Transforming leadership in the Arab region: Emerging pedagogies for effective public administration and governance

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Abstract

Public administration (PA) training is crucial for equipping government employees with the competencies needed to address evolving challenges. However, existing PA training frameworks often lack adaptability to contemporary governance demands, particularly in the Middle Eastern and Arabic contexts. This study aims to provide evidence-based recommendations for enhancing PA training by examining key frameworks: Traditional PA, new PA, and new public governance. To address existing gaps and using qualitative approaches based on secondary data, the study introduces the wise leadership framework, which emphasizes intellectual shrewdness, spurring action, moral conduct, and cultivating humility. By employing a quantitative methodology, the research analyzes literature, reports, and analyses to evaluate PA education and leadership development programs. The findings highlight the need for a culturally tailored curriculum, continuous leadership development, and policy reforms to modernize governance training. Given the rapid political, economic, and social transformations in the Arab region, particularly in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, modernizing leadership education is essential. The study concludes that integrating wise leadership principles into PA training can enhance governance effectiveness. Future research should explore the practical applications of wise leadership to promote sustainable development and regional stability.

Keywords: Public Administration Training, Wise Leadership Framework, Public Governance, Arabic Countries, Leadership Education Modernization

Authors’ individual contribution: Conceptualization — R.A.; Methodology — R.A.; Investigation — R.A.; Resources — R.A.; Writing — R.A. and H.A.G.; Funding — H.A.G.; Supervision — H.A.G.

Declaration of conflicting interests: The Authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

JEL Classification: D73, H83, I28, M53, O15

Received: 25.11.2024
Revised: 07.02.2025; 02.04.2025
Accepted: 07.04.2025
Published online: 10.04.2025

How to cite this paper: Awashreh, R., & Al Ghunaimi, H. (2025). Transforming leadership in the Arab region: Emerging pedagogies for effective public administration and governance. Journal of Governance & Regulation, 14(2), 28–37. https://doi.org/10.22495/jgrv14i2art3