We examined the role of peer review in quality assurance system developed for regulation higher education institutions in Russia. Given the negative attitude to the state attempts to increase control over universities, why academics volunteered to participate in regulative activity? This article applies the resource allocation theory to explain the engagement in academic service depending on people’s success in their primary job. Results indicate that Russian academics who performed lower in respect with publications and citations in the selective journals are more likely to become an expert engaged in academic citizenship in the form of inspections.