A Gender Role Perspective on Women’s Leadership in Chinese Higher Education

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between women’s gender roles and their leadership in the context of Chinese higher education. Based on a questionnaire survey of 438 female leaders at various levels in Chinese higher education institutions, the research results show that gender-related factors such as family-role orientation and gender self-confidence have a close correlation with leadership aspiration and leadership self-efficacy. The results show that women’s family-role orientation has a negative effect on women’s leadership aspirations and leadership self-efficacy, while women’s gender self-confidence does not have a positive effect on leadership aspirations and leadership self-efficacy as hypothesized. Both family-role orientation and gender self-confidence have a close correlation with leadership aspirations. Leadership aspiration significantly mediated the effects between family-role orientation and leadership self-efficacy. These findings revealed the characteristics and changes in the relationship between gender and leadership among women leaders in Chinese higher education.