Place leadership with Chinese characteristics? A case study of the Zaozhuang coal-mining region in transition

Abstract

Place leadership with Chinese characteristics? A case study of the Zaozhuang coal-mining region in transition. Regional Studies. Although the role of the local state in China’s regional development has been regarded as important, individual local state actors and their relation with institutional change have been under-explored. Critically exploring the Western idea of place leadership, this paper launches the notion of local state leadership as a specific Chinese form of place leadership. Through a case study of the coal-mining region of Zaozhuang in Shandong, it articulates how interpretive, formal and network leadership are exercised by the prefectural-level mayor to affect institutionalization processes. These processes collectively create broader enabling conditions for local industrial change.