Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Homophily in the Career mobility of China's Political Elite

Opper, Sonja LU ; Nee, Victor and Brehm, Stefan LU (2015) In Social Science Research 54. p.332-352
Abstract
We argue that leadership promotion in China’s political elite relies on homophily for signals of trustworthiness and future cooperative behavior more than on economic performance. We first point to the limitation of the economic performance argument from within the framework of China’s specific M-form state structure, and then we proffer a sociological explanation for why higher-level elites in China rely on homophilous associations in recruiting middle-level elites to the top positions of state. Using a unique dataset covering China’s provincial leaders from 1979 to 2009, we develop a homophily index focusing on joint origin, joint education and joint work experience. We trace personal similarities in these respects between provincial... (More)
We argue that leadership promotion in China’s political elite relies on homophily for signals of trustworthiness and future cooperative behavior more than on economic performance. We first point to the limitation of the economic performance argument from within the framework of China’s specific M-form state structure, and then we proffer a sociological explanation for why higher-level elites in China rely on homophilous associations in recruiting middle-level elites to the top positions of state. Using a unique dataset covering China’s provincial leaders from 1979 to 2009, we develop a homophily index focusing on joint origin, joint education and joint work experience. We trace personal similarities in these respects between provincial leaders and members of China’s supreme decision-making body, the Politbureau’s Standing Committee. We then provide robust evidence confirming the persisting impact of homophilous associations on promotion patterns in post-reform China. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
political elite, promotion, homophily, performance, China
in
Social Science Research
volume
54
pages
332 - 352
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:26463552
  • wos:000363092600022
  • scopus:84941282327
  • pmid:26463552
ISSN
0049-089X
DOI
10.1016/j.ssresearch.2015.08.007
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
58676818-7f54-4553-8cee-5adb7c7d7407 (old id 7866791)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:01:26
date last changed
2022-04-12 19:47:58
@article{58676818-7f54-4553-8cee-5adb7c7d7407,
  abstract     = {{We argue that leadership promotion in China’s political elite relies on homophily for signals of trustworthiness and future cooperative behavior more than on economic performance. We first point to the limitation of the economic performance argument from within the framework of China’s specific M-form state structure, and then we proffer a sociological explanation for why higher-level elites in China rely on homophilous associations in recruiting middle-level elites to the top positions of state. Using a unique dataset covering China’s provincial leaders from 1979 to 2009, we develop a homophily index focusing on joint origin, joint education and joint work experience. We trace personal similarities in these respects between provincial leaders and members of China’s supreme decision-making body, the Politbureau’s Standing Committee. We then provide robust evidence confirming the persisting impact of homophilous associations on promotion patterns in post-reform China.}},
  author       = {{Opper, Sonja and Nee, Victor and Brehm, Stefan}},
  issn         = {{0049-089X}},
  keywords     = {{political elite; promotion; homophily; performance; China}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{332--352}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Social Science Research}},
  title        = {{Homophily in the Career mobility of China's Political Elite}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ssresearch.2015.08.007}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.ssresearch.2015.08.007}},
  volume       = {{54}},
  year         = {{2015}},
}