Table 3 Examples of multidimensional power shaping academic identity.

Our collaborations with American business schools have opened our eyes to international business education standards. Working with those partners has shaped our development path… we realized we needed to transform the Chinese model in order to better align with the global standard. (FP1)

Between 1999 and 2002, Prof. XXX organized four research methodology training seminars at X Business School, which is affiliated with one of China’s leading Universities, and around 40 young Chinese management scholars per session. These seminars, for the first time, introduced frontier research approaches of American management studies to China. Prof. XXX brought the ‘Gospel’ and put Chinese business studies into a fast lane towards internationalization. (RSW4, see Tsui, 2012, p. 3)

Replication of external academic criteria

American research hegemony

If you focused on China’s speciality research problems, your work possibly cannot be accepted by top journals or American journals, as social sciences have ideologies…(L5)

To publish top-tier, you have to follow their paradigms as the top journals have their own ‘traditions’. (AP11)

Dominance of the U.S. academic model

The evaluation system becomes too short-sighted. Our school expects you to publish 5 good journal papers within 3 years, if not your pay would be cut, even yourself got sacked. (L7)

Adopting KPI in assessing scholarly work seems fair and objective—otherwise, how can you judge who is better or worse? There doesn’t seem to be a better alternative… (AP4)

Delicacy management

Industrialization of academic governance

We are formally and informally forced to apply for research funding, even if we don’t really need it to do research. It’s not about the research anymore, just checking off that box of the evaluation form. Doing research is like growing crops—applying for funds is like farmers getting chemical fertilizer, ironically, getting chemical fertilizer (or the funds) becomes the goal, not doing research. (L2)

Schools only reward research for promotion…No one really cares about teaching, as teaching cannot be standardized or well-evaluated by KPI. (L6)

Standardization management

Being a professor is a pretty sweet gig. You don’t make big money or have major influence like in government or business, but you get respect and independence. (AP4)

The classroom is why I love my job. When I see that a student enjoys his learning in my class, I get a sense of fulfillment. (AP7)

Customize academic, professional values

Self-regulation

The line between work and life is vanished. But let’s be real: every industry needs overtime. Compared to tech and finance, our situation is way better. (AP11)

Developing nations need firstly focus on ‘basic needs’ such as economic growth, similarly, Chinese scholars in management subject need ‘quantity’-get as many publications as possible. (AP4)

Rationalize the status quo

I do not care about ‘excellence’, instead, I try to meet minimum requirements in evaluation. More importantly, I keep my research interests and do research at my own pace. (AP6)

I don’t care much about school requirements. I won’t do meaningless ‘paper machine’ work…. (L9)

Stick to personal interests

Rebellion against ‘academic games’

It’s disappointing when no one cares about research papers you work hard on - like taking an exam. That’s why I now enjoy writing popular science articles and teaching, in that I can engage readers, have discussions, and make a real impact. (AP2)

I’m fed up with the academic system, the way research is evaluated…I also can’t stand the so-called ‘academic stars’ or those just clawing their way to the top. I don’t want to run with that crowd anymore. I can’t change academia or other people, but I can change myself—by getting out. (SMD5)

Seek for differentiated paths