Managerial value systems for working in Saudi Arabia: An empirical investigation

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to investigate managerial value systems in Saudi Arabia. The results provide support for the proposition that Arabian managers are not homogeneous in their value systems. Although culture does influence managerial behavior and attitude, one should use caution in attributing complete validity to the theoretical and personal observations regarding the similarity of Arab values. ’ Bhagot and McQuaid (1982) and Hofstede (1976) rec-ognize the necessity of investigating value differences and of studying a specific culture in depth. The investi-gation of the structure of value systems within a society and the isolation of basic structural dimensions provide a mode for describing similarities and differences be-tween countries. Cultures not only differ in value-system hierarchies, but also in the weight attached to the values within the hierarchies (Whitely, 1981; Bar-rett & Bass, 1973). Even though increasing evidence suggests that effec-tive management practices have a universal identity ir-respective of culture (Koontz, O’Donnell, & Weihrich