How Does the Hierarchical Management System Influence the Climate of Creativity in Chinese University Laboratories?

This chapter aims to investigate how the Chinese hierarchical management system influences the climate of creativity in university laboratories. A questionnaire (Creative Climate Questionnaire, CCQ) survey was carried out with 25 laboratories (126 participants) at 7 universities in Northeastern China. The comparative study reveals both the advantages and disadvantages of the hierarchical management system for creativity in university laboratories. To some extent, the hierarchical system stimulates different levels of laboratories to shape different collective objectives and goals, and it increases the synergy of the creative abilities of group members in laboratories. However, the uniform model of "hard resource distribution" regulated by the hierarchical system cannot meet the diverse needs for the development of creativity in university laboratories.