Authentic leadership, empowerment, and positive outcomes:hearing the voices of the events industry

The purpose of this study is to investigate the direct and indirect relationships between authentic leadership and job satisfaction; and those between authentic leadership and organizational commitment, using empowerment as a mediator in the events industry. Quantitative data were obtained from 304 participants from sport, cultural, and personal events in the Middle East. Three hundred and four surveys were completed. The results show that empowerment mediates the relationships between authentic leadership and job satisfaction, as well as between authentic leadership and organizational commitment in the events industry. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed, together with limitations and ideas for future research

Leadership development in an Arab context: the case of Syria

Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Bedfordshire.Leadership development is adopted as a strategy to become a learning organisation. The emphasis on leadership or transfer of leadership training is perceived as central to the development of a learning organisation, which is the only sustainable competitive advantage in response to an increasingly unpredictable business environment. Leadership development may be seen as oriented towards building capacity in anticipation of unforeseen challenges. In this vein, developing leadership behaviours/capabilities might be a priority for successful organisations. This suggests that organisations should be able to develop their leaders by ensuring the harmony between the requirements of corporate strategy and the context in which they work. Given the fact that leadership is such essential part of organisational development, the methods for developing the leadership behaviours/capabilities must be present. Without defining leadership behaviours/capabilities, and their development methods, organisations may fail to optimize the outcomes of their leadership. This indicates the importance for understanding how leadership development (LD) is approached. Consequently, this study explores how LD occurs and what factors influence this phenomenon in the Arab context using evidence from Syria, and develops an integrated model to support the introduction of LD to organisations operating in the Syrian/Arab context. This study utilises a qualitative multiple-case design to understand and explain the character of and the influence on LD in the Arab world using evidence from Syria. Specifically, the study was based upon a sample of three cases of for-profit companies. Research data was gathered through 36 in-depth semi-structured interviews with the middle and top management levels. The findings reveal that LD occurs through the process that begins once a company identifies its leadership needs. This occurs by analysing internal/external environment to select the leadership behaviours/capabilities required, and their development methods. It was noted that this process seems to be similar among the three companies, but the type of behaviour/capabilities required tends to be context specific. Additionally, the findings reveal that there were two types of factors that influence LD at the three companies: Factors were seen as determinant factors through which the decisions of whether to introduce LD were made; and factors influencing the successful application of LD. The findings also reveal that there is a dynamic interaction between the mechanism used for understanding the weakness to identify leadership needs from one side and the context in which the companies operate from the other side. This relationship poses the basis for each company to select what fits its internal/external needs. This was evident through the types of behaviours/capabilities required and the purpose of each development method adopted by each company for developing the behaviours/capabilities required. The findings provide several contributions, but the major contribution is the discovery of how LD is applied in an Arab context, what behaviours/capabilities and development methods work best with for-profit companies in this context, how companies operating in an Arab context identify leadership needs for development, and what factors they perceive as determinants of LD and what factors influence the implications of LD. The study makes an additional contribution by developing an empirical model for introducing LD in an Arab context using evidence from Syria. The model was based on the data obtained from the field study. This could be appropriate for the Syrian/Arab context from one side that shares the same traditional characteristics, and companies working in these contexts (Arab) from the other side

Simple but effective criteria:rethinking excellent qualitative research

Despite unremitting efforts to develop quality criteria of qualitative research, traditional criteria for the trustworthiness of qualitative results are still predominant in interpretive and naturalistic inquiries including Ph.D. studies. This work does not aim to replace the existing quality criteria but rather to update and simplify those criteria to include credibility, confirmability, and representativeness. The purpose of the study is to offer a review of existing criteria and strategies for qualitative research and to suggest simple criteria and strategies that will win the confidence of the academic community and augment the trustworthiness of qualitative research

The role of technology-ethical leadership interaction in minimising unethical acts:implications for research and practice

Various historical events and attitudes have demonstrated that ethical leaders might intentionally or unintentionally make unethical decisions. History suggests that ethical leaders relying on strong technology alone could make unforgivable mistakes, but their interaction can limit such mistakes. In this study, we suggest that the interaction between technology and ethical leadership is proposed as a key factor in precluding or minimising unethical decisions by providing checks and balances capable of reducing the potential for unethical acts. A conceptual model is offered, along with propositions to help guide future research and practice. The degree to which technology and ethical leadership interact represents one of the key factors in understanding the potential for ethical/unethical acts. This conceptual study does not contain empirical data. This study is the first attempt that proposes the need of technology-leadership interaction to minimise unethical acts

The role of technology-ethical leadership interaction in minimising unethical acts:implications for research and practice

Various historical events and attitudes have demonstrated that ethical leaders might intentionally or unintentionally make unethical decisions. History suggests that ethical leaders relying on strong technology alone could make unforgivable mistakes, but their interaction can limit such mistakes. In this study, we suggest that the interaction between technology and ethical leadership is proposed as a key factor in precluding or minimising unethical decisions by providing checks and balances capable of reducing the potential for unethical acts. A conceptual model is offered, along with propositions to help guide future research and practice. The degree to which technology and ethical leadership interact represents one of the key factors in understanding the potential for ethical/unethical acts. This conceptual study does not contain empirical data. This study is the first attempt that proposes the need of technology-leadership interaction to minimise unethical acts

Responsible leadership as an approach to facilitate Olympic work engagement via learning organization

This study investigates the relationship between responsible leadership and work engagement using learning organization as a mediator. A quantitative approach was used in the present study. Data were collected from 302 participants, using evidence from the sports event industry in Japan. The results revealed responsible leadership positively affects learning organization and work engagement. The results also suggest that learning organization partially mediates the relationship between responsible leadership and work engagement. A qualitative approach is needed to more fully understand how/why responsible leadership development affects employee work engagement and the role of learning organization. Responsible leadership development has become essential for creating sustainable positive impacts in the sports event industry

Marketing meal kits:from customer agency to corporate social responsibility

Meal kits delivered to the home have become increasingly popular in recent years, particularly during the COVID-19 virus pandemic. Several companies offer these through monthly subscription with a vast range of ingredients and easy-to-follow recipes based on chef-inspired meals that customers can cook themselves. This paper examines the marketing of meal kits from three UK companies in terms of how they discursively construct the agency of the consumer. The study is based on a thematic analysis of web-based marketing material from the companies in terms of more or less coherent rhetorical ways of constructing matters in terms of common place descriptions, tropes, figures of speech, and metaphors. The findings point to several ways in which such a positioning is achieved under four thematic headings: the creative and committed consumer, the ethical consumer committed to sustainability, the consumer as an efficient time-saver, and the consumer aligned with corporate social responsibility. It is argued that this marketing approach is more elaborate than conventional identity approaches associated with brands, in that it taps into the consumer’s sense of agency both with and beyond the product

Women-only Leadership Positions in the Middle East: Exploring Cultural Attitudes towards Syrian Women for Sport Career Development

Based on the gender ratios in the leadership positions of general sport organisation in Syria, this article aims to explore the reasons behind the low level of women in sport leadership positions. Leadership training used in the general sport organisation in Syria for high-skilled leaders serves to understand the how individual leaders develop in sport bodies, but it fails to explain the reasons for the low level of women in senior sport administrative positions. In this study, I attempt to analyze the cultural aspects to find out: the nature of challenges surrounding women's' career development; and how Syrian women learn and develop within the institutional-cultural context of Syria. Data were collected by semi-structured interviews with ten Syrian women leaders: eight from sports governing bodies, one from the National Olympic Committee, and one from the high executive committee. Implications for addressing the challenges for the low level of women in top management in Syrian sport are outlined.Keywords: national culture, leadership, development, Syrian women, and sport