers at three of the nine universities were interviewed. Teachers from the departments of management, information technology, education, and physics were interviewed, reflecting a variety of work conditions. Our study finds that the employment reform, with its stress on quantitative research output, has led to further restrictions on academic work and the standardization of academic development. The new measurements have led to a crisis of confidence and dignity for many senior teachers. Great pressure has also been placed on younger academics, who receive very limited promotion opportunities. This study offers a significant theoretical contribution to discussion on the changing academic work life and has policy implications for higher education personnel policy in China.