"From Desert to Destiny: Saudi Organizational Leadership: Within the Saudi Arabian Cultural Context"

Mark Charles Bechtold, Fielding's School of Human & Organizational Development

This qualitative study examines the ways in which Saudi Arabian organizational leaders and followers describe their experience of the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of organizational leadership within the context of the Saudi Arabian culture. A categorical content analysis of 15 organizational leader and follower responses indicates that effective Saudi Arabian organizational leaders are able to adopt culturally sensitive leadership styles and organizational development approaches that serve to enable, develop, and empower Saudi Arabian employees. The key themes informing this leadership style include relationships, leader-follower roles, the principles of Islam, and governmental support for business. A literature review on organizational leadership, Middle East Arab culture, Saudi Arabian culture, Middle East Arab organizational leadership, and Saudi Arabian organizational leadership serves as a basis for this study.