Distributed leadership in Chinese higher education: Conceptual understanding and barriers to its implementation

There is a prevailing trend of distributed leadership in the West as it balances the weaknesses and combines the capabilities of different individuals in knowledge-based societies. Conversely, there is still a lack of understanding and literature on distributed leadership in Chinese universities. We know little about how faculty members in Chinese universities understand this term and the possible challenges of leadership distribution in Chinese higher education contexts. This article explores the conceptual understanding of distributed leadership and what barriers exist to its implementation in Chinese higher education through the perception of Chinese leaders and staff members. Drawing on questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, the findings suggest that respondents have gained a good understanding of the principles of this leadership model. However, distributed leadership is seen as delegation and erosion of power by the respondents; this creates certain sociocultural barriers to its use in Chinese higher education.