Bechtold Final Publication IJHRDM f918362511101274
1 like187 views
This document summarizes the findings of a qualitative study examining leadership styles in Saudi Arabian organizations. It identifies several key themes: 1) Saudi leadership is typically characterized by a power-driven style, but there is a desire among Saudi leaders to adopt a more developmental style that empowers employees. 2) Cultural factors like an emphasis on relationships, respect for authority, and Islamic principles influence Saudi leadership preferences for styles that build strong relationships and consensus. 3) While Saudi leaders value traits like fairness and employee well-being, attitudes are often still task-focused and favor practices like micromanagement due to various historical and sociocultural influences. There is a shift wanted toward a more people-oriented leadership
Bechtold Final Publication IJHRDM f918362511101274
- 1. Int. J. Human Resources Development and Management, Vol. 14, Nos. 1/2/3, 2014 157 Copyright © 2014 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd. From desert to destiny: knowledge, attitudes and practices of Saudi Arabian leadership Mark Charles Bechtold Bechtold Consulting, 99 Hyfield Lane, Jefferson, New Hampshire 03583, USA Email: [email protected] Abstract: This paper aims to examine the ways in which Saudi organisational leaders and followers in organisations in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia interpret the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of organisational leadership within the context of the Saudi Arabian culture. Based on a qualitative study, findings indicate the prevalence of a power-driven leadership style and a desire for Saudi organisational leaders to adopt culturally-sensitive leadership and organisational development approaches that serve to enable, develop, and empower employees. Key themes suggesting the need for a developmental leadership style include relationships, leader-follower roles, the principles of Islam, and governmental support for business. The paper offers several implications for human resource management and development for organisations throughout Saudi Arabia, the GCC region, and beyond. Keywords: leadership styles; power-driven leadership; developmental leadership; Saudi Arabian culture; Saudi Arabian organisational leadership; human resource management; human resource development. Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Bechtold, M.C. (2014) ‘From desert to destiny: knowledge, attitudes and practices of Saudi Arabian leadership’, Int. J. Human Resources Development and Management, Vol. 14, Nos. 1/2/3, pp.157–169. Biographical notes: Mark Charles Bechtold is a Human Resources and Organisational Development Consultant. He holds a PhD in Human and Organisational Development from the Fielding Graduate University along with two Master’s degrees in Human Resources Management and Development. As an experienced HR process consultant, performance improvement facilitator and leadership development coach, his international research interests include the influence of Arab cultural attributes on organisational leadership practices, the impact of Saudi Arabian leadership styles on generation-Y employees, and the use of appreciative inquiry as an organisational and leadership development approach within the Arab cultural context. 1 Introduction Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest oil producer with more than a quarter of the world’s reserves and an average output of over 10 MM barrels per day. A healthy global economy depends upon the efficiency of Saudi Arabia’s oil production capability as a dominant player in the international energy market. Key success factors for organisations in Saudi
- 2. 158 M.C. Bechtold Arabia that support the oil and gas industry include substantial oil reserves, state-of-the-art technology and research, a comprehensive business infrastructure, and a highly-skilled and motivated workforce. In turn, these success factors are driven first and foremost by the quality of organisational leadership. An understanding of the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Saudi Arabian organisational leaders within the Saudi Arabian cultural context will lead to the emergence of human resource management (HRM) practices and evidence-based leadership development programmes that build on inherent cultural strengths and leadership attributes. In this paper, the term, ‘Saudi Arabian organisational leaders’ refers to Saudi nationals who are in leadership positions within organisations located in Saudi Arabia. Where leadership development programmes exist in Saudi-led organisations, many are based on Western-designed instructional strategies and approaches espousing Western ideologies and cultural norms that are incongruent with the Saudi Arabian culture. Culturally-sensitive leadership development programmes will produce more effective leaders and articulate a clear brand of the Saudi organisational leader that has been previously diluted by Western-imposed leadership development programmes. Building this brand will benefit all organisations within Saudi Arabia since a new leadership style is being called for by the growing generation-Y workforce. As a result, Saudi Arabia will be better positioned as a key player in the global business arena to leverage Saudi Arabia’s interests and enhance understanding of Saudi Arabian leadership and culture among Western-based, multinational corporations doing business in Saudi Arabia. 2 Saudi Arabian cultural context The Saudi Arabian culture is described as highly collective, homogeneous, risk averse, and accepting of positional power and status (Ali, 1996, 2009). Both large and small organisations in Saudi Arabia operate within the context of strong cultural norms and guidelines influenced by a conservative interpretation of Islamic doctrine and the desert environment, impacting every facet of Saudi Arab life (Ali, 2009; Branine and Pollard, 2010). The more recent onset of industrialisation and Westernisation, the role of the Saudi government, and changing population demographics are also impacting modern Saudi culture. Despite administrative challenges in rapidly growing Saudi organisations and a desire to ameliorate the effect of modernisation and other influences on Saudi cultural traditions, Saudi leaders can use the Islamic model to maintain an orientation conducive to the support of the dignity, growth, and satisfaction of employees (Soraya, 2002). Elements of the Islamic model (2002) are directly relevant to leadership practices. The development of one’s spiritual and psychological well-being, as well as one’s physical and material well-being privileges the Saudi leader who balances a focus on both task and relationships. The social virtues of equity, ethics, morality, humanism, and dignity espoused by Islam positions the effective Saudi leader as one who models and holds others accountable for desirable behaviours. Consultation and participation rather than authoritarianism in decision making serves to engage and empower employees, a basic tenet for high performance and a desire of the generation-Y demographic. Personalised relationships benefit Saudi leaders who recognise how to motivate employees through inclusion, respect, deference, and loyalty. Moderate leadership authority positions leaders
- 3. From desert to destiny 159 who recognise that sharing power can enhance employee commitment and bring out the best in people. Leaders who develop skilful employees through training enhance the self-esteem and confidence of employees to do their jobs. Hiring and reward systems that are based on merit and performance positions the Saudi leader as being consistently fair and impartial. Diligence and competence in work sets an example for the leaders’ followers. The last element of the Islamic model advocates punishment of administrative corruption such as nepotism and favouritism, further positioning the Saudi leader as one who is respected for honesty and integrity. Historically, the country’s desert environment and extreme temperatures have dictated for many a seasonal, nomadic lifestyle characteristic of the Bedouin, necessitating a heavy reliance on the extended family and tribalism for survival. Accordingly, there is a strong sense of loyalty to family, tribe, and religious sect in contemporary society that is infused into the workplace (Ali, 2009). With the industrialisation of Saudi Arabia driven by the discovery of oil in the mid-20th century, organisations within Saudi Arabia are relatively young in their organisational life cycles. How an organisation evolves through its lifespan is readily influenced by cultural values, and Saudi Arabia faces the ongoing challenge of changing while maintaining stability as a country. According to Assad (2002, p.54), “On the one hand, organizational structures in Saudi Arabia are influenced by conservative traditions: Islamic values, particularistic tribal family orientations, and inheritance of the autocratic Ottoman system. On the other hand, industrialization, Western contact, and the use of modern technology have strengthened the influence of more pragmatic, universalistic values. At the top level, the government recognizes that in order to compete in the global economy, it must modernize its management practices.” Oil wealth has enabled Saudi citizens to enjoy a wide range of benefits such as subsidised vacations, modern public infrastructure, interest-free loans, and more of a readiness and ability to raise concerns to those in authority (Al-Mizjaji, 2002). These changes have facilitated a prevalent societal attitude of free spending and consumerism, apathy, and a lifestyle of ease in contrast to a historical tradition of hard work and productive use of time (Assad, 2002). Government subsidies have subsequently served to increase the standard of living and contribute to an increase in the importation of inexpensive foreign labour. The influence of Westernisation on the Saudi Arabian culture includes the growth of Saudi students being exposed to Western education, an increase in the number of large shopping malls with Western-designed products, and access to Western technology and media. The advent of the Arab Spring in the Middle East has also contributed to the growth of independent thinking and self-expression as basic human rights in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Government is driven by its interpretation of Islamic laws and oversees the propagation of the Islamic message, enforcement of Islamic law and punishment, and the maintenance of social welfare systems. Saudi citizens are not required to pay taxes or pay for public services including healthcare, education, and a retirement pension, and are eligible to receive employment and unemployment benefits (Elamin and Alomaim, 2011; Madhi and Barrientos, 2003). The Saudi Government is increasing the enforcement of the Saudisation law, a national initiative designed to provide more jobs for Saudi nationals while limiting reliance on foreign labour (Elamin and Alomaim, 2011; Sadi and Al-Buraey, 2009). The ruling monarchy typically uses a top-down approach for
- 4. 160 M.C. Bechtold instituting new laws and reform in Saudi administration systems, which results in a preoccupation with the valuing of compliance and conformity to specified directions in a controlled work environment (Assad, 2002). Changing demographics is also impacting Saudi Arabia. Over half the workforce is comprised of expatriates and close to 50% of the population are under the age of 18, contributing to a rapid rise in the number of generation-Y employees entering the workforce. Women and men have clear expectations and social roles and as a result, it is a norm for women to stay at home. However, the situation is changing with more women being educated and joining the workforce (Elamin and Alomaim, 2011). These cultural influences have led to various social practices that define roles, traditions, and relationships that inform familial structures, attitudes, norms, practices, and beliefs about work, family, tribes, and organisations. The resulting cultural characteristics have been infused into the workplace and include strong group membership, respect for position and seniority, dedication, and acceptance of ambiguity due to the high-context culture of Saudi Arabia (Tayeb, 1996). 3 Saudi Arabian culture and organisational leadership The cultural context has a direct effect on organisational leadership thought processes, practices, status, and influence (Brodbeck et al., 2000; House et al., 2004; Thompson and Arsalan, 2007). Leadership practices emerge as leaders incorporate followers’ needs and desires in a way that builds on the influences of the collective sociocultural community (Amis, et al., 2004; Schein, 2004). Saudi organisational leaders can be characterised as having a wide range of emotional expression (Trompenaars, 1993) with supportive coaching behaviours (Noer, 2008). Organisational leaders seek to build and maintain multiple, effective relationships, concurrently and over time, that naturally serve to support consensus building and cooperation among followers in their organisations (Ali, 1996, 2009). In Saudi organisations, culturally informed attitudes toward social status strongly influence organisational leadership (Hunt and Al-Twaijri, 1996). A high degree of acceptance of hierarchical power structures positions Saudi leaders as having great influence over followers who are sensitive to the passions and inspirations of the leader. Organisational change and development are dependent upon the leader’s ability to ensure that measures, incentives, and the involvement of employees are addressed as critical factors (Ali, 2009; Jreisat, 1990). In the Islamic tradition, an important part of leadership is the concept of shoura, in which all members of a community participate in ongoing dialogue for the common good of all (Ajarimah, 2001). This concept is reinforced by the homogeneity of the Islamic culture, which effectively influences attitudes and values within families and the society (Hall and Hall, 1990). High collectivism in Saudi society also influences a leader to develop strong relationships with followers, enabling an environment of teamwork and collaboration. An orientation toward femininity (relationship-oriented) versus masculinity (task-oriented) privileges leaders who care about their people (Bjerke and Al-Meer, 1993).
- 5. From desert to destiny 161 4 Methodology The study was motivated by an important research question: How is Saudi Arabian organisational leadership experienced in terms of knowledge, attitudes and practices within the Saudi Arabian cultural context? Individual interviews with Saudi nationals who hold leadership and non-leadership positions from various organisations in the eastern province resulted in the identification of Saudi leadership characteristics. In particular, the study explored how leadership emerges in the Saudi Arabian organisational context, and its effects on employee motivation. It also examined the influences of Saudi culture on leadership styles. A total of 15 interviews were conducted. The interviews were largely semi-structured supported by probe questions that enabled the sharing of behavioural descriptions, stories, reflections and explanations. The interviews led to the identification of specific organisational phenomena and provided different perspectives and interpretations of Saudi organisational leadership. To analyse the data, a categorical content analysis was used to code and classify the information and derive emergent elements, themes and subthemes based on the qualitative data (Creswell, 1998; Josselson, et al., 2002; Neuedorf, 2002). The data was then analysed against the extant literature, enabling the development of insights and propositions, leading to a conceptual framework. 5 Discussions of findings Findings from the qualitative study reveal Saudi organisational leadership characteristics that can be classified into the concepts of knowledge, attitudes and practices. Table 1 identifies the emergent themes of these three leadership concepts associated with organisations in the eastern province. Table 1 Themes and concepts associated with leadership of Saudi nationals Concepts Leadership knowledge Leadership attitudes Leadership practices Themes Reflection and change People Power-driven style Self-development Happiness Developmental style Dealing with people Challenges Leadership approach Success Findings further indicate four other concepts describing Saudi cultural factors influencing Saudi organisational leadership, including relationships, leadership and followership preferences, Islam, and government and business. Table 2 illustrates the themes for each of the four concepts associated with eastern province organisations in Saudi Arabia.
- 6. 162 M.C. Bechtold Table 2 Themes and concepts associated with Saudi Arabian cultural context Concepts Relationships Leadership and followership Islam Government and business Themes Affiliation Community Respect Geography Work-life balance Gender Communication Values Family and tribe Loyalty Followers Influence of generations Life after death Virtues Shoura Haram and Halaal Government support Competition Time Saudisation Expat workforce Government regulations 5.1 Knowledge Technology, modernisation, Western media, and quality of education serve to enhance development of knowledge. Successful Saudi organisational leaders are very aware of organisational politics, and face the challenge of driving organisational improvement while balancing loyalty and deference to higher-level leaders in order to avoid career- damaging mishaps in highly sensitised, relationship-oriented work climates. 5.2 Attitudes Saudi leadership attitudes espouse the ideal, and emphasise the importance of maintaining strong relationships and the virtues of Islamic-principled living, including forgiveness, openness, compassion, and trust. The importance of happiness as a leadership attitude reflects the highly collective nature of the Saudi cultural mindset, and a follower preference for a leader who emphasises a feminine orientation (relationships) over a masculine orientation (tasks).One respondent summarised the measure of a leader’s effectiveness with a simple yet powerful statement, ‘If you make your people happy, they will make you happy’. In contrast, a majority of respondents indicated that leadership attitudes can be characterised as task-focused and power-driven, favouring micromanagement, bureaucracy, preferential treatment, and employee fear of reprisal. A general shifting of leadership attitudes away from the influence of historically-rooted sociocultural norms and Islamic principles may be attributed to five main factors, as reinforced in the literature: 1 The influence of modernisation, marketing, and advertising practices emphasising material wealth and consumerism, and raising the appeal of the power of wealth through position and consequent subjugation of other forms of wealth including virtuous, Islamic leadership practices within organisations (Ali, 2009) 2 The residual influence of the Ottoman invasion and their autocratic, bureaucratic rule for 500 years beginning in the early 15th century (Ali, 1996; Assad, 2002). 3 The past practices of Western business leaders who initially discovered oil in Saudi Arabia in the late 1930s, and their subsequent establishment of management processes and leadership practices adopted from the historically autocratic US military model (Ali, 1996).
- 7. From desert to destiny 163 4 The strong affiliation with family, tribe, and religious sect which, when Saudisation began in the late 1990s, influenced organisational leaders to emphasise loyalty and affiliation as a base for employment decisions, and the exercise of positional authority over rational transparency to justify such decisions (Al-Faleh, 1998; Chhokar et al., 2007; Soraya, 2002). 5 In the absence of individual differentiation in a highly collective, homogenous Saudi society, strong affiliation with religion, family, and tribe is most important for defining self-concept. This loyalty to affiliations outside of the organisation creates a challenge for organisational leaders who are expected to demonstrate and favour their own and their employees affiliations to the organisation. 5.3 Practices For leadership practices, the prevalent power-driven leadership style is perceived by the respondents as domineering and disrespectful of followers, serving to demotivate employees and create feelings leading to low work morale. In contrast, the preferred developmental leadership style is reportedly linked closely with the Prophet Mohammed’s teachings of Islam, and has a positive effect on employee motivation, morale, and loyalty, since employees feel appreciated and valued. The assumption and practice of power-driven leadership can be characterised as autocratic and egocentric, with a top-down decision-making and communication approach. This leadership style tends to increase the distance of the leader from close relationships with followers, and creates a sense of vulnerability within both the leader and follower. This sense of insecurity may be mitigated by a leader’s practices of favouritism and nepotism, and reinforce the adoption of a benevolent power-driven leadership style. Several Saudi cultural factors support a developmental leadership style, including Islamic beliefs and principles that have been universally embedded as a moral and ethical guide of behaviour. The tradition of respecting the elderly facilitates the transfer of knowledge. A focus on the importance of relationships that privileges leaders who respect their followers can result in high levels of employee motivation and performance. The homogeneity of the Saudi culture can become quickly aligned to the direction of a developmental leader. High collectivity also privileges the use of a team-based approach for addressing organisational issues and enhancing organisational performance. Finally, the traditions of respect and justice enable the use of appreciative inquiry (Cooperrider and Whitney, 1999) as a methodology for driving performance improvement and employee development in Saudi Arabia (Bechtold, 2011). One respondent captured the essence of the complexity of Saudi organisational leadership within the current Saudi Arabian cultural context: “your personality, mindset, and character all affect your leadership style. Your character has been built over the years by the family, the culture, the religion, the changes, your education, and the people you are dealing with”. Figure 1 illustrates a framework that identifies the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Saudi Arabian organisational leaders within the Saudi Arabian cultural context.
- 8. 164 M.C. Bechtold Figure 1 An emergent framework of leadership knowledge, attitudes, and practices in the Saudi Arabian context Leadership Knowledge -Islam -Technology -Modernisation -Western media -Quality of education -Organisational improvement -Politics Leadership Attitudes -Islamic-principled living -Emotional expression -Social status -Task-focused -Power-driven -Micromanagement -Material wealth and consumerism -US military model -Loyalty and affiliation -Risk aversion -Deference to positional authority Government and Business -Government support -Competition -Time -Saudisation -Expat workforce -Government regulations Islam -Life after death -Virtues -Fatalism -Shoura -Haram and Halaal Leadership and Followership -Values -Family and tribe -Loyalty -Followers -Influence of generations Relationships -Affiliation -Community -Respect -Decision making -Geography -Work-life balance -Gender -Communication Saudi Arabian Cultural Context Arab, Middle East Cultural Saudi Organisational Leadership Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices Leadership Practices -Focus on expediting -Driven by deadlines -Reactive -High-context orientation -Authoritative -Political -Loyal -Relationship-oriented -Conflict-Averse -Orientation toward the ideal -Affiliation vs. performance -Appearance vs. merit 6 Implications for HRM The incongruence of the reported predominance of the power-driven organisational leadership style with Islamic principles and traditional cultural values espousing respect, fair treatment and consultative decision making poses a growing challenge for the Saudi organisational leader in the eastern province. This power-driven style emphasises the
- 9. From desert to destiny 165 avoidance of conflict, and a focus and striving for the ideal. The avoidance of open expression and sharing of problems and issues by employees can exacerbate the challenge of creating organisational change, since a necessary precursor for change is the recognition of a disparity within the current reality and a willingness to reflect on its causes and impact. When developing leaders, HR professionals can consider learning interventions that make it safe to identify leadership discrepancies, and design recognition and reward systems that value innovation and change over compliance and conformance, performance and merit over loyalty and submissiveness, and autonomy and risk-taking over deference to authority and fear of reprisal. HR professionals can also design and facilitate communication and strategic planning sessions that enable the open sharing of ideas, and emphasise the affirming attributes and strengths of an organisation while probing into what might be changed or improved rather than judged or criticised. Saudi leaders and followers who are constrained from raising issues and voicing opinions which may be considered in opposition to existing leadership practices and beliefs can be subject to undesirable consequences. Thus, a general attitude of deference to authority can result in a shifting of individual and collective mindsets – ultimately compromising organisational culture – away from one of personal growth, accomplishment, and improvement. The surrender to a mindless, mechanical compliance to management directives can result in employees becoming an organisation’s ‘living casualties’ while satisfying only limited standards of performance. To improve this situation, HR professionals can seek to highlight developmental leaders in their organisations as exemplars for others. Criteria for selection and promotion can be redesigned to include peer reviews and collective feedback. A list of collaborative leadership and employee behaviours can be linked to organisational values and posted in meeting rooms for easy reference. Training programmes to develop appropriate behavioural traits as well as the skill of giving and receiving of feedback can be effective. Under the guidance of human resource professionals, a team of facilitators can be developed from within the organisation to work with leaders and their teams to learn and practice developmental leadership behaviours. A mandate that leaders at all organisational levels conduct periodic and confidential feedback surveys on their leadership effectiveness can be also instituted. HR professionals can further assist management in the implementation of a standardised performance management and improvement process that eases the transition from a power-driven to a developmental leadership style. Loyalty in a hierarchy is typically a most valued attribute of followers in the Saudi culture (Ali, 2009), and so a challenge may exist for many power-driven organisational leaders to ensure that followers avoid parroting what the leader wants to hear or acquiesce to unrealistic or meaningless directives. Since people support what they help create, HR professionals can play a critical role in providing the necessary training and coaching for leaders to enhance follower trust, practice consultative decision-making practices, encourage cognitive dissonance and dialectical discourse within teams, and ensure the hiring and promoting of employees with both divergent and convergent thinking. The prevalence of power-driven behaviours may indicate a significant degree of insecurity within leaders and their subsequent adoption of behaviours that may lead to
- 10. 166 M.C. Bechtold less-than-desirable performance results. The imposition of Western business practices that emphasise individualism and differentiated performance, risk-taking, documentation of operational details, and business results within a highly homogeneous society that emphasises collectivism, deference to authority, risk aversion, and the importance of relationships and the ideal may be a source of tension and stress for the Saudi leader. A heavy reliance on professional expatriate advisors for their expertise may also serve as reminders of personal deficiencies for some Saudi leaders, contributing to a less-than-positive sense of self-concept and personal agency. This tension may, in turn, lead to a sense of hubris and even attitudes of arrogance in organisational leaders, who may further distance themselves from their followers. HR professionals can mitigate this tension by tactfully facilitating discussions among leaders in leadership communities of practice through and regular self-reflection and knowledge-sharing sessions. HR can also conduct audits and provide feedback on perceived levels of employee work-life quality, leadership effectiveness, and organisational development using appreciative inquiry and other affirming methods for identifying and building on existing leadership strengths. HR practitioners might also design HR programmes and systems that measure and recognise desirable leadership behaviours including 360 feedback surveys, focus groups, and individual coaching sessions. Finally, a major issue confronting Saudi organisational leaders is the challenge posed by the younger generation. Generational differences dictate the need for a shift in leadership knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Power-driven leadership behaviours driven primarily by a focus on the accomplishment of work may have been a logical match with the motivational needs of the older generation in the past, but the new demographic requires a shifting to a more developmental leadership orientation that balances a focus on both task and relationship and views employees as customers. A leader is only as good as his people, and the younger generation has a vastly different set of needs that include the desire for immediate gratification, short-term incentives, constant recognition, career autonomy, more rapid promotions into positions of responsibility, continuous learning, new challenges, and the constant flow of a diverse amount of information. HR professionals can enhance the alignment between leaders and generation-Y employees by providing learning interventions that elucidate the characteristics of these employees as part of a broader diversity development strategy. Career development processes can be redefined to prepare generation-Y employees for supervisory positions within several years of initial employment through job assignments in departments that offer them greater exposure to management and leadership opportunities. In summary, Table 3 illustrates the power-driven and developmental styles of Saudi organisational leadership in terms of six leadership dimensions identified by Ali (1998). For the dimension of change, a developmental leadership style will more closely match the desires of generation-Y employees to develop, grow, and learn from others while enjoying a high level of autonomy. In the dimension of business conduct, proactive and transformational leaders will better meet customer needs and maintain competitiveness by focusing on what is most critical for success rather than spending valuable energy attempting to perfect every aspect of leadership. For the dimension of commitment, employees reciprocate developmental leaders’ support and loyalty as they are collaboratively assigned challenging projects and offered professional development opportunities.
- 11. From desert to destiny 167 Motivational systems are enhanced by respecting and recognising performance and results as opposed to compliance and conformance. The dimension of decision style is based on employee and customer input for developmental leaders, who recognise that while a participative approach may take longer than an autocratic decision-making approach, a better decision can result since the whole is greater than the sum of the parts when those who are affected by decisions are included in the process. Developmental leaders who display integrity and credibility instil the same in others and positively affect employee attitudes towards leaders. HR professionals are instrumental for increasing awareness of the benefits of the developmental leadership style in each of these dimensions by acting as coaches, mentors, facilitators, and process consultants to organisational leaders. Table 3 Power-driven and developmental styles of Saudi organisational leadership Dimension Saudi power-driven leadership style practices Saudi developmental leadership style practices Change Risk-averse Risk-taking Imposed Collaborative Conformity Innovation Business conduct Expeditor Proactive Reactive Transformational Transactional Strategic Commitment Politically-driven loyalty Employee affiliation External affiliations Company affiliation Authority Development of employees Self-development Motivational system Saving face Performance Compliance Merit Employees as suppliers Employees as customers Decision style Politically popular Merit/logic-based Top-down Impact on employees and customersAutocratic Ad hoc Participative/consultative Attitude toward authority Respect based on position/power/affiliation Respect based on merit/ performance/credibility Boss as director/customer Boss as supporter/guide Source: Adapted from Ali (1998) 7 Conclusions This paper identifies key insights into the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Saudi Arabian organisational leaders in organisations in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia, and discusses Saudi Arabian cultural influences that may have an impact on leadership styles. Human resource professionals play a key role supporting the shift
- 12. 168 M.C. Bechtold from the predominantly power-driven leadership style to a developmental leadership style that builds on the Islamic tradition and more closely matches the needs of the growing generation-Y demographic in Saudi Arabia. In this role, HR professionals are most effective as leadership-behaviour coaches, facilitators of learning and strategic planning, assessors and providers of feedback, and process consultants of organisational development. Future research on Saudi organisational leadership lies at the intersection of Saudi culture and Western business practices as evidence for an evolving Saudi leadership style that optimises cultural variables to viably compete in the global business environment. Some potential areas for research include the impact of Saudi leadership styles on generation-Y motivation, the impact of various decision-making approaches on performance, the identification and development of women leaders, and the influence of Islamic principles on organisational development. References Ajarimah, A.A. (2001) ‘Major challenges of global leadership in the twenty-first century’, Human Resource Development International, Vol. 4, No. 1, pp.9–19. Al-Faleh, M. (1998) ‘Cultural influences on Arab management development: a case study of Jordan’, Journal of Management Development, Vol. 6, No. 3, pp.19–32. Ali, A.J. (1996) ‘Organizational development in the Arab world’, Journal of Management Development, Vol. 15, No. 5, pp.4–21. Ali, A.J. (1998) ‘The typology of the Arab individual: implications for management and business organizations’, International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, Vol. 18, No. 11–12, pp.1–19. Ali, A.J. (2009) Business and management environment in Saudi Arabia, Routledge, New York, NY. Al-Mizjaji, A.D.W. (2002) ‘Public apathy towards bureaucracy as a constraint on the development of Saudi Arabia’, Public Administration Quarterly, Winter, Vol. 25, Nos. 3–4, pp.270–289. Amis, J., Slack, T. and Hinings, C.R. (2004) ‘The pace, sequence, and linearity of radical change’, Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 47, No. 1, pp.15–38. Assad, S.W. (2002) ‘Sociological analysis of the administrative system in Saudi Arabia: in search of a culturally compatible model for reform’, International Journal of Commerce & Management, Vol. 12, Nos. 3–4, pp.51–83. Bechtold, M.C. (2011) ‘Improving worker morale through the use of appreciative inquiry’, Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 43, No. 1, pp.25–30. Bjerke, B. and Al-Meer, A. (1993) ‘Culture’s consequences: management in Saudi Arabia’, Leadership and Organization Development Journal, Vol. 14, No. 1, pp.30–35. Branine, M. and Pollard, D. (2010) ‘Human resource management with Islamic management principles: a dialectic for a reverse diffusion in management’, Personnel Review, Vol. 39, No. 6, pp.712–727. Brodbeck, F.C., Frese, M., Akerblom, S., Audia, G., Bakacsi, G., Bendova, H. and Wunderer, R. (2000) ‘Cultural variation of leadership prototypes across 22 European countries’, Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, Vol. 73, No. 1, pp.1–29. Chhokar, J.S., Brodbeck, F.C. and House, R.J. (2007) Culture and Leadership across the World, Routledge, London, UK. Cooperrider, D.L. and Whitney, D. (1999) Appreciative Inquiry, Berrett-Koehler, San Francisco, CA. Creswell, J.W. (1998) Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design, Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA.
- 13. From desert to destiny 169 Elamin, A.M. and Alomaim, N. (2011) ‘Does organizational justice influence job satisfaction and self-perceived performance in Saudi Arabia work environment?’, International Management Review, Vol. 7, No. 1, pp.38–49. Hall, E.T. and Hall, M.R. (1990) Understanding Cultural Differences, Intercultural Press, Yarmouth, ME. House, R.J., Hanges, P.J., Javidan, M., Dorfman, P.W. and Gupta, V. (Eds.) (2004) Culture, Leadership, and Organizations: The GLOBE Study of 62 Societies, Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA. Hunt, D.M. and Al-Twaijri, M.I. (1996) ‘Values and the Saudi manager: an empirical investigation’, Journal of Management Development, Vol. 15, No. 5, pp.48–53. Josselson, R., Lieblich, A. and McAdams, D.P. (2002) Up Close and Personal: The Teaching and Learning of Narrative Approach, American Psychological Association, Washington, DC. Jreisat, J.E. (1990) ‘Administrative change and the Arab manager’, Public Administration and Development, Vol. 10, No. 4, pp.413–421. Madhi, S.T. and Barrientos, A. (2003) ‘Saudisation and employment in Saudi Arabia’, Career Development International, Vol. 8, No. 2, pp.70 –77. Neuendorf, K.A. (2002) The Content Analysis Guidebook, Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA. Noer, D.M. (2008) ‘A comparison of Saudi Arabian and United States managerial learning tactics’, International Journal of Management, Vol. 25, No. 1, pp.23–28. Sadi, M.A. and Al-Buraey, M.A. (2009) ‘A framework of the implementation process: the case of Saudization’, International Management Review, Vol. 5, No. 1, pp.70–84. Schein, E.H. (2004) Organizational Culture and Leadership, 3rd ed., Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA. Soraya, A.S. (2002) ‘Sociological analysis of the administrative system in Saudi Arabia: in search of a culturally compatible model for reform’, International Journal of Commerce & Management, Vol. 12, Nos. 3–4, pp.51–83. Tayeb, M.H. (1996) The Management of a Multicultural Workforce, Wiley, Chichester, UK. Thompson, E. and Arsalan, L. (2007) ‘Preparing youth for leadership roles in changing environments: the Jordan experience’, Children, Youth and Environments, Vol. 17, No. 3, pp.49–65. Trompenaars, F. (1993) Riding the Waves of Culture: Understanding Cultural Diversity in Business, The Economist Books, London, UK.