Presentation Schedule
How Chinese Graduate Students Perceive Supervisor’s Authority? De-constructing Authority in Chinese Graduate Education (90880)
Session Chair: Chan-Yu Kuo
Saturday, 12 July 2025 17:30
Session: Session 4
Room: UCL Torrington, B09 (Basement Floor)
Presentation Type:Oral Presentation
Supervisors’ authority in Chinese graduate education is often viewed as deeply rooted in traditional culture. This study adopts a student-centered approach, moving beyond the dominant theoretical perspective that primarily attributes power imbalances in Chinese supervisor-student relationships to Confucian values. Inspired by Max Weber’s widely recognized “legitimacy-domination-authority” framework in management and organizational studies, this study explores how Chinese postgraduate students, both master’s and PhD, perceive their supervisors’ authority through daily interactions. Using a qualitative research design, we conducted and analyzed 28 semi-structured interviews with postgraduate students from various Chinese universities. Participants were initially contacted through the researchers’ academic networks, employing a snowball sampling technique whereby initial participants referred other potential participants, enabling a broader and more diverse sample. Based on the thematic analysis, we identified four types of authority—academic, personal, traditional, and institutional—each characterized by its unique form of legitimacy and method of exerting domination. Instead of seeing the Chinese supervisory system only as flawed and in need of reform, our research highlights both the positive and negative impacts of perceived supervisor authority. Authority based on academic expertise or commitment can foster trust and enhance students’ development by creating an exemplary academic figure. Similarly, authority legitimized by the supervisor’s compassionate and supportive personality often creates an environment where students feel safe and comfortable, encouraging open discussion and independent thinking. However, authority rooted in traditional cultural norms or institutional rules can create a high-pressure environment discouraging open communication, leading to power imbalances and excessive workloads.
Authors:
Lingyun Yu, Nanjing Normal University, China
Yifei Zhao, Beijing Normal University, China
Xiaowen Liu, University of York, United Kingdom
About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Lingyun Yu is currently a lecturer at Nanjing Normal University, China.
See this presentation on the full schedule – Saturday Schedule
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