Abbas J. Ali, Mohammed Al‐Shakhis and Somanathan Nataraj
Saudi and Indian managers are compared onattitudes towards work and work‐related variables.Cultural differences were found to play the mostimportant role in determining…
Abstract
Saudi and Indian managers are compared on attitudes towards work and work‐related variables. Cultural differences were found to play the most important role in determining managerial orientation. Demographic and organisational variables were less important. Managers from both nations were found to be highly committed to work. However, Indian managers showed greater commitment to work obligation and entitlement, and were more individualistic, than Saudi managers.
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Abbas J. Ali and Mohammed Al‐Shakhis
Saudi managers′ responses and evaluations of the role of MNCs isreported and analysed. The research answers questions regarding thecontribution of MNCs in four areas: political…
Abstract
Saudi managers′ responses and evaluations of the role of MNCs is reported and analysed. The research answers questions regarding the contribution of MNCs in four areas: political, cultural, economic and technological. Results indicate the Arabian executives consider MNCs to have both positive and negative effects. MNCs′ most obvious negative impacts are on political independence and on values and consumption patterns. On the positive side, the executives recognise the crucial role of MNCs in establishing export capacity, improving productivity, and managerial skills and creation of new jobs.
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Abbas Ali and Mohammed Al‐Shakhis
The meaning of work among Saudi managers is examined.One‐hundred‐and‐thirty‐two managers completed questionnaires used tomeasure work centrality and norms about work. The results…
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The meaning of work among Saudi managers is examined. One‐hundred‐and‐thirty‐two managers completed questionnaires used to measure work centrality and norms about work. The results show that 94 per cent of the participants would continue working even if they had enough money to live comfortably without doing so. Furthermore, the results indicate that family and work are the most important activities in life, and that Saudi managers are highly committed to both entitlement and obligation dimensions of work norms. Saudi attachment to work is found to be slightly influenced by organisational or personal backgrounds.
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Mahmood Yousefi and Ken McCormick
The news is full of stories about business impropriety, employee theft and drug use, government scandals, teenage pregnancies, welfare scams, and a host of other problems…
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The news is full of stories about business impropriety, employee theft and drug use, government scandals, teenage pregnancies, welfare scams, and a host of other problems associated with a lack of morals and ethics. The cumulative effect of this barrage of bad news has led some to raise the question, “Is America experiencing a moral decline?”
Abdullah Al‐Salamah and Rodney Wilson
Outlines the role of the Saudi Arabian Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) in Saudi economy policy: chiefly industralisation through joint ventures with foreign multinationals…
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Outlines the role of the Saudi Arabian Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) in Saudi economy policy: chiefly industralisation through joint ventures with foreign multinationals. Reports a 1993 survey of 312 SABIC employees divided into Saudi nationals, expatriates from developed countries and those from developing countries. Compares their educational and employment levels, family attitudes towards their jobs and the provision and take‐up of training; and finds significant dissatisfaction with SABIC’s training policy and the skills acquired. Considers the importance of salary levels, the implications of pay and promotion differentials between the groups and the likely impact of giving higher pay rises to the Saudis. Discusses the attitudes of the three groups towards management decision‐making, job termination/transfer proceedings, holidays, working hours, shift scheduling, working conditions and safety.
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Mohammed I. At‐Twaijri, Abdelaziz A. Al‐Dukhayyil and Ibrahim A. Al‐Muhaiza
This article reports the results of a field study that aims to investigate the differences, if any, that exist between Saudi Arabian and U.S. supervisors, as perceived by their…
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This article reports the results of a field study that aims to investigate the differences, if any, that exist between Saudi Arabian and U.S. supervisors, as perceived by their subordinates. It is assumed that any differences that exist are culturally bound and have a positive or negative effect on subordinates by making the work environment pleasant or unpleasant. The findings point to the existence of differences between Saudi Arabian and U.S. supervisors with regard to the subordinates' welfare, claiming subordinates' original ideas, performance evaluation, control, knowledge of the job, willingness to explain job duties to subordinates and motivation. Suggestions have been provided to reduce these differences in the work climate.
The purpose of this article is twofold: to identify the characteristics of research on organisation and management in Arab countries and to find out whether research results…
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The purpose of this article is twofold: to identify the characteristics of research on organisation and management in Arab countries and to find out whether research results support the culture‐free hypothesis or not. A thorough search of sixteen journals, research monographs, books and theses produced only 35 empirical studies. Most of these studies were exploratory, descriptive, and used small convenient samples. Although some findings supported the culture‐bound hypothesis, major conceptual and methodological weaknesses in these studies throw doubt upon the validity of their results.
David Marshall Hunt and Mohammed I. At‐Twaijri
Stafford & Waifs (1985) research focused on delineating what constitutes a social problem. ‘Issues managers’ will benefit greatly from an improved understanding of the…
Abstract
Stafford & Waifs (1985) research focused on delineating what constitutes a social problem. ‘Issues managers’ will benefit greatly from an improved understanding of the characteristics which delineate issues as social problems in the eyes of the public, the public being only one of their stakeholders (e.g. public, customers, suppliers, government, shareholders and employees) Greening & Gray (1994). This research is an international or cultural extension of the Stafford & Warr research on a U.S.A. sample to a Saudi Arabian sample. Saudi Arabia is a distinctly different culture in values and language from the U.S.A. and therefore offers some interesting cross‐cultural contrasts and comparisons with regard to perceptions of social issues. As many organizations go global, they must develop an understanding of what constitutes a social problem within each of the cultures they operate in. The results of this study show significant differences between what Saudi's and U.S.A. citizen's perceive to be social problems/issues. These findings strongly support Stafford & Warr's three part scheme for delineating social issues.
In the last few decades the Arab states have come to play animportant role in the world economy and international politics. We havewitnessed an increasing interest in the social…
Abstract
In the last few decades the Arab states have come to play an important role in the world economy and international politics. We have witnessed an increasing interest in the social, political, and economic aspects of the Arab world. Despite such increasing interest, Arab scholars and business professors have not made significant progress in scholarly contribution and in teaching business management. Seeks to provide an analysis of the situation and suggests research topics in the areas of business and management applicable to development in the Arab world.
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Mahmood Khalil and Ismael Abu‐Saad
The aim of this paper is to investigate the Islamic work ethic (IWE) and individualism among Arab college students in Israel, who represent an ethnic and religious minority in a…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to investigate the Islamic work ethic (IWE) and individualism among Arab college students in Israel, who represent an ethnic and religious minority in a western‐oriented state.
Design/methodology/approach
The participants included 837 male and female Arab college students from an academic and a technical college in northern Israel. Most participants (64 percent) were Academic college students. Two measures were used: the IWE and individualism scales developed by Ali. Correlation analysis and two‐way multivariate analysis were used to analyze the data.
Findings
There was a strong and highly significant correlation between the IWE and individualism scales. Academic college students scored significantly higher than technical college students on both scales. There were significant interactions between gender and marital status, and college type and year of studies, on the scales.
Practical implications
Within the multi‐cultural context of Arab college students in Israel, the IWE and individualism scales emerged as reliable, practical measures for understanding the work‐related values of Arab college students in Israel.
Originality/value
This study is the first in the published literature to use the IWE and individualism scales among Arab students who were not raised in a homogeneous Islamic cultural context. Although the Arab minority in Israel is exposed to Israeli and Western, as well as Islamic, cultural and organizational influences, IWE scale proved to be highly reliable for this population. The IWE and individualism scales, used together, were uniquely effective for capturing the many nuances of work‐related values in this complex, multi‐cultural context.