Collaborative leadership : its manifestation in Vietnam

Abstract

The constantly changing world that we live today affects several aspects of life, and education is no exception. Therefore, the call for more collective actions is increasing as a positive way to cope with the uncertain environment. Out of several approaches to collaboration, collaborative leadership is proved to be highly effective. The purpose of this study is to uncover the manifestation of collaborative leadership as a novel theoretical model and collaborativeness as a process in Vietnam setting. Due to the contextual differences between the West (where the approach is established) and the East (where the study is conduct-ed), the author expects to identify differences and similarities in the way collaborative leadership is manifested. Therefore, Schein’s culture level model is used as a cultural lens to decipher participants’ thoughts and opinions.

An ethnography study is conducted in Vietnam, including five Vietnamese educators from across the country. The research process involves questionnaires and interviews to uncover perceptions and opinions regarding collaborativeness in the workplace.

The study results illustrate a clear knowledge gap in participants’ manifestation of collaborativeness in several aspects. Findings point out some existence mindset as well as provision of essential tools for the development of collaborativeness. Thus, it poses the potentiality and difficulty in applying collaborative leadership in Vietnamese educational settings.