Leadership development in student clubs: a cross-cultural exploration

Abstract

Leadership development among university students has become a priority in a global university context. At Victoria University of Wellington (VUW), New Zealand, leadership ability is identified as one of the main attributes of the graduates. VUW encourages students to seek opportunities to hone their leadership skills from various activities. University experience is potentially an important opportunity for leadership development, and student clubs are an obvious site for this to take place, especially for international students. Club participation allows students to foster their friendship, networking, and leadership skills while away from home. However, the extent to which students learn and develop leadership skills from participating in these clubs is still uncertain. This thesis aims to improve our understanding of the extent in which students can foster and learn leadership skills by participating in cultural clubs. It explores the dynamics of a club setting in the New Zealand context, including the perceptions and leadership learning experience of Asian students during their club participation. Building on an interpretative qualitative research paradigm, the ethnographic method was selected as a research strategy to investigate two case studies which consist of the Wellington Malaysian Student Association (WMSO) and the Thai Student Association (TSA) affiliated at Victoria University of Wellington. Interview, participant observations and documentation were used as data collection techniques in this study. Empirical findings showed that an understanding of leadership development among Asian students was centered on a collective dynamic within groups. They perceived teamwork, social networking, and a learning process as advantages from their club participation. In addition, leadership qualities among these students were developed through a bond and connectedness between members within the groups. It was embedded at a personal level and became meaningful, providing them with lifelong friendships. This study also found that the role of culture, consisting of students' ethnic backgrounds and club cultures, shaped students' perceptions of how they learned and developed leadership skills in these clubs. The position students held in the club and their motivation also impacted on their leadership learning experiences. With these moderating factors taken into account, this thesis argues that club participation may not be equally beneficial to all students; support and guidance from the university were also required to facilitate their leadership learning opportunities. Recommendations are made to universities in relation to utlisation of student clubs and their leadership development. Future research directions for student leadership development literature were also made in this thesis.