Mobility under state socialism has been known for the ubiquitous presence of political criteria in determining career opportunities, but how it evolves in the postsocialist era has yet to be well understood. This article examines the impact of market reform on promotion determination in Chinas hybrid urban economy I propose an institutional and organizational explanation, highlighting the difference in resource dependence between firms and nonprofit organizations. I predict that in firms that depend significantly on market (vis-à-vis the persisting communist party/state) for resources, human capital plays a greater role in determining promotions, while political credential loses ground. Comparative analysis of data collected in two Chinese cities in 1994–95 produces provisional support to these predictions.
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Yang Cao (2001) studied this question.