[RESEARCH] American Expatriate Professors in China: Addressing Safety Challenges

Research Project: "American Expatriate Professors in China: Addressing Safety Challenges" 

 

 

This study is part of the "Unraveling the Organizational Health Paradox" :  Federal Registration # FWA00012551 and IRB # 23-091505.

 

 

Whole Qualitative Data: 

79 Answers, 32 Interviews, and 9 Outsiders

(2024.03.19)

 

Final_20240319_79ANSWER_32Interview_9Outsider_Ver3.xlsx

0.14MB

 

 

 

 

Research Project: "Decoding Organizational Health Paradox: A Case Study of an American College in China

----- Background -----

I am conducting in-depth ethnographic qualitative case study research, drawing upon the conceptual framework developed by Bob Stake, a renowned professor from UIUC.

 

Bob Stake's "The Art of Case Study Research" is a significant work in the field of qualitative research. Stake emphasizes a holistic approach to case study research, focusing on understanding and interpreting the complexities of real-life scenarios. Here's a simplified guide to conducting a qualitative case study based on Stake's methodology:

1. Select the Case: The first step is to identify and select the case you want to study. A case can be a program, an event, an individual, an institution, or a group. Stake recommends choosing cases that are rich in information and offer the opportunity to learn about a complex issue or phenomenon.

2. Define the Research Questions: Develop clear, focused research questions that guide the study. These questions should be open-ended and qualitative in nature, allowing for a detailed exploration of the case.

3. Understand the Case Context: Stake emphasizes the importance of understanding the context surrounding the case. This includes the physical, social, historical, and economic settings. Contextual understanding is crucial for interpreting the findings meaningfully.

4. Data Collection: Use multiple sources of evidence. Stake advocates for triangulation, which means using different methods to collect data, such as interviews, observations, documents, and artifacts. This approach enhances the depth and credibility of the findings.

5. Conduct Interviews: Stake suggests that interviews are a primary tool in case studies. Interviews should be semi-structured or unstructured to allow the subjects to express their perspectives in their own words.

6. Observation and Documentation: Observations provide direct knowledge about the case and its context. Alongside, collect relevant documents, reports, archival records, or physical artifacts that can provide background and insights into the case.

7. Data Analysis: Analyze the data in an iterative and holistic manner. Stake recommends a thematic approach, where you identify themes, patterns, and relationships in the data. Constant comparison and contrasting of data help in refining the understanding of the case.

8. Interpretation: Stake's approach to interpretation is more intuitive and empathetic, focusing on getting a 'feel' for the case. The aim is to understand the complexity and uniqueness of the case in its entirety.

9. Case Description and Storytelling: Develop a detailed description of the case. Stake values storytelling in case study research, suggesting that the researcher should narrate the case in a way that conveys the issues, context, and lived experiences of those involved.

10. Triangulation and Validation: Validate your findings through triangulation of data sources. This process enhances the reliability and validity of your conclusions.

11. Write the Case Study Report: The report should be written in a narrative style, including rich descriptions and contextual background. It should present the complexities of the case, the issues it highlights, and the insights gained.

12. Implications and Generalizations: While Stake acknowledges that generalizations in the statistical sense are not the aim of case studies, he suggests that readers can learn and apply the insights from one case to similar situations.

13. Ethical Considerations: Ensure ethical standards are maintained throughout the research process, including obtaining informed consent and ensuring confidentiality.

Stake's approach to case study research is particularly useful for exploring in-depth insights into complex and contextualized real-world phenomena. His emphasis on a holistic view, narrative description, and empathy with the subject of the study makes his approach distinct in qualitative research.

 

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Statement from Liam's Dissertation: 

Pagel 96:   One participant, Tom, expressed frustration about not receiving a deserved promotion despite having secured tenure. He attributed this to his manager's high expectations for publishing in prestigious journals, a goal he found unattainable due to the campus's overwhelming teaching demands, large classes, and inadequate research support. Tom described the environment as unsuitable for research, lacking essentials like research assistants and graduate programs. He felt his manager used intimidation and gaslighting to make faculty feel their work was subpar and that they weren't publishing sufficiently in top-tier journals. This criticism was often voiced in meetings, where the manager dominated the conversation. Tom also revealed that some faculty members were advised to delay their tenure applications, to keep them in a less secure assistant role. However, after consulting with the main campus, Tom proceeded with his tenure application and was successful. Yet, he was disheartened to learn of a further delay in his promotion from assistant to associate professor, which he believed should have been immediate. While Tom's views seemed unique, his colleague Randy partially concurred, noting the branch campus's unusual emphasis on research prestige, which he felt contradicted the mission of the home campus.

Page 102: Tom highlighted that the increase in class sizes and cramped classroom setups breached the contract between the host and home campuses. He noted that research faculty typically have lighter teaching loads than lecturers, but Christian mentioned being overwhelmed with teaching and grading responsibilities recently. He pointed out the absence of course caps and high staff turnover at his university. Despite being on the tenure track, Christian now faces more grading than during his time as an instructor. Terry, a lecturer, shared similar sentiments about the stress of tight marking deadlines. Claudio, echoing these concerns, stated that his International Branch Campus (IBC) was facing significant faculty retention issues, with many foreign staff members leaving. He lamented the excessive number of meetings, hindering his productivity, and expressed a desire for more creative freedom and ownership in his work. Cooper, another faculty member, used to require all students to attend his office hours but now finds it unfeasible due to the increased student numbers and teaching load, urging administrators to consider reducing the latter.

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I have conscientiously compiled numerous documents, information, data, and journals, as well as meticulously documented various incidents. Furthermore, I am presently in the process of collecting "Interview Data" from my colleagues, who are foreign faculty members at the American College's China campus, while ensuring strict adherence to research ethics and the IRB procedures (as below interview request).

 

Click Here:  https://forms.gle/XFkFxnnjyvcgZosv5

Please share your experiences with safety as a foreign professor at WKU!

 

Original Statement

A Research Team is carrying out a study. This study is part of the "Unraveling the Organizational Health Paradox" Research Project, which has been approved under Federal Registration # FWA00012551 and IRB # 23-091505.

Your information will "NOT" be shared with your administrator, supervisor, or organization, and you should not feel any pressure to respond to the survey in a specific manner. The information you provide will be used exclusively for this study and will be safeguarded in any academic papers or conference presentations.

No email or personal information will be collected from you. All names or personal details in your story will be replaced with pseudonyms to ensure confidentiality.

For any questions concerning your rights as a research participant, please contact the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs at East Campus - Room 213, Tel: +1 908-737-3464.

Consent to Research: "I've read and understand the information provided above. I willingly agree to take part in the described research project and to move forward with it."

 

The ultimate goal is to publish our research in the Academy of Management Learning & Education journal after completing the three stages of investigation.

In the first stage, we intend to submit our qualitative research to the "Comparative Education Review," which is indexed in the Social Science Citation Index (SSCI).

Additionally, we plan to conduct a validation study for the self-developed "Organizational Health and Toxicity (OHT) Scale" as the second stage of our research.

 

Ultimately, in the final stage, we aim to synthesize our findings to develop a Unified Theory of Multiple Capital that defines organizational toxicity and healing. We aspire to publish this work in a prestigious Academy of Management journal, such as AMLE or AMJ Discovery.

 

 

 

Main_Lost_In_Transition_Manuscript_Ver3.1.pdf

0.50MB

 

 

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2024. 01. 15: Initially Archived. Added the title picture.