Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations

Permanent URI for this communityhttps://drepo.sdl.edu.sa/handle/20.500.14154/10

Browse

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 10 of 21

Restricted
How Does Transformational Leadership Influence Employee Creativity Through Psychological Empowerment in the Health Industry? Lessons from Existing Theoretical and Empirical Literature
(Queen’s Business School, 2024-09-13) Bin Jower, Aisha; Makowski, Piotr
This dissertation investigates the effect of transformational leadership on psychological empowerment and creativity in healthcare settings. The study addresses how leadership styles affect innovation and the performance of organisations in an industry that is chronically stressed, where rules are strict and ever-changing, and where patients’ needs are in constant flux. It uses a mixed-methods approach to existing data to explore several pertinent themes. One of these is how the behaviours of transformational leaders influence empowerment and how empowerment, in turn, mediates creativity among healthcare professionals. Furthermore, this research combines a quantitative analysis with a thematic qualitative review of the relevant literature to shed light on the association between leadership, empowerment, and creativity. The results indicate that transformational leadership has a strong, direct, and positive effect on psychological empowerment, which serves as a mediator for employee creativity, leading to improved innovation and job satisfaction. Also, it underscores ’the importance of context, demonstrating that effective healthcare leadership strategies should be tailored to the particulars of the environment if they are to achieve the desired effect. The dissertation concludes by recommending that healthcare organisations develop leadership programs that empower and nurture adaptability in their leaders: essential qualities that enable an organisation to meet the many challenges currently facing the healthcare industry. Future research should explore the specific kinds of leadership that serve the healthcare context and the support systems needed to create a culture of creativity within organisations
4 0
Restricted
Large-System Transformation in Healthcare and the Roles of Senior Leaders: A Case Study from Saudi Arabia
(University of Manchester, 2024) Bawhab, Omar; Nelson, Adrian; Coleman, Anna; Mahon, Ann
The implementation of large-system transformation in healthcare is complex and multi-faceted, requiring effective leadership at all levels, particularly from senior leaders. However, there is limited conceptual clarity around large-system transformations in healthcare and the roles senior leaders play in driving such transformations, especially in a non-Western context. This thesis addresses these knowledge gaps by exploring senior leaders' perceptions of large-system transformation and their role in its implementation in Saudi Arabia. Using a qualitative single case study design, this research gathered insights from 22 senior leaders at national and regional levels of the Saudi healthcare system through semi-structured interviews. The study employed an inductive-deductive thematic analysis approach, guided by the Health System Dynamics Framework, sensemaking theory, and systems leadership perspectives. Two conceptual frameworks were developed: one delineating ten key components of large-system transformation in healthcare, and another outlining seven critical roles of senior leaders during such transformations, six categories of enablers, and eight types of challenges. The large-system transformation framework highlights the interconnected nature of contextual triggers, climate for change, vision, leadership, governance, actors, resources, processes, social forces (e.g., resistance to change), and information flow. The senior leaders’ roles, enablers, and challenges framework emphasizes leaders' responsibilities in creating a climate for change, communicating and learning, managing resources, engaging stakeholders, setting strategic direction, managing social dynamics, and developing key leadership attributes. The framework also indicates multiple enablers and challenges relevant to the roles of senior leaders, providing a nuanced understanding of the complexities involved in healthcare system transformations. This research contributes to the theoretical understanding of large-system transformation in healthcare and senior leaders' roles, enablers, and challenges, particularly in a non-Western context. It offers practical implications for healthcare leaders and policymakers engaged in system-wide transformations. Future research directions are suggested to further validate and expand upon these findings.
12 0
Restricted
Large-System Transformation in Healthcare and the Roles of Senior Leaders: A Case Study from Saudi Arabia
(University of Manchester, 2024) Bawhab, Omar; Nelson, Adrian; Coleman, Anna; Mahon, Ann
The implementation of large-system transformation in healthcare is complex and multi-faceted, requiring effective leadership at all levels, particularly from senior leaders. However, there is limited conceptual clarity around large-system transformations in healthcare and the roles senior leaders play in driving such transformations, especially in a non-Western context. This thesis addresses these knowledge gaps by exploring senior leaders' perceptions of large-system transformation and their role in its implementation in Saudi Arabia. Using a qualitative single case study design, this research gathered insights from 22 senior leaders at national and regional levels of the Saudi healthcare system through semi-structured interviews. The study employed an inductive-deductive thematic analysis approach, guided by the Health System Dynamics Framework, sensemaking theory, and systems leadership perspectives. Two conceptual frameworks were developed: one delineating ten key components of large-system transformation in healthcare, and another outlining seven critical roles of senior leaders during such transformations, six categories of enablers, and eight types of challenges. The large-system transformation framework highlights the interconnected nature of contextual triggers, climate for change, vision, leadership, governance, actors, resources, processes, social forces (e.g., resistance to change), and information flow. The senior leaders’ roles, enablers, and challenges framework emphasizes leaders' responsibilities in creating a climate for change, communicating and learning, managing resources, engaging stakeholders, setting strategic direction, managing social dynamics, and developing key leadership attributes. The framework also indicates multiple enablers and challenges relevant to the roles of senior leaders, providing a nuanced understanding of the complexities involved in healthcare system transformations. This research contributes to the theoretical understanding of large-system transformation in healthcare and senior leaders' roles, enablers, and challenges, particularly in a non-Western context. It offers practical implications for healthcare leaders and policymakers engaged in system-wide transformations. Future research directions are suggested to further validate and expand upon these findings.
9 0
Restricted
Examining Transformational Leadership's Impact on Employee Growth and Satisfaction in Dammam – A Comparative Study of Public & Private Healthcare Facilities in Dammam
(Leeds Beckett University, 2024-08) Almutairi, Abdullah; Arogundade, Suhaib
Transformational leadership has been applied in several organisations in leading changes and breakthroughs that have been critical to the survival and transformation of the performance of the organisations where they have been applied. In this light, the aim of this research is to examine the influence of transformational leadership on employee growth and satisfaction in the healthcare industry of Dammam, Saudi Arabia. The positivism research philosophy is employed, along with a deductive approach and a survey research strategy. In the survey conducted, a total of 107 potential respondents were contacted, with 80 responses obtained. Both descriptive and inferential analysis were employed in analyzing the data collected. The descriptive analysis showed that both the private and the public healthcare facilities had leaders that employed styles and methods that were aligned with the transformational leadership approach. However, more respondents in the public healthcare facilities agreed to the positive impact that transformational leadership has on their satisfaction and growth, compared to the private healthcare facilities. While this suggested that the impact of transformational leadership on growth and satisfaction was more in the public healthcare facilities, the inferential analysis conducted revealed that the difference in the impact was only significant when considering promotion of workload management (work-life balance), performance, team morale, and team problem resolution as indicators of transformational leadership.
29 0
Restricted
Shared leadership in the context of change: A Saudi Arabian case study
(Queen's University of Belfast, 2024) Alsabaan, Faisal Saleh; Murphy, Joanne; Cullinane, Niall
Leadership is a major research subject for many scholars, and approaches to the study of leadership range from a concern for distinctions between leaders and leadership, the role of leadership in strategy and strategic decision-making, behavioural approaches to leadership, systems and network approaches, including those that encompass complex adaptive systems and enduring concerns for leadership through and beyond organisations, system-wide change, and sharing of authority through shared leadership. Shared leadership and its impact on teams and organisations have been major research concerns for decades. Shared leadership is a horizontal style of leading, unlike traditional leadership behaviour, and focuses on team collective leadership. The term describes a team process that distributes leadership among team members, empowering each member to act as a leader instead of relying on a single designated leader. Traditional leadership and shared leadership are not interchangeable; rather, they act to complement one another. Given that the case study and the research time frame align with a period of discontinuous change for the organisation. This PhD thesis aims to identify and investigate shared leadership practices within a case study organisation undergoing a process of change. It identifies within the literature the factors that affect the development of shared leadership practices and how these factors impact the accomplishment of organisational change. In doing so, it constructs a model of shared leadership in practice and dimensionises how that model operates in an empirical setting. The researcher utilised a qualitative approach to collect the data for this study from a Saudi commercial organisation. The researcher collected the data through semi-structured interviews. The researcher applied the embedded case study approach because they conducted the study in three different regions of one commercial organisation. The study sample consisted of branch managers, heads of departments, and branch members. The researcher interviewed the case CEO, five branch managers, three heads of departments, and 17 team members across the three regions. This PhD thesis has provided a deeper understanding of the empirical implementation of shared leadership, specifically within the context of organisational change. The conceptual model of shared leadership in practice provides an opportunity to empirically explore how key factors of shared leadership operate in a real-world environment. It makes a useful contribution to the growing body of shared leadership literature. The conceptual model yielded useful insights for identifying shared leadership practices within the case study organisation. The researcher was able to gain a comprehensive understanding of the empirical implementation of these factors and their impact on shared leadership practices, particularly in the context of organisational change. The conceptual model effectively facilitated the identification of shared leadership practices within the case study organisation and explored the influence of these factors on the successful implementation of organisational change in Saudi commercial organisations.
57 0
Restricted
DEVELOPING A MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP APPROACH SUITABLE FOR THE META-MODERN WORLD
(Leeds Beckett University, 2024-05) Alwuthaynani, Mohammed Saud; Cox, Peter
The aim of this research project was to improve the adequate leadership and management approach for the hotel sector in Saudi Arabia aligned with cultural transformation of Vision 2030 using Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions Theory. In the first chapter of the research, it has been detailed how Saudi Arabia Vision 2030 is being focussed while introducing the research topic and discussing the background for the research. It is shown how Saudi Arabia has distinct variation in its Hofstede cultural dimensions. The research aim, objectives and structure have been provided for further direction along with discussion on the importance for the research and problem related to lesser understanding on the leadership practice in Saudi Arabia. The second chapter of the research project covers detailed literature review on the topic. The literature review uses the existing research papers to highlight different management and leadership styles in the KSA hotel sector, culture focussed on Saudi Arabia 2030, impact of organisational culture as well as leadership style on employee motivation and cultural factors influencing leadership decisions. Hofstede cultural dimension theory and contingency theory were covered in theoretical framework. The effective leadership strategies in Saudi Arabia and literature gap were given. The third chapter highlighted the complete research methodology used for the research. The discussion included details on the search strategy, keywords utility, and framework for research, inclusion criteria, exclusion criteria and database used for aiding the overall data collection process. The limitations and critique for the chosen approach were also discussed. The fourth chapter of the research dissertation entailed a scoping review on the selected problem of leadership and management approach useful for Saudi Arabia hotel sector. The summary of the overall scoping review was also discussed thoroughly focussing on the key themes. The fifth chapter of the research study highlighted conclusion formed based on the research findings showing how Saudi Arabia needed to embrace change to accommodate Saudi Vision 2030 goals for its hotel businesses. Objectives were linked with the findings and a set of SMART recommendations were given in this chapter detailing what the hotel sector of Saudi Arabia needed to focus on along with a discussion of the future scope.
27 0
Restricted
The Intersection of Islamic Values and Ethical Leadership in Saudi Arabian SMEs and Their Influence on Employees’ Behaviour.
(University of Reading, 2024-08) Alanazi, Mohammed; Bourne, Dorota; Adewale, Adeyinka
This study explores ethical leadership and Islamic values in Saudi Arabian SMEs and their impact on employees’ behaviour. Using a qualitative methodological approach, data has been collected from semi-structured interviews with 30 employees and leaders representing five Saudi SMEs. The findings indicated that Saudi SME leaders act in accordance with Islamic principles and values and that in doing so, their behaviour and actions resemble ethical leadership. However, although most Saudi SME leaders exhibit ethical behaviour, others not – despite professing adherence to the Islamic faith. When leaders act ethically, their employees are more likely to do the same. Likewise, when leaders act unethically, their employees are more inclined toward unethical behaviours. Perhaps surprisingly, however, some leaders behave so ethically that they ultimately exert a negative influence on ethical employee behaviour. Furthermore, this study has found that Saudi SME leaders demonstrate four Islamic values – accountability, consultation, justice and trust – at three different levels: excessive, adequate and deficient. The behaviour of the leaders varies across the three levels, which also impacts the ethical behaviour of their employees. Based on the findings, it has been argued that an ‘adequate’ level of the four values is preferable to excessive or deficient levels. This is because at the adequate level, the four leadership values create a positive impact on employees. Contrarily, the impact of values at excessive and deficient levels is negative.
21 0
Restricted
Decoding the Impact of Leadership Multiplicity on Innovation Adoption: The Role of Dual Leadership in Data-Supported Decision-Making Adoption in the UK Local Government
(University of Reading, 2024-06-28) Jad, Sumayya; Nakata, Keiichi
Data adoption in decision-making has been identified as a primary solution for the increasing challenges confronted by local government authorities in the United Kingdom, thus contributing to the improvement of public service provision. Consequently, numerous research is conducted to investigate data adoption in the UK local government. However, little is known about the impact of the dual leadership hierarchies on the adoption of data-supported decision-making (DSDM) within the specified context. Therefore, this thesis aims to investigate the role of dual leadership in the adoption DSDM in the UK local government. To achieve this, the thesis conducts an inductive qualitative comparative approach, where data is collected from 13 local authorities in the form of documentation and semi-structured interviews. As thematic analysis and constant comparative analysis methods are applied to analyse the data, it is found that there are three coexisting decision-making logics in the UK local government. Moreover, based on the Institutional Logics Perspective, it is found that the higher the instantiation of the profession institutional order in the decision-making logics, the higher the adoption of data-supported decision-making in local authorities. Furthermore, based on the Diffusion of Innovation in Organizations, it is found that the dual leadership schemes manifesting as a result of interactions occurring among the decision-making logics significantly impact the level of data-supported decision-making adoption within local authorities. In addition, five leadership-related factors are found to influence a local authority’s level of DSDM adoption: level of delegation, dual leadership relationship direction, political arrangement and stability of a local authority, and the political experience of local authorities’ leading councillors. These results contribute empirically to the research context by exploring the different dual leadership schemes and explaining each’s influence on the adoption of the phenomenon. Moreover, this thesis contributes theoretically to literature by extending the Diffusion of Innovation in Organizations theory to include organizations with multiple leadership hierarchies by adding the multiple leadership schemes as a construct under the leadership dimension. Practical implication of the research is presented by proposing an enhancement to a data maturity model for local government.
18 0
Restricted
Assembling Privatisation Policy and Practice in Saudi Arabia
(University of Sussex, 2024-05-24) Almaged, Sara; Vine, Rebecca; Petrakaki, Dimitra
New Public Management (NPM) has proved to be irresistible among governments in discussions about public sector reform. Traditionally, it encompasses a concerted effort to improve accountability, decentralisation and cost-efficiency. Unfortunately, it often fails to deliver these promises, and research reveals complexities of dissemination, resulting in a persistent divergence between theoretical promises and real-world implementation. Despite this, the NPM doctrine has been transferred from Western countries to developing countries and in Saudi Arabia, it has become the primary policy objective. This thesis investigates the evolution and enactment of the Saudi government’s policy for privatisation. The ontology of privatisation policy is examined by addressing three subsidiary questions: (1) how has privatisation policy evolved over the last twenty years? (2) who or what are the dominant actors driving change? and (3) how does it compare to the promises presented in the Saudi government’s official policy discourses and publications? An actor-network theory-inspired performative case study is developed to trace the re-assembling of privatisation between 1995 and 2022. The findings demonstrate inertia and an incapacity to turn the black box of the privatisation policy into reality with a prolonged period of stasis due to counterbalancing struggles and suspicions between three dominant actors: leadership, delegated authority and urgency. This thesis contributes to Callon’s (1980;1986) study of translation and displacement and his conceptualisation of the socio-logical structure of problematics, certainties and suspicions. Fundamentally, problematics are observed as being synonymous with cognitive intentions rather than specific spokespeople. As a result of this, there is a persistence of suspicions that continue to destabilise certainties. Practical recommendations describe the need for a closer evaluation of each sector’s socio-economic strengths and weaknesses alongside developing a more comprehensive privatisation plan with sectoral milestones, a schedule for implementation and more realistic timescales. Furthermore, specific transformational processes are recommended underpinned by complexity leadership.
9 0
Restricted
Constructing Women Leaders’ Identity in the Context of Saudi Higher Education
(University of Aberdeen, 2024-04-02) Alqahtani, Tahani H.; Moonesirust, Elham.; Cai, Jing
This qualitative research aims to investigate and understand the construction of leadership identities among female leaders in the context of Saudi Arabian academia, which is argued as an extreme case of gender inequality. By doing so, this research addresses a crucial gap in existing literature. While prior studies have predominantly focused on enumerating the challenges faced by Saudi female leaders, this research aims to delve deeper into how these women construct their leadership identities and navigate their roles amidst formidable obstacles. In order to address the main research question—namely, 'How do women construct their identity as leaders in leadership roles in the Saudi higher education sector, traditionally considered a ‘male domain’ in this context?'—this study employs a social constructionist approach. It integrates Giddens' Structuration Theory (agency-structure) with insights from feminist and gender studies. This theoretical lens acknowledges identity as a socially constructed phenomenon shaped by an individual's active interpretation and reflexive engagement within their social and cultural context, emphasising the role of agency in identity formation. Data for this research were gathered through semi-structured interviews with Saudi women leaders in Saudi higher education. A purposive sampling method selected 40 participants from three public universities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Thematic analysis was applied to analyse and interpret the collected data. The study delves into the intricate roles undertaken by Saudi women, with a particular emphasis on societal expectations related to their roles as mothers, wives, and housewives. It underscores how these societal norms often overshadow professional aspirations, resulting in restricted leadership opportunities for women in Saudi Arabia. The findings of this study shed light on how Saudi women construct their leadership identity through distinct approaches— namely, 'womanhood,' 'motherhood,' 'champion,' and 'diplomatic'. All four of these approaches, despite their differences, share a common objective: challenging societal resistance to women assuming leadership roles in the Saudi context. However, these leaders exhibit resistance and assert their agency in distinct ways. The first group, embracing 'womanhood' and 'motherhood' styles, tends to minimise resistance by aligning with societal expectations and fulfilling prescribed roles for Saudi women. These women recognise that the same system requiring them to embody the 'good Saudi woman'—who should be nice, obedient, and men's followers—is the one that allows them to be leaders, especially if their leadership style aligns with motherhood or womanhood. This strategy allows them to assume leadership roles with reduced social resistance by adhering to traditional norms, suggesting that not all Saudi female leaders perceive these norms as universally detrimental or obstructive. The second group, adopting 'champion' and 'diplomatic' styles, actively challenges societal expectations. They acknowledge substantial limitations imposed by men on female leaders in decision-making and influence. Even within these styles, these leaders operate within the confines of cultural, legal, and systemic constraints, avoiding actions that would exceed these boundaries. Therefore, it is apparent that a multitude of interactions exist between the agency of these women and the structures. This study meticulously identifies and delves into diverse forms of interaction. The first interplay attempts to normalise women's leadership through a variety of strategies. The second interplay attempts to undermine social structures that assert women should lack authority and power. On the other hand, there are interactions that form the most significant structure, which is women's subordination to men. Furthermore, the study also sheds light on the importance of several factors in influencing the leadership identities of Saudi women in higher education. These factors encompass their backgrounds, childhood and parental influences, different educational experiences, family support, and the organisational contexts in which leadership roles are assumed. Finally, this study contributes theoretically by enriching academic literature with a gender perspective, specifically focusing on the female viewpoint within Giddens' Structuration Theory. It not only addresses the existing gap in the literature regarding how Saudi women construct their leadership identities but also illuminates how they exercise agency as leaders, resist structural constraints, and explores the interplay between their agency and the structural context. Additionally, this study holds empirical significance by providing a 'thick description' of the lived experiences, background and challenges faced by Saudi women leaders. It dispels mistaken assumptions in the literature that promote 'one-size-fits-all stereotypes about Arab women' by delving into the unique cultural and societal context of Saudi Arabia, rather than making broad generalisations about the experiences of Saudi women.
17 0

Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations

Browse

Filters

Settings

Sort By

Results per page

Search Results