Guiging Li
(Photo: Submitted)
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Guiquing Li, a visiting scholar from
China, has received a grant from the National Science Foundation of China, the
nation’s most prestigious funding agency, to research the cross pressures
between work and family obligations and expectations. Li’s temporary home in
the department of political science in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts
and Sciences played a significant role in supplementing her research for the
grant application.
“We are very pleased to being able to further Dr. Li’s
research agenda while she is visiting our department,” said Margaret Reid,
professor of political science and chair of the department. “We are convinced
that she will produce ground breaking research on work-family and family-work
conflicts that, if unresolved, have been found to adversely influence
satisfaction with one‘s career as well as intentions to leave one’s workplace
or profession.”
Li joined the department of political science in January
of 2012 as visiting scholar. During that time she completed the grant application
for her project titled “Work-family climates that support knowledge workers’
innovation behavior: A cross-cultural comparison between Chinese and U.S
companies.” The National Science Foundation of China received more than 170,000
applications, with about ten percent of all applicants receiving awards. Li’s project
was awarded ¥540,000 (approximately $85,000) and will run from 2013 through
2016.
“We strive every day to preserve Senator Fulbright’s legacy
of international academic exchange,” said Robin Roberts, dean of Fulbright
College. “Partnerships like the one with Dr. Li are among the ways we help
forge national and international relationships and pursue peace through
education.”
With the increasing number of females in the workforce and
the changing nature of traditional family structures, workers increasingly face
cross pressures of work and family commitments. Li’s research will examine the
effect work-family support structures on the creativity of workers through a comparison
of Chinese companies and American companies located in
China. Questionnaires and case studies will be used to determine reasons
for disparate treatment of workers in their workplaces. Li anticipates that her
work will result in a better model suitable for cross—national comparisons.