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1 – 10 of over 14000This study describes the state of the Internet in Arab countries. It reports certain Internet characteristics and e‐commerce issues in the region and brings some of the critical…
Abstract
This study describes the state of the Internet in Arab countries. It reports certain Internet characteristics and e‐commerce issues in the region and brings some of the critical challenges facing the diffusion of the Internet and its applications in Arab countries to the attention of policy makers in these nations. Overall, the review reveals that most Arab countries still have a long way to cover before being able to fully realize the benefits of the Internet.
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Disagreement amongst Arab writers, researchers, politicians, and others exists regarding the Arab woman's struggle to take on a leadership role traditionally dominated by Arab…
Abstract
Purpose
Disagreement amongst Arab writers, researchers, politicians, and others exists regarding the Arab woman's struggle to take on a leadership role traditionally dominated by Arab men. For many, discussions on whether Arab women should work and lead, be a housewife or work with restrictions are continually under controversy. The purpose of this paper is to examine Arab women leadership style based on transformational, transactional, and laissez‐faire styles of men and women.
Design/methodology/approach
The main research instrument is the multifactor leadership questionnaire.
Findings
The findings reveal that women in the Arab world exceed men on four transformational scales: the attributes version of idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration. Arab men exceed Arab women on two transactional scales: management by exception passive and management by exception active, whereas women exceed men on contingent rewards. Laissez‐faire leadership style goes to Arab men.
Research limitations/implications
Although the paper provides a useful overview of the traditional thinking and abilities of Arab women leadership and their effectiveness in the Arab world, the sample is limited in size. Further research can be done with larger sample to test the findings.
Originality/value
The paper offers inputs for researchers and writers.
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Abbas J. Ali and Robert C. Camp
Addresses issues related to teaching management in the Arab world.Discusses issues of growth, poor quality and lack of vision. ContrastsAmerican and Arab cultural profiles and…
Abstract
Addresses issues related to teaching management in the Arab world. Discusses issues of growth, poor quality and lack of vision. Contrasts American and Arab cultural profiles and their management implications. Specifies the illusions that seem to prevail in some quarters in the Arab world regarding management and its culture.
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This study aims to review the current status of quality management (QM) research in Arab countries between 2001 and 2020.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to review the current status of quality management (QM) research in Arab countries between 2001 and 2020.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopted the content analysis methodology, searching through various databases and search engines for relevant publications using several keywords. The selected publications were classified according to several criteria and the obtained results were presented in the form of frequencies and percentages.
Findings
Most research publications regarding QM were journal articles. The number of publications has steadily increased between 2001 and 2020. Moreover, QM research largely uses the quantitative research design. Questionnaire surveys are widely used as a data collection method; basic statistical analysis techniques are commonly employed to analyze the data. There is a tendency toward empirical research versus conceptual research. A few journal articles were published in reputed peer-reviewed international journals with low citation. Overall, Arab scholars research on QM and related topics over the past two decades is not significant for the field considering the number of published papers, citations and the papers published in reputed peer-reviewed international journals.
Research limitations/implications
This study has several limitations. First, it does not cover non-English information sources due to the overall lack of Arabic publication databases. Second, it uses a limited number of criteria to classify the selected publications. Third, it adopts the content analysis methodology to classify the selected publications. This method has several limitations, which may negatively affect the results. Nevertheless, the study offers several implications for research scholars, educators and practitioners.
Originality/value
This is the first study to attempt a comprehensive overview of the state of research on QM in Arab countries between 2001 and 2020 using the content analysis methodology.
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Hira Amin, Leena Badran, Ayelet Gur and Michael Ashley Stein
Israel ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and has subsequently worked towards putting disability-empowering policies and facilities…
Abstract
Purpose
Israel ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and has subsequently worked towards putting disability-empowering policies and facilities in place. This study explores the experiences of Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel with disabilities in everyday life including education, employment and accessing disability facilities and services.
Design/methodology/approach
This study explores the challenges and experiences of Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with a disparate group of Arab men and women with various forms of disabilities.
Findings
This research indicates that Arabs with disabilities are either unable to access them or do so with great difficulty relative to their Jewish counterparts. The findings suggest that this is due to one of two reasons: first is institutional discrimination by Jewish and Arab staff, and second is structural discrimination as facilities and services are specifically designed for the Jewish majority and their areas of residence as opposed to Arab residential areas.
Originality/value
Guided by intersectional theory, this article explores how the multiple identities of Arabs with disabilities living in Israel are co-constituted and ordered by different social and political structures which inform their daily lived experiences. This research illustrates that in Jewish politics and institutions, Arabs with disabilities in Israel are “otherised” by being flatly identified as Palestinians; yet, within their Arab communities, they are “otherised” by being reduced solely to their disability. This article examines how this variation in ordering and reduction can lead to specific experiences and forms of discrimination that requires multi-dimensional approaches and ways forward.
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M. Azhar Hussain and Narjes Haj-Salem
This study aims to investigate whether perceptions about female workplace participation in a number of Arab countries has changed during or after the Arab Spring.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate whether perceptions about female workplace participation in a number of Arab countries has changed during or after the Arab Spring.
Design/methodology/approach
Data are from the representative harmonized cross-sectional World Values Survey. Descriptive measures and regression approaches are applied. Different dimensions of perceptions about female emancipation are presented, while also a composite index derived from these dimensions is analysed.
Findings
There was some change for the better (job and education gender equality), but not uniformly across countries, e.g. generally good development in Egypt and Iraq, but a standstill in Jordan, and backsliding was seen in Morocco. Applying the composite index of female emancipation using regressions confirm these results – even when male and female respondents are analysed separately.
Research limitations/implications
More Arab nations in the study would have been good such that the extent and consequences for an even larger part of the Arab world could be presented. Unfortunately, these data are not available. This implies that the representativeness of the results for the whole of the Arab world is perhaps reduced.
Practical implications
The results can inform policymakers and non-governmental organizations, etc., regarding areas where more focus is needed such that women’s rights will not merely be statements on paper but also mean that females are also emancipated in practice.
Originality/value
New evidence is presented based on comparable data for Arab nations analysing the possible effects of the Arab Spring on perceptions about female emancipation.
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Brianna Camero, Karen Cano-Rodriguez, Takudzwa Chawota, Kayon Morgan, Alicen Potts, Monserrat Solorzano-Franco, Charles Klahm IV and Yuning Wu
This study seeks to answer (1) how perceived neighborhood collective efficacy and disorder affect residents' cooperation with the police, both directly and indirectly through…
Abstract
Purpose
This study seeks to answer (1) how perceived neighborhood collective efficacy and disorder affect residents' cooperation with the police, both directly and indirectly through perceptions of the police and (2) how Arab American ethnicity moderates the linkages between perceived collective efficacy, disorder and cooperation.
Design/methodology/approach
Relying on survey interview data from a probability sample of 414 residents in Dearborn and Dearborn Heights, MI and path model analysis, this study tests an explanatory model of public cooperation with the police that integrates both neighborhood and policing factors.
Findings
Perceived neighborhood disorder undermines residents' desires to cooperate, and this influence is chiefly direct. Meanwhile, although no significant total effect, perception of neighborhood collective efficacy does have a positive effect on cooperation through the mediator of positive assessment of police effectiveness. Further, collective efficacy has a direct, positive effect on cooperation among Arab Americans only. Finally, perceptions of police equal treatment and effectiveness, rather than procedural justice, are significant correlates of public cooperation.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the extremely limited literature on policing and Arab American communities. The findings can deepen the understanding on why and for which groups neighborhood context is related to cooperation with the police. Findings can also add to the knowledge base for designing policies and practices that help secure and promote public support and cooperation in both Arab and non-Arab communities.
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Dalia Abdel Rahman Farrag and Sahar Raafat Abu Gharara
The purpose of this exploratory paper is to investigate and understand the most important factors that influence Arab-origin brands to go global and to appear in brand valuation…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this exploratory paper is to investigate and understand the most important factors that influence Arab-origin brands to go global and to appear in brand valuation studies.
Design/methodology/approach
Initially, content analysis on current literature has been conducted followed by qualitative research in the form of in-depth interviews with marketing experts that own or work for successful Arab-origin brands in Muslim countries. Data has been collected related to brands from Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. A total of 20 in-depth interviews have been conducted by using face-to-face/online voice recorded method. Interviews have been transcribed, coded and analyzed.
Findings
Findings revealed that the main factors affecting the global branding process for Arab-origin brands are internal as compared to external factors. Some of the factors are common with factors in current literature such as dealing with local competition, however, many new factors as well have been identified like brand essence/meaning, internal marketing, top management support and entering mature markets. Cultural heritage plays a significant role in the strategy, creativity and leadership related to building global brands in Arab/Islamic countries. A preliminary model has been proposed based on the findings.
Research limitations/implications
This study is just a starting point for further research. The interaction and relationship between internal and external factors could be further investigated. For example, top management support can moderate the influence of local competition in global markets (Carpenter and Fredrickson, 2001). The proposed framework should be quantitatively measured across different brands for further analyzing the main factors that influence Arab/Islamic-origin brands to go global and generalizing findings. Furthermore, the role of each factor may differ from one industry to another. For example in service organizations, frontline employees are crucial to the success of the organization and challenging to standardize across global markets. Investigating the different combinations of strategy, creativity and leadership from one global market to another opens doors for further scholarly work in this area.
Originality/value
This is a pioneer study in attempting to understand the most relevant factors influencing Arab-origin brands to go global as compared to Western brands that are commonly researched in the literature. This study opens doors to further research related to Arab-origin brands globalization process as well as provides interesting insights to marketers and brand owners about the real reasons that may hinder and genuinely influence Arab-origin brands from taking their locally successful brands fully global.
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The purpose of this study is to outline the reasons for the 2011 Arab Spring and why the Arab states failed to achieve sustainability and inclusive growth over the past three…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to outline the reasons for the 2011 Arab Spring and why the Arab states failed to achieve sustainability and inclusive growth over the past three decades.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used the augmented growth model framework derived from a production function and a dynamic panel LSDCV estimation, which incorporates aggregated economic and political reform indicators generated by principal component analysis. The empirical analysis is a comparative assessment of the Arab region as a whole and the Gulf countries and emerging Arab countries. This study is based on several panel data models for the Arab region’s reform programmes from 1995 to 2018.
Findings
The absence of robust economic and institutional reforms was the main reason for the uprising. Structural reforms in Gulf countries have been insufficient and more difficult to address than macroeconomic stability. By contrast, Arab emerging economies have achieved strong progress in structural reform but with weak progress in economic stability. Critically, governance indicator reforms enhance growth, with different items of governance based on the type of each group of countries. The results of this study confirm that reform is simultaneously political, social and economical.
Practical implications
Economic reform should not be seen in a vacuum or in isolation from the political and social choices that society makes. Looking forward, the Arab reform agenda must address critical governance issues that hinder the effectiveness of reform policies.
Originality/value
Theoretically, this study reappraises governance’s role in economic growth using a unified mathematical model. Methodologically, this study analyses economic, social and political reform components in the Arab region using econometric analysis. Empirically, this study investigates regional socioeconomic reform programmes. Existing studies have failed to recognise the economic and institutional policy reform patterns in the Arab world.
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Ron Berger, Bradley R. Barnes, Liane W.Y. Lee and Matti Rachamim
The study aims to test a measurement scale to examine social business networks (Wasta) surrounding Arab Christians and Arab Muslims.
Abstract
Purpose
The study aims to test a measurement scale to examine social business networks (Wasta) surrounding Arab Christians and Arab Muslims.
Design/methodology/approach
A 31-item scale was used to capture Wasta, consisting of the following: Mojamala (emotional), Hamola (conative) and Somah (cognitive) tri-components. A total of 149 Christian Arab and 304 Muslim Arab respondents were sampled and multi-group structural equation modeling was used to confirm the concept and test several hypotheses.
Findings
The findings from the study reveal that in order for success to occur within the Arab context, a sequential process of first developing Mojamala is necessary, before Hamola can prevail. Christian Arabs are motivated to integrate with society and form relationships via generalized trust. Muslim Arabs meanwhile tend to retain their distinct culture, using social networks to forge particularized trust. Shariah principles may also play a significant role in explaining why satisfaction was not found to be a necessary condition for Arab Muslims in driving relationship performance.
Research limitations/implications
The study suggests that the 370 million Arab population may not be totally cohesive and should be refrained from being grouped together. In-group identification is a major contributor in explaining why business models are different between Arab Muslims and Arab Christians. The findings further support that Muslim Arab business models are based on tribalism or sheikocracy, whilst Christian Arab business models are based on legalistic frameworks and integration.
Practical implications
The study supports prior research associated with Muslim Arab business models based on tribalism or sheikocracy (Ali, 1995). The findings suggest that Arab Muslim business models focus on particularized trust as opposed to generalized trust that is common in Arab Christian business models and in most western countries. The study demonstrates that Mojamala (the emotional construct), Hamola (empathy) and Somah (particularized trust) are useful constructs for building Wasta and they serve a core element for Arab Muslim business models. Mojamala and Somah both directly affect satisfaction. Somah and satisfaction have a direct influence on performance.
Originality/value
The findings provide evidence to support institutional theory. Also from a stakeholder theory perspective, viewing companies, not only through an economic lens, but also building social institutions, can lead to a better understanding of business models drawing on diverse cultures and faiths. The study may therefore serve as a useful reference for academics and practitioners as they grapple to enhance satisfaction and leverage performance advantages within this context.
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