A Comparative Study on Performance Evaluation Systems and Career Development Support for Outstanding Faculty in Chinese and Kazakhstani Universities

Amidst the ongoing restructuring of global higher education and the deepening of the “Belt and Road” initiative, retaining outstanding academic talent has become a crucial issue in Sino-Kazakh higher education cooperation. Drawing on organizational justice and perceived organizational support (POS) theories, this study examines the structural mechanisms linking performance evaluation, organizational support, and turnover intention. Based on a cross-sectional survey of 1,460 university faculty members (China n = 860; Kazakhstan n = 600), the findings indicate that faculty in both countries experience substantial evaluation pressure. While Chinese faculty report slightly higher perceived procedural justice, no significant cross-national differences emerged in distributive justice or emotional support. Results from hierarchical multiple regression and multi-group structural equation modeling (SEM) reveal that evaluation pressure positively predicts turnover intention, an association that is significantly stronger among Kazakhstani faculty navigating rapid institutional transitions and internationalization mandates. Furthermore, while organizational support does not directly buffer the negative effects of evaluation pressure, it is significantly associated with higher job satisfaction, thereby indirectly relating to lower turnover intention through a fully mediating pathway. This study expands the cross-cultural applicability of POS and organizational justice theories and offers targeted empirical insights for universities in transitional stages to optimize their performance accountability systems, reinforce career development support, and effectively mitigate academic talent attrition.