Modelling succession planning for female leadership in Saudi Arabia higher education institutions

Abstract

Despite the significant contributions of females to uplift the economy and well-being of society, they face challenges to being equal compared to their male counterparts. Females still lack support to secure leadership positions, especially in higher education institutions. The concept of succession planning is less likely to be considered an important component of strategizing the organizational plan, particularly in the case of the education sector, with the inclusion of females in some contexts. Thus, it is important to understand the current situation of female leadership aligned with the role of succession planning in the advancement of females in leadership positions in higher education institutions. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to explore the phenomena and processes of how females could inclusively join leadership positions and succession planning in higher education institutions. Conducting interviews with 23 academicians and experts from Saudi Arabia’s higher education institutions, qualitative data analysis is performed using NVivo 12. The findings revealed that females are underrepresented in leadership roles due to the several challenges that hinder their career growth, i.e., national, organizational and individual level barriers. Additionally, succession planning which is a useful tool for closing the gender gap, is not being practiced in Saudi Arabia’s higher education institutions. Obviously, in the absence of an effective succession plan, the preparation and selection of future leaders remain doubtful and questionable. It is not surprising that a lack of succession planning in a male-dominated society favors males and marginalizes females. In addition to identifying the elements of succession planning, it is also found that there are obstacles to developing and implementing succession planning. High turnover rate, reluctance, resistance, work-life balance, and inactive HR department are among the challenges to practicing succession planning in Saudi Arabia’s higher education institutions. This study contributes to the leadership and succession planning knowledge domain as well as the context of higher education institutions and selected cultures. The inclusion of competent females into a succession planning process may overcome various leadership crises and provide leadership opportunities to females. The findings of this study may help higher education institutions develop succession planning strategies with a clear career path and focus on lessening work-life conflict among female employees.