The issue of Mianzi : why are Asian students so performance-oriented? Is that a good or bad form of regulation?

Abstract

Accordingly, the purpose of the current study is twofold. First, the paper will examine the differential effect of various achievement goals on future engagement behaviours when faced with academic failures. The second goal of this paper is to fill the gaps in past research, by investigating face (i.e. Mianzi) as a cultural antecedent in influencing the endorsement of the performance goals among Asians. A Mianzi scale was developed and tested for its reliability and validity. Results indicated that high concern for Mianzi Gain and Mianzi Loss predicts higher levels of performance-approach and performance-avoidance goal orientation respectively. Despite these findings, to fully understand the dynamics of Mianzi in the educational setting, future testing is needed.