Educational leadership for international partnerships between New Zealand and east Asian Chinese higher education institutions

ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . i v TABLE OF CONTENTS . v LIST OF TABLES. xi LIST OF FIGURES . xi CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION . 1 Overview of the Nature, Reasons and Context for Int ernational Higher Education Partnerships . 1 The Nature of International Partnerships . 2 The Reasons for International Partnerships . 10 The Need for Educational Leadership in Western Coun tries with East Asian Higher Education Partnerships . 2 1 Context of the Study . 25 Personal Involvement . 28 Research Objectives . 29 Organisation of the Thesis. 30 Chapter Two: Distributed Leadership for Internation al Partnerships . 30 Chapter Three: Socio-cultural Theorising: Construct ivist Epistemology and Constructive Realism . 31 Chapter Four: Research Methodologies . 31 Chapter Five & Chapter Six: Research Findings . 31 Chapter Seven: Discussion . 32 Chapter Eight: Conclusion . 32 vi CHAPTER TWO DISTRIBUTED LEADERSHIP FOR INTERNATIONA L PARTNERSHIPS . 33 Formal Arrangements . 33 Formal Agreements . 34 Individual Institutional Interests . 35 Middle Management . 37 Enhanced Leadership Opportunities . 41 Hybrid Leadership . 43 Institutional Cultures . 4 4 Self-Confidence and Leadership Perceptions . 45 Understanding the Context . 47 Inter-cultural Understandings . 47 Understanding National Cultures . 49 Understanding Institutional Leadership Practices . 55 Understanding Power-Relational Issues . 58 Sustainability . 63 Sustainability in School and Higher Education Leade rship . 64 What is Sustainability in International Higher Educ ation Partnerships? 65 Conditions Required for Sustainability in Distribut ed leadership in International Higher Education Partnerships . 67 Learning . 71 A commitment to Learning . 72 Constructing a Shared Understanding . 73 Theorising Distributed Leadership in International Higher Education Partnerships . 76 vii CHAPTER THREE SOCIO-CULTURAL THEORISING: CONSTRUCTI VIST EPISTEMOLOGY AND CONSTRUCTIVE REALISM . 79 Introduction . 79 Constructivist Epistemology . 80 Individual Active Construction of Knowledge . 80 Importance of Prior or Existing Knowledge . 81 Knowledge Construction as Embedded in Social Practi ce . 88 Constructive Realism . 104 Background . 1 04 Wirklichkeit (or Actuality) . 108 Lifeworlds: Constructing Life Experiences . 109 Microworlds: Constructing Disciplinary Knowledge . 111 Linking Learning and Practice . 11 3 CHAPTER FOUR RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES . 115 Introduction . 115 Qualitative Research . 116 Qualitative Research as Socio-Culturally Constructe d Inquiry . 116 Qualitative Research as Comparative Inquiry. 118 Quality Qualitative Research . 120 Research Methodologies . 1 26 Grounded Theory Methodology . 126 Strangifications as Supportive Methodological Strat egies . 136 Research Methods . 144 Interviewing . 144 Document Collection . 148 Research Participants . 149 viii Ethical Considerations . 152 Participation . 153 Protection . 155 Summary . 156 CHAPTER FIVE RESEARCH FINDINGS: FORMAL ARRANGEMENTS OF INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS . 158 A New Zealand University . 158 China-NZ Partnership . 160 Singapore-NZ Partnerships . 164 Taiwan-NZ Partnerships . 167 Theorising Formal Arrangements in Distributed Leade rship. 172 CHAPTER SIX RESEARCH FINDINGS: DISTRIBUTED LEADERSH IP IN INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS: BEYOND FORMAL ARRANGEME NTS . 176 Enhanced Leadership Opportunities . 177 Widened Leadership Roles and Opportunities . 177 Perceptions of Leadership Roles . 183 Understanding the Context . 1 86 Centres and Peripheries in World Higher Education . 186 Competitive Forces in Higher Education Markets . 189 Culturally-specific Relational Rules . 192 Sustainability . 198 Committing Leadership Capital . 199 Institutional Feedback Systems and External Factors . 210 Learning . 219 Learning for Bridging Differences . 220