Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of California, Los Angeles, 1996. / Chair: Val D. Rust. Includes bibliographical references.

Guanxi (interpersonal relationship) is an important mechanism through which Chinese people facilitate transactions and cope with institutional constraints under immature legal frameworks. As the transition of China’s economic system and legal framework progresses, the impact of guanxi on Chinese’s life and work has sparked heated debates. This study attempts to specify empirically the significance of guanxi in the context of institutional transition, from an academic career development perspective. The researcher conducted a qualitative exploration in a transitional research university in Beijing. Based on the previous studies, this study emphasizes the influences of three types of guanxi –mentorship (shimenship), leader-subordinate guanxi and colleagueship – on academics’ professional growth, in terms of job status improvement, resource attainment, network enlargement and performance advancement. The strategies academics used to establish and enhance these three types of guanxi were also investigated. Fifty-five academics’ perspectives and experiences were sought through semi-structured interviews. Their guanxi experiences helped the researcher to determine how and why guanxi helped academics to access different resources in the subject transitional research university. Likewise, policy documents, papers and observation notes were employed to portray the institutional constraints currently facing academics. The field data pointedly suggested that the radical overhaul of institutional governance systems at the subject research university was, paradoxically, accompanied by the undiminished presence of the university’s old bureaucracy. This placed huge institutional constraints on academics’ career growth. Between the push of market forces and the pull of the old bureaucracy, academics were found to activate guanxi more enthusiastically and more frequently in an effort to overcome hardships and mobilize desirable academic resources. The participants pointedly singled out mentors, fellow shimen members, and leaders as important resources linkers, helping them successfully access targeted information, resources, opportunities and other social relationships during the institutional transition. In terms of academic appointment, academics frequently used mentorship, shimenship and their connections to leaders to improve their job status. However, the field data suggested that the introduction of market-oriented mechanisms to the academic appointment process, together with enhanced central control over bianzhi distribution, at least to some extent, made these lobbying efforts less effective than expected. Regarding colleagueship, it had comparatively little influence on academics’ funding applications and teaching performance improvement, explaining why interactions between colleagues were often limited to perfunctory exchanges designed to maintain social harmony. Academic collaboration was seen as an effective way of helping academics efficiently sustain and enhance their relationships with mentors, shimen members and leaders. Besides research interests and research competencies, academic collaboration allowed different parties to determine whether they were attuned to each other’s taste of personality traits (e.g., generosity, sincerity, responsibility), which were seen as leading indicators of academics’ moralities and work ethics, thus deepening their existing trust and promoting future collaborations. Although social eating and communication were seen as useful ways of maintaining mentorship and shimenship, there was no consensus among academics with different status on their importance in enhancing leader-subordinate guanxi. Academics also reported accessing targeted powerful leaders through third party recommendations and self-disclosure. In brief, this study is one of the few empirical studies to specify guanxi mechanism’s effect on academics’ career growth during institutional transition, and offers readers a different perspective on the influence of institutional reforms at Chinese HEIs on academics’ career development. / published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Thesis (Ed. D., Multicultural Education Program)--University of San Francisco, 1986. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 545-581).

This is a study of Yang Changji (1871-1920), whose thought exerted a profound influence on the shaping of intellectual trends in the early twentieth-century China, notably the ideology of Mao Zedong, who was taught by Yang for five years. Yang, well-versed in the Confucian and Neo-Confucian traditions, spent ten years studying Western moral philosophy and education in Japan (1903-1909), Scotland (1909-1912) and Germany (1912-1913). After returning to China he devoted the rest of his life to teaching ethics and education firstly at the First Normal School in Changsha (1913-17) and latterly at Beijing University (1918-1920), and to introducing Western philosophical, ethical and educational thought through translation and writings. How Yang Changji adopted and incorporated various Western elements, such as Kantian and Neo-Kantian ethics, the British idealism of T.H. Green, the humanistic and liberal tradition instigated by J. Rousseau, and Spencerian utilitarianism, into his socio-political and ethical thoughts, while retaining the framework of Confucian humanism, is one of the principal aims of this study. This study is divided into three parts, each of which consists of three chapters. A narrative account of the Hunanese intellectual tradition and the main trends of thought prevalent in nineteenth-century China, with particular reference to Hunan, will be outlined in chapter I. The starting point of Yang's intellectual-spiritual quest was the achievement of sagehood and self-cultivation, a goal was based on a threefold humanistic concern: man's ultimate potential as an individual, the individual's relationship to society and the realisation of man's ultimate potential. Mind-cultivation and altering natural character were particularly emphasised, and his methodology was characterised by quietness, reverence and the floating mind. During this painstaking process of self-cultivation Yang's metaphysical views of man, mind and human nature were formed, influenced mainly by Zhou Dunyi, Zhang Zai and Wang Fuzhi (see chapter 2). Between 1897 and 1902 Yang reached his intellectual maturity. His reformist thought can be seen as a syncretism of the Confucian humanistic principle of "Perpetual Renewal of Life" and Western liberal democratic ideas, such as "popular sovereignty," "people's rights" and "individual rights." These new democratic ideals, together with nineteenth-century Western evolutionary theory, provided a new authority for Yang to challenge the Chinese monarchical system, and to call for political reform. However, on a practical level, Yang committed himself to an intellectualistic-educational approach mainly influenced by his idea of seeking for radical solution and gradualism (see chapter 3). Yang Changji's life and study abroad are studied in the contexts of the movement of Chinese students abroad at the turn of the twentieth century and of cultural communication between China and Scotland. The experience in Japan was crucial for providing Yang with his first contact with Western philosophy, ethics and education. The intellectual influence of Aberdeen University can be seen in Yang's systematic exposure to the history of Western ethics and modem currents of British and German ethics, such as utilitarian and evolutionary ethics and T.H. Green's concept of self-realisation. In chapter 7 of Part Ill Yang's reappraisal of Confucianism, from the perspectives of Confucianism as religion and his attitude toward traditional culture, are discussed. In chapter 8 Yang's intellectual-education approach to China's modernisation is characterised in six aspects. His social criticism is distinctive for its application of Western humanistic values, particularly the concepts of person and personality in Kantian ethical thought. Furthermore, Yang was probably the first Chinese to introduce and advocate the idea of "sound and wealthy middle class." The influence of Western thought can also be seen in shaping the core of Yang's thought, that is, two distinctive but inseparable ideas; valuing the self and comprehending the present reality, which are the subject of the final chapter. Yang incorporated pivotal ideas and values of Western liberal individualism, particularly Kantian notions of autonomy, respect for the self and person, and subjectivity, etc., into his notion of valuing the self. While freedom was the most fundamental concern in Kantian ethics and humanism, the independence of the self or an individual was at the centre of Yang's idea of valuing the self. However, his metaphysical view of the self and person remains largely a Confucian one. His notion of comprehending the present reality shows his profound concern with reality and an overwhelming emphasis on "strenuous action." The Individual's self-realisation should be applied here and now. Underlying Yang's two ideas was Confucian threefold concern with humanity. The Confucian ideal of the sage-king or junzi still loomed large in both the form and content, of each of Yang's two ideas.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Science in Information Technology in Education

This mixed-methods exploratory study of 34 ESL university teachers in Hong Kong sought to investigate the relationship between teachers’ beliefs about teaching and learning, their epistemological beliefs, and their classroom practice. Generally, findings indicate beliefs are formed though teachers’ past learning experiences, and professional education. Higher sophistication in teacher epistemology positively impacted classroom practice, probably facilitated through regular self-reflection and greater cognitive engagement, with teachers focusing more on student learning, and preparing students for independent study. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Thesis (D.P.H.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 150-163). / Microfiche. / xiv, 163 leaves, bound ill. 29 cm

Although intercultural scholars examine the differences in cultural values, beliefs, and attitudes between the U.S. and China, few specifically have studied cultural differences between U.S. and Chinese university classrooms. This study examines behavioral differences exhibited by U.S. teachers in U.S. university classrooms and Chinese teachers in Chinese university classrooms. This research addresses three areas of significance. First, Chinese students studying in the U.S. who read this thesis may be better able to cope with the U.S. educational system and communicate more effectively with both U.S. students and teachers. Second, this research may help U.S. university teachers to better understand the Chinese culture and Chinese students. Third, this research may increase U.S. teachers' awareness of and sensitivity to the increasingly multicultural classroom environment in the U.S. Three male university teachers in the U.S. and three male university teachers in China were observed and videotaped in this study. The data analysis was guided by categories establish by Gudykunst (1988), Hofstede (1986), and Lieberman (1993) as behavioral indicators of cultural styles. Several interesting findings occurred among overall descriptive observation and qualitative accounts of observations. First, a powerful trend of behavioral differences exhibited in the classroom by U.S. university teachers and Chinese university teachers was found. The findings in this search strongly support findings by Gudykunst (1988), Hofstede (1986), and Lieberman (1993) that U.S. university teachers exhibited far more individualist/direct communication styles and small power distance/personal communication styles than Chinese teachers, while Chinese teachers exhibited more collectivist/indirect communication styles and large power distance/contextual communication styles than U.S. teachers. Second, the results of this research provide valuable insights for both U.S. university teachers and Chinese university teachers; that is, culture reflects teachers' and students' values, assumptions, and behaviors. U.S. culture reflects values, assumptions, and behaviors, such as individualism, direct communication styles, small power distance, and personal communication styles. However, Chinese culture reflects collectivism, indirect communication styles, large power distance, and contextual communication styles.