Change leadership in universities: the Confucian dimension

The intensified competition of the global, market-based knowledge economy requires change leadership in universities and colleges throughout the world. National policy makers increasingly see knowledge as a core resource of modern economies and a prerequisite for global competitiveness. By implication, the quality of university leadership becomes crucial, both in the West as well as in Asia which has demonstrated the most rapid growth globally over the past decade. This paper explores the nature of leadership of university leadership in 'Confucian cultural lands'. Due to certain characteristics of Confucianism, university leaders in these countries may possess certain advantages in terms of changing their organisations to become more effective in terms of meeting the goals of national policies. This link between leadership and the cultural context is discussed in terms of both potential benefits and costs with respect to leading East Asian universities in this global era.