Sustainable Leadership in International Schools: A Stakeholder Alignment Perspective
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| Title: | Sustainable Leadership in International Schools: A Stakeholder Alignment Perspective |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Yihong Peng (ORCID |
| Source: | Journal of International Students. 2026 16(14):109-132. |
| Availability: | Journal of International Students. 4005 Spurgeon Drive #6, Monroe, LA 71203. Tel: 318-600-5743; Fax: 318-342-3131; e-mail: jis@ojed.org; Web site: https://www.ojed.org/index.php/jis/index |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 24 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Descriptors: | Sustainability, Leadership, International Schools, Alignment (Education), Foreign Countries, Barriers, School Administration, Educational Administration, Advanced Placement Programs, Teacher Attitudes, Parent Attitudes, Administrator Attitudes, Educational Strategies, Strategic Planning, Parent School Relationship |
| Geographic Terms: | China (Shanghai) |
| ISSN: | 2162-3104 2166-3750 |
| Abstract: | This study investigates how international schools in Shanghai address sustainability challenges through stakeholder-driven strategies. Drawing on stakeholder theory, the research examines how parents, teachers, and school leaders perceive and prioritize strategic responses to complex institutional pressures. A qualitative multiple-case design was employed, involving semistructured and unstructured interviews with 16 participants (3 parents, 5 teachers, and 8 school leaders), and data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The findings identify four interrelated strategy domains: student-, teacher-, parent-, and system-focused approaches. While student-focused strategies are most visible due to their direct impact, the study reveals that effectiveness is not inherent in individual strategies but emerges from their alignment across stakeholders. Teacher strategies build capacity, system strategies provide structural support, and parent strategies enhance relational trust, collectively forming an integrated model of value creation. The study develops a stakeholder-based sustainability framework, positioning sustainability as a dynamic process of aligning stakeholder expectations, capacities, and relationships under context-specific conditions. By highlighting the interplay between local regulatory demands and global educational expectations, the research contributes a nuanced, context-sensitive perspective on sustainable leadership in international education. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 20260101 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1516273 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | This study investigates how international schools in Shanghai address sustainability challenges through stakeholder-driven strategies. Drawing on stakeholder theory, the research examines how parents, teachers, and school leaders perceive and prioritize strategic responses to complex institutional pressures. A qualitative multiple-case design was employed, involving semistructured and unstructured interviews with 16 participants (3 parents, 5 teachers, and 8 school leaders), and data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The findings identify four interrelated strategy domains: student-, teacher-, parent-, and system-focused approaches. While student-focused strategies are most visible due to their direct impact, the study reveals that effectiveness is not inherent in individual strategies but emerges from their alignment across stakeholders. Teacher strategies build capacity, system strategies provide structural support, and parent strategies enhance relational trust, collectively forming an integrated model of value creation. The study develops a stakeholder-based sustainability framework, positioning sustainability as a dynamic process of aligning stakeholder expectations, capacities, and relationships under context-specific conditions. By highlighting the interplay between local regulatory demands and global educational expectations, the research contributes a nuanced, context-sensitive perspective on sustainable leadership in international education. |
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| ISSN: | 2162-3104 2166-3750 |
