The Middle East Conflict in the Context of Tribal Disputes

In this commentary it is suggested that understanding and hence resolution of the Middle East conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Arabs could be better served by considering it a tribal conflict.     

Synthesis of Complex Criteria Decision Making: A Case Towards a Consensus Agreement for a Middle East Conflict Resolution

The title of this paper reflects both the process and the outcome of the current undertaking. Frustrated with the current state of the Middle East but encouraged by earlier attempts at modeling complex problems, the authors participated in a panel discussion assembled to address the conflict and propose a possible road-map to peace. However, the participants of this project did not come to a single course of action that will result in peace in the Middle East but did reach a consensus agreement about a resolution that needs to be managed. This paper explores the process, the outcome and the factors that influence the decision as well as potential pitfalls. The Analytic Network Process (ANP), a well known multicriteria decision making approach, applied frequently in recent years to examine conflicts around the world, is used in this analysis. It provides a framework for synthesizing judgments on the diverse aspects of the problem represented in the structure of the decision. It pieces together these judgments in a holistic and logical way.     

Multinationals in the Middle East: Challenges and opportunities

This introduction to the special issue on Multinationals in the Middle East first reviews the historical growth and development of multinational enterprises (MNEs) in the territory extending from Morocco to Turkey alongside the southern and eastern shores of the Mediterranean as far east as Iran, and south to Sudan and Yemen. Then, several opportunities and challenges affecting MNEs in the region are discussed, including economic and social diversity, non-market strategies and entry-mode choices, and animosity toward MNEs. The seven papers featured in the special issue that address these topics are then discussed.     

Business Ethics in the Middle East

The field of Business Ethics is still underdeveloped and negative stereotypes about the level of business ethics practice are prevalent. The field of Business Ethics is not yet institutionalized in the Academia of most ideastern countries. Most governments in the region have agencies to combat corruption. One of the interesting developments is the Eco-Peace organization for cross national cooperation in the field of ecology. The report concludes with some of the trends expected to impact economic developments and Business Ethics in the Middle East.     

Making Big Strides in the Middle East

China produced and sold approxi- mately 7.05 million vehicles in 2006,a number that makes it seem that Chinese auto manufacturers have never been worried about how to sell such a large number of autos.While completely satisfying the domestic market,most Chinese automakers such as Chery,Geely and Hafei,have also extended their sales networks to other developing countries.The Middle East     

Peace and Economic Interdependence in the Middle East

Can economic interdependence pacify the Middle East? While Middle Eastern countries have, for the most part, avoided the global trend of regionalism, this study provides empirical evidence that Middle Eastern countries with significant trade ties to other countries in the region do cooperate more and fight less. In addition to confirming the liberal notion of peace through trade, this study shows that several conditions outlined by the selectorate theory of political survival must be fulfilled if economic interdependence in the Middle East is to be achieved. A case study outlining Israeli and Turkish economic cooperation is used to show the selectorate model's regional compatibility. The regional applicability of the selectorate theory leads us to conclude that politically liberal countries are more likely to maintain economic relations with one another than with autocratic ones. Since liberal countries will be more economically interdependent with one another they will also be more peaceful towards one another. Ultimately, then, this study concludes that political liberalisation is one way of enhancing regional economic interdependence and consequently the prospects for a more peaceful Middle East.     

进入中东的桥梁--阿联酋

阿拉伯联合酋长国总人口237.74万人,位于阿拉伯半岛东部的波斯湾南岸.西北面与卡塔尔为邻,西南面与沙特阿拉伯为邻,东和东北与阿曼交界,海岸线长643公里.在阿联酋,阿拉伯人仅占1/3,其了为外籍人,来自35个国家.阿拉伯语为官方语言,通用英语,沿海地区使用波斯语.     

Ancient Observations on Business Ethics: Middle East Meets West

Drawing on a small sample of writings from distinguished philosophers and poets living in the Middle East in the period from the eighth to the first century BCE, it is shown that a variety of business practices provided familiar examples of how people ought to act and live, morally speaking, to enjoy the best sort of life and to be the best sort of person. The writings reveal that we share a common heritage and humanity with people living 20 to 28 hundred years ago, and that some of the observations are as important and useful today as they were when they were originally made.     

Women, Management and Globalization in the Middle East

This paper provides new theoretical insights into the interconnections and relationships between women, management and globalization in the Middle East (ME). The discussion is positioned within broader globalization debates about women’s social status in ME economies. Based on case study evidence and the UN datasets, the article critiques social, cultural and economic reasons for women’s limited advancement in the public sphere. These include the prevalence of the patriarchal work contract within public and private institutions, as well as cultural and ethical values which create strongly defined gender roles. The discussion examines the complexities of conceptualizing women’s equality and empowerment in Islamic states. The paper reveals that there have been significant achievements in advancing women in leadership and political roles, but that there are still institutional and cultural barriers embedded in business systems. Linking feminist, development and management theoretical strands a development framework is proposed which is sensitive to the Islamic Shar’ia encompassing government, organization and individual level strategies. It is suggested that scholars should integrate literatures from gender and management, development and Middle East studies, and in particular that critical scholars of gender and organization should consider the interrelations of the national and transnational in critiques of contemporary global capitalism to understand the complexity of women and social change in the ME.     

Managerial values in the greater Middle East: Similarities and differences across seven countries

Our study of the cultural values of managers in the Greater Middle East uses a unique sample of 989 respondents across seven countries (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Pakistan, Turkey, and the UAE). The primary focus of our paper is the assessment of the differences and similarities in collectivism, individualism, and universalism values within the region. While acknowledging that the empirical research foundation for the Middle East is minimal, we develop directional hypotheses based upon the historic socio-cultural influences and contemporary economic and political factors that may influence business ideology. In sum, our findings show significant between-country differences for all three of these values dimensions. We conclude with a discussion of these differences and why they may have occurred. We also provide suggestions for new avenues of research that our findings indicate are relevant.     

A Middle East Free Trade Area: Economic Interdependence and Peace Considered

The Bush administration hopes that through a Middle East Free Trade Area (MEFTA), peace and stability can be achieved through intra‐regional economic cooperation. The current impediments to intra‐regional economic cooperation, however, will make a MEFTA a hub‐and‐spoke trade relationship between the United States and the Middle East. Neoliberal arguments for the interrelation of peace and economic interdependence in the context of the Middle East are then considered.     

高管团队派系冲突的诱发前提、演化机理及其对组织绩效的影响——基于HB公司的纵向跟踪研究

采用纵向案例研究方法,对HB公司高管团队的特征演化进行历时8年的现场观察和跟踪,结果表明:在层级结构的组织内,派系冲突产生的先决条件有两个,一是冲突双方势均力敌,二是一方认为对方触动了自己的根本利益。冲突演化的路径是从认知冲突到情感冲突,最终转化为派系冲突。此外,当高管团队间的冲突停留在认知和情感阶段时,对企业经营绩效的影响并不显著,一旦升级为派系冲突,其对企业绩效的负向影响便逐渐显现。     

Trade Logistics in Developing Countries: The Case of the Middle East and North Africa

This paper presents an analysis of obstacles facing exporting firms in developing countries by diagnosing the efficiency of trade logistics in the Middle East and North Africa region (MNA). Using logistics chain analysis for six export commodities, it presents evidence that transport and non‐transport logistics costs for export commodities from the MNA region are quite substantial, ranging from 7–25 per cent of landed product prices. Underlying these costs are key bottlenecks identified as: inefficient trucking and transport services, low export volume leading to long shipping times and the need for costly inventory accumulation, aggressive, obstructive customs authorities and procedures, low and inconsistent product quality, an underdeveloped transport intermediary sector, inefficient cross‐border transit procedures and others. Recommended actions to address developing a national transport policy, overhauling the regulatory regime for the trucking sector, export promotion measures, increasing competition in port and air freight services, reorienting customs authorities towards trade facilitation and developing cross‐border transit procedures similar to the TIR Carnets model.     

Survival of Japanese subsidiaries in the Middle East and North Africa

This paper considers factors affecting survival of foreign subsidiaries in the context of Japanese foreign equity ventures in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Three new institutional variables, economic distance, economic freedom distance and subsidiary density, are examined as determinants of survival while controlling for other determinants previously established in the literature. The findings support our hypotheses. We found that economic distance and economic freedom distance exhibit significant positive and negative relationships respectively with the survival of Japanese FDI in the MENA region, and moderate positive relationship between subsidiary density and subsidiary survival.     

“基础和支柱说”:演化脉络与前行态势——兼论现代财税体制的理论源流

“十四五”规划关于建立现代财税体制的部署,理论源头系“财政是国家治理的基础和重要支柱”.党的十八届三中全会所作出的这一重大论断,牵动了包括财政概念、财政职能格局、财税体制性质、财政学科属性、财政基础理论体系、财税体制改革方向等一系列变化.从根本上说来,这一论断及其所牵引的变化揭示了现代财政发展规律的基本底色,开启了一个大不相同于以往的财政基础理论建设新阶段.从党和国家事业发展全局的战略高度全面理解、准确把握这些财政基础理论建设成果,对于将建立现代财税体制行动落到实处,确保抓住要害、踩到点上、不走偏变样,非常重要.     

Personality Traits and Peace Negotiations: Integrative Complexity and Attitudes toward the Middle East Peace Process

Much of the literature on negotiation focuses on the effect that various personality factors, characterizing the parties or mediators involved in the process, have on negotiation outcomes. Nevertheless, there hardly can be found a study, which examines these factors with psychometrically reliable and valid tools. The present study uses psychodiagnostic projective method for measuring the personality trait known as integrative complexity, which is considered as a basic factor that connects cognitive traits to attitudes toward conflict resolution. In a sample of 26 Israeli students this trait, assessed by two Rorschach measures - the blend responses and the frequency of organizational activity - has been revealed as a personality characteristic that might explain seeking compromise agreements in negotiation. Individuals low in integrative complexity tend to rely on highly competitive and less cooperative tactics much more than highly integrative complex individuals. Projective measures for integrative complexity, assessed in this study, are suggested to test people as they are assigned to teams charged with important tasks involving complex group decisions and negotiation. In future studies of complex group decisions this psychodiagnostic approach might be used as a part of the support systems in the process of group negotiation.     

西方财政理论变迁的政治学分析

政治学是研究以国家为中心的各种政治现象及其发展规律的科学,财政学则是研究政府的经济行为及其效应的经济学分支.二者在研究内容上存在许多交叉领域,如国家的本质及职能、公共选择、国家制度等.实践中,各国的财政体制皆与其政治体制、国家结构密切相关,不同的政治制度、国家结构必然产生不同的财政制度安排.理论上,政治学的进步有利于财政理论的创新,历史上几乎每一次财政理论创新都与一定的政治思想和国家学说密切相关.     

The Middle Path: Using Dual-Investor Theory in Teaching Business Ethics

Graduates of business ethics courses often fail to apply what they have learned to decisions in business life because, this study finds, neither stakeholder theory nor shareholder-oriented theories seem satisfactory – less than 7% of respondents felt either view achieved the best balance between social responsibility and making a profit. Dual-Investor theory offers students a framework within which to articulate and think through the ethical dimensions of business decisions, a framework 77.8% of respondents overall and 82.1% of business students claimed they were most likely to use in making their own decisions. The paper provides three sample cases illustrating the instructional advantages of Dual-Investor theory and points out several ways instructors might use Dual-Investor theory in business ethics courses.     

Towards the Development of an Empirical Model for Islamic Corporate Social Responsibility: Evidence from the Middle East

Journal of Business Ethics - Academic research suggests that variances in contextual dynamics, and more specifically religion, may lead to disparate perceptions and practices of corporate social...