Identifying professional development needs to enhance inclusive leadership among university faculty in Chongqing, China

Abstract

This study aims to identify the professional development needs required to enhance inclusive leadership among university faculty members in Chongqing, China. As part of a broader initiative to design a competency-based training model for higher education, the research adopts a quantitative, descriptive design involving 379 academic professionals. A structured needs assessment tool, utilizing a modified Priority Needs Index (PNImodified), was employed. The findings revealed significant gaps between the current and desired states of inclusive leadership, particularly in talent optimization, adaptive mindset, and interpersonal trust. Training was the most frequently cited off-the-job method, while mentoring and coaching dominated among on-the-job strategies. The study concludes that inclusive leadership development remains insufficiently addressed in current faculty development efforts. Practically, the results inform the design of targeted training models for higher education, offering strategic direction for future human resource development (HRD) initiatives in Chinese universities.