Exploring the notion of feminine leadership in Kuwait’s private universities.

This study explored the notion of feminine leadership among women in middle leadership positions in Kuwait’s private universities. Using semi-structured interviews as the main source of data, 12 female leaders who currently occupy middle leadership positions and those who have held similar positions in the past were interviewed. The findings showed that women leaders’ understanding of feminine leadership was associated with transformational attributes of empathy, people orientation and collaboration. While these women leaders identified these attributes and recognised them as authentic to their own leadership approach, they did not associate them with the notion of feminine leadership because they perceived it as weakness. We argue that wider socio-cultural impact influences these perceptions through the masculine organisational structures and cultures that shape women’s experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]