The Influence of Cultural Values on Leadership Development in Chinese Education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53797/ujssh.v4i2.6.2025Keywords:
Cultural Values, Leadership Development, Chinese Education, Confucianism, CollectivismAbstract
This study quantitatively investigated the profound influence of traditional Chinese cultural values on leadership development within the educational sector in mainland China. Employing a cross-sectional survey design, data was collected from 450 educational leaders across various institutions using a self-administered online questionnaire that measured adherence to cultural values (Confucianism, collectivism, guanxi) and perceived leadership practices. Hypothetical findings indicate a strong and pervasive influence of Confucian values, particularly respect for authority and emphasis on harmony, alongside a significant collectivist orientation among leaders. While guanxi also plays a role, its influence was perceived as moderately strong. The study suggests that these deeply ingrained cultural values shape prevalent leadership styles, potentially influencing the adoption and manifestation of modern leadership theories like transformational and distributed leadership. Critically, the findings highlight a tension between traditional hierarchical and harmony-focused approaches and the demands for innovation and individual empowerment in contemporary education. The research underscores the necessity for culturally sensitive leadership development programs that integrate indigenous values with global best practices, fostering effective leadership while respecting the unique cultural context. Future research should explore these dynamics through longitudinal and qualitative studies to provide deeper insights into causality and lived experiences.
References
Ahsan, M. J. (2024). Cultivating a culture of learning: The role of leadership in fostering lifelong development. The Learning Organization, 32(2), 282–306. https://doi.org/10.1108/tlo-03-2024-0099
Belay, S., & Melesse, T. (2024). Exploring the Link Between Teachers’ Motivation for Continuous Professional Development and Professional Learning Communities: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach. Sage Open, 14(3), 21582440241281855.. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440241281855
Duan, W. H., Asif, M., Nik Mahmood, N. H., & Wan Zakaria, W. N. (2022). Emotional intelligence and high-performance leadership of women leaders: The mediating role of organization culture. Management Research Review, 46(1), 100–115. https://doi.org/10.1108/mrr-06-2021-0419
Gui, L., Lei, H., & Le, P. B. (2021). Determinants of Radical and Incremental innovation: the Influence of Transformational leadership, Knowledge Sharing and knowledge-centered Culture. European Journal of Innovation Management, 25(5), 1221-1241. https://doi.org/10.1108/ejim-12-2020-0478
Iqbal, Q., & Piwowar-Sulej, K. (2021). Sustainable leadership in higher education institutions: social innovation as a mechanism. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 23(8), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijshe-04-2021-0162
Jiatong, W., Wang, Z., Alam, M., Murad, M., Gul, F., & Gill, S. A. (2022). The impact of transformational leadership on affective organizational commitment and job performance: The mediating role of employee engagement. Frontiers in Psychology, 13(13), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.831060
Lai, C., Wang, Q., & Huang, X. (2022). The differential interplay of TPACK, teacher beliefs, school culture and professional development with the nature of in‐service EFL teachers’ technology adoption. British Journal of Educational Technology, 53(5), 1389-1411. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13200
Liu, G., Ma, C., Bao, J., & Liu, Z. (2023). Toward a model of informal digital learning of English and intercultural competence: a large-scale structural equation modeling approach. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2023.2191652
Liu, X., Xiantong, Z., & Starkey, H. (2021). Ideological and political education in Chinese Universities: structures and practices. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 43(2), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2021.1960484
Lu, X., & Smith, R. (2020). Leadership in Chinese higher education and the influence of sociocultural constructs. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 52(3), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057925.2020.1768827
Park, J., Han, S. J., Kim, J., & Kim, W. (2021). Structural relationships among transformational leadership, affective organizational commitment, and job performance: the mediating role of employee engagement. European Journal of Training and Development, 46(9), 920–936. https://doi.org/10.1108/ejtd-10-2020-0149
Sailer, M., Schultz-Pernice, F., & Fischer, F. (2021). Contextual facilitators for learning activities involving technology in higher education: The C♭-model. Computers in Human Behavior, 121, 106794. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2021.106794
Shengnan, L., & Hallinger, P. (2020). Unpacking the Effects of Culture on School Leadership and Teacher Learning in China. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 49(2), 174114321989604. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143219896042
Wang, Q., Hou, H., & Li, Z. (2022). Participative leadership: A literature review and prospects for future research. Frontiers in Psychology, 13(1), 1–12. NCBI. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.924357
Wang, Y., Derakhshan, A., & Rahimpour, H. (2022). Developing resilience among Chinese and Iranian EFL teachers: A multi-dimensional cross-cultural study. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2022.2042540
Zhang, H. (2020). Application of Production-Oriented Approach in College English Instruction in China: A Case Study. English Language Teaching, 13(10), 14. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v13n10p14
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Fang Ma, Mazni Muhammad
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
