Faculty Research Working Papers Series Contemporary Public Leadership in China: A Research Review and Consideration Todd L. Pittinsky and Cheng Zhu February 2005 RWP05-008 This paper can be downloa ded without charge from: http://ksgnotes1.harvard.edu/Research/wpaper.nsf/rwp/RWP05-008 or The Social Science Research Network: http://ssrn.com/abstract=379855 The views expressed in the KSG Faculty Research Working Paper Series are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the John F. Kennedy School of Government or Harvard University. Copyright belongs to the author(s). Papers may be downloaded for personal use only. Contemporary Public Leadership in China: A Research Review and Consideration Contemporary Public Leadership in China: A Research Review and Consideration Todd L. Pittinsky Cheng Zhu Harvard University Keywords: public leadership, China Correspondence should be directed to: Todd L. Pittinsky John F. Kennedy School of Government Harvard University 79 J.F.K. Street Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138
[email protected] Phone: (+1) 617-384-7283 Abstract China garners great international attention due to its large population and rapid economic development. Contemporary public leadership in China is a major force for its growth. This article reviews the academic literature on that leadership, providing an overview of interest to scholars, teachers, and practitioners whose work deals with cross- cultural studies of leadership development. The review focuses primarily on materials published between January 1999 and June 2004 that explicitly address public leadership in China. The review identifies six areas of research to date: (1) leadership transition, (2) democratization, (3) prominent political figures, (4) local leadership, (5) cultural and historical traditions, and (6) other identified forms of public leadership (military vs.