Saudi Arabian Organizations Research Articles

Can core self-evaluation, workplace spirituality, and mindfulness result in task performance: Evidence from Saudi Arabian organizations

Creating the ideal atmosphere for employees is essential to an organization’s success. Therefore, identifying the appropriate behaviors that will enhance the optimal environment can be a huge asset for an organization. This study aims to investigate the impact of mindfulness, spirituality, and core self-evaluation on task performance. Four standardized questionnaires were used to randomly collect responses via the Internet from 394 gainfully employed Saudi Arabians across multiple sectors. The samples’ age, gender, and line of work were all varied. To examine the data, structural equation modeling was applied. The findings demonstrate significant positive relationships at the 0.01 level between all examined variables. The path analysis demonstrates a significant positive relationship between spirituality and core self-evaluation (T-statistics = 4.321**) and between spirituality and task performance (T-statistics =2.613**). Furthermore, a significant positive relationship was discovered between mindfulness and core self-evaluation (T-statistics = 4.683**) and between mindfulness and task performance (T-statistics = 6.966**). In addition, a significant positive relationship has been found between core self-evaluation and performance (T-statistics = 2.247**). This suggests that mindfulness and core self-evaluation boost task performance. Additionally, mindfulness and spirituality in the workplace improve both core self-evaluation and performance. Acknowledgment This study is supported by funding from Prince Satam bin Abdulaziz University, project number (PSAU/2024/R/1445).

Navigating Digital Transformation in Alignment with Vision 2030: A Review of Organizational Strategies, Innovations, and Implications in Saudi Arabia

This review paper explores the landscape of digital transformation within Saudi Arabian organizations, focusing on strategies, innovations, and implications in alignment with Vision 2030. Drawing from a wide array of literature, it examines the drivers and barriers of digital transformation, emphasizing the role of organizational culture, leadership, and change management. Discussions encompass innovative technologies, such as e-commerce, AI, and IoT, and their impact on various sectors. The paper also analyzes how digital transformation initiatives contribute to Vision 2030 objectives, including economic diversification, innovation, and social development. By synthesizing existing research, the paper offers insights for stakeholders to navigate digital transformation while advancing Vision 2030's goals for a diversified, knowledge-based economy.

The Role of Organizational Culture in Business Process Management Adoption: A Case Study

Business Process Management adoption requires extensive effort, time, resources and discipline. Therefore, several studies have attempted to identify the factors that influence BPM adoption. Most of studies identify organizational culture among the key factors, but few attempted to explore its influence on BPM adoption. Thus, this study sets out to explore the role of organizational culture in BPM adoption. This study employed a qualitative approach and held in-depth interviews. Twenty BPM professionals who are working in different Saudi Arabian organizations started adopting BPM have been selected. Commitment, Continuous improvement, Cross-functional teamwork, Customer centricity, Innovation and Process ownership are important organizational culture values influencing BPM adoption positively. This study contributes to theory by proposing a model including six important cultural values in BPM adoption and also increases awareness among practitioners of the importance of organizational culture in BPM adoption.

Artificial Intelligence and Its Influence on Digital Transformation, Development, and Productivity in Saudi Arabian Organizations: A Critical Evaluation

Artificial Intelligence and Its Influence on Digital Transformation, Development, and Productivity in Saudi Arabian Organizations: A Critical Evaluation

Workplace agility, intrinsic motivation, and role congruence antecedents of innovative work behavior: Evidence from Saudi Arabian organizations

This study investigates the impact of workplace agility, intrinsic motivation, and role congruence on innovative work behavior in private and public organizations. This empirical study used a quantitative research method and collected data from 358 employees in Saudi Arabian organizations. The data were gathered through a questionnaire distributed to the sample via social media groups. For this purpose, four standardized and validated questionnaires were used to measure the variables of interest. Since all the fit indices have robust fit, the proposed model qualifies for conducting Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results revealed a significant positive relationship, at a remarkable 0.01 level, between all the examined variables and innovative work behavior. This suggests that workplace agility, intrinsic motivation, and role congruence are positively associated with employees’ tendency to engage in innovative work behavior. Moreover, the study’s findings supported the hypotheses formulated for the research. All t-values exceeded 1.96, indicating statistical significance for all proposed variables. Theoretically, the study contributes to enhancing the current dynamic knowledge of the variables that influence the work environment. Practically, this study offers guidance to employees on innovative work behavior. AcknowledgmentThis research is funded by Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University under project numbered PSAU/2023/1444.

The Politics and Ethics of Resistance, Feminism and Gender Equality in Saudi Arabian Organizations

Greater numbers of women are entering workplaces in Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries. Structural features of patriarchy are changing in Middle Eastern societies and workplaces, but women’s experiences of gendered segregation, under-representation and exclusion raise questions around the feminist politics and ethics mobilized to respond to them. Building on and extending emerging research on feminism, gender, resistance, feminist ethics and the Middle East, we use data from an interview study with 58 Saudi Arabian women to explore their attitudes toward gender-segregated and mixed workplaces. We develop a novel conceptualization of how gender is experienced through patternings of resistance and conformity shaped by the ethicopolitical, religiopolitical and sociocultural webs of meaning in Saudi society that permeate workplaces. Saudi women’s attitudes and actions in the workplace are neither entirely individual and private nor entirely collective and public, but made up of nuanced commitments and resistances to context-relevant identity issues. We discuss implications of our findings for the feminist ethics and politics of gendered resistance and conformity to working practices and norms in Islamic and Middle Eastern settings.

Nurses' job satisfaction: A multi-center study

Introduction: Nurses, including expatriates, comprise the majority of Saudi health-care providers. Therefore, the need to measure their satisfaction within the Saudi context is critical for improving patient outcomes and productivity within the health-care system. This study aims to measure nurse job satisfaction in several Ministry of Health (MOH) and Saudi Arabian organizations. Materials and Methods: A multi-center, cross-sectional study design was utilized to recruit nurses from public hospitals and primary health-care centers in five cities across Saudi Arabia. Data were collected from October 1 to November 15, 2016, through an electronic questionnaire. The study instrument was adapted from former MOH surveys. Descriptive and analytical analyses were utilized. Results: A total of 2418 nurses responded with a response rate of 69%. Overall satisfaction level was low to moderate. Only a small portion of the participants demonstrated overall satisfaction in all domains, and living conditions were significantly low. Predictors of satisfaction were studied based on location and job title. Conclusions: The study revealed a low-to-moderate level of job satisfaction with a need to improve nurses' living conditions. Comparisons among the study locations revealed areas in need of improvement. Further studies are needed to explore methods through which to enact these improvements.

Knowledge Workers Job Performance: An examination of Career Values, Perceived Organizational Support and Career Satisfaction

Knowledge workers help organizations improve productivity and gain competitive advantage in the market. Since organizations have realized the importance of knowledge workers in organizational development, management has been focusing on the knowledge workers’ job performance, which ultimately improves the organizational performance. The purpose of this study is to investigate the mediating effects of the knowledge workers’ career satisfaction among career values, perceived organizational support and job performance. In this regard, data was collected from 284 knowledge workers working in Saudi Arabian organizations and it was analyzed using regression and Sobel test. The result of the analysis explain that career satisfaction play a key role in knowledge workers’ job performance, and work as mediator between career values, perceived organizational support and the knowledge workers’ job performance. The findings of this study will be helpful for top management and HR professionals to manage the knowledge workers’ job performance. Furthermore, the mediating role of career satisfaction contribute to the body of knowledge and offer future researchers opportunities to investigate other factors, which influence career satisfaction of knowledge workers. This study also discussed some limitations which could be an avenue for future research. Research on Saudi Arabian knowledge workers has never been done before. Therefore, this study explores the effects of career values, perceived organizational support and career satisfaction on Saudi Arabian knowledge workers’ job performance.

Business process management: a maturity assessment of Saudi Arabian organizations

Purpose – Business Process Management (BPM) has become increasingly common among organizations in different industries. There is very limited research on the application of BPM in the MENA region and particularly in Saudi Arabia. The purpose of this paper is to provide empirical maturity assessment for selected Saudi Arabian organizations from broad range of industries. Findings showed that there is notable variability of BPM perception within the functional groups of the sample organizations. Organizations with holistic business strategy and resilient change management procedures showed more adherence to BPM practices than those with functionally driven or ad-hoc BPM initiatives. Design/methodology/approach – In this empirical study, structured interviews were undertaken with selected business functions owners from ten Saudi organizations. All selected organizations resides in the city of Riyadh with most of them having local and regional branches. The selection of the organization followed non-probability sampling technique whereby the selected organizations were those seemed easy to access and showed willingness to participate in the research. The sample organizations included different types of businesses in different industries. Even though the purpose of the study is not applicable to a particular industry type or sector, variety of business domains and variability in organizations size were considered in the selection process. Table 1 shows an overview of the organization business sector. Findings – This research investigates the current status of BPM implementation among Saudi Arabian organizations. Although there is positive favour towards BPM concepts among Saudi organizations, it seems that the practical understanding of BPM is yet to be matured. One of the noticed findings from the survey is the apparent sharp disjoint between information technology (IT) and business strategy. This segregation, from a BPM perspective, created two variants of BPM understanding; a business variant related to designing and managing business operations, and the IT one which focusses on configuring and installing BPM systems. There is a lack of a holistic view of business processes and its associated activities within an organization. Most surveyed organizations have either no clear business strategy or it is too complicated the thing that make it difficult to integrate it with BPM initiatives. Some organizations have no defined process owners for their main core business processes neither there are measurable goals for their performance. Their main BPM endeavour is mainly focused on the process activities rather than the process output and performance. Originality/value – This is the first research paper that provides empirical research on the status of BPM in the MENA region and particularly in Saudi Arabia.

Market Knowledge, Blue Ocean Strategy, and Competitive Advantage (Direct and Indirect Relationships and Impact)

This study deals with an important and vital subject that focuses on determining the role of market knowledge and Blue Ocean Strategy in achieving competitive advantage, and that is because of the scarcity of management studies in general, and marketing studies in particular, which addressed the nature of the relationship and impact between these three concepts .The study problem was represented by the question: what is the state of the Blue Ocean Strategy in Saudi Arabian organizations, how is it affected by market knowledge and what is its impact on achieving competitive advantage. This study aims to reveal the extent of the realization of the organization under study of market knowledge and Blue Ocean Strategy. It also aims to determine the relationship and impact between market knowledge dimensions and the dimensions of the Blue Ocean Strategy, determining the relationship and impact between the Blue Ocean and the dimensions of the competitive advantage strategy, the relationship and impact between market knowledge dimensions and competitive advantage dimensions and determining the relationship and the indirect impact of market knowledge on achieving competitive advantage through the Blue Ocean Strategy. The study was conducted on employees who occupy supervisory positions in Marketing Department of Saudi Telecom Company. The number of valid questionnaires for analysis amounted to (64), which were analyzed using statistical software (SPSS). The study reached several conclusions, including: There is a high degree of acknowledgement among participants in the study about: market knowledge dimension, Blue Ocean Strategy and competitive advantage; there is a relationship and impact between market knowledge dimension and Blue Ocean Strategy dimension; there is a relationship and impact between Blue Ocean Strategy dimension and competitive advantage dimension; there is a relationship and impact between market knowledge dimension and competitive advantage dimension, there is a relationship and an indirect impact of market knowledge on achieving competitive advantage, and that is through the Blue Ocean Strategy.

The Role of Market Knowledge in the Adoption of the Blue Ocean Strategy and its Impact on Achieving Competitive Advantage: a Study Conducted in the Saudi Telecom Company (STC)

This study deals with an important and vital subject that focuses on determining the role of market knowledge and Blue Ocean Strategy in achieving competitive advantage, and that is because of the scarcity of management studies in general, and marketing studies in particular, which addressed the nature of the relationship and impact between these three concepts .The study problem was represented by the question: what is the state of the Blue Ocean Strategy in Saudi Arabian organizations, how is it affected by market knowledge and what is its impact on achieving competitive advantage. This study aims to reveal the extent of the realization of the organization under study of market knowledge and Blue Ocean Strategy. It also aims to determine the relationship and impact between market knowledge dimensions and the dimensions of the Blue Ocean Strategy, determining the relationship and impact between the Blue Ocean and the dimensions of the competitive advantage strategy, the relationship and impact between market knowledge dimensions and competitive advantage dimensions and determining the relationship and the indirect impact of market knowledge on achieving competitive advantage through the Blue Ocean Strategy. The study was conducted on employees who occupy supervisory positions in Marketing department of Saudi Telecom Company. The number of valid questionnaires for analysis amounted to (64), which were analyzed using statistical software (SPSS). The study reached several conclusions, including: There is a high degree of acknowledgement among participants in the study about: market knowledge dimension, Blue Ocean Strategy and competitive advantage; there is a relationship and impact between market knowledge dimension and Blue Ocean Strategy dimension; there is a relationship and impact between Blue Ocean Strategy dimension and competitive advantage dimension; there is a relationship and impact between market knowledge dimension and competitive advantage dimension, there is a relationship and an indirect impact of market knowledge on achieving competitive advantage, and that is through the Blue Ocean Strategy.

Exploring the relationship between organizational citizenship behavior and organizational justice in the Islamic Saudi Arabian context

Purpose– Cross-cultural studies suggest that while organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and organizational justice have received considerable attention in Anglo-Saxon contexts, the same cannot be claimed in non-Western, Arab Middle Eastern contexts. The purpose of this paper is to attend to this knowledge gap by exploring OCB in the context of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its relationship with organizational justice.Design/methodology/approach– In cognizance of the extant literature, the study explores the perceptions of Saudi Arabian managers of the five conceptually different dimensions of citizenship behaviour – conscientiousness, sportsmanship, civic virtue, courtesy, and altruism. It also explores their perceptions of distributive justice, procedural justice, and interactional justice. In addition, the current study investigates the relationship between organizational justice and OCB. Using the survey questionnaire method, data was collected from more than 250 Saudi managers at different levels of the managerial hierarchy and working in a wide range of organizations and industries.Findings– The results indicate that Saudi Arabian managers reported exhibiting OCB at work. They also suggest the salience of various forms of organizational justice in Saudi Arabian organizations as motivated by Arab cultural values and Islamic teachings. In regards to the relationship between the two constructs, our results indicate that interactional justice is most frequently associated with various dimensions of OCB for various reasons, including the emphasis that Islam and Islamic teachings give to demonstrating respect and courtesy in dealings with others.Originality/value– The literature on OCB and organizational justice is thin in the Arab world. With that in mind, the current study is the first to explore OCB in Saudi Arabia. It is also the first to investigate the relationship between citizenship behavior and justice in Saudi organizations. The findings of this study highlight the need for academics and human resource experts to account for the role of socio-cultural factors and Islam when examining these constructs in the Arab world. The implications of the findings for academics and practitioners are discussed.

Information Security Management in Saudi Arabian Organizations

Abstract Information security is a growing concern among various organizations and companies worldwide. Though organizations are generally focusing on external security threats but there could be substantial threats within the organization. This paper presents a detailed survey conducted on various organizations of Saudi Arabia to have a deep insight into how the issues of deterrence for the information security violation are dealt with within organizations. It focuses on the awareness and effectiveness of information security policies of the organization among its employees.

An Analysis of Benchmarking of Business Functions in Organizations of Saudi Arabia

The study investigates the extent of performance benchmarking of the major business functions undertaken bythe business organizations in Saudi Arabia. The study is based on five major functions namely; marketing,human resources, finance, operations, and quality. Each of these functions includes four sub functions. The scopeof the study extends to private firms (manufacturing and service) as well as public and government organizationsin Saudi Arabia. The study includes four sizes of organizations. The finding of the study shows that the practiceof benchmarking in Saudi Arabian organizations’ is not in advance level. The sequence of the application ofbenchmarking is found to be as follows; marketing, operations, quality, finance and human resources,respectively. The study further shows that the practice of performance benchmarking in private firms better thanpublic organizations. However, the study concludes that there is no significant difference between companiesbased on their sizes.

Web’s critical survey analysis with respect to current loopholes

Vulnerabilities are the loopholes that arise due to poor programming. Web applications are considered to be very vulnerable to attack as compared to desktop programs on sole computers. Keeping this thing in our minds, we decided to find out all the possible in Saudi Arabian organization’s web servers. To assess these vulnerabilities, we selected number of open source tools and tested about 169 most popular web servers of government, financial and academic organizations and commercial organizations. This problem seemed interesting to us because of two reasons, first, security is a burning issue of the world and it can be minimized by finding out the vulnerabilities. By finding out vulnerabilities, it becomes easy to fix them. Secondly, it is in the interest of Saudi Arabian national goals. This problem was not addressed before for Saudi Arabian organizations web servers, so, that is why it carries high importance. Our solution to this problem is to check each server with two different assessment tools. The purpose of using two different tools is to avoid false positive and false negative. Our purpose is not to hack these respectable organizations but to assess them with respect to security so that these may not be the victim of future cyber attacks. We will enlist all the found by the tools with respect to their organizations. The will be shown anonymously and with the level of severity. These will be followed by a graph showing the versus vulnerabilities relationship. A graph on “recommended patches versus vulnerable organization server” is also included for those organizations that are conscious about their organization privacy and confidentiality. Saudi organization may contact us to know about their web server to fix them in time. Key words: Saudi Arabia, critical analysis, websites, loopholes, assessment.

Factors Influencing the Adoption of the Internet by Public Relations Professionals in the Private and Public Sectors of Saudi Arabia

Managers from Western cultures tend to assume that efficiency and profitability will drive the adoption of new technologies by multinational conglomerates. The present study shows that for non-Western organizations, the sector that the organization operates in (public or private) and its decision-making style are also relevant factors. The research employs the diffusion of innovation model to explore Internet adoption by public relations professionals in Saudi Arabian organizations. A survey of 354 public relations professionals revealed that 93% of the professionals in the private sector had adopted the Internet, compared to 83% of their counterparts in the public sector. Professionals in the private sector ascribed relative advantage as critical for adoption. Regression analyses revealed that authoritarian decision making and organizational encouragement were predictors of adoption.

Evaluating the security controls of CAIS in developing countries

PurposeThe main objective of the paper is to investigate the existence and adequacy of implemented Computerized Accounting Information Systems (CAIS) security controls to prevent, detect and correct security breaches in Saudi Arabian organizations. This is the first part of a two‐part paper on the subject.Design/methodology/approachThis paper presents and examines the literature review related to CAIS security controls.FindingsFinds that the results of the study will enable managers and practitioners to better secure their CAIS and to champion IT development for the success of their business.Originality/valueThis paper fills a vacuum by conducting research in Saudi Arabia, a developing country, whereas previous research has mainly involved developed countries.

Organizational commitment, satisfaction, and turnover in Saudi organizations: A predictive study

This study utilized responses from 442 employees in Saudi Arabian organizations to examine the predictive strength of job satisfaction, organizational commitment, value commitment, and continuance commitment with respect to turnover. Each of these variables predicted turnover significantly. When compared with each other, organizational commitment correlated significantly with turnover more than job satisfaction and value commitment. Continuance commitment was not as strong in its prediction as expected.

International Muslim Networks and Islam in Singapore

Global economic integration is invariably accompanied by the transmission of ideas, values, and ideologies. This is also true in the internationalization of religious movements and the development of the All-Malayan Muslim Missionaiy Society, popularly known as Jamiyah, and its changing role in a rapidly modernizing Singapore demonstrates this clearly. This article traces the growth of Jamiyah from its foundation by a highly charismatic leader and patron into a sophisticated religious body, with modern party-like organizational forms' , employing rationalized methods in the dissemination of ideas and knowledge . This transformation not only parallels the development of international Muslim networks which have been supported by Saudi Arabian organizations but, indeed, has to a large extent been dependent on these linkages.