Fitting into the Ideal ‘Academic and Innovative’ Leadership Discourse – Structural Influences Faced by Women Leaders in HEIs in China

Abstract

The integration of women higher education leaders into the ideal discourse of educational leadership is a significant issue, as the discourses on women and leadership are continually reshaped in a changing social background, with their compatibility directly influencing women leaders’ construction, understanding and presentation of their leadership identities. In recent years, the Ministry of Education in China has issued a series of documents encouraging the promotion of academic and innovative development in higher education. In response, local governments and higher education institutions (HEIs) have introduced policies that directly link the achievements of university teachers and leaders to evaluations, promotions and performance assessments. The concept of ‘academic and innovative’ encompasses both research and innovation – the ideal educational leader is expected to demonstrate stable research outcomes while actively promoting educational reforms. This chapter focuses on the narratives of women higher education leaders. In particular, the study explores the structural challenges faced by women leaders within the higher education system in integrating this seemingly non-conflicting new ideal leadership discourse with their identities. The research is derived from narrative interviews with eight women leaders in HEIs in China, focusing on their understanding, construction and presentation of their leadership identities. The study suggests that the discourse surrounding the ideal ‘academic and innovative’ higher education leader, while not directly opposing traditional notions of ‘feminine traits’, brings a set of performance management-like evaluation criteria for leaders. However, due to structural challenges within higher education, women face significant hurdles in attempting to integrate into the emerging ideal leadership discourse.

Citation

Li, Z. (2024), "Fitting into the Ideal ‘Academic and Innovative’ Leadership Discourse – Structural Influences Faced by Women Leaders in HEIs in China", Courtney, S.J., Armstrong, P.W. and McKay, A. (Ed.) Critical Education Leadership and Policy Scholarship: Introducing a New Research Methodology, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 63-76. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83549-472-120241006