Introduction
The importance of empowerment and its relationship to the administrative creativity for academic female leaders in Higher Education.
As women empowerment is increasingly becoming one of the key objectives in areas of social developments, there is a need to examine the policies, programs, and projects applicable for administrative creativity for female leaders in higher education (The Commonwealth Secretariat, 2013, p. 31). The relationships between women empowerment and administrative creativity for female leaders in higher education is tied to the range of roles and functions undertaken by women in particular fields of education. With the growing need for social balance in different sectors, the UNESCO Institute for Education and the Principle Regional Office for Asia and Pacific convened a seminar to discuss some of the leadership practices in higher education together with their theoretical implications as far as women empowerment is concerned. For the purposes of administrative creativity for academic female leaders in higher education, the seminar revealed specific importance of women empowerment as establishments of an environment that will facilitate women participation in several education programs.
Supporting Literatures
According to Morley, Higher Education and Equity Research (2013, p. 8), there are higher misconceptions about relationships between higher education management and masculinity towards ensuring sustainable educational development. On this context, higher education has nothing to do with masculinity but rather its ability to generate and disseminate skills or knowledge must follow from efficient and effective management. The two researches agree that universities worldwide experience unprecedented expansion even with reduced resources (Schejbal & Wilson, 2008, p. 3).
The findings by Kezar, Carducci and Contreras-McGavin (2012, p. 4) point on the several complexities facing higher education, and the argument that social investment in learning institutions can only be justified based on the return to the community is beyond logic. According to Hills (2013, p. 6), women are underrepresented in higher education management meaning that the pool of leadership talent is not yet fully explored. On this perspective, Hills (2013, p. 10) believes that contemporary issues in higher education should focus on barriers to women progress and the strategies that can be followed to establish fairer gender balance in areas of management. This comes after an amounting pressure to include women in higher education management since significant impacts are being felt across the few higher learning institution managed by women leaders (Migdad, 2014, p. 121).
Dunn, Gerlach and Hyle (2014, p. 10) on the other hand believes that women’s contributions to higher education revolves around Western feminism with two conflicting arguments; the sameness of women with men as well as the differences in performance between men and women. On the safer side, women leaderships in higher education provide a better platform that can be followed to redress biasness against women in other non-traditional professions (Hacifazlioğlu, 2010, p. 11). The good leadership examples set by this group of women is an empowerment to female students who are acquainted with social and political right (Kuk & Donovan, 2011, p. 6).
Lau (2011, p. 7) confirms that women who understand their social, economic, and political rights, have in the recent years demonstrated the possibility of engaging in dual careers since they truly master the significance of professionalism toward ensuring better services to the community. The argument finds support from Martin (2011, p. 12) who also believes that the higher performance levels of women in areas of management than the male counterparts is pegged on ideal commitment model and not on the pursuit of positional power or social status like in the case of men. This means that all the developmental goals as postulated by women leaders in higher education are socially benefiting and aims at improving institutional performances (Kellerman & Rhode, 2008, p. 2).
Gordon (2013, p. 18) widely appreciates the openness in women leadership as one of the traits lacking among men. This means that leadership styles employed by women tend to deviate from emotional response, especially in times of crisis. The decision is to tactfully express hostility in managing crisis, remain judgmental, initiative, determined, and foresighted to institutional rules and directions (Bickley, 2010, p. 6). Making firm, precise, and headed decisions remains part of women yet they still explore flexible minds given their dualism as leaders and mothers. With women in leadership position, institutional employees get motivated to work and improve on the general performance, particularly with reference to skill impartment, knowledge derivation, and student innovative actions.
Anaya (2011, p. 9) argues that the role of women has increasingly become important when it comes to resource management, allocation, and capacity control. Women are driven by beauty and anesthetic value of a properly maintained learning environment, and therefore much effort is vested in construction of new learning sites or maintenance of existing infrastructure (Anaya, 2011, p. 9). Compared to men, women leadership in higher education is significantly attached to higher levels of honesty, commitment on the side of staff and students, and improvement in students’ performances.
Rationale reasons
Just like male leaders, women leader posse skills, qualities, and leadership capabilities that remain unexplored. There has been increasing pressure to engage women in institutional decision-making and other areas of leadership since they posses creative ideas that can be used to improve the overall performance of a learning institution. Women leadership is appreciated across diversities since it provides opportunity for investigative ideas, innovation, and expanded growth (Miles, 2012, p. 20). The different perceptions held against women leadership like complete control, resource mismanagement, and expanded roles are still unproven hence considered mere superstitions. Women are considered to provide a string foundation for leadership that facilitate growth, institutional development, and improved performances among employees and other staff members. This is one of the reasons why all the efforts should be directed towards empowering women leaders to take up roles in the management of higher education.
The objectives of the empowerment
The main objective of women empowerment and its relationship to administrative creativity for academic female leaders in higher education in most conservatism Arabic countries is to ensure progress in women leadership by:
- Eliminating illiteracy among women;
- Developing self-esteem and confidence among women;
- Impacting on women’s ability to make their own decisions and engage in negotiations;
- Raising awareness on women civil rights in other sectors;
- Providing skills that will facilitate economic participation, community engagement, and social effectiveness; and finally
- Preparing women to be good leaders not only in the field of education but also in other related fields.
Limitations of women empowerment
With references to conservatism Arab countries, women empowerment is limited to socio-cultural and psychological barriers, which in most cases prevent women in their pursuit for academic successes (Ballenger & Stephen 2010, p. 11). With the negative attitudes of education system in Arabic countries towards women access to leadership positions in higher learning institutions, assuming top managerial positions becomes a problem (Hale, 2009). This is because even with the current changes in principles and policies, the Arab countries have a conservative culture that views women as less equal to men, and as a result cannot assume certain positions in the society (Harvard University Report, 2008, p. 12). Empowering women in such circumstances becomes a problem since there are significant communal values attach to social superiority.
The differing viewpoints on the subject of the empowerment for academic female leaders in Higher Education in conservatism Arabic countries.
While international policies are focusing on women empowerment to ensure equal contribution and distribution of leadership functions between men and women, domestic policies like those of conservative Arabic countries attach little significance to women empowerment and their creativity in institutional leadership (Ballenger & Stephen 2010, p. 15). This is because the conservative culture of Arabic countries view women as homemakers and note viable to take leadership roles. One of the most important arguments in line with this perception is that the leadership roles of women become ineffective when they are in their maternity periods, and this could inconvenience the whole circle of management (Arab Women Leadership Outlook, 2009, p. 77).
Apart from the views presented by the conservatism Arabic countries, people consider female leadership more brutal and authoritative with highly expanded roles or areas of responsibilities on the side of the staff (Harvard University Report, 2008, p. 12). This makes it hard for women to explore their leadership potentials because they at times receive opposition from the people they manage.
Conclusion
Based on the defined factors and the growing desires to create gender balance in leadership position with higher learning institutions, there is a need to conduct intensive research on the topic of empowerment and its relationship to the administrative creativity for academic female leaders in higher education. Policy makers across the word must recognize women’s contributions in institutional performance and leadership outcome to the general community. The research must also be able to influence the perceptions of conservative countries to view women from a more productive perspective.
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