The purpose of this study was to identify factors that influence leadership and its distribution in the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States (ABEGS) Saudi Arabia. The research was undertaken in the ABEGS as a case study and its two initiatives, the Gulf Arab States Educational Research Centre (GASERC) Kuwait, and the Arab Educational Training Centre for Gulf States (AETCGS) Qatar respectively. The findings of this study reveal that the leadership in this interorganizational environment is distributed within the four levels of organizational structures. The visionary leadership comes from the inner most core political level that has its influence and direction at the strategic, managerial, and operational levels of the organization. . Based on extensive research of Leithwood and his colleagues, this study will integrate four leadership functions of setting directions, structuring the organization, developing capacity, and managing the (partnership) program into the analysis of interorganizational partnerships. The study also examined ‘securing accountability’ as another important leadership function in the partnership environment. I learnt that multiple factors influence leadership and enable different individuals and groups to perform these functions at the strategic, managerial and operational levels of the interorganizational structures. However, the major influence on leadership that weaves through the strategic level to the grassroots levels is the consultative process embedded in the organizational structures of the Arab Bureau. Some other prominent factors that influence leadership found in the study are positional power in the hierarchy, experience and knowledge, and dedication and commitment. Researchers like Benson, Mawhiney, Kickert, Proven, and Rodríguez, explored interorganizational partnerships and view the structures of leadership either vertically centralized or horizontally distributive. I argue that interorganizational leadership works horizontally at each level of the partnership i.e. strategic, managerial, and operational and vertically between these levels in the ABEGS partnership as shown in the ‘Circular Model of Interorganizational Leadership’ of this study. The leaders at various levels in the Arab Bureau from the member states function as equals. However, firm vertical hierarchy exists between various levels in the structures of the ABEGS. It is therefore established that horizontal and vertical leadership work simultaneously in interorganizational partnership environments as found in the case study of the Arab Bureau.

The purpose of this study was to identify factors that influence leadership and its distribution in the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States (ABEGS) Saudi Arabia. The research was undertaken in the ABEGS as a case study and its two initiatives, the Gulf Arab States Educational Research Centre (GASERC) Kuwait, and the Arab Educational Training Centre for Gulf States (AETCGS) Qatar respectively. The findings of this study reveal that the leadership in this interorganizational environment is distributed within the four levels of organizational structures. The visionary leadership comes from the inner most core political level that has its influence and direction at the strategic, managerial, and operational levels of the organization. . Based on extensive research of Leithwood and his colleagues, this study will integrate four leadership functions of setting directions, structuring the organization, developing capacity, and managing the (partnership) program into the analysis of interorganizational partnerships. The study also examined ‘securing accountability’ as another important leadership function in the partnership environment. I learnt that multiple factors influence leadership and enable different individuals and groups to perform these functions at the strategic, managerial and operational levels of the interorganizational structures. However, the major influence on leadership that weaves through the strategic level to the grassroots levels is the consultative process embedded in the organizational structures of the Arab Bureau. Some other prominent factors that influence leadership found in the study are positional power in the hierarchy, experience and knowledge, and dedication and commitment. Researchers like Benson, Mawhiney, Kickert, Proven, and Rodríguez, explored interorganizational partnerships and view the structures of leadership either vertically centralized or horizontally distributive. I argue that interorganizational leadership works horizontally at each level of the partnership i.e. strategic, managerial, and operational and vertically between these levels in the ABEGS partnership as shown in the ‘Circular Model of Interorganizational Leadership’ of this study. The leaders at various levels in the Arab Bureau from the member states function as equals. However, firm vertical hierarchy exists between various levels in the structures of the ABEGS. It is therefore established that horizontal and vertical leadership work simultaneously in interorganizational partnership environments as found in the case study of the Arab Bureau.