Understanding responses to managerialism: face culture and university faculty working under the shadow of ‘Publish or Perish’

Abstract

ABSTRACT The adoption of a corporate style of university management in China has resulted in a context in which performance indicators are the primary means of assessing university faculty members. Most faculty members work under the ‘shadow’ of managerial control. Drawing on the face culture, this article delineates various complex tactics employed by Chinese university faculty and, more importantly, explores what underpins their behavioral responses. Based on a case study of a highly ranked university in China and in-depth interviews with its faculty members, this study demonstrates that most university faculty members’ tactics fall into four strategic responses founded on facets of face culture. This article provides a new perspective on how responses to managerialism are motivated by face among socially admired professionals in Asian cultures and more widely.