Eastern Context Research Articles

High-performance work systems in an Arab Middle Eastern context: analysis from multisource data

PurposeThe absence of robust information on the application of Human resources managemnet (HRM) practices in the Arab Middle Eastern region has generated an urgent need to understand what and how HRM practices can be used to manage employees in the region. Therefore, building on the social exchange theory and job demands-resources (JD-R) model, this paper proposes a model to examine the effects of high-performance work systems (HPWS) on employees' work-related outcomes, namely, job performance, organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and innovative work behavior (IWB) in a non-industry setting in an Arab Middle Eastern context. In this model, work engagement was theorized to serve as an intervening mechanism among the aforementioned relationships.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 210 academic staff working in the Palestinian higher education sector, together with evaluations from 30 supervisors. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze the data.FindingsThe results indicate that HPWS positively affect employees' job performance, OCB and IWB. Moreover, work engagement partially mediates these relationships.Practical implicationsThe results can be useful for managers in the Middle East pertaining to the role HPWS can play in boosting employees' job performance, OCB and IWB.Originality/valueHRM research in Middle East, although limited, is mainly focused on examining the impact of HPWS on organizational rather than individual outcomes. In response to the scholarly call made on the strong need to conduct more HRM research in the Middle East (Budhwaret al., 2019), this research represents the first study that examines the impact of HPWS on in-role and extra-role performance in an Arab Middle Eastern context. Furthermore, the study contributes to the HRM research by relying on a sample from a non-industry sector rather than a sample from a manufacturing setting. Finally, this research is one of the few studies that explore the outcomes of HPWS in an academic setting through the intervening mechanism of work engagement.

How Do SMEs Decide on International Market Entry? An Empirical Examination in the Middle East

This study contributes to the scant literature that scrutinises the decision-making process preceding foreign entries, particularly in the Middle Eastern context. While considerable research has examined the content and antecedents of the internationalisation decision of firms, far less attention has been paid to how SMEs decide on international market entry. The answer to this question is important to advance our understanding of internationalisation processes and offer essential insights for first and successive market entries, particularly post political crises. Through an embedded approach to case study, the analysis of four SMEs based in Egypt and Qatar suggests that SMEs' decision-making evolves into a rational mode as SMEs progress through successive international market entries. The study also captures the co-existence of reactive and bounded rationality modes during SMEs' unplanned internationalisation and suggests that SMEs are likely to adopt a bounded rationality mode as a response to the occurrence of a political crisis in the home country.

East meets West: Spiritual tourism in Chinese protected areas

This article is a first attempt at studying the concept of spiritual tourism in Chinese protected areas, and examines this western concept within an eastern context. Data from the literature review and in-depth interviews were analysed through thematic analysis. Results show that although spiritual tourism is not widely acknowledged in China, spirituality related to nature has existed for millennia, especially through the concept of the unity of heaven and mankind (in Chinese, Tian Ren He Yi). Opportunities for developing and managing spiritual tourism in Chinese protected areas are suggested, and its challenges considered. This research adds an eastern viewpoint in order to acquire a broader understanding of spiritual tourism in different cultures and places.

Performance of organic farming in developing countries: a case of organic tomato value chain in Lebanon

The future of food value chains has increasingly been reliant on the wider adoption of sustainable farming practices that include organic agriculture. Organic farming in developed countries is standardized and occupies a niche in agro-food systems. However, such a standard model, when transferred to developing countries, faces difficulty in implementation. This study aims to investigate the factors affecting the expansion of organic agriculture in Lebanon, a Middle Eastern context, and analyzes the economic performance of organic tomato among smallholder farmers. Accordingly, the study was able to determine the production costs, map the organic value chain and assess the profitability of organic tomato by comparing it with the conventional tomato in the same value chain. The study finds organic farming being increasingly expensive primarily due to the inherently high cost of production in Lebanon and the inefficient organization of the organic value chain. As a result, we suggest a blended approach of organic farming with other models, in particular agro-tourism, as a local solution to the sustainability of organic farming in developing countries with limited resources (land and labor) and characterized by long marketing channels. In countries such as Lebanon, a country endowed with rich cultural heritage and natural and beautiful landscapes, the agro-tourism model can harness organic farming and tourism activities. We also propose the adoption of local collective guarantee systems for organic production as a way to alleviate the costs of third-party auditing in Lebanon.

West Meets East in a New Two-Polarities Model of Personality: Combining Self-Relatedness Structure With Independent-Interdependent Functions.

Self and relatedness are the two most essential dimensions of personality, as indicated in many personality theories, and have been supported by numerous empirical studies conducted in the western (individualistic) and eastern (collectivist) contexts. However, because of a confusion or failure to distinguish the structure and function of personality, popular theories (e.g., the Big Five model) do not make logic distinctions between these two basic personality dimensions. In terms of the cultural-relevant feature, both self and relatedness and their specific aspects may be variously highlighted in different cultural settings. On the basis of a re-examination of several crucial two-dimension (namely, self and relatedness) personality theories derived from the east and west, we reconstruct a new two polarities personality model to include not only self and relatedness but also the independent and interdependent functions in terms of some popular personality theories from western and eastern cultures. Theoretically and empirically, self and relatedness should be the basic structures of personality, whereas independence and interdependence should be the basic functions of personality. Self and relatedness have independent and interdependent functions; however, due to the cultural relevance of personality, the functions should be variously emphasized in different contexts. Several possible future research directions are discussed.

“Possible Worlds” and the Meanings of F. Dostoevsky's Providence in the Messianic Receptions of the ХХth Century

The article analyzes the specifics of the receptive impact of the artistic Messianic concept of F. Dostoevsky, which influences providential contexts in the cultural philosophy of the ХХth century. The possibility to identify the features of the artistic embodiment of the Russian Messianic problems in cultural philosophy and literature of the ХХth century determines the relevance of this study. The analysis of the strategy of modeling possible worlds in Dostoevskys work, which referentially determines the development of Russian utopian / dystopian providence, determines the novelty of the study. The concepts of the Christological axiosphere, which reflects Dostoevsky's Messianic concept, determine the most important coordinates of the providential receptive trends of the ХХth century. They are objects of analysis in the article. It is proved that the semiotics of messianic motifs in Russian literature of the XXth century is connected, first of all, with the Abrahamic religious context, which is built into the most complex providential concept of the anthropological Christology of F. Dostoevsky. According to the principles of fractal logic, the writer generates the Abrahamic canon in the key messianic world-modeling metametaphors. Dostoevsky's messianic pretext is referentially manifested in Russian literature of the twentieth century - in the work of Russian Symbolists, who understand the Messiah as a divine-existential personality, in the works of writers of the late XXth century, who interprete the messiah as a collective personality - a substitutionary sacrifice. In our opinion, the chiliastic aspiration of messianic Christology and anthropology is also connected with the influence of Dostoevsky. However, we should talk about the dissipative variability of messianic concepts due to the contextual reference of messianic ideas of eastern origin, in particular, the Zoroastrian, Sufi and Islamic contexts are found. The artistic idea of messianism in Russian literature of the XXth century can also be considered as a semiotic sign system that reveals historiosophical and socio-political meanings, modeling the tendencies of anthropologization and ontologization of the literary process.

Gender stereotyping in accounting education, why few female students choose accounting

This study adds to the regional and global discourse and understanding of gender stereotyping in accounting education in a Middle Eastern context by investigating the impact of family, society, and the accountants’ work environment as being more suitable for men, on majoring in accounting. Data were collected through a field survey from 830 business students from three universities in Jordan. Structural equation analyses of the quantitative data show a significant influence of patriarchal values on college students and gender stereotyping of accounting as a profession. Accountants’ work environments are still perceived by respondents as being more suitable for men, reflecting slow social changes and denying the accounting profession diversity and the potential contributions of women to the profession.

“Show us what you’ve got”: From experiences of undoing to mobilizing agentic vulnerability in research

AbstractThis inquiry both builds on and extends exploration into gendered research through a focus on researcher vulnerability and its associated ethics. We discuss six critical vignettes across Western and Eastern contexts in which female researchers are “undone” and subsequently “redone” during their research endeavors. We draw upon Butler's work on gender and vulnerability, theorized as a subset of precarity. Attention is drawn to attempts to reframe, understand, and mobilize vulnerability differently, as a form of resistance, research activism, and emancipatory enactment. We propose agentic vulnerability as speaking to felt moments of vulnerability experienced in field research. We extend this contribution into a theorization of the researcher as activist, outlining practical applications of this concept. Ultimately, we seek to reposition agentic vulnerability in institutional research as a source of new ethics, research practices, and activism.

»Schwert, Hunger, Seuche« als Kurzformel für den Untergang Jerusalems

Abstract Within the Hebrew Bible, terms for »pestilence« or »plague« mainly appear in connection to covenant, curses, and warfare. The essay locates the phenomenon within its ancient Near Eastern context and focuses on how the Hebrew texts describe and interpret this catastrophe. The peculiar triadic phrase »sword, hunger, pestilence«, frequent in the books of Jeremiah and Ezekiel, recalls the horrors of siege warfare, and especially the defeat of Jerusalem in 587 BCE. For the survivors of this catastrophe who seek to explain how this traumatic event could happen, the phrase serves as a literary topos for Yhwh’s reaction to Israel’s wrong-doings and as a shorthand for their cultural trauma.

Writing ritual and calendar together: The biblical cultic calendars in ancient Near Eastern context

AbstractThe Hebrew Bible's cultic calendars (found in Exodus 23, Exodus 34, Leviticus 23, Numbers 28–29, and Deuteronomy 16) propose a link between ritual time and the fixation of the annual calendar. These texts take part in an ancient Near Eastern mode of writing about rituals in connection with calendars that produced canonical texts, which, like the biblical calendars, outlasted the actual practice of the rituals they describe. Moreover, the connection of the festivals in the biblical calendars to the annual equinoxes demonstrates their ritualization of the passage of time. In this feature and other thematic elements, they participate in a shared nexus of ritual ideas that can be seen in documents describing other ancient Near Eastern equinoctial festivals.

How reward systems affect team performance in banks: evidence from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of reward systems on team performance and analyze how satisfaction with rewards can result in better working performance and cohesiveness in the job environment.Design/methodology/approachData was collected from 32 single members of different teams working in 10 selected banks from the Middle East and North Africa region.FindingsThe analysis from empirical findings reveals that there is a positive link between reward systems and team performance. More particularly, profit sharing has positive effects on team performance and collective bargaining reward systems affect significantly team cohesiveness. These links create an opportunity for employers to use reward systems as a motivating factor to direct team behavior toward more employee retention.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the teamwork performance research stream by empirically studying how rewards improve team performance and cohesiveness in Eastern contexts. Studies in such contexts are relatively rare.

Career adaptability as a predictor of job search intentions and career readiness in the UAE

This study examined the career construction theory in an Arab Middle Eastern context by assessing the effects of career adaptability on job search intentions and career readiness of young adults. Given the widespread interest of researchers and career counselors in the career construction theory and the career adapt-abilities scale (CAAS) recently, it is believed that the CAAS has a potential to be used as a tool for internationalization of career development research and practice. The current paper contributes to the existing literature in this field by 1) validating the Arabic version of the CAAS scale, and 2) examining the effects of career adaptability on job search intentions and career readiness of young adults. Using data from a sample of 635 senior students at two universities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), this study found that the CAAS-Arabic Form is valid in this context. The findings indicate that career adaptability has a positive impact on two measures of career readiness including career decidedness and perceived employability. The findings also indicate that career adaptability, as expected, predicted two relevant career adaptive responses in this context including intentions to seek Wasta and willingness to work in the private sector (WWPS). We further found that WWPS mediates the relationship between career adaptability and perceived employability. Theoretical and practical implications of these finding are discussed.

Responsible Management Education in Time of Crisis: A Conceptual Framework for Public Business Schools in Egypt and Similar Middle Eastern Context

Recent studies show that the adoption of RME scenarios is still a matter of concern for non-western countries ((Mousa et al., Journal of Management Development 38:681–696, 2019), 2021a, 2021b). In this paper, we theoretically propose the potential direction of RME scenarios that business schools in Egypt and other similar cultural context to implement through articulating the main antecedents of RME before and after Covid-19. we used the method of multilevel research by combining different theoretical approaches. As an outcome of our analysis, we developed five propositions which form the main antecedents of RME in Egypt and similar regional Middle East business schools before and after Covid-19.

They can’t treat you well under abusive supervision: Investigating the impact of job satisfaction and extrinsic motivation on healthcare employees

Building on the emerging research that has demonstrated the adverse effects of abusive supervision on employee performance, this research draws on the theories of prosocial motivation and action identification. We develop and empirically test a mediation model to examine the indirect impact of abusive supervision on employee performance. Data were obtained from 430 Chinese healthcare employees to validate and test our proposed hypotheses and generalize the findings from Western settings in the Eastern context. The findings indicate that abusive supervision is negatively related to employee performance. Job satisfaction and extrinsic motivation mediated this relationship. The study has some important theoretical and practical implications, and we have also discussed some future directions.

A Companion to Ancient Near Eastern Languages. Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World

A Companion to Ancient Near Eastern Languages. Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World

Exploring climate change adaptation practices and household food security in the Middle Eastern context: a case of small family farms in Central Bekaa, Lebanon.

Agriculture is the most natural resource-intensive and climate-sensitive sector. This study examines the perceptions and attitudes of small family farmers toward climate change and identifies adaptation strategies supporting household food security in the Middle Eastern context, Lebanon. The study uses cross-sectional, primary data of households that own small family farms in the Central Bekaa region. The results show that the majority of the households believe that climate change is occurring, has adverse impacts on livelihoods, and is attributable to human factors. They perceived an increase in temperature and a decrease in rainfall patterns over the last 20 years. In response, the households used multiple agricultural practices to adapt to climate change. Based on the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) scores, only 7.5% of the households were food secure, while 89% were mild to moderately food insecure. Generally, the households had modest access to nutritious diets. All the households used two or more environmentally sustainable agricultural practices. However, the use of multiple environmentally sustainable practices did not correlate with improved food security. This latter result may be due to the limited knowledge of the farmers about trade-offs between various climate change adaptation measures. The findings suggest the need to refocus research from the question of whether small family farmers are willing to adopt (or not) climate change adaptation practices to identifying those practices that are capable of balancing economic, social, and environmental goals in a specific context.

Mindfulness and eudaimonic well-being: the mediating roles of rumination and emotion dysregulation.

Mindfulness has been widely studied in Western psychology for reducing psychological distress. However, several scholars noted that in the East, where the concept originated, mindfulness may be understood differently. In Eastern cultures such as Thailand, mindfulness is not only employed to deal with suffering but also to promote well-being. To the best of our knowledge, no studies have been undertaken to evaluate the relationship between traditional mindfulness and eudaimonic well-being in Eastern contexts. In the present study, we investigated the relationships between mindfulness and eudaimonic well-being in Thai contexts. We also explored the mediating roles of rumination and emotion dysregulation on this relationship. Data were collected from 312 Thai undergraduates who completed a measure of Eudaimonic Well-Being, the Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory, the Rumination-Reflection Questionnaire, and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. Results largely supported our hypotheses. Mindfulness was found to have a positive and direct association with eudaimonic well-being. Rumination and emotion dysregulation partially mediated this association. Additionally, both rumination and emotion dysregulation had negative and direct association with eudaimonic well-being. The findings highlight the positive influences of mindfulness on well-being. The benefits of mindfulness for improvement of eudaimonic well-being through reducing rumination and emotion dysfunction are discussed.

Relational key account management: insights from the Middle Eastern context

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore relational aspects of key account management (KAM) in terms of social capital and relationship quality. The second objective was to identify the main dimensions that shape social capital and relationship quality within the KAM context. Finally, the third objective was to explore how relational KAM is practiced in the Middle Eastern context.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a qualitative methodology and a multiple case design. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with a sample of senior executives from large Saudi firms.FindingsThe results highlight the importance of relationship quality and social capital to KAM implementation. A multiple case study was used to build a relational framework for KAM in the Middle Eastern context.Practical implicationsThree strategies were identified for use within the context of KAM in the Saudi market. The first strategy consisted of a means of attracting potential customers. The second strategy involved communication, aimed at maintaining frequent contact with key accounts. Finally, the third strategy was concentrated in maintenance to help sustain the relationship with key accounts.Originality/valueThis study extends understanding and the application of KAM to the Middle Eastern context, contributing to social capital, relationship quality and the KAM literature.

Solomon’s Throne in Its Ancient Near Eastern Context

Abstract The throne of Solomon, described in 1 Kgs 10:18–20 and almost identically in 2 Chr 9:17–19, is the main object relating to the visual representation of royalty in the Hebrew Bible. This paper offers a close commentary on the description and considers what type of ancient Near Eastern throne the described object exemplifies, concluding that Solomon’s throne is a “biblicized” variant of the Canaanite-Phoenician sphinx throne.

Environmental Impact Assessment: A Middle Eastern Experience

Abstract Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is an important environmental protection tool introduced into the environmental governance framework to evaluate and inform the administrative decision-making processes regarding whether certain developments or projects are to be allowed. In this article, EIA’s legal status and procedure are examined in relation to a Middle Eastern context, specifically to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Two different types of analysis are employed. The first is doctrinal analysis, focusing on the legal and statutory provisions regulating and organising this environmental protection tool—this genre of analysis entails identifying and unpacking the laws and regulations that govern this tool. The second type is qualitative analysis involving original data from 27 semi-structured interviews—one of the first of its kind on this topic in the KSA. The key contribution of the article comprises the examination and synthesis of the current status of different theories in the current international literature with regard to the underexplored issue of EIAs in the KSA.