打破铁饭碗：终身教职制度与中国学术创新的兴起
Breaking the Iron Rice Bowl: Tenure-Track Systems and the Rise of Academic Innovation in China
The Economic Journal · 2025 · [{"name": "Wei Huang", "affiliation": ["King University", "Peking University"]}, {"name": "Qingfeng Liu", "affiliation": ["Tsinghua University"]}, {"name": "Jianwei Xing", "affiliation": ["King University", "Peking University"]}, {"name": "Shilin Zheng", "affiliation": ["Chinese Academy of Social Sciences", "Institute of Quantitative and Technical Economics"]}]
中文摘要
摘要 本研究利用中国高校经济学系的人事制度改革, 评估预聘制 (tenure-track) 对科研生产率的影响。基于教师个体层面数据, 我们发现, 与在传统人事制度下聘用的教师相比, 预聘制教师在试用期内每年在高质量期刊上多发表 0.135 篇 (即高出 100%) 论文。研究结果表明, 这一生产率提升由以下因素驱动: 高潜力研究者的招聘、基于绩效的聘用风险所带来的压力增大, 以及激励增强 (包括更高的薪酬和更多的科研经费)。此外, 我们观察到, 实施细节的差异会影响改革的实际效果。总体而言, 高校预聘制改革是中国经济学研究生产率提升的一个重要推动因素。
Abstract
Abstract This study leverages personnel system reforms within economics departments at Chinese universities to assess the impact of the tenure-track system on research productivity. Using individual-level data on faculty members, we show that tenure-track faculty produce 0.135 (or 100%) more publications in high-quality journals annually during their probationary period compared to faculty hired under the traditional personnel system. Our findings suggest that this increase in productivity is driven by the recruitment of high-potential researchers, heightened pressure due to performance-based employment risks and enhanced incentives, including higher salaries and increased research funding. Moreover, we observe that the varied implementation details influence the actual effects of the reform. Overall, the university tenure-track reform has been a significant contributor to the increased productivity in Chinese economic research.