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Women and Leadership in Higher Education in China: Discourse and the Discursive Construction of Identity

Author

Listed:
  • Jiayi Zhao

    (Independent Researcher, Lanzhou 730000, China)

  • Karen Jones

    (Institute of Education, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6UA, UK)

Abstract

Prior research indicates that just 4.5 percent of mainland China’s higher educational institution leaders are female. This article extends theory and research by drawing attention to identity and Discourse as an important, yet under-researched, aspect of the problem of women’s underrepresentation in higher education leadership. Drawing on in-depth qualitative interviews with nine female academics in Chinese universities and informed by discursive approaches to identity and constructionist views, we analyze how women construct multiple identities, the interplay of identities, and the influence of broader societal Discourses of gender and leadership. The findings highlight the interplay between competing multiple identities, and illustrate how the women’s identities are shaped and constrained by dominant historical and cultural Discourses in Chinese society, which results in identity regulation (Alvesson and Billing 2009), notably identity positioning that is congruent with social norms and conventions. A key finding is that the female academics reject the leader identity. This is true for those in middle management positions, as well as women in early career stages, who might otherwise aspire to leadership. Implications for the leadership pipeline in China’s universities is discussed and recommendations are made for future research directions.

Suggested Citation

  • Jiayi Zhao & Karen Jones, 2017. "Women and Leadership in Higher Education in China: Discourse and the Discursive Construction of Identity," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 7(3), pages 1-17, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jadmsc:v:7:y:2017:i:3:p:21-:d:103019
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Harding, Nancy & Ford, Jackie & Gough, Brendan, 2010. "Accounting for ourselves: Are academics exploited workers?," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 21(2), pages 159-168.
    2. Kate White, 2013. "An Outsider in Academia," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Barbara Bagilhole & Kate White (ed.), Generation and Gender in Academia, chapter 6, pages 103-124, Palgrave Macmillan.
    3. Mats Alvesson & Hugh Willmott, 2002. "Identity Regulation as Organizational Control: Producing the Appropriate Individual," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(5), pages 619-644, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Matthew J. Phillips & Peta L. Dzidic & Emily L. Castell, 2022. "Exploring and Critiquing Women’s Academic Identity in Higher Education: A Narrative Review," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(2), pages 21582440221, May.
    2. Mónica Segovia-Pérez & Pilar Laguna-Sánchez & Concepción de la Fuente-Cabrero, 2019. "Education for Sustainable Leadership: Fostering Women’s Empowerment at the University Level," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-14, October.
    3. Karen A. Longman, 2018. "Perspectives on Women’s Higher Education Leadership from Around the World," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 8(3), pages 1-6, July.
    4. Bao, Li & Tian, Xiaoming, 2022. "Climbing the academic ladder: Chinese women academics seeking recognition on the way to becoming professors," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).

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