Journal of Business Management & Social Sciences Research (JBM&SSR)
Volume3, No.2, February 2014
ISSN No: 2319-5614
King Abdullah, A Leader Towering Above Constraints in Saudi
Arabia
Dr. Deepanjana Varshney, Senior Faculty, Department of Business Administration, King Abdulaziz University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Abstract
King Abdullah, the present ruler of Saudi Arabia has been an icon of leadership, reform and path-breaking policies in recent times. The research paper gives a detailed exposition on the various approaches of leadership substantiated with the
activities performed and policies implemented by the King. The second section of the paper analyzes the policy imperatives
in the backdrop of the social, political and cultural framework. In this perspective, the King can be referred to as a unique
situational leader who has risen against prevailing barriers and constraints. The Islamic model of leadership stresses on
khuluq or behaving ethically towards human beings irrespective of religion, acts as a trustee, be humble and righteous and
continuously strive for self- improvement. To sum up, the King embodies the different leadership styles along with threads
of Islamic principles in the paper
Keywords:. charismatic; king Abdullah; leadership; transformational; Saudi Arabia
Introduction
Saudi Arabia stands out among Gulf monarchies due to
the size of its polity, its strategic influence in and outside
the Gulf, and its unique influence in the Muslim world as
the keeper of the two holiest sites in Islam: Mecca and
Medina. There are also substantial pressures affecting
the status quo relationship between the monarchy and
various societal forces [1].
widely appreciated benevolent monarch recent times
have witnessed. He carries with him deep insights about
various perspectives of his country, religion, people on
the one hand and foresights of connection and communication with different parts of the world on the other hand
thus signaling a paradigm shift in the existing ideologies
and practices of Saudi Arabia.
In the search for rapid economic progress, the country
faces various socio-cultural challenges. There are contradictory forces that have been blowing over the country. There is the orthodox, rigid impact of Islamic principles, tribal family system and the authority-oriented
Ottoman system. Against this backdrop rapid industrial
development, technological progress and Western impact
have entered in the last few years.
At the onset, the paper will discuss King Abdullah in the
light of the leadership approaches and highlight the key
reforms he has taken. The research questions arise:
Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Custodian of the
Two Holy Mosques ascended to the throne on 1 August
2005 upon the death of his half-brother, King Fahd. Abdullah held important political posts throughout most of
his adult life. In 1961 as a young man, he became mayor
of Mecca, his first public office. In 1962, he was appointed commander of the Saudi Arabian National
Guard, a post he was still holding when he became king.
He also served as deputy defense minister and was
named crown prince when Fahd took the throne in 1982.
After King Fahd suffered a serious stroke in 1995, Abdullah became the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia until
claiming the throne a decade later.
King Abdullah has been perceived as the leader of his
people and genuinely cherished inside and outside his
country as a rare humanitarian, a dynamic reformer who
has also been deftly balancing his religious obligations
as "Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques". He is the most
www.borjournals.com
a)
Does King Abdullah possess visionary and charismatic qualities as a leader?
b) Can he be termed as a transformational leader?
The next section will evaluate on the select situational
constraints against which the monarchy is striving to
assert the policy imperatives and a framework of development.
Leadership dimension
There is a particular trend in research on charismatic
leadership; much of it subsumes vision within charisma
[2]; [3]; [4]; [5]; [6]; [7]; [8].
Charismatic leaders can be described as ‘meaning makers’ where the amount of charisma attributed to a leader
increases as the leader’s vision becomes more idealized
in the minds of followers [9]. Vision is central to charisma and “charisma involves the ability to provide a
compelling vision” [10]. It has been argued that a charismatic leader articulates a vision for the organization,
and this vision, in turn, provides the framework for organizational strategies [11].
Blue Ocean Research Journals
48
Journal of Business Management & Social Sciences Research (JBM&SSR)
Volume3, No.2, February 2014
There is a confusion arising from the neo-charismatic
leadership theories that have combined charisma and
vision into a single construct. This paper focuses on this
fundamental concept where each is a different construct
namely vision, charisma within the transformational leadership framework [12].
Discussing charismatic leadership leads us to the nature
of charisma to be discussed here in context of the King
which is socialized charismatic leadership. Personalized
charismatic leaders use their charisma effectively to
achieve their own ends. Socialized charismatic leaders,
on the other hand, use the power of their charisma to
achieve organizational (or societal) goals. As far as charisma is concerned, both types of leader have charisma
and both can be effective in what they want to achieve.
“Charismatics can foster antisocial or pro social behavior. One cannot exclude one or the other for valid scientific reasons; the dynamics may be similar” [13].
Charismatic Theories And The Applicability
On The King
Charisma can be defined as “a certain quality of an individual personality by virtue of which he is set apart from
ordinary men and treated as endowed with supernatural,
superhuman, or at least specifically exceptional powers
or qualities” [2]. He saw charismatic leaders as mystical,
personally magnetic, and gifted [14].
He has been playing a pivotal role in the defining areas
which is mentioned below:
Philanthropic Gestures
The philanthropic nature of the King has been commended time and again. During the Global Food crisis of
2008 the King made a generous contribution of $500
million which was considered as “timely” and significant
[15].
There have been numerous instances when he has come
forward to light up the lives of the downtrodden and the
underprivileged. His generous donations include aid for
young children from malnutrition (2007), Iraqi refugees
in Syria and Jordan (2008), displaced Pakistanis through
United Nations (2009), eradication of Polio (2009), Palestinian refugees (2010), refugees in Ethiopia (2010) and
the flood relief to Pakistan (2010) are the humble gestures that shows a virtuous individual whose care and
empathy calls for high regard and admiration.
Mission, Core Values and Social Identity of
King Abdullah
There is an argument that charismatic leaders strongly
engage followers’ self-concepts in the interest of the
mission that has been articulated by the leader [16]. A
person’s self-concept is composed of personal values
and social identities. According to the authors, all the
www.borjournals.com
ISSN No: 2319-5614
values and social identities are organized hierarchically,
such that the more central a value is to a person’s selfconcept, the more that value will influence the person’s
choice of behaviors in a particular situation. Similarly,
the more important a social identity is, the more likely
the person will seek out opportunities to perform his or
her role according to the requirements of that identity
[17]. By effectively linking followers’ self-concepts to
the mission, charismatic leaders are able to increase the
intrinsic valence of followers’ efforts and goals.
The central or core value of carrying forward the values
of Islam highlight his key guiding role which also complements with his social identity as the monarch and the
Custodian of the two Holy mosques. He has been firm in
advocating the teachings of Islam from time to time focusing on its noble concepts. At the same time he has
opposed the slandering of the religion by some sections
of the globe.
He had always maintained "that the most important features distinguishing Saudi society are its religious values,
belief in the leadership and commitment to the unity of
the nation. He stressed on the importance of national
dialogue, which he said played a major role in the promotion of differing views" [18].
Another charismatic leadership theory is largely a follow-centered process and is based on the social contagion phenomenon. The author argues that few followers
actually come into direct contact with the charismatic
leader [19]. This is very much apt from the point of view
of the King as he has the aura of exclusivity and privacy
around him, only the close coterie of members have his
access and communication.
Finally, transformational leadership has four components: (1) idealized influence or charisma, (2) inspirational motivation, (3) individualized consideration, and
(4) intellectual stimulation [4]. The original transformational leadership theory had only three components and
did not include ‘inspiration’. This dimension was added
when Bass and his colleagues re-formulated the theory
[20]; [21]. These four I’s of transformational leadership
interact to influence followers to change or cope with
change by means of setting a vision, aligning followers
to the vision through effective communication and lastly
by motivating and inspiring followers to move toward
the vision [21].
Transforming Qualities As A Leader:
The analytical discussion of the following dimensions
reflects his deep visionary acumen in an explicit manner
and the consequent transforming measures:
Blue Ocean Research Journals
49
Journal of Business Management & Social Sciences Research (JBM&SSR)
Volume3, No.2, February 2014
Redefining And Repositioning Islam:
The 9/11 terrorist attacks created several ripple effects
across the Saudi regime. The first was a significant strain
in its alliance with United States, as 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi nationals. The second, and most significant in terms of a direct threat to the Al-Saud regime,
was a new wave of domestic terrorism in 2003 led by
various extremist factions, including Al Qaeda. The
U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan also served as
a focal point of extremist opposition. In a time span of a
year and a half, there were over five separate terrorist
incidents in Saudi Arabia, shaking the appearance of
domestic stability [22].
As a ruler he could foresee the growing miscommunications and perceptual distortions with different religions
and their manifestations through terror and gruesome
worldwide violence. He had taken those initiatives that
reflected Islam as a truly distinctive and enriching religion that speaks of tolerance, love and immense feeling
of brotherhood.
King Abdullah offered an outstretched hand to other
faiths, engaging in a historic meeting with the Pope in
November 2007 at the Vatican and calling for a dialogue
of faiths centered on his fundamental belief in peaceful
coexistence. King Abdullah’s travel to the Vatican was
the first such visit for a Saudi king. The World Conference on Dialogue, sponsored by King Abdullah and
hosted by King Juan Carlos of Spain in the summer of
2008, brought together hundreds of leaders from the
Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist and other
faiths together in a historic gathering that broke barriers
and promoted greater understanding [23].
The ability to transcend above the boundaries of religion-social divides have been demonstrated by the King
in all his activities where he essentially spoke of everyone being the “brothers and sisters of humanity” and this
is indeed an awe-inspiring statement from a monarch
who had the capacity to discern the universal mankind
globally and the ushering in of an era of peace, development and goodwill.
Most importantly, King Abdullah has backed his words
with wide-ranging actions from peace summits to development aid to robust diplomacy toward solving conflicts
[23].
In fact the “Messengers of Peace” Project embodies
King Abdullah’s overarching vision through which he
has sincerely made an endeavor to create a common platform of worldwide unity and speech. He advocated that
in doing so human minds will be uplifted from the existing hatred and wrong-doings. King Abdullah understands that a paradigm change comes only through fo-
www.borjournals.com
ISSN No: 2319-5614
cused education of the people, hence he has entrusted
Prince Faisal Bin Abdullah, Minister of Education with
the responsibility of the project. The Peace Gift program
complements with the Project in making the youth of the
country forge a harmonious relationship with over thirty
million scouts throughout the world.
Visionary leadership has been termed as a sort of drama
by some researchers. The authors proposed that a visionary leader first of all has a vision, then goes on to
communicate it to other members of the organization,
and then realizes it by empowering his or her followers
to help him or her achieve the vision [24]. This is what
precisely the King has been doing in the last few years
even if it had ruffled some conservative feathers. He has
articulated his overusing vision into remarkable feat of
political, social and economic measures.
Stride towards Moderation
With time King Abdullah had exhibited a steadfast and
continuous effort to transform the revolting aspects of
extremism and move towards a platform of moderation.
Among the most significant moves were elections at the
municipal level in 2005 and expanded powers for the
Consultative Council, including some access to budget
information and the ability to propose new legislation
[25].
In 2009, after a period during which reform had been
largely viewed as stalled, King Abdullah announced a
significant reshuffling of his cabinet. These changes
were notable, as they placed more reform-minded and
technocratic ministers in top positions including the ministries of education and the judiciary, along with the appointment of Nora bint Abdullah al-Fayez as Deputy
Education Minister, the first women to serve in a senior
ministerial position [26].
In the past 10 years the regime has pursued both a carrot
and stick approach to reform—allowing selective privatization of the economic sector through such mechanisms as membership in the World Trade Organization,
and pushing for gradual reform of the social sector
through a series of a national dialogue forums broadcast
on national television on topics such as women’s rights
and religious tolerance, all while coming down hard on
opposition [27].
Other significant moves included the expansion of the
Senior Ulema Committee and 2010’s royal decree limiting the power to issue official fatwas to the Senior Ulema Committee, both of which were seen as trying to
limit the ability of religious interests to oppose reforms
[28].
Blue Ocean Research Journals
50
Journal of Business Management & Social Sciences Research (JBM&SSR)
Volume3, No.2, February 2014
Education
The education sector, in King Abdullah’s rule, has been
witnessing gigantic achievements to keep pace with
scientific and technical developments around the world.
About a quarter of the country’s budget is allocated for
education each year [29].The Kingdom is currently investing heavily in the creation of a wide educational infrastructure, including Higher Education [30].
King Abdullah has embarked on a rapid transformation
of the higher education system, expanding from 6 to 24
universities in less than ten years, in addition to allowing
for the cautious introduction of private education and
funding a massive $2.4 billion overhaul of K-12 education [1].
Empowering Women
Professor Fawziah al Bakr argues that segregation is
stopping the sector from progressing both locally and
internationally. Not only are women treated as inferiors,
she said, but ‘‘you always have to have double buildings
and double management’’ [31].
While there is a tendency for both Muslim and nonMuslim commentators to take a polarized view of religion-based gender segregation, it is undoubtedly one of
the main barriers to status in the international academy.
At the onset, it must be acknowledged that it is a complex issue [32].
In summary, there are growing numbers of varying Islamic feminist voices. Some are calling for the removal
of the segregation as there is no historical basis for it.
Others are calling for reciprocity of the obligation in
segregation to be enforced: that if women are to cover
their faces to avoid being ogled then men are to avoid
ogling them. In the Islamic academy too, traditional rationales for segregation, such as ‘protection’ for women,
are being challenged by the idea that segregation reenforces the intellectual denigration of women [33].
In recent times, the royal decree issued by Custodian of
the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to appoint 30
highly educated Saudi women to the Shoura Council
(consultative assembly) and to ensure women make up at
least 20 percent of the Council in the future is a key turning point in the history of the Kingdom [34].
Today, King Abdullah’s determination is geared toward
empowering women not only socially and economically,
but also politically, while boosting their role in mainstream Saudi national life. He is addressing the traditional gender inequalities through the adoption of a national
agenda favorable to a greater role for women in politics.
By opening new opportunities for them in the Shoura
Council, he is giving women the tools they need to lead
www.borjournals.com
ISSN No: 2319-5614
in the decision-making process. Moreover, by supporting
and promoting Saudi women’s rights, he is establishing a
foundation of equal rights and equal opportunities for
men and women in general and in particular at the higher
executive level [34].
The desire of women to find a place for themselves in
the workforce has been fed by the expansion in women’s
education [35].
In 2010 the newly created Princess Noura Bint Abdul
Rahman University in Riyadh topped the list of funding
from the public purse, receiving 238.8 million US dollars. The expenditure exemplifies the duality of the
King’s approach. On the one hand he is undaunted by
spending such a large amount of money on a university
only for women. On the other by doing so he is maintaining the dominant social paradigm of gender distinction: at least for the time being. The issue of gender distinction in Higher Education is one of the issues that are
causing concern within the Kingdom’s academy [32].
Women have been moving steadily into new areas of
private- sector employment that were unacceptable a
generation ago, such as advertising, broadcasting, and
journalism, while women work in at-home offices in
professions that are closed to women, such as architecture. Women now work in shops that cater exclusively to
women, and there are also entire shopping malls catering
exclusively to women and employing only women [36].
In July 2012, Saudi Arabia announced that it would allow its women athletes to compete in the Olympics for
the first time. Officials say the country's Olympic Committee will "oversee participation of women athletes who
can qualify". The decision will end recent speculation as
to whether the entire Saudi team could have been disqualified on grounds of gender discrimination. The public
participation of women in sport is still fiercely opposed
by many Saudi religious conservatives. There is almost
no public tradition of women participating in sport in the
country. Saudi officials said that, if successful in qualifying, female competitors would be dressed "to preserve
their dignity [37].
The growing role of women in the various areas requires
admiration and in line to this slowly gender segregation
borders should be dimmed. The process has been started
by the King and needs to be continued along with other
threads of policies.
Employment, Saudization And The Expatriate Dimension
Unemployed and underemployed youth in Saudi Arabia
are growing impatient waiting for structural reforms to
take root [38].
Blue Ocean Research Journals
51
Journal of Business Management & Social Sciences Research (JBM&SSR)
Volume3, No.2, February 2014
An example of this dilemma is the king’s recent announcement of an increase in public sector salaries, unemployment benefits, as well as the intention to create
one million jobs through accelerated Saudization of the
workforce [39].
The Ninth Development Plan seeks to reduce unemployment rate among the national workforce from
around 9.6% in 2009 to about 5.5% by the end of the
Plan in 2014 [40].
The unpleasant question arises that will such earnest
measures really catalyze the employment process in the
long term? The drive for the growth of the private sector
at an average annual rate of 6.6% over the period of the
Plan, thus increasing its percentage share in GDP up to
61.5% by the end of the Plan (pg 25) poses the delicate
question again related to the mismatch between general
Saudi skills and the competitive demands of the private
sector.
The 9th plan clearly articulates the Saudization dream:
Increasing the share of national manpower in total labor
force (Saudization rate) from 47.9% in 2009 to approximately 53.6% in 2014 by providing 1.1 million job opportunities to labor market entrants [40]. Despite the
program which has been pursued with focus and zeal has
been dampened to some extent not by the well-thought
measures and streamlined policies but the acute skill and
demand mismatch and other related problems already
discussed.
Nevertheless, Saudization can only become genuinely
successful when the local skill base is ready to take off
in terms of Knowledge, skills and competencies for the
radical growth and development introduced. Till the time
the level is not reached the support of expatriates is an
unwilling compulsion. Once the target is reached in the
years to come then the expatriate role can be diluted and
ultimately phased off. Till then, an extensive training and
skill development action plan (long term) with the help
of experts and the expatriates needs to be expedited fast.
For this program, the role of the expatriate in skill development should be outlined in details with fair expat policies.
The expatriates who constitute a majority of the workforce are somehow an ignored segment of the country’s
population who presence is reminded subtly from time to
time as being a burden on the country’s unemployed
workforce. However research portrays a different picture. It seems there is a persisting sense of caution in
exhibiting open appreciation towards the expat contribution domain as that might send signals that might undermine the local’s sentiments and abilities.
www.borjournals.com
ISSN No: 2319-5614
There are seventeen factors which are believed to be the
main factors in the low participation rates of Saudi
workers in the private sector, which amongst others,
include language skills, lower wages, and benefits, inflexibility of relocation in the Kingdom, long working
hours etc. However, besides this, the high preference for
the governmental sector might also have a deeper
grounded reason [41]. Policy makers may have given little importance to the fact that “the expatriate worker, whether in the
field of production or services, contributes to the GDP of
the Kingdom”.
A conducive uniform, expatriate policy for the sincere
and performing ones may minimize the sense of alienation persisting from the unconscious neglect. Moreover
do not they deserve some more dignity and recognition
than mere contractual workers?
It has to be remembered that expatriates are here today
because of certain deep-rooted gaps in the skills and other related reasons already analyzed in a vast body of research and transformation can come only if there is a
mutual, collaborative professional association between
the nationals and the outside workers. This will usher in
faster development of the citizens and gradually expatriate reliance can be phased off without disturbing the
applecart.
Concluding lines
Ironically, the prevailing constraints have been posing
barriers for the policy implementations for King Abdullah; nevertheless he has demonstrated himself as the
towering figure that has continuously ushered in changes
for the better within the domain of socio-religious bottlenecks, educational and cultural backwardness.
At the beginning of the paper the charismatic and visionary qualities of the King as leader has been given a detailed exposition through the various reforms and transformational measures of Abdullah amidst the prevailing
situational constraints. This finally reinforces the fact
that the leadership qualities of the king which is in sync
with the expectations of the followers.
Not for a single moment had he deviated from his fundamental role of the religious leader (the custodian of the
two Holy mosques). His own value system has been
well-defined but here I would like to mention that unlike
his predecessors he redefined himself as a Social figure
and a perfect role model of leadership in the world. The
combination of vision and charisma is indeed a rare
combination which his personality and actions blend
with ease and excellence.
Dr. Shobani in the launch of his book titled “King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia: A Leader of Conse-
Blue Ocean Research Journals
52
Journal of Business Management & Social Sciences Research (JBM&SSR)
Volume3, No.2, February 2014
quence” has aptly emphasized six areas where
the King’s contribution has been remarkable,
namely, institutionalizing dialogue, empowering reformists, curbing extremism, exercising prudent foreign
policy, bringing transparency and growth to the financial
system, and promoting education [42].
Indeed he has rounded off well when he highlighted the
King’s performance in a short span of time by the statement that "no Saudi leader has transformed Saudi Arabia
to the extent that King Abdullah has."
King Abdullah is the epitome of such a charismatic
global figure who has been the guiding force for the
Muslim as well as non-Muslim population of the world.
One can say he possesses the exceptional qualities that
make us bow to him: immense love for humanity, tolerance, the advance acumen of comprehending the farreaching role of women, the broad vision of forging
ahead without violating the essential teachings of Islam.
He is the father-figure all countries would really yearn to
have to look up. The alluring attractiveness of his magnificent personality is lasting and his dignity, humility
speaks a lot about the priceless individual that he is.
King Abdullah has been named as the most influential
Muslim among 500 Muslims for the past 4 years [43].
Charisma, in his case has been spread out in the different
areas of his gestures, activities and chalking out the coherent and awe-inspiring vision. In December 2012,
Forbes named him as the seventh most powerful figure
in its list of the "World’s Most Powerful People" for
2012 [44]
References
ISSN No: 2319-5614
[6]. Conger, J.A., & Kanungo, R.N. (1987). “Towards a
behavioural theory of charismatic leadership in organisational settings.” Academy of Management Review, 12(4):
637-647.
[7]. Avolio, B.J., & Bass, B.M. (1988). “Transformational leadership, charisma, and beyond”, in J.G. Hunt,
B.R. Bagliga, H.P. Dachler, & C.A. Schriesheim (eds.),
‘Emerging Leadership Vistas’, 29-49. Lexington, MA:
Lexington Books.
[8]. House, R. J., Spangler, W.D., & Woycke, J. (1991).
“Personality and charisma in the U.S. presidency: a psychological theory of leader effectiveness.” Administrative Science Quarterly, 36: 364-396.
[9]. Conger, J.A. (1989). “The Charismatic Leader: Behind the Mystique of Exceptional Leadership.” San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
[10]. O’Connor, J., Mumford, M.D., Clifton, T.C., Gessner, T.L. & Connelly, M.S. (1995). “Charismatic leaders
and destructiveness: a historiometric study.” Leadership
Quarterly, 6(4): 529-555.
[11]. Sashkin, M. (1988). “The visionary leader” in J.A.
Conger and R.A. Kanungo (eds.), “Charismatic Leadership: the Elusive Factor in Organisational Effectiveness”, 122-160, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
[12]. Khatri, N., Alvin, N.G. & Tracy, H. L. (2001).
“The distinction between charisma and vision: An empirical study.” Asia Pacific Journal of Management,
18(3): 373-393.
[1]. Nolan L. (2011). “Managing Reform? Saudi Arabia
and
the
King’s
Dilemma.”
http://
www.brookings.edu/research/papers/2011/05/saudiarabia-nolan Accessed on 19th Feb, 2013.
[13]. Bass, B.M. (1990). “Bass and Stodgill’s Handbook
of leadership: Theory, Research and Managerial Applications.”3rd edition. New York: Free Press.
[2]. Weber, M. (1925). “Economy and Society” 3 vols,
edited by G. Roth and C. Wittich . New York: Bedminster.
[14]. Avolio, B.J., & Yammarino, F.J. (1990). “Operationalizing charismatic leadership using a level-ofanalysis framework.” Leadership Quarterly, 1(3): 193208.
[3]. House, R.J. (1977), “A 1976 theory of charismatic
leadership”, in J.G. Hunt and L.L. Larson (eds.), “Leadership: the Cutting Edge.” Carbondale, IL: Southern
Illinois University Press.
[4]. Bass, B.M. (1985). “Leadership and Performance
Beyond Expectations.” New York: Free Press.
[5]. Bennis, W.G., & Nanus, B. (1985). “Leaders: the
Strategies for Taking Charge.” New York: Harper and
Row.
www.borjournals.com
[15]. Faiz Al-Najdi (2012). “Compassionate King Abdullah”. Saudi Gazette.
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=hom
e.regcon&contentid=20120524124863. Accessed on 24th
Dec, 2012.
[16]. Shamir, B., House, R. J. & Arthur, M. B. (1993).
“The motivational effects of charismatic leadership: a
self-concept-based theory.” Organisational Science, 4:
577-594.
Blue Ocean Research Journals
53
Journal of Business Management & Social Sciences Research (JBM&SSR)
Volume3, No.2, February 2014
[17]. Yukl, G. A. (1998). “Leadership in Organisations,”
4th edition. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
[18]. Saudi Gazette, (August, 2012). “Do not use language
of
exclusion:
King
Abdullah.”
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=hom
e.regcon&contentid=20120813133000. Accessed on 15th
March, 2013.
[19]. Meindl, J. R. (1990). “On leadership: an alternative
to the conventional wisdom”, in B.M. Shaw and L.L.
Cummings (eds.), “Research in Organisational Behaviour,” vol. 12: 159-203, Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.
[20].Burns, J. M. (1978). “Leadership”. New York:
Harper and Row.
ISSN No: 2319-5614
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=hom
e.regcon&contentID=20110923109345. Accessed on 5th
Feb, 2013.
[30]. Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. (2009). “Saudi Arabia increases spending on
education.” https://community.oecd.org /docs/DOC2055;jsessionid=20BEED17588971E82
062BF3A616D470F. Accessed on 01 Jun 2013.
[31]. Murphy, C. (2010). “Cleric’s support for men and
women mingling sparks furore.” Christian Science
Monitor. http://goatmilkblog.com /2010/04/14/clericssupport-for-men-and-womenmingling-in-public-sparksfuror-in-saudi-arabia/. Accessed 10th Dec 2012.
[21]. Bass, B. M., & Avolio, B. J. (1994). “Improving
Organisational Effectiveness through Transformational
Leadership.” Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
[32].Onsman, A. (2011). “It is better to light a candle
than to ban the darkness: government led academic development in Saudi Arabian universities.” Higher Education, 62:519–532.
[22]. Hegghammer, T. (2010). “Jihad in Saudi Arabia:
Violence and Pan Islamism since 1979.” Cambridge
University Press.
[33]. Halim, S., & Meyers, M. (2010). “News coverage
of violence against Muslim women.” Communication,
Culture & Critique, 3, 85–104.
[23].Elmershedi, O. (2012). “King Abdullah: His times,
challenges and achievements.” Saudi Gazette.
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=hom
e.regcon&contentID=20120204116901. Accessed on
10th Jan, 2013.
[34]. Almunajjed, M. S. (2013). “Doors opening for Saudi women”,
http://www.arabnews.com/doors-opening-saudi-women
Accessed in 25th March, 2013.
[24]. Westley, F. & Mintzberg, H. (1988). “Visionary
leadership and strategic management.” Strategic Management Journal, 10: 17-32.
[25]. ICG Middle East Report No. 28, (2004). “Can
Saudi
Arabia
Reform
Itself?”
http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/Middle%20Ea
st%20North%20Africa/Iran%20Gulf/Saudi%20Arabia/C
an%20Saudi%20Arabia%20Reform%20Itself.ashx. Accessed on 5th Nov, 2012.
[26]. Ghafour, P.K.A. (2009). “Major government reshuffle.” Arab News.
[27]. Human Right Watch (2010). “Saudi Arabia:
Charges
against
Rights
Activist
Frivolous.”
http://hrw.org/news/2010/07/14/saudi-arabia-chargesagainst-rights-activist-frivolous Accessed on 14th May,
2013.
[28]. Boucek, C. (2010). “Saudi Fatwa Restrictions and
the State-Clerical Relationship.” Arab Reform Bulletin,
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
[35]. Doumato, E. A. (1999). “Women and Work in
Saudi Arabia: How flexible Are Islamic Margins?” Middle East Journal, 53 (4),568-583.
[36]. Hassan, J. (1997). “Saudi Women Given Green
light in Hotel Industry.” Internet Arab View in English
(as reported in FBIS-NES-97-070 11 March 1997).
www.arab.net/arabview/articles/ hassan.1/ html. Accessed on 15th Jan, 2013.
[37]. Gardner, F. (2012). “London 2012 Olympics: Saudis
allow
women
to
compete.”BBC.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east18571193. Retrieved 28 June, 2013.
[38]. The Peninsula, (2011). “Unemployed Saudi graduates stage rare protest.” http://www. thepeninsulaqatar.com/middle-east/138569-unemployed-saudigraduates-stage-rareprotest.html. Accessed on 12th April,
2013.
[39]. Khan, G. A. (2011). “Saudis to have over a million
jobs in two years.” Arab News.
[40]. 9th Development Plan (2010), pg. 24.
http://fanack.com/fileadmin/user_upload/Documenten/Li
[29]. Saudi Gazette, (2011). “Visionary leadership.”
www.borjournals.com
Blue Ocean Research Journals
54
Journal of Business Management & Social Sciences Research (JBM&SSR)
Volume3, No.2, February 2014
ISSN No: 2319-5614
nks/Saudi_Arabia/Report_Ninth_Development_Plan.pdf.
Accessed on 15th Jan, 2013.
[41]. Dosary, A. S. (2004). “HRM on manpower policy?
Options for government intervention in the local labour
market that depends upon a foreign labor force: the Saudi Arabian perspective.” Human Resource Development
International, 7 (1), pp. 123-135.
[42]. Blakely, A. (2010). “King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia: A Leader of Consequence.”
http://www.wrmea.org/wrmea-archives/351washington-report-archives-2006-2010/may-june2010/9070-music-a-arts-king-abdullah-of-saudi-arabia-aleader-of-consequence-html.Accessed on 14th April,
2013
[43]. The Muslims 500, (2012). “The World's Most Influential Muslims.” http://themuslim500.com/. Retrieved
9 February 2013.
[44]. Al Arabiya (2012). “Saudi King Abdullah named
7th most powerful figure in the world”.
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/12/07/253856.h
tml. Retrieved 8 December 2012.
www.borjournals.com
Blue Ocean Research Journals
55