IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/scient/v128y2023i10d10.1007_s11192-023-04814-2.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The effect of academic mobility on research performance: the case of China

Author

Listed:
  • Song Jing

    (Southwestern University of Finance and Economics)

  • Pengxin Xie

    (Southwestern University of Finance and Economics)

  • Qun Yin

    (Xihua University)

  • Qingzhao Ma

    (Southwestern University of Finance and Economics)

  • Celestine Chinedu Ogbu

    (Southwestern University of Finance and Economics)

  • Xia Guo

    (Sichuan Vocational and Technical College of Communications)

  • Daniel M. J. J. Stanley

    (Southwestern University of Finance and Economics)

  • Leuta Philatelic Tutaia

    (Southwestern University of Finance and Economics)

Abstract

The increasing mobility of elite research talents has become a widely discussed topic in recent years. This study aims to explore the effect of mobility experiences on the research performance of Chinese scholars by collecting work experience data from 666 recipients of the National Natural Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars (Jieqing) and their publicly available research output data. The study employed the entropy balancing matching method to minimize endogeneity bias in the sample. The study yielded several new findings. Firstly, the enterprise mobility experience has a positive effect on the quality of research output but does not affect the quantity of research output. Secondly, unlike in developed countries where "downward mobility" is found to have a suppressive effect on research performance, job mobility of elite research talents in China who move to non-first-class universities significantly contributes to research performance. This paper constructs the theoretical conditions for the innovative knowledge production of elite research talents and explains it. Using this theoretical condition, not only can we explain the mobility of Chinese scientific research talents, but we can also predict and explain the effect of the mobility of other research objects that have not been verified by data validation on scientific research performance in combination with their region environment.

Suggested Citation

  • Song Jing & Pengxin Xie & Qun Yin & Qingzhao Ma & Celestine Chinedu Ogbu & Xia Guo & Daniel M. J. J. Stanley & Leuta Philatelic Tutaia, 2023. "The effect of academic mobility on research performance: the case of China," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 128(10), pages 5829-5850, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:128:y:2023:i:10:d:10.1007_s11192-023-04814-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-023-04814-2
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11192-023-04814-2
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11192-023-04814-2?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hainmueller, Jens, 2012. "Entropy Balancing for Causal Effects: A Multivariate Reweighting Method to Produce Balanced Samples in Observational Studies," Political Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 20(1), pages 25-46, January.
    2. Ana Fernández-Zubieta & Aldo Geuna & Cornelia Lawson, 2016. "Productivity pay-offs from academic mobility: should I stay or should I go?," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 25(1), pages 91-114.
    3. Gomez, Charles J. & Herman, Andrew C. & Parigi, Paolo, 2020. "Moving more, but closer: Mapping the growing regionalization of global scientific mobility using ORCID," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 14(3).
    4. K. J. Arrow, 1971. "The Economic Implications of Learning by Doing," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: F. H. Hahn (ed.), Readings in the Theory of Growth, chapter 11, pages 131-149, Palgrave Macmillan.
    5. Kahn, Shulamit & MacGarvie, Megan, 2016. "Do return requirements increase international knowledge diffusion? Evidence from the Fulbright program," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(6), pages 1304-1322.
    6. Ming-liang Yue & Rui-nan Li & Gui-yan Ou & Xia Wu & Ting-can Ma, 2020. "An exploration on the flow of leading research talents in China: from the perspective of distinguished young scholars," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 125(2), pages 1559-1574, November.
    7. Nicolai Netz & Svenja Hampel & Valeria Aman, 2020. "What effects does international mobility have on scientists’ careers? A systematic review," Research Evaluation, Oxford University Press, vol. 29(3), pages 327-351.
    8. Eisenberg, Theodore & Wells, Martin T, 2000. "Inbreeding in Law School Hiring: Assessing the Performance of Faculty Hired from Within," The Journal of Legal Studies, University of Chicago Press, vol. 29(1), pages 369-388, January.
    9. Koen Jonkers & Robert Tijssen, 2008. "Chinese researchers returning home: Impacts of international mobility on research collaboration and scientific productivity," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 77(2), pages 309-333, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jingyi Zhao & Chunli Wei & Jiang Li, 2023. "Is the research performance of Chinese returnees better than that of their local counterparts?," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 128(5), pages 3091-3105, May.
    2. Chang, Ying-Han & Huang, Mu-Hsuan, 2023. "Analysis of factors affecting scientific migration move and distance by academic age, migrant type, and country: Migrant researchers in the field of business and management," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 17(1).
    3. Liu, Meijun & Hu, Xiao, 2022. "Movers’ advantages: The effect of mobility on scientists’ productivity and collaboration," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 16(3).
    4. Liyin Zhang & Yuchen Qian & Chao Ma & Jiang Li, 2023. "Continued collaboration shortens the transition period of scientists who move to another institution," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 128(3), pages 1765-1784, March.
    5. Laudel, Grit & Bielick, Jana, 2019. "How do field-specific research practices affect mobility decisions of early career researchers?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(9), pages 1-1.
    6. Cheng Peng & Zhepeng (Lionel) Li & Chaojiang Wu, 2023. "Researcher geographic mobility and publication productivity: an investigation into individual and institutional characteristics and the roles of academicians," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 128(1), pages 379-406, January.
    7. Lawson, Cornelia & Geuna, Aldo & Ana Fernández-Zubieta & Toselli, Manuel & Kataishi, Rodrigo, 2015. "International Careers of Researchers in Biomedical Sciences: A Comparison of the US and the UK," Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis. Working Papers 201514, University of Turin.
    8. Wu, Jiang & Ou, Guiyan & Liu, Xiaohui & Dong, Ke, 2022. "How does academic education background affect top researchers’ performance? Evidence from the field of artificial intelligence," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 16(2).
    9. Grochocki, Luís Filipe de Miranda & Cabello, Andrea Felippe, 2022. "Academic endogamy or immobility? The impact on scholarly productivity in a developing country," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    10. Thomas Bolli & Jörg Schläpfer, 2015. "Job mobility, peer effects, and research productivity in economics," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 104(3), pages 629-650, September.
    11. Liu, Meijun & Hu, Xiao, 2021. "Will collaborators make scientists move? A Generalized Propensity Score analysis," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 15(1).
    12. Scellato, Giuseppe & Franzoni, Chiara & Stephan, Paula, 2015. "Migrant scientists and international networks," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(1), pages 108-120.
    13. Hartwig, Jochen, 2015. "Structural change, aggregate demand and employment dynamics in the OECD, 1970–2010," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 36-45.
    14. Yin, Xingbo & Zong, Xiaohua, 2022. "International student mobility spurs scientific research on foreign countries: Evidence from international students studying in China," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 16(1).
    15. Maxim Kotsemir & Ekaterina Dyachenko & Alena Nefedova, 2022. "Mobile young researchers and their non-mobile ‘twins’: who is winning the academic race?," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 127(12), pages 7307-7332, December.
    16. Yitong Chen & Keye Wu & Yue Li & Jianjun Sun, 2023. "Impacts of inter-institutional mobility on scientific performance from research capital and social capital perspectives," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 128(6), pages 3473-3506, June.
    17. Lucas Figal Garone & Alessandro Maffioli & Joao Negri & Cesar Rodriguez & Gonzalo Vázquez-Baré, 2015. "Cluster development policy, SME’s performance, and spillovers: evidence from Brazil," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 44(4), pages 925-948, April.
    18. Gokhan Aykac, 2021. "The value of an overseas research trip," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 126(8), pages 7097-7122, August.
    19. Zhao, Zhenyue & Bu, Yi & Kang, Lele & Min, Chao & Bian, Yiyang & Tang, Li & Li, Jiang, 2020. "An investigation of the relationship between scientists’ mobility to/from China and their research performance," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 14(2).
    20. Rao, B. Bhaskara, 2010. "Estimates of the steady state growth rates for selected Asian countries with an extended Solow model," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 27(1), pages 46-53, January.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:128:y:2023:i:10:d:10.1007_s11192-023-04814-2. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.