Leadership as moral work: Exploring the value-based practices of primary school principals in China

Abstract

This study examines the value-based leadership practices of primary school principals in Wenzhou, China, within a cultural and policy context that increasingly emphasizes moral education and ethical governance. Drawing on qualitative case studies of six high-performing public schools, the research explores how principals internalize, enact and negotiate core values in their everyday leadership. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, observations and institutional documents, and analysed using an inductive thematic approach. The findings reveal five interrelated themes: the influence of personal and cultural values, the integration of values into school routines, navigating value conflicts, the impact of values on school development, and the constraints imposed by institutional structures. Principals demonstrated a deep sense of moral purpose, shaped by Confucian traditions and contemporary expectations, and enacted leadership as a relational, emotionally infused and context-responsive practice. Rather than implementing fixed moral codes, they continuously negotiated values in dialogue with staff, policy demands and community norms. The study contributes to the literature by offering an empirically grounded understanding of value-based leadership as situated moral work. It highlights the need for leadership development programs that support ethical reflexivity, emotional resilience and localized interpretations of values in complex school environments.