Title: The influence of Gulf States' culture upon workplace behaviour and motivation: a research program

Authors: Jessica Bellingham; Paul S. Gibson

Addresses: RMIT University, GPO Box 2476, Melbourne VIC 3001, Australia ' RMIT University, GPO Box 2476, Melbourne VIC 3001, Australia

Abstract: This paper argues for close examination of the relationship between Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) States' culture and organisational behaviour. Previous research has already identified a current predominance of authoritarian and hierarchical organisational structures, centralised decision making and the influence of in-groups on team work. In essence, it seems that GCC organisations exhibit low adaptability to many organisational practices due to the Western cultural value orientations embedded in those practices. There is a great need for research from which we can develop GCC culturally specific management approaches. The originality of this paper includes its presentation of a research framework designed to provide an emic understanding of why members of GCC culture sometimes resist, and sometimes adopt or adapt, Western management practices.

Keywords: culture; Bedouin; Gulf States; organisational behaviour; management practices; cultural influence; workplace behaviour; employee motivation; Gulf Cooperation Council; GCC countries.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBG.2016.074485

International Journal of Business and Globalisation, 2016 Vol.16 No.2, pp.171 - 187

Received: 31 Mar 2014
Accepted: 07 Jun 2015
Published online: 31 Jan 2016 *

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