| Previous research on China-foreign cooperation in running schools has not contributed much to understanding managers' experiences. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore a sample of managers' experiences in China-foreign cooperation in running schools so that the gained insights can inform future professional development for managers working in similar settings. The four research questions guiding this study were: (a) What challenges do these managers encounter? (b) How do managers overcome the challenges they face? (c) What competencies do managers perceive are needed to progress in the cooperative program? and (d) How do managers draw on their work experience as a way of learning to develop the competencies they need?;While each manager's situation differed, collective knowledge in the context of China-foreign cooperation in running schools was essential to appreciate the shared experiences. One avenue of contextual information for this research was the overarching external policy environment that all partnerships follow in China, and the influence of high-level policy and system issues the establishment and operation of cooperation. Another avenue was individuals' perceptions about their cooperative relationships, specifically the managers' understanding of the purposes and needs of their partnerships.;The researcher applied the critical incident technique and conducted interviews with 14 managers (male/female, Chinese/non-Chinese nationals) from 10 cooperative higher education institutions in China. Most were over the age of 50, but only working in the China- foreign cooperative setting for less than 3 years. Moreover, the researcher examined program documents in Chinese and visited eight campuses. A key finding was that managers were challenged by the required dual operating system. Other problems included differences in language and national cultures. Regardless of nationality or gender, the dual operating system influenced the immediate organizational culture. Other findings included: managers' practices to overcome challenges, identifiable competencies perceived by managers, and types of learning deployed by managers. In addition, abilities and attitudes appeared relevant in shaping managers' experiences, and managers' roles required skills in creating, networking and adapting to work situations. Patience and confidence were important attitudes to support managers in overcoming difficulties. Recommendations included future considerations and actions for designing professional development. |
