Linzi J. Kemp

The Current State of Female Leadership in the United Arab Emirates

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to research the state of affairs in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the presence (or absence) of women in senior business leadership positions, and to investigate where they are located within organizations (e.g. board members, chief officers, vice presidents, top management, division or unit heads).Design/methodology/approach – This is a quantitative gender analysis of 954 organizations; based on data available from the Zawya database that tracks information about public and private companies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.Findings – Women are still underrepresented in senior company and top department leadership positions, however, they are found slightly (but not significantly) more in departmental leadership, pseudo services and hospitality industries, and in smaller and public companies.Research limitations/implications – The database utilized did not contain completed company data; specifically any response variable; hence, the study was d...

Integrating Web 2.0-Based Informal Learning with Workplace Training.

Informal learning takes place in the workplace through connection and collaboration mediated by Web 2.0 applications. However, little research has yet been published that explores informal learning and how to integrate it with workplace training. We aim to address this research gap by developing a conceptual Web 2.0-based workplace learning and training model. The model draws significantly on the theories and research of communities of practice, informal learning, and research on the application of social networking tools to informal learning. Implications of our study for workplace learning and training are discussed from theoretical and practical perspectives. Limitations and areas for future research are identified.

CSR reporting: a review of the Pakistani aviation industry

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the corporate social responsibility (CSR) content on corporate web sites and in annual reports, to identify the prevailing CSR dimensions and themes employed by the aviation industry of Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach – The authors use a qualitative content analysis of annual reports and corporate web sites to identify primary CSR dimensions and themes in the aviation companies in Pakistan. Findings – Only 13 out of 39 companies (or 33 per cent) clearly identified at least one CSR dimension in their financial reporting and/or on their web site. Overall content analysis revealed prevalence of two distinct CSR dimensions, including Social and Economic as well as Environment, and eight subsequent themes. Research limitations/implications – The present research is limited by a dearth of available CSR data in the aviation industry of Pakistan due to the lack of annual reporting and inconsistent web site information. An implication for future research is to support our rudimentary findings through in‐depth interviews and/or survey results. Practical implications – It is concluded that Pakistani aviation companies must increase CSR disclosure (CSD) in annual reports, in order to meet international requirements. Social implications – CSR information (in the aviation industry) is likely to raise public awareness about social, economic and environmental issues within the Pakistani society. It is subsequently likely to improve conditions for wider use of CSD within Pakistani companies. Originality/value – This is the first paper to analyze CSR disclosures within the aviation industry of Pakistan. The research adds value to the existing body of knowledge about CSR in developing countries, in particular within South Asia.

‘Trapped’ by metaphors for organizations: Thinking and seeing women’s equality and inequality

Gender was consistently identified as a major force in all editions of Images of Organization (Morgan, 1986, 1997, 2006), yet 30 years after publication of Morgan’s (1986) seminal work, women’s equality remains elusive in twenty-first-century workplaces. This state of affairs became the stimulus for the present research study, and its purpose the exploration of influences on women’s equality and inequality from the eight metaphors contained in Images of Organization (Morgan, 1986, 1997, 2006). Data were collected from a sample of 70 articles in 30 leading academic journals that referenced Images of Organization (Morgan, 1986, 1997, 2006), and were analyzed for within-domains similarity between the eight metaphors and imageries of women in organizations. The results were then investigated for women’s equality and inequality via content analysis. Four themes of influences on women’s equality and inequality were identified from these metaphors for organizations. The implications of these findings are discussed, and two novel images are introduced to progress equality for women. The contribution to scholarly knowledge from this study is the proposition that the influence of these metaphors for organizations has in effect trapped ways of seeing and thinking regarding women’s equality and inequality. The practical value of the current study lies in the proposal of new images to release organizational praxis for women’s equality to become a real force in twenty-first-century organizations.

Women in business leadership A comparative study of countries in the Gulf Arab states

This scholarly study is the first to compare business leadership in the Arab Gulf states in terms of the presence of female managers in various positions. It documents the status of women leaders—senior executives and managers—through a quantitative gender analysis of 2805 private and publicly listed companies in the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Kuwait, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Sultanate of Oman, the State of Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. The study details the positions women hold within organizations and analyzes and compares these by country, business classification, company size, and ownership. The contribution to cross-cultural management is that these data on gender composition in the workforce highlight the low participation of women in business leadership as an issue. Furthermore, the study provides knowledge for cross-cultural managers about cultural attitudes toward women’s economic participation in this geographical area. The research offers helpful insights and important implications for government leaders in these countries as well as for educators, practitioners, and scholars who work to help prepare and advance women to leadership within this region.

Modern to postmodern management: developments in scientific management

Purpose – The aim of the paper is to evidence the development of scientific management through the lens of postmodernism.Design/methodology/approach – The four principles of scientific management are deconstructed through a postmodern lens. Current management practices are analyzed for indicators of development in scientific management.Findings – The principles of scientific management are found within current management examples; measurement of knowledge production; empowerment; total quality management; teamwork. Scientific management, when deconstructed through the lens of postmodernism, is discovered to have developed over time.Research limitations/implications – The limitation to this study is a precise definition for postmodernism and postmodern management against which to “prove” any findings. The implication is to extend research on the development of scientific management in postmodern management.Practical implications – A practical implication for management practitioners is to apply a tenet of ...

Access to fieldwork: “strange” work in a Middle East setting

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to stress the importance of effectively gaining access to organizations for fieldwork, an essential element of work for a qualitative researcher.Design/methodology/approach – The paper investigates the cold calling and networking involved when 29 prospective organizations were contacted to gain permission to undertake research involving fieldwork, including observation and interview. The approach taken is a quantitative analysis of communicative media involved; e‐mails; telephone calls; and face‐to‐face meetings.Findings – Four organizations granted permission to research, a 7:1 prospect to success ratio. It was found that a great deal of time was spent in attempting to contact and follow up with gatekeepers. Three important barriers to gaining access were found, and ways to “lift” those barriers were attempted. Detailed record keeping of communication was vital, and specific documentation, invitation; a proposal; a protocol, created to negotiate access.Research limi...

Interrelationships between cultural intelligence dimensions and the role of intrapersonal intelligence

This study explores the purported interrelationships between the three dimensions of cultural intelligence (CQ) - mental, motivational and behavioural, and the role of intrapersonal intelligence in cross-cultural adaptation. The authors drew on the data collected, in 2004 and 2010, from 42 interviews with expatriate managers employed by Australian organisations in the Peoples Republic of China. The findings present insightful empirical evidence about the interrelationships between the dimensions. In particular, the study demonstrates how intrapersonal intelligence affects the perception and attitude of expatriate managers in the process of cultural adaptation. Implications for management practices and further CQ research are identified and discussed.

In their own time and space Meeting behaviour in the Gulf Arab workplace

In today’s globalized business environment, managers regularly interact with employees from different cultures. Since meetings are endemic to all business organizations, better understanding of the way meetings are conducted in diverse cross-cultural settings may increase organizational effectiveness. This study investigated business meetings in the United Arab Emirates, a country where ethnic diversity across the workforce is prevalent. The Gulf Arab region offers an eclectic mix of different cross-cultural interactions, when business meetings are being conducted. Using qualitative methods of inquiry, we collected data about meetings held in three large organizations, each with a diverse cross-cultural workforce. This study uses the conceptual framework of ‘organizational rituals’ to explore the nature of meeting behaviour. Findings suggest that behaviours in organizational meetings in the Gulf Arab states have many differences when compared with the norms of traditional ‘western-style’ meetings. Specifically, it was found that meeting times were treated rather flexibly in this cultural setting, with lateness, interruptions and a lack of time boundaries. Similarly, meeting space was fluid in this environment, with regular disruptions, open doors, and haphazard seating. Another observation is that the ethnic origin of the chairperson of the meeting determines many of the participant behaviours at these meetings. The main contribution of this research study is in identifying ritualistic behaviours that are very different to those of typical meetings held in western countries and reflect an eclectic mix of different cross-cultural interactions.

The symbolic meaning of artifacts for the workplace identity of women in academia

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to investigate the symbolic meaning attributed by women in academia to workplace artifacts. Design/methodology/approach – The research approach is that of auto-ethnography, whereby the authors, as researchers and participants, explore symbolic meaning from artifacts in their working environment. Findings – Three themes emerged on the symbolic meaning from artifacts for women in academia. The theme of “affect” revealed women as uncomfortable in their surroundings; “representation”, renders women invisible within the institution; and women felt themselves to be under “surveillance”. Research limitations/implications – The investigation is limited to one university, which limits generalizability. The implication is to replicate this auto-ethnographical study in other institutions of higher education. Practical implications – This paper implies that architectural, institutional and personal artifacts play an important role in defining women’s workplace identity. Social impli...