Perceptions about Meritocratic and Relational Bases of Promotion-Deservingness: Evidence from a Survey Experiment in China

• In Event: Asia and Asian American Section Roundtables Session
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): Table 1: Asia and Asian American Section Roundtables Session - Health, Organizations

Abstract

A longstanding puzzle in the sociology of organizations is how meritocratic and relational factors jointly shape workers’ chances of advancing within organizational hierarchies. Although formal institutions stipulate that career advancement should reward only capability and effort, research has demonstrated the salience of social networks in personnel decisions. Prior studies have examined the meritocratic and relational logics of hiring and promotion across organizational contexts, yet their elite- and outcome-centered focus leaves a crucial gap in understanding how ordinary workers invoke these competing logics to make sense of organizational career disparities. Bridging research on meritocratic and relational organizations and theorizing the multifaceted and fluid nature of social connections, we argue that dual logics coexist subtly in organizational life, embracing both universalistic ideals and relational contingencies. Our nationwide survey experiment simulating workplace promotion contests in China suggests that Chinese citizens consistently perceive the meritocratic logic as an unconditional justification for promotion deservingness. In contrast, perceptions of the relational logic reveal internal tensions, generating conditionally supportive evaluations with competitive intentions toward promotion candidates. We also investigate individuals’ inner motives and contextual heterogeneities. Our findings provide rich insights into grassroots workplace culture, especially the normative aspects of transitional mentalities in societies undergoing profound institutional changes.

Authors

• Qian He, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

• Feng Yang, Peking University