Examining the mediating role of knowledge sharing between president’s academic leadership competencies and intention to do research among faculty members in private universities in Chongqing, China

Private higher education institutions are an important component of China's higher education system construction, as well as an important link in China's implementation of the strategy of revitalizing the country through science and education and strengthening the country through talent development. The private (known as Minban–people run) university was viewed as complementary to the public (Gongban-state run) higher education; a strategic policy tool to enhance its higher education capacity and prepare its growing student population for the knowledge-based economy. However, despite having 744 private independent colleges and private universities and their students account for nearly one-third of the country’s higher education institutions and students respectively, none of them are research-focused or qualified to confer doctoral degrees and lagging the public universities in terms of its research capacity development. This under-development is attributed to leadership effectiveness.