Engineering leadership in a Chinese industrial context: An exploration using the four capabilities model.

Background: Over the past two decades, state policies and industrial associations have challenged engineering educators to expand the training of future engineers beyond technical competencies to the broader domain of professional skills development, with one key aspect being engineering leadership. Purpose: This study adopted the four capabilities (4‐Cap) model, which views leadership as a set of four capabilities—sensemaking, relating, visioning, and inventing—as a conceptual framework to explore and operationalize the core skills and attributes required for engineers in a Chinese industrial context. Method: A qualitative study was conducted through semistructured interviews with 23 practicing engineers from different industries (e.g., IT, automobile) and various types of companies (e.g., state‐owned companies, foreign‐invested enterprises) in China. Using a thematic analysis approach, themes relating to engineering leadership within and beyond the 4‐Cap model were reported. Results: Qualitatively, more themes emerged for the dimension of inventing than for the other dimensions. The themes and patterns suggested the central role of inventing, which predominantly represented an innovative process of design‐oriented problem‐solving and project management closely associated with themes in the other dimensions. Therefore, the 4‐Cap model was revisited and revised by highlighting the core construct of inventing. Conclusion: This study enriches the current understanding of engineering leadership, especially in a Chinese industrial context. The results emphasize the importance of design, problem‐solving, and the social component in the daily work of engineering professionals. Suggestions for educational practices and future research, along with a call for more empirical data on engineering leadership in China and from a global context, are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]