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<p>Early career academics (ECAs) face significant challenges transitioning into academic roles, yet research on comprehensive organisational support needed for their development remains limited. This qualitative study investigated how higher education institutions (HEIs) support ECAs’ career development in China’s neoliberal academia. Based on organisational support theory, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 32 untenured academics at two Chinese research universities within their first five years in the current job. Thematic analysis revealed three key dimensions of organisational support: instrumental (resources and facilities), emotional (care and integration), and academic (training and mentoring). While instrumental and emotional support helped address ECAs’ basic needs, academic support turned out to be crucial yet often insufficient for professional growth. The findings suggest HEIs should provide comprehensive and tailored support across all three dimensions while considering disciplinary differences and academics’ career stages. This study extends organisational support theory in higher education by highlighting academic support as a distinct dimension beyond traditional instrumental-emotional frameworks. The findings inform policies for developing more effective support systems for ECAs in research universities, particularly in countries implementing neoliberal reforms.</p>

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What organizational supports matter in scholar development? An investigation of early career academics’ experiences in China

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年6月19日

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  • Taoli Wang,
  • Wenjing Wang,
  • Kun Dai

摘要

Early career academics (ECAs) face significant challenges transitioning into academic roles, yet research on comprehensive organisational support needed for their development remains limited. This qualitative study investigated how higher education institutions (HEIs) support ECAs’ career development in China’s neoliberal academia. Based on organisational support theory, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 32 untenured academics at two Chinese research universities within their first five years in the current job. Thematic analysis revealed three key dimensions of organisational support: instrumental (resources and facilities), emotional (care and integration), and academic (training and mentoring). While instrumental and emotional support helped address ECAs’ basic needs, academic support turned out to be crucial yet often insufficient for professional growth. The findings suggest HEIs should provide comprehensive and tailored support across all three dimensions while considering disciplinary differences and academics’ career stages. This study extends organisational support theory in higher education by highlighting academic support as a distinct dimension beyond traditional instrumental-emotional frameworks. The findings inform policies for developing more effective support systems for ECAs in research universities, particularly in countries implementing neoliberal reforms.