Abstract
This empirical study explores the identities of female leaders within multiple universities across Kazakhstan, a nation currently undergoing significant systemic transformations following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Over the past three decades, educational institutions in Kazakhstan have undergone substantial changes, with prior research indicating that female academic leaders contend with conflicting expectations stemming from the convergence of traditional, Soviet, and Westernized neoliberal cultures within their professional environments (Kuzhabekova & Almukhambetova, 2017). The simultaneous presence of Soviet legacies alongside newly embraced neoliberal values during this transition is not surprising since the old and new traditions converge during change (ibid). Moreover, traditional cultural values have experienced a resurgence since the country's independence, as the population seeks to reconnect with their Kazakh identity (Fimyar and Kurakbayev, 2016).
Through qualitative inquiry involving female leaders, this study aims to explore how cultural influences shape their identities. In this study, I am interested in the ways two different cultural attributes impact the identity of female leaders. First, how the Soviet past shapes the work of female leaders; and second, how traditional values where women tend to take care of children and the household impacts female leaders. The initial findings illustrate the following elements: (1) lacking decision-making authority regarding decisions for their own department or school; following the remnants of the Soviet leadership style, decisions at universities are made higher up in the hierarchy and leaders have no say to non-negotiable on-way directives form the Ministry of Education. Second, family plays a decisive role in whether and how women pursue leadership roles in Kazakhstan (2). Women either take up leadership positions when they become empty nester or heavily rely on the help of extended family. Partners can help; however, extended family members seem to play more significant role. By exploring the impact of the Soviet and the traditional influences, the article aims to contribute to the body of literature on the impact of culture on female leadership.