Transformational Leadership Style, Motivation to Lead, Challenges and Obstacles of Female Academic Leaders in Malaysian Public Universities

Abstract

Women leaders often face challenges in positioning themselves for leadership roles including finding the appropriate and effective leadership styles in the organisation. This research is significant as it highlights the appropriate types of leadership for women and explains the problems, barriers, and motivation that women require when they lead in university. This qualitative study uses a thematic analytical approach and semi-structured interviews conducted on eight female academic leaders from public universities in Malaysia. The thematic analysis discovered twelve themes and they are individual consideration, intellectual stimulation, inspirational motivation, charisma & idealistic influence, lead colleagues and staff, work life balance, gender bias, lack of self-confidence, potential and opportunities not being given, family, faculty/department, and colleagues. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that women academic leaders instill transformational leadership styles in their leadership. These findings propose that the university's top management and policymakers should offer women more potentials and possibilities to maintain equality and the well-being of women as leaders. More studies are needed to uncover the needs of transformational leadership for women leaders, as well as the characteristics that drive them to become leaders, utilising a larger sample size that includes all Malaysian public universities.