The Identity Construction Of Primary Academic Leaders In Research Universities

Primary academic leaders in research universities is a special group of people who well-versed in academic, with a high academic reputation and huge power of influence in the primary academic organizations, have impact on decision-making process at certain degree, unite and consolidate organization members to achieve their goal. They also play an important role in academic climate’s building and maintenance, enhancing the reputation of the organization, improving academic productivity. This group in the Chinese context is often called "academic leaders".In Chinese research universities, generally, academic leaders are not purely. They also have administrative duties at the same time. In the primary academic organizations, almost all the leaders are hybrid leaders. The root of this phenomenon is the administrative power dominate academic governance in universities, academic power is eroded. As a result, academic leaders have to obtain the right to speak in the academic resources and academic decision-making had to compromise with administrative power in order to obtain academic resources and discourse power in decision-making. They need to play multiple roles, but the value appeals of different roles are often conflicting, so they can’t posit themselves between conflicting roles, falling into identity construction’s dilemma.This paper do a case study in J Institute, N University, analyses the realistic situation, point out that the academic leaders may be associated with six roles:role model, strategy and vision makers, resource warrior, climate regulator, mentor, ambassador. The research approach is an integration of literature investigation, deep interview, observation and discourse analysis. In an identity construction theory perspective, how to construct primary academic leaders’self identity as the core research issues, this paper builds a process model of identity formation, provides a new interpretation path in the construction of academic leaders’ identity. Identity implies the individual’s self-understanding, positioning and initiative choice. Accompany with the constantly changing situation, identity modify and update in a continuous loop of "Construction-deconstruction-reconstruction". The construct of identity runs throughout individuals’entire life. Identity Construction of the primary academic leaders in research universities run throughout the university teachers’ professional development. Identity changes and redefines constantly in realistic situations. The process of becoming academic leaders for teachers shows different images because of the individual differences of teachers. Working as administrative leaders isn’t essential in academic leaders’development.