Mandated cross-school networks as policy infrastructure: empowering principal leadership and system change in China’s MPD initiative

Purpose This study challenges the Western voluntarism paradigm in school networks by examining how China’s state-orchestrated Master Principal Development (MPD) initiative constructs policy infrastructure to drive principal leadership development and system change, specifically targeting educational equity. Design/methodology/approach Utilizing content analysis of policy documents and in-depth interviews with 33 participants (master principals, studios’ participants) across six multi-tiered Master Principal Studios (MPS), the research analyzes the design, governance and operation of the MPD. Findings The analysis reveals: (1) Strategically mandated equity-focused policy infrastructure transforms hierarchical directives into collective action; (2) Principals leverage this infrastructure through dual-axis leadership development, blending vertical (expert-led) mentorship with horizontal peer collaboration to redistribute expertise and build capacity; (3) Boundary-spanning activities within the MPS networks translate leadership growth into scalable, contextually embedded educational improvements. Originality/value This research makes a significant theoretical contribution to the literature on professional capital by demonstrating how state-enabled network infrastructure effectively cultivates and mobilizes professional capital – specifically, social capital and decisional capital in service of equity goals. It empirically challenges the assumption that professional capital development primarily relies on voluntary collaboration, offering a novel model where state capacity strategically fosters professional autonomy and systemic equity at scale. The study provides emerging economies with a replicable framework for balancing state orchestration with localized discretion to build professional capital and achieve sustainable system-wide improvement.