Performance Aspiration in Meritocratic Systems: Evidence of How Academic Titles Affect the Performance of Universities

Abstract

The study of academic title differences in universities helps to promote researchers’ enthusiasm and is critical to the efficiency of university scientific research. This study examines the impact of academic title differences on the research efficiency of universities and explores its mechanism. Based on the perspective of production types, the scientific and technological innovation achievements of universities are divided into academic output and economic output. By using the stochastic frontier model, this paper evaluates the influence of different academic titles on the academic and economic production efficiency of scientific research innovation in universities. The research results show that academic output efficiency increases over time, while the economic output efficiency decreases over time. Researchers with associate professor titles are more efficient in academic research production, and researchers with lecturer titles are more efficient in economic research production. Regional economy is positively correlated with the economic output of universities and negatively correlated with academic output. The production and development of academic and economic research in different regions are not coordinated.