Female leadership in the Arab world: an ethnographic study of educational leaders

The Arab world is very diverse when it comes to leadership practices. The females’ level of participation in leadership positions in Arab countries ranges from very restricted to fully engaged. Taking on leadership roles imposes many challenges both on micro and macro levels. The aim of this study is to explore the leadership practices of Arab female educational leaders and understand the impact that environment and culture have on their leadership practices. Using an ethnographic approach, seven female educational leaders, who lived and worked in leadership positions in eight Arab countries, revealed that they practice a combination of transformational, servant and instructional leadership dimensions. However, a new leadership style emerged ensuring that these leaders and their followers are valued for who they are and rewarded for what they do. This study highlights the combination of both aspects of change and leadership as critical to female educational leaders success in addition to mentoring, informal networking and social connections. Furthermore, having partner and family support were identified as a cornerstone to their career advancement. This study suggests the need to design policies that support teachers to become involved in decision making and to promote them into leadership positions.