Abstract Ten 2004

GLOBAL

DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

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Volume Three Winter 2003-Spring 2004 Numbers 3-4.

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HUMAN CAPITAL UTILIZATION, EMPOWERMENT AND ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS: SAUDI

ARABIA IN A COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE

Khalid Alyahya Richard Vengroff

Center for Middle East Studies Department of Political Science

Harvard University University of Connecticut

College House Storrs, CT 06268

Cambridge, MA 0213

Published online: February 10, 2017

ABSTRACT

This study of bureaucracy and organizational decision making examines bureaucratic and managerial practices pertaining to decision and leadership in Arab public organizations and the relationship of power and influence sharing to human capital resource (competence) utilization and organizational effectiveness in public sector organizations. The analysis is based on a recent survey of Saudi public sector administrators (n=391). The study examines the importance of participatory decision making for human capital resource utilization. The study’s findings expose a disturbing condition: “a human capital resource utilization and empowerment deficit” at different levels of hierarchy. Participatory management practices are shown to be associated with more effective decision making, competence utilization, and greater job satisfaction. Under favorable conditions, this ultimately leads to more successful and effective public organizations and contributes to good governance.