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Dancing with the academic elite: a promotion or hindrance of research production?

Author

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  • Zhifeng Yin

    (Central University of Finance and Economics)

  • Qiang Zhi

    (Central University of Finance and Economics)

Abstract

The academic elite possesses outstanding abilities in terms of knowledge innovation, while they produce a spillover effect on other researchers. This study takes micro level data from projects under the Management Science Sector of the National Natural Science Foundation of China between 2006 and 2010 to define the three categories of funded elite, distinguished young elite, and Cheung Kong scholars; it also examines the correlation between identifying as “elite” and his or her individual project output in order to explore the elite’s spillover effect on the knowledge output of other project principal investigators within the organization. We found that the three categories of elites had more output while they generated mixed spillover effect on their institute researchers’ output. At the end, we discuss the reasons and policy implications behind this phenomenon.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhifeng Yin & Qiang Zhi, 2017. "Dancing with the academic elite: a promotion or hindrance of research production?," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 110(1), pages 17-41, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:110:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1007_s11192-016-2151-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-016-2151-7
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