A Critical Investigation into Transformational Leadership and Its Relevance to Universities in China

Abstract

At present, transformation and innovation have become an important topic for the development of schools. Transformational leadership is a significant driving force in school reform and development. The management of Chinese universities has to transform to adapt to the rapidly changing social environment. This paper focuses on the intention and effectiveness of transformational leadership, and how it can be applied to improving the school management of Chinese universities. Firstly, the paper discusses the concept and main dimensions of transformational leadership. Secondly, the role of transformational leadership in the school is analyzed from three aspects, which are students, teachers, and school organization. Next, the paper discusses the limitations of transformational leadership. Subsequently, the paper shows the current situation and main problems of the school management of Chinese universities. Lastly, the paper gives suggestions to school management of Chinese universities in the light of transformational leadership based on previous studies.