| Purpose. The purpose of this study was to investigate the applicability of the synergistic leadership theory (SLT) (Irby, Brown, & Duffy, 1999; Irby, Brown, Duffy, & Trautman, 2002) to Chinese and American educational leaders in 50 high-ranking public Chinese universities and 50 high-ranking public U.S. universities.;Methods. This study utilized a mixed method involving both quantitative and qualitative data analyses. The quantitative data were collected from 436 educational leaders' responses to 96 items on the Organizational Leadership Effectiveness Inventory (OLEI) (Irby, Brown, & Duffy, 2000). The qualitative data were derived from telephone interviews of 36 Chinese and American educational leaders and the OLEI comments provided by 54 respondents.;The following seven questions guided the study: (1) What underlying structures exist for measures on the four factors of the SLT using Chinese educational leaders' response data? (2) What underlying structures exist for measures on the four factors of the SLT using American educational leaders' response data? (3) What differences exist in the underlying structures between Chinese and American educational leaders' response data? (4) Are the generated underlying structures a good model fit? (5) What are the differences in the responses to the items on the OLEI between Chinese and American educational leaders and between male and female educational leaders? (6) What are the perceptions of Chinese and American educational leaders regarding each of the four factors of the SLT? (7) In what way do Chinese educational leaders differ from American educational leaders in their perceptions on the interaction of the four factors of the SLT?;Findings. Similarities and differences in Chinese and American educational leaders' responses to the OLEI items suggest that some values, attitudes, beliefs, and leadership behaviors are specific to Chinese or U.S. society and cultures, reflecting their respective cultural values and traditions. Other values, attitudes, beliefs, leadership behaviors, and characteristics of learning organization structure were shared by Chinese and American educational leaders. These shared values, attitudes, beliefs, leadership behaviors, and characteristics of learning organization structure are universal across Chinese and American cultural boundaries and thus applicable to Chinese and American educational leaders in the 100 sampled Chinese and U.S. public universities.;KEY WORDS: Synergistic Leadership Theory, Higher Education in China and the U.S., Cross-Cultural Leadership Studies... |
