Thinkers360
Interested in getting your own thought leader profile? Get Started Today.

Ahmad M. Salih, DBA

Cultural Transformation | Digital Transformation | Associate Professor|Digital Leadership | Digital Strategy | Adaptive Leadership | Mentor | Author | Speaker | Aikido Coach: Works at Khatib & Alami PTE, Singapore / Heriot-Watt University

Toronto, Canada

Dr Salih is a Vice President Knowledge Management and Operational Excellence at Khatib and Alami PTE, Singapore. He is also a faculty at Edinburgh Business School - Heriot-Watt University. His background of research includes leadership, Cultural Intelligence, entrepreneurship, Digital Transformation and Aikido in large scale business.

In his capacity, lately, as a Knowledge and Innovation Management executive, Dr Salih has been leading the selection and implementation of suitable digital platforms, as a strategic choice, to manage knowledge creation, sharing and curation company-wide. This is accomplished through the development of communities of practice for ongoing services such as Building Information Management (BIM) and digital document management systems.

As a cultural transformation architect, Dr Salih has led many transformation programs company-wide to achieve direct results in efficiency and profitability where he has been employing theory and practice to reach the best outcomes.

Dr Salih’s strategic leadership competencies and skills enabled him to multiple organizational transformations including digital business transformation, especially at the times that require agility and adaptability, to ensure business continuity.

As an experienced Project Manager and organizational entrepreneurship expert, Dr Salih established and led the project management unit within K&A in 2006 and planned to maintain it operational till today.

On the academic dimension, Dr Salih is a course leader and designer of leadership and digital business strategy, author, coach and teacher of leadership, Aikido, entrepreneurship and lately digital transformation. His latest book published with Routledge marks a new milestone in the leadership domain.

Available For:
Travels From: Dubai
Speaking Topics: Digital Transformation (Strategy), Intelligent Cross-cultural Leadership, Entrepreneurship, PMO Establishment, Cultural Intelligence, Organizational D

Ahmad M. Salih, DBA Points
Academic 2181
Author 368
Influencer 57
Speaker 100
Entrepreneur 459
Total 3165

Points based upon Thinkers360 patent-pending algorithm.

Thought Leader Profile

Portfolio Mix

Company Information

Company Type: Service Provider
Business Unit: Operational Excellence / School of Social Science
Minimum Project Size: Undisclosed
Average Hourly Rate: Undisclosed
Number of Employees: Undisclosed
Company Founded Date: Undisclosed
Last Media Interview: 05/16/2022

Areas of Expertise

Agile
AI 30.01
Big Data 31.01
Business Continuity 31.59
Business Strategy 44.49
Change Management 77.08
Cloud 30.38
Coaching 30.50
COVID19 42.61
CRM 30.86
CSR
Culture 65.95
Customer Experience 30.89
Customer Loyalty 32.41
Design Thinking
Digital Disruption 32.53
Digital Transformation 47.14
Digital Twins 52.66
Diversity and Inclusion 30.10
Ecosystems 49.92
Emerging Technology 30.96
Entrepreneurship 50.67
ERP 33.52
Future of Work 31.43
Generative AI 30.17
Health and Wellness 32.41
HealthTech 30.82
HR 32.40
Innovation 34.00
IoT 30.06
Leadership 59.76
Management 35.07
Marketing 30.72
Mental Health 30.14
Mergers and Acquisitions 35.82
Mobility
Procurement 32.92
Project Management 72.24
Public Relations
Retail 34.35
Risk Management 34.29
Sales 32.42
Social
Startups
Supply Chain 32.64
Sustainability 40.82

Industry Experience

Engineering & Construction
Healthcare
High Tech & Electronics
Higher Education & Research
Professional Services
Real Estate
Retail
Utilities

Exclusive Content    Join Ahmad M. Salih, DBA's VIP Club

I have a book with Routledge in the production stage which will be published in April 2022. The book is about Culture in international business.

2 Coursewares
Digital Business Strategy - Platforms and Ecosystems
Thinkers360
February 13, 2022
Digital transformation, as new business strategic direction, has been rapidly spreading globally. Moving from an option or strategies choice into a mandatory direction is quite obvious because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, all organisations, to a certain degree of, have started their journey.

See content

Tags: Culture, Digital Transformation, Ecosystems

Digital Leadership
Thinkers360
February 13, 2022
In the era of knowledge, globalisation and digital transformation, the digital Leadership, part of the digital leadership program, aims to develop in students a critical appreciation of leadership theory in the digital age. Sustainable and adaptive leadership in addition to leadership/followership e

See content

Tags: Culture, Digital Transformation, Leadership

1 Speaking Engagement
Using Aikido to create an egalitarian mindset in the workplace.
Thinkers360
February 13, 2022
Workshop for the UAE Economic Department on Aikido and leadership

See content

Tags: Culture, Leadership, Mental Health

Publications

52 Academic Citations
Cross-Cultural Leadership Being Effective in an Era of Globalization, Digital Transformation and Disruptive Innovation - By Adaptive and Sustainable Leadership for Event Management
Routledge
July 23, 2022
For many decades, management in its research and practice has been in need of an alternative approach and paradigm to understanding human behaviours. Many studies and books have attempted to provide solutions to the individual, which ended up being a cultural dilemma with little success. This book provides a novel approach to address this dilemma by linking aspects from three knowledge domains; Psychology, Anthropology and Sociology.

Cross-Cultural Leadership supports Cultural Intelligence (CQ) and makes it a practical construct and tool that both managers and researchers harness to understand what "cultural Chameleon" means. The book also renders support to Douglaisan Cultural Framework  (DCF) by activating the role of the usually neglected fifth culture; the hermit by linking it to the metacognitive dimension of CQ. This link introduces for the first time the mechanism that individuals use to run through metacognitive processes to drive change.

This book is a tool for individuals to help them work efficiently outside their homeland. Being an adaptive or culturally hybrid leader is among the most important competencies of the effective leaders in the 21st century. By focusing on comprehending the five cultures as elaborated in DCF, leaders and managers will be relieved from the dilemma of having to understand each and every national culture of their employees. This book will be of value to researchers, academics, managers, and students with an interest in leadership, management, organization studies, globalization, and innovation

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Culture, Leadership

Cross-Cultural Leadership Being Effective in an Era of Globalization, Digital Transformation and Disruptive Innovation - By Leadership Perspectives from Practice
Routledge
July 23, 2022
For many decades, management in its research and practice has been in need of an alternative approach and paradigm to understanding human behaviours. Many studies and books have attempted to provide solutions to the individual, which ended up being a cultural dilemma with little success. This book provides a novel approach to address this dilemma by linking aspects from three knowledge domains; Psychology, Anthropology and Sociology.

Cross-Cultural Leadership supports Cultural Intelligence (CQ) and makes it a practical construct and tool that both managers and researchers harness to understand what "cultural Chameleon" means. The book also renders support to Douglaisan Cultural Framework  (DCF) by activating the role of the usually neglected fifth culture; the hermit by linking it to the metacognitive dimension of CQ. This link introduces for the first time the mechanism that individuals use to run through metacognitive processes to drive change.

This book is a tool for individuals to help them work efficiently outside their homeland. Being an adaptive or culturally hybrid leader is among the most important competencies of the effective leaders in the 21st century. By focusing on comprehending the five cultures as elaborated in DCF, leaders and managers will be relieved from the dilemma of having to understand each and every national culture of their employees. This book will be of value to researchers, academics, managers, and students with an interest in leadership, management, organization studies, globalization, and innovation

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Culture, Leadership

Cross-Cultural Leadership Being Effective in an Era of Globalization, Digital Transformation and Disruptive Innovation - By Determinants of Disruptive Innovation That Influences Financial Service Performance
Routledge
July 23, 2022
For many decades, management in its research and practice has been in need of an alternative approach and paradigm to understanding human behaviours. Many studies and books have attempted to provide solutions to the individual, which ended up being a cultural dilemma with little success. This book provides a novel approach to address this dilemma by linking aspects from three knowledge domains; Psychology, Anthropology and Sociology.

Cross-Cultural Leadership supports Cultural Intelligence (CQ) and makes it a practical construct and tool that both managers and researchers harness to understand what "cultural Chameleon" means. The book also renders support to Douglaisan Cultural Framework  (DCF) by activating the role of the usually neglected fifth culture; the hermit by linking it to the metacognitive dimension of CQ. This link introduces for the first time the mechanism that individuals use to run through metacognitive processes to drive change.

This book is a tool for individuals to help them work efficiently outside their homeland. Being an adaptive or culturally hybrid leader is among the most important competencies of the effective leaders in the 21st century. By focusing on comprehending the five cultures as elaborated in DCF, leaders and managers will be relieved from the dilemma of having to understand each and every national culture of their employees. This book will be of value to researchers, academics, managers, and students with an interest in leadership, management, organization studies, globalization, and innovation

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Culture, Leadership

Cross-Cultural Leadership Being Effective in an Era of Globalization, Digital Transformation and Disruptive Innovation - By Intercultural Work Settings: Which Competences for Managers, Leaders, and Teams?
Routledge
July 23, 2022
For many decades, management in its research and practice has been in need of an alternative approach and paradigm to understanding human behaviours. Many studies and books have attempted to provide solutions to the individual, which ended up being a cultural dilemma with little success. This book provides a novel approach to address this dilemma by linking aspects from three knowledge domains; Psychology, Anthropology and Sociology.

Cross-Cultural Leadership supports Cultural Intelligence (CQ) and makes it a practical construct and tool that both managers and researchers harness to understand what "cultural Chameleon" means. The book also renders support to Douglaisan Cultural Framework  (DCF) by activating the role of the usually neglected fifth culture; the hermit by linking it to the metacognitive dimension of CQ. This link introduces for the first time the mechanism that individuals use to run through metacognitive processes to drive change.

This book is a tool for individuals to help them work efficiently outside their homeland. Being an adaptive or culturally hybrid leader is among the most important competencies of the effective leaders in the 21st century. By focusing on comprehending the five cultures as elaborated in DCF, leaders and managers will be relieved from the dilemma of having to understand each and every national culture of their employees. This book will be of value to researchers, academics, managers, and students with an interest in leadership, management, organization studies, globalization, and innovation

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Culture, Leadership

Cross-Cultural Leadership Being Effective in an Era of Globalization, Digital Transformation and Disruptive Innovation - By Factors Influencing IT Managers’ Acceptance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Digital Transformation
Routledge
July 23, 2022
For many decades, management in its research and practice has been in need of an alternative approach and paradigm to understanding human behaviours. Many studies and books have attempted to provide solutions to the individual, which ended up being a cultural dilemma with little success. This book provides a novel approach to address this dilemma by linking aspects from three knowledge domains; Psychology, Anthropology and Sociology.

Cross-Cultural Leadership supports Cultural Intelligence (CQ) and makes it a practical construct and tool that both managers and researchers harness to understand what "cultural Chameleon" means. The book also renders support to Douglaisan Cultural Framework  (DCF) by activating the role of the usually neglected fifth culture; the hermit by linking it to the metacognitive dimension of CQ. This link introduces for the first time the mechanism that individuals use to run through metacognitive processes to drive change.

This book is a tool for individuals to help them work efficiently outside their homeland. Being an adaptive or culturally hybrid leader is among the most important competencies of the effective leaders in the 21st century. By focusing on comprehending the five cultures as elaborated in DCF, leaders and managers will be relieved from the dilemma of having to understand each and every national culture of their employees. This book will be of value to researchers, academics, managers, and students with an interest in leadership, management, organization studies, globalization, and innovation

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Culture, Leadership

Cross-Cultural Leadership Being Effective in an Era of Globalization, Digital Transformation and Disruptive Innovation - By Cultural Spaces in International Business: Theories and Applications
Routledge
July 23, 2022
For many decades, management in its research and practice has been in need of an alternative approach and paradigm to understanding human behaviours. Many studies and books have attempted to provide solutions to the individual, which ended up being a cultural dilemma with little success. This book provides a novel approach to address this dilemma by linking aspects from three knowledge domains; Psychology, Anthropology and Sociology.

Cross-Cultural Leadership supports Cultural Intelligence (CQ) and makes it a practical construct and tool that both managers and researchers harness to understand what "cultural Chameleon" means. The book also renders support to Douglaisan Cultural Framework  (DCF) by activating the role of the usually neglected fifth culture; the hermit by linking it to the metacognitive dimension of CQ. This link introduces for the first time the mechanism that individuals use to run through metacognitive processes to drive change.

This book is a tool for individuals to help them work efficiently outside their homeland. Being an adaptive or culturally hybrid leader is among the most important competencies of the effective leaders in the 21st century. By focusing on comprehending the five cultures as elaborated in DCF, leaders and managers will be relieved from the dilemma of having to understand each and every national culture of their employees. This book will be of value to researchers, academics, managers, and students with an interest in leadership, management, organization studies, globalization, and innovation

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Culture, Leadership

Cross-Cultural Leadership Being Effective in an Era of Globalization, Digital Transformation and Disruptive Innovation - By Entering into the Mind of the Entrepreneur The Hermit's Metacognition as an Entrepreneurial Driver
Routledge
July 23, 2022
For many decades, management in its research and practice has been in need of an alternative approach and paradigm to understanding human behaviours. Many studies and books have attempted to provide solutions to the individual, which ended up being a cultural dilemma with little success. This book provides a novel approach to address this dilemma by linking aspects from three knowledge domains; Psychology, Anthropology and Sociology.

Cross-Cultural Leadership supports Cultural Intelligence (CQ) and makes it a practical construct and tool that both managers and researchers harness to understand what "cultural Chameleon" means. The book also renders support to Douglaisan Cultural Framework  (DCF) by activating the role of the usually neglected fifth culture; the hermit by linking it to the metacognitive dimension of CQ. This link introduces for the first time the mechanism that individuals use to run through metacognitive processes to drive change.

This book is a tool for individuals to help them work efficiently outside their homeland. Being an adaptive or culturally hybrid leader is among the most important competencies of the effective leaders in the 21st century. By focusing on comprehending the five cultures as elaborated in DCF, leaders and managers will be relieved from the dilemma of having to understand each and every national culture of their employees. This book will be of value to researchers, academics, managers, and students with an interest in leadership, management, organization studies, globalization, and innovation

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Culture, Leadership

Cross-Cultural Leadership Being Effective in an Era of Globalization, Digital Transformation and Disruptive Innovation - By The Role of Aikido and Cultural Intelligence in Harmonizing Leader-Follower Relationships
Routledge
July 23, 2022
For many decades, management in its research and practice has been in need of an alternative approach and paradigm to understanding human behaviours. Many studies and books have attempted to provide solutions to the individual, which ended up being a cultural dilemma with little success. This book provides a novel approach to address this dilemma by linking aspects from three knowledge domains; Psychology, Anthropology and Sociology.

Cross-Cultural Leadership supports Cultural Intelligence (CQ) and makes it a practical construct and tool that both managers and researchers harness to understand what "cultural Chameleon" means. The book also renders support to Douglaisan Cultural Framework  (DCF) by activating the role of the usually neglected fifth culture; the hermit by linking it to the metacognitive dimension of CQ. This link introduces for the first time the mechanism that individuals use to run through metacognitive processes to drive change.

This book is a tool for individuals to help them work efficiently outside their homeland. Being an adaptive or culturally hybrid leader is among the most important competencies of the effective leaders in the 21st century. By focusing on comprehending the five cultures as elaborated in DCF, leaders and managers will be relieved from the dilemma of having to understand each and every national culture of their employees. This book will be of value to researchers, academics, managers, and students with an interest in leadership, management, organization studies, globalization, and innovation

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Culture, Leadership

Cross-Cultural Leadership Being Effective in an Era of Globalization, Digital Transformation and Disruptive Innovation - By Taking Stock of the Present and Looking Towards the Future Cultural Evolution in a Knowledge-Intensive and Digital Era
Routledge
July 23, 2022
For many decades, management in its research and practice has been in need of an alternative approach and paradigm to understanding human behaviours. Many studies and books have attempted to provide solutions to the individual, which ended up being a cultural dilemma with little success. This book provides a novel approach to address this dilemma by linking aspects from three knowledge domains; Psychology, Anthropology and Sociology.

Cross-Cultural Leadership supports Cultural Intelligence (CQ) and makes it a practical construct and tool that both managers and researchers harness to understand what "cultural Chameleon" means. The book also renders support to Douglaisan Cultural Framework  (DCF) by activating the role of the usually neglected fifth culture; the hermit by linking it to the metacognitive dimension of CQ. This link introduces for the first time the mechanism that individuals use to run through metacognitive processes to drive change.

This book is a tool for individuals to help them work efficiently outside their homeland. Being an adaptive or culturally hybrid leader is among the most important competencies of the effective leaders in the 21st century. By focusing on comprehending the five cultures as elaborated in DCF, leaders and managers will be relieved from the dilemma of having to understand each and every national culture of their employees. This book will be of value to researchers, academics, managers, and students with an interest in leadership, management, organization studies, globalization, and innovation

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Culture, Leadership

Cultural intelligence: A dynamic and interactional framework - By A cross-national study of youth entrepreneurship: The effect of family support
International Studies of Management & Organization
December 06, 2018
Cultural Intelligence (CQ) scholars’ continuing reliance on static geo-ethnic (mostly national) conceptualizations of culture raises three dilemmas: (1) the practical challenge of managers having to adapt to as many national cultures as they encounter, (2) a superficial understanding of how cultural intelligence manifests itself in everyday life, and (3) the inability to elaborate upon the nature (transient versus profound) of and potential pathways for cultural adaptations. There is, therefore, an urgent need to liberate the CQ discourse from geo-ethnic confines a need which is met in our present article through the introduction of transactional anthropology-based Douglasian Cultural Framework (DCF). The DCF conceptualizes human behavior as grounded in social transactions as opposed to geo-ethnic affiliations. According to this framework, the ongoing interactions between an individual’s preferences on two social dimensions (grid and group) and social context results in the emergence of four worldviews. Integrating these four worldviews of DCF with the four dimensions of CQ (motivational, cognitive, metacognitive, and behavioral) results in an innovative DCF-based CQ framework. This framework not only refrains from constraining the CQ discourse to geo-ethnic confines but also satisfactorily resolves the three dilemmas emerging from conventional CQ literature. Thus, our article contributes toward enriching extant CQ and DCF literatures and simultaneously combines insights from anthropology and psychology, but it also recognizes this is one small step in the right direction and calls for efforts toward generating other geo-ethnicity-free cultural frameworks that will further enrich our understanding of CQ.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Culture, Leadership

Cultural intelligence: A dynamic and interactional framework - By Incorporating Photovoice in the Marketing Curriculum to Increase Cultural Competence
International Studies of Management & Organization
December 06, 2018
Cultural Intelligence (CQ) scholars’ continuing reliance on static geo-ethnic (mostly national) conceptualizations of culture raises three dilemmas: (1) the practical challenge of managers having to adapt to as many national cultures as they encounter, (2) a superficial understanding of how cultural intelligence manifests itself in everyday life, and (3) the inability to elaborate upon the nature (transient versus profound) of and potential pathways for cultural adaptations. There is, therefore, an urgent need to liberate the CQ discourse from geo-ethnic confines a need which is met in our present article through the introduction of transactional anthropology-based Douglasian Cultural Framework (DCF). The DCF conceptualizes human behavior as grounded in social transactions as opposed to geo-ethnic affiliations. According to this framework, the ongoing interactions between an individual’s preferences on two social dimensions (grid and group) and social context results in the emergence of four worldviews. Integrating these four worldviews of DCF with the four dimensions of CQ (motivational, cognitive, metacognitive, and behavioral) results in an innovative DCF-based CQ framework. This framework not only refrains from constraining the CQ discourse to geo-ethnic confines but also satisfactorily resolves the three dilemmas emerging from conventional CQ literature. Thus, our article contributes toward enriching extant CQ and DCF literatures and simultaneously combines insights from anthropology and psychology, but it also recognizes this is one small step in the right direction and calls for efforts toward generating other geo-ethnicity-free cultural frameworks that will further enrich our understanding of CQ.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Culture, Leadership

Cultural intelligence: A dynamic and interactional framework - By Cross-Cultural Leadership Being Effective in an Era of Globalization, Digital Transformation and Disruptive Innovation
International Studies of Management & Organization
December 06, 2018
Cultural Intelligence (CQ) scholars’ continuing reliance on static geo-ethnic (mostly national) conceptualizations of culture raises three dilemmas: (1) the practical challenge of managers having to adapt to as many national cultures as they encounter, (2) a superficial understanding of how cultural intelligence manifests itself in everyday life, and (3) the inability to elaborate upon the nature (transient versus profound) of and potential pathways for cultural adaptations. There is, therefore, an urgent need to liberate the CQ discourse from geo-ethnic confines a need which is met in our present article through the introduction of transactional anthropology-based Douglasian Cultural Framework (DCF). The DCF conceptualizes human behavior as grounded in social transactions as opposed to geo-ethnic affiliations. According to this framework, the ongoing interactions between an individual’s preferences on two social dimensions (grid and group) and social context results in the emergence of four worldviews. Integrating these four worldviews of DCF with the four dimensions of CQ (motivational, cognitive, metacognitive, and behavioral) results in an innovative DCF-based CQ framework. This framework not only refrains from constraining the CQ discourse to geo-ethnic confines but also satisfactorily resolves the three dilemmas emerging from conventional CQ literature. Thus, our article contributes toward enriching extant CQ and DCF literatures and simultaneously combines insights from anthropology and psychology, but it also recognizes this is one small step in the right direction and calls for efforts toward generating other geo-ethnicity-free cultural frameworks that will further enrich our understanding of CQ.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Culture, Leadership

Cultural intelligence: A dynamic and interactional framework - By A framework for culturally diverse teams and the importance of agility: findings from a qualitative study
International Studies of Management & Organization
December 06, 2018
Cultural Intelligence (CQ) scholars’ continuing reliance on static geo-ethnic (mostly national) conceptualizations of culture raises three dilemmas: (1) the practical challenge of managers having to adapt to as many national cultures as they encounter, (2) a superficial understanding of how cultural intelligence manifests itself in everyday life, and (3) the inability to elaborate upon the nature (transient versus profound) of and potential pathways for cultural adaptations. There is, therefore, an urgent need to liberate the CQ discourse from geo-ethnic confines a need which is met in our present article through the introduction of transactional anthropology-based Douglasian Cultural Framework (DCF). The DCF conceptualizes human behavior as grounded in social transactions as opposed to geo-ethnic affiliations. According to this framework, the ongoing interactions between an individual’s preferences on two social dimensions (grid and group) and social context results in the emergence of four worldviews. Integrating these four worldviews of DCF with the four dimensions of CQ (motivational, cognitive, metacognitive, and behavioral) results in an innovative DCF-based CQ framework. This framework not only refrains from constraining the CQ discourse to geo-ethnic confines but also satisfactorily resolves the three dilemmas emerging from conventional CQ literature. Thus, our article contributes toward enriching extant CQ and DCF literatures and simultaneously combines insights from anthropology and psychology, but it also recognizes this is one small step in the right direction and calls for efforts toward generating other geo-ethnicity-free cultural frameworks that will further enrich our understanding of CQ.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Culture, Leadership

Cultural intelligence: A dynamic and interactional framework - By How Finnish and Filipino university students in business studies perceive leaders based on visual cues
International Studies of Management & Organization
December 06, 2018
Cultural Intelligence (CQ) scholars’ continuing reliance on static geo-ethnic (mostly national) conceptualizations of culture raises three dilemmas: (1) the practical challenge of managers having to adapt to as many national cultures as they encounter, (2) a superficial understanding of how cultural intelligence manifests itself in everyday life, and (3) the inability to elaborate upon the nature (transient versus profound) of and potential pathways for cultural adaptations. There is, therefore, an urgent need to liberate the CQ discourse from geo-ethnic confines a need which is met in our present article through the introduction of transactional anthropology-based Douglasian Cultural Framework (DCF). The DCF conceptualizes human behavior as grounded in social transactions as opposed to geo-ethnic affiliations. According to this framework, the ongoing interactions between an individual’s preferences on two social dimensions (grid and group) and social context results in the emergence of four worldviews. Integrating these four worldviews of DCF with the four dimensions of CQ (motivational, cognitive, metacognitive, and behavioral) results in an innovative DCF-based CQ framework. This framework not only refrains from constraining the CQ discourse to geo-ethnic confines but also satisfactorily resolves the three dilemmas emerging from conventional CQ literature. Thus, our article contributes toward enriching extant CQ and DCF literatures and simultaneously combines insights from anthropology and psychology, but it also recognizes this is one small step in the right direction and calls for efforts toward generating other geo-ethnicity-free cultural frameworks that will further enrich our understanding of CQ.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Culture, Leadership

Cultural intelligence: A dynamic and interactional framework - By National Identity, Othering and Resistance: Host Country Manager’s Experience at a Japanese Multinational Enterprise in India
International Studies of Management & Organization
December 06, 2018
Cultural Intelligence (CQ) scholars’ continuing reliance on static geo-ethnic (mostly national) conceptualizations of culture raises three dilemmas: (1) the practical challenge of managers having to adapt to as many national cultures as they encounter, (2) a superficial understanding of how cultural intelligence manifests itself in everyday life, and (3) the inability to elaborate upon the nature (transient versus profound) of and potential pathways for cultural adaptations. There is, therefore, an urgent need to liberate the CQ discourse from geo-ethnic confines a need which is met in our present article through the introduction of transactional anthropology-based Douglasian Cultural Framework (DCF). The DCF conceptualizes human behavior as grounded in social transactions as opposed to geo-ethnic affiliations. According to this framework, the ongoing interactions between an individual’s preferences on two social dimensions (grid and group) and social context results in the emergence of four worldviews. Integrating these four worldviews of DCF with the four dimensions of CQ (motivational, cognitive, metacognitive, and behavioral) results in an innovative DCF-based CQ framework. This framework not only refrains from constraining the CQ discourse to geo-ethnic confines but also satisfactorily resolves the three dilemmas emerging from conventional CQ literature. Thus, our article contributes toward enriching extant CQ and DCF literatures and simultaneously combines insights from anthropology and psychology, but it also recognizes this is one small step in the right direction and calls for efforts toward generating other geo-ethnicity-free cultural frameworks that will further enrich our understanding of CQ.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Culture, Leadership

Cultural intelligence: A dynamic and interactional framework - By SeeCC: An Online Cross-Cultural Communication Aid to Improve Communication and Cooperation Performance
International Studies of Management & Organization
December 06, 2018
Cultural Intelligence (CQ) scholars’ continuing reliance on static geo-ethnic (mostly national) conceptualizations of culture raises three dilemmas: (1) the practical challenge of managers having to adapt to as many national cultures as they encounter, (2) a superficial understanding of how cultural intelligence manifests itself in everyday life, and (3) the inability to elaborate upon the nature (transient versus profound) of and potential pathways for cultural adaptations. There is, therefore, an urgent need to liberate the CQ discourse from geo-ethnic confines a need which is met in our present article through the introduction of transactional anthropology-based Douglasian Cultural Framework (DCF). The DCF conceptualizes human behavior as grounded in social transactions as opposed to geo-ethnic affiliations. According to this framework, the ongoing interactions between an individual’s preferences on two social dimensions (grid and group) and social context results in the emergence of four worldviews. Integrating these four worldviews of DCF with the four dimensions of CQ (motivational, cognitive, metacognitive, and behavioral) results in an innovative DCF-based CQ framework. This framework not only refrains from constraining the CQ discourse to geo-ethnic confines but also satisfactorily resolves the three dilemmas emerging from conventional CQ literature. Thus, our article contributes toward enriching extant CQ and DCF literatures and simultaneously combines insights from anthropology and psychology, but it also recognizes this is one small step in the right direction and calls for efforts toward generating other geo-ethnicity-free cultural frameworks that will further enrich our understanding of CQ.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Culture, Leadership

Cultural intelligence: A dynamic and interactional framework - By A color is worth a thousand words! A color-based tool to foster communication in culturally-plural teams
International Studies of Management & Organization
December 06, 2018
Cultural Intelligence (CQ) scholars’ continuing reliance on static geo-ethnic (mostly national) conceptualizations of culture raises three dilemmas: (1) the practical challenge of managers having to adapt to as many national cultures as they encounter, (2) a superficial understanding of how cultural intelligence manifests itself in everyday life, and (3) the inability to elaborate upon the nature (transient versus profound) of and potential pathways for cultural adaptations. There is, therefore, an urgent need to liberate the CQ discourse from geo-ethnic confines a need which is met in our present article through the introduction of transactional anthropology-based Douglasian Cultural Framework (DCF). The DCF conceptualizes human behavior as grounded in social transactions as opposed to geo-ethnic affiliations. According to this framework, the ongoing interactions between an individual’s preferences on two social dimensions (grid and group) and social context results in the emergence of four worldviews. Integrating these four worldviews of DCF with the four dimensions of CQ (motivational, cognitive, metacognitive, and behavioral) results in an innovative DCF-based CQ framework. This framework not only refrains from constraining the CQ discourse to geo-ethnic confines but also satisfactorily resolves the three dilemmas emerging from conventional CQ literature. Thus, our article contributes toward enriching extant CQ and DCF literatures and simultaneously combines insights from anthropology and psychology, but it also recognizes this is one small step in the right direction and calls for efforts toward generating other geo-ethnicity-free cultural frameworks that will further enrich our understanding of CQ.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Culture, Leadership

Cultural intelligence: A dynamic and interactional framework - By Introducing Culture in the Context of International Business Studies Conceptualizations, Controversies, and Convictions
International Studies of Management & Organization
December 06, 2018
Cultural Intelligence (CQ) scholars’ continuing reliance on static geo-ethnic (mostly national) conceptualizations of culture raises three dilemmas: (1) the practical challenge of managers having to adapt to as many national cultures as they encounter, (2) a superficial understanding of how cultural intelligence manifests itself in everyday life, and (3) the inability to elaborate upon the nature (transient versus profound) of and potential pathways for cultural adaptations. There is, therefore, an urgent need to liberate the CQ discourse from geo-ethnic confines a need which is met in our present article through the introduction of transactional anthropology-based Douglasian Cultural Framework (DCF). The DCF conceptualizes human behavior as grounded in social transactions as opposed to geo-ethnic affiliations. According to this framework, the ongoing interactions between an individual’s preferences on two social dimensions (grid and group) and social context results in the emergence of four worldviews. Integrating these four worldviews of DCF with the four dimensions of CQ (motivational, cognitive, metacognitive, and behavioral) results in an innovative DCF-based CQ framework. This framework not only refrains from constraining the CQ discourse to geo-ethnic confines but also satisfactorily resolves the three dilemmas emerging from conventional CQ literature. Thus, our article contributes toward enriching extant CQ and DCF literatures and simultaneously combines insights from anthropology and psychology, but it also recognizes this is one small step in the right direction and calls for efforts toward generating other geo-ethnicity-free cultural frameworks that will further enrich our understanding of CQ.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Culture, Leadership

Cultural intelligence: A dynamic and interactional framework - By Cross-cultural design teamwork: researching at the edge between design and cross-cultural management
International Studies of Management & Organization
December 06, 2018
Cultural Intelligence (CQ) scholars’ continuing reliance on static geo-ethnic (mostly national) conceptualizations of culture raises three dilemmas: (1) the practical challenge of managers having to adapt to as many national cultures as they encounter, (2) a superficial understanding of how cultural intelligence manifests itself in everyday life, and (3) the inability to elaborate upon the nature (transient versus profound) of and potential pathways for cultural adaptations. There is, therefore, an urgent need to liberate the CQ discourse from geo-ethnic confines a need which is met in our present article through the introduction of transactional anthropology-based Douglasian Cultural Framework (DCF). The DCF conceptualizes human behavior as grounded in social transactions as opposed to geo-ethnic affiliations. According to this framework, the ongoing interactions between an individual’s preferences on two social dimensions (grid and group) and social context results in the emergence of four worldviews. Integrating these four worldviews of DCF with the four dimensions of CQ (motivational, cognitive, metacognitive, and behavioral) results in an innovative DCF-based CQ framework. This framework not only refrains from constraining the CQ discourse to geo-ethnic confines but also satisfactorily resolves the three dilemmas emerging from conventional CQ literature. Thus, our article contributes toward enriching extant CQ and DCF literatures and simultaneously combines insights from anthropology and psychology, but it also recognizes this is one small step in the right direction and calls for efforts toward generating other geo-ethnicity-free cultural frameworks that will further enrich our understanding of CQ.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Culture, Leadership

Cultural intelligence: A dynamic and interactional framework - By Strategies that Exemplary Elementary Dual Immersion Principals Use to Create an Organizational Culture of Inclusiveness
International Studies of Management & Organization
December 06, 2018
Cultural Intelligence (CQ) scholars’ continuing reliance on static geo-ethnic (mostly national) conceptualizations of culture raises three dilemmas: (1) the practical challenge of managers having to adapt to as many national cultures as they encounter, (2) a superficial understanding of how cultural intelligence manifests itself in everyday life, and (3) the inability to elaborate upon the nature (transient versus profound) of and potential pathways for cultural adaptations. There is, therefore, an urgent need to liberate the CQ discourse from geo-ethnic confines a need which is met in our present article through the introduction of transactional anthropology-based Douglasian Cultural Framework (DCF). The DCF conceptualizes human behavior as grounded in social transactions as opposed to geo-ethnic affiliations. According to this framework, the ongoing interactions between an individual’s preferences on two social dimensions (grid and group) and social context results in the emergence of four worldviews. Integrating these four worldviews of DCF with the four dimensions of CQ (motivational, cognitive, metacognitive, and behavioral) results in an innovative DCF-based CQ framework. This framework not only refrains from constraining the CQ discourse to geo-ethnic confines but also satisfactorily resolves the three dilemmas emerging from conventional CQ literature. Thus, our article contributes toward enriching extant CQ and DCF literatures and simultaneously combines insights from anthropology and psychology, but it also recognizes this is one small step in the right direction and calls for efforts toward generating other geo-ethnicity-free cultural frameworks that will further enrich our understanding of CQ.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Culture, Leadership

Cultural intelligence: A dynamic and interactional framework - By Cultural Disproportionality in American Classrooms: The Lived Experiences of Non-Hispanic, White, Female Teachers with their Students of Color
International Studies of Management & Organization
December 06, 2018
Cultural Intelligence (CQ) scholars’ continuing reliance on static geo-ethnic (mostly national) conceptualizations of culture raises three dilemmas: (1) the practical challenge of managers having to adapt to as many national cultures as they encounter, (2) a superficial understanding of how cultural intelligence manifests itself in everyday life, and (3) the inability to elaborate upon the nature (transient versus profound) of and potential pathways for cultural adaptations. There is, therefore, an urgent need to liberate the CQ discourse from geo-ethnic confines a need which is met in our present article through the introduction of transactional anthropology-based Douglasian Cultural Framework (DCF). The DCF conceptualizes human behavior as grounded in social transactions as opposed to geo-ethnic affiliations. According to this framework, the ongoing interactions between an individual’s preferences on two social dimensions (grid and group) and social context results in the emergence of four worldviews. Integrating these four worldviews of DCF with the four dimensions of CQ (motivational, cognitive, metacognitive, and behavioral) results in an innovative DCF-based CQ framework. This framework not only refrains from constraining the CQ discourse to geo-ethnic confines but also satisfactorily resolves the three dilemmas emerging from conventional CQ literature. Thus, our article contributes toward enriching extant CQ and DCF literatures and simultaneously combines insights from anthropology and psychology, but it also recognizes this is one small step in the right direction and calls for efforts toward generating other geo-ethnicity-free cultural frameworks that will further enrich our understanding of CQ.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Culture, Leadership

Cultural intelligence: A dynamic and interactional framework - By The Potential of Agility for Teams Findings on Cultural Diversity and Psychological Empowerment
International Studies of Management & Organization
December 06, 2018
Cultural Intelligence (CQ) scholars’ continuing reliance on static geo-ethnic (mostly national) conceptualizations of culture raises three dilemmas: (1) the practical challenge of managers having to adapt to as many national cultures as they encounter, (2) a superficial understanding of how cultural intelligence manifests itself in everyday life, and (3) the inability to elaborate upon the nature (transient versus profound) of and potential pathways for cultural adaptations. There is, therefore, an urgent need to liberate the CQ discourse from geo-ethnic confines a need which is met in our present article through the introduction of transactional anthropology-based Douglasian Cultural Framework (DCF). The DCF conceptualizes human behavior as grounded in social transactions as opposed to geo-ethnic affiliations. According to this framework, the ongoing interactions between an individual’s preferences on two social dimensions (grid and group) and social context results in the emergence of four worldviews. Integrating these four worldviews of DCF with the four dimensions of CQ (motivational, cognitive, metacognitive, and behavioral) results in an innovative DCF-based CQ framework. This framework not only refrains from constraining the CQ discourse to geo-ethnic confines but also satisfactorily resolves the three dilemmas emerging from conventional CQ literature. Thus, our article contributes toward enriching extant CQ and DCF literatures and simultaneously combines insights from anthropology and psychology, but it also recognizes this is one small step in the right direction and calls for efforts toward generating other geo-ethnicity-free cultural frameworks that will further enrich our understanding of CQ.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Culture, Leadership

Cultural intelligence: A dynamic and interactional framework - By A colour is worth a thousand words! A colour-based tool to foster communication in culturally-plural teams.
International Studies of Management & Organization
December 06, 2018
Cultural Intelligence (CQ) scholars’ continuing reliance on static geo-ethnic (mostly national) conceptualizations of culture raises three dilemmas: (1) the practical challenge of managers having to adapt to as many national cultures as they encounter, (2) a superficial understanding of how cultural intelligence manifests itself in everyday life, and (3) the inability to elaborate upon the nature (transient versus profound) of and potential pathways for cultural adaptations. There is, therefore, an urgent need to liberate the CQ discourse from geo-ethnic confines a need which is met in our present article through the introduction of transactional anthropology-based Douglasian Cultural Framework (DCF). The DCF conceptualizes human behavior as grounded in social transactions as opposed to geo-ethnic affiliations. According to this framework, the ongoing interactions between an individual’s preferences on two social dimensions (grid and group) and social context results in the emergence of four worldviews. Integrating these four worldviews of DCF with the four dimensions of CQ (motivational, cognitive, metacognitive, and behavioral) results in an innovative DCF-based CQ framework. This framework not only refrains from constraining the CQ discourse to geo-ethnic confines but also satisfactorily resolves the three dilemmas emerging from conventional CQ literature. Thus, our article contributes toward enriching extant CQ and DCF literatures and simultaneously combines insights from anthropology and psychology, but it also recognizes this is one small step in the right direction and calls for efforts toward generating other geo-ethnicity-free cultural frameworks that will further enrich our understanding of CQ.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Culture, Leadership

Cultural intelligence: A dynamic and interactional framework - By A AS NOVAS FRONTEIRAS DA GESTÃO DE ORGANIZAÇÕES: A GLOBALIZAÇÃO E AS DIFERENÇAS CULTURAIS
International Studies of Management & Organization
December 06, 2018
Cultural Intelligence (CQ) scholars’ continuing reliance on static geo-ethnic (mostly national) conceptualizations of culture raises three dilemmas: (1) the practical challenge of managers having to adapt to as many national cultures as they encounter, (2) a superficial understanding of how cultural intelligence manifests itself in everyday life, and (3) the inability to elaborate upon the nature (transient versus profound) of and potential pathways for cultural adaptations. There is, therefore, an urgent need to liberate the CQ discourse from geo-ethnic confines a need which is met in our present article through the introduction of transactional anthropology-based Douglasian Cultural Framework (DCF). The DCF conceptualizes human behavior as grounded in social transactions as opposed to geo-ethnic affiliations. According to this framework, the ongoing interactions between an individual’s preferences on two social dimensions (grid and group) and social context results in the emergence of four worldviews. Integrating these four worldviews of DCF with the four dimensions of CQ (motivational, cognitive, metacognitive, and behavioral) results in an innovative DCF-based CQ framework. This framework not only refrains from constraining the CQ discourse to geo-ethnic confines but also satisfactorily resolves the three dilemmas emerging from conventional CQ literature. Thus, our article contributes toward enriching extant CQ and DCF literatures and simultaneously combines insights from anthropology and psychology, but it also recognizes this is one small step in the right direction and calls for efforts toward generating other geo-ethnicity-free cultural frameworks that will further enrich our understanding of CQ.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Culture, Leadership

Perceived Managerial and Leadership Effectiveness In UAE and Egypt: A Comparison Through The Combined Lenses Of Islamic Work Ethics and Islamic Leadership - By Single-rating, multi-rating 360° performance management and organizational outcomes: evidence from the UAE
Wiley and Sons: European Management Review
April 27, 2018
We conduct an emic replication study of managerial and leadership effectiveness in UAE, thereby addressing the paucity in extant literature of indigenous management research in non-Western countries. Second, we compare our findings from the UAE study with those from a similar study previously conducted by author 3 in Egypt, to reveal that there are considerable similarities in the perceived effectiveness and ineffectiveness of managerial behavior across these two countries, but also considerable differences. Finally and most importantly, we examine the findings from the two studies through the combined conceptual lenses of Islamic Work Ethics (IWE) and Islamic Leadership (IL). We find that more than half of positive and negative Behavioral Statements emerging from these studies are grounded in the principles of IWE and IL, implying that these principles exercise significant influence on followers’ Implicit Leadership Theories, and consequently their perceptions of managerial and leader behaviors. Theoretical and managerial implications are also offered.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Leadership, Management

14 Adjunct Professors
Certificate of Responsible Leadership at GEM 2024-2025
Grenoble Ecole de Management
September 01, 2024

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Culture, Digital Transformation

Aikido For Leaders and Followers at Grenoble Ecole de Management
Grenoble Ecole de Management
March 06, 2024
This is the second evening online Aikido session to demonstrate and discuss Aikido concepts applicable to leaders and followers in the work space.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Culture, Leadership

Aikido online session for Responsible Leadership Certificate Students - Session 1 Feb 2024
Grenoble Ecole de Management
February 13, 2024
This is the first evening online Aikido session to demonstrate and discuss Aikido concepts applicable to leaders and followers in teh work space.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Culture, Leadership

Aikido online session for Responsible Leadership Certificate Students - Session 2 Mar 2024
Grenoble Ecole de Management
February 13, 2024
This is the first evening online Aikido session to demonstrate and discuss Aikido concepts applicable to leaders and followers in teh work space.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Culture, Leadership

VIVA Examiner and DBA External reviewer: IRANIAN BAZAARS An Ethnographic Study of The Evolution of Culture in Iranian Bazaars
Grenoble Ecole de Management
December 14, 2023
Abstract of the DBA thesis by Mashianeh HatamAbadi
This study delves into the evolution of Iranian bazaars, emphasizing their historical significance and the cultural shifts they have undergone, particularly in the context of the Islamic Revolution of 1979. The research adopts an ethnographic methodology, incorporating fieldwork conducted in 2019 and supplementary data collection in 2021. This approach includes interviews, observations, field notes, and the examination of artifacts to provide a comprehensive understanding of the subject.
The core of this research lies in its exploration of the bazaars' transformation from a cultural and economic standpoint. Prior to the Islamic Revolution, bazaars exhibited an egalitarian-hierarchical structure, which evolved into a more individualistic and fatalistic framework post-revolution. This transition is indicative of a broader cultural shift within the Iranian society, reflecting changes in societal values and structures. The study highlights the economic implications of this shift, such as increased competition and reduced cooperation within the bazaar community, alongside the diverse responses of the bazaar's inhabitants to these changes.
From a societal perspective, this research uncovers significant alterations in Iranian cultural norms and values. The once unified cultural fabric of the bazaar has given way to a mosaic of divergent beliefs, impacting its social, political, and religious functions. The trend towards individualism has redefined societal operations and interpersonal relationships, with notable changes including increased autonomy for individuals and a marked shift in gender roles, exemplified by the growing participation of women in the bazaar.
However, the study acknowledges certain limitations. The findings are based on fieldwork and data collection within specific timeframes, which may not fully capture the ongoing dynamics of cultural transformation in Iranian bazaars.

In conclusion, this research offers valuable insights into the cultural evolution of Iranian bazaars, serving as a case study for understanding similar societal changes in other contexts. It underscores the importance of cultural theory in examining and navigating these transformations, contributing to a broader comprehension of cultural dynamics in response to socio-political shifts.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Culture, Entrepreneurship

2024 Certification Program in Responsible Leadership and Followership in a Digital Era Grenoble Ecole de Management
Grenoble Ecole de Management
September 01, 2023
Part One: Workshop on Critical Thinking:
1: Defining Critical thinking/ Reasoning
2: Evidence
3: Alternative Explanation
4: Serious game/ Debrief of workshop

Part Two: Aikido sessions with case study work:
1- Embodiment: Self-management: How to align your body in such a way that facilitates a
the mindset which combined with the body-setting results in:
- Inner strength
- Integrity
- Self-confidence
2- Procedure: learning a simple 1, 2, 3 method to align your Body and the connecting mindset
 How to maintain this body alignment of your body and mind at the right distance
towards another in an ongoing communication/relation
Procedure: experiencing what is the right distance with your partner to maintain the integrity

3- How to maintain this in the role of leader of follower. In both roles, you learn and
experience to be able to maintain your Identity and integrity.
Procedure: using Aikido to understand the martial role-play between Leader and Follower,
while maintaining integrity for both (without falling into the trap of victim or attacker).

4- Which style of leadership and followership are grounded in your embodied system and
fits you and is the most effective for you and in a generation a natural team result
Procedure: which styles of leadership and followership suits your personality and gives you
natural power/charisma, without falling into the master/slave trap as opposed to be a leader
or a follower in the Aikido way.

5- Create insight into which kind of decision in being a leader of the followers are grounded in
your embodied system = your personality.
Procedure: according to several case studies investigates and experiment with this by self-awareness.

Part Three: Course module on Critical Perspectives on contemporary Leadership and Followership
1- Introduction and foundational concepts in Leadership
2- Contemporary Leadership: The good, the bad and the ugly
3- Leadership and power
4- Leadership in the digital era
5- Followership and Role theory approach
6- Contemporary Followership
7- Followership in the digital era
8- Frameworks of leadership and followership
9- Ongoing Discussions and sum up

Final Submission: Reflexive Report

See publication

Tags: Culture, Digital Transformation, Leadership

Certification Program in Responsible Leadership and Followership in a Digital Era
Grenoble Ecole de Management
October 28, 2022
Part One: Workshop on Critical Thinking:
1: Defining Critical thinking/ Reasoning
2: Evidence
3: Alternative Explanation
4: Serious game/ Debrief of workshop

Part Two: Aikido sessions with case study work:
1- Embodiment: Self-management: How to align your body in such a way that facilitates a
the mindset which combined with the body-setting results in:
- Inner strength
- Integrity
- Self-confidence
2- Procedure: learning a simple 1, 2, 3 method to align your Body and the connecting mindset
 How to maintain this body alignment of your body and mind at the right distance
towards another in an ongoing communication/relation
Procedure: experiencing what is the right distance with your partner to maintain the integrity

3- How to maintain this in the role of leader of follower. In both roles, you learn and
experience to be able to maintain your Identity and integrity.
Procedure: using Aikido to understand the martial role-play between Leader and Follower,
while maintaining integrity for both (without falling into the trap of victim or attacker).

4- Which style of leadership and followership are grounded in your embodied system and
fits you and is the most effective for you and in a generation a natural team result
Procedure: which styles of leadership and followership suits your personality and gives you
natural power/charisma, without falling into the master/slave trap as opposed to be a leader
or a follower in the Aikido way.

5- Create insight into which kind of decision in being a leader of the followers are grounded in
your embodied system = your personality.
Procedure: according to several case studies investigates and experiment with this by self-awareness.

Part Three: Course module on Critical Perspectives on contemporary Leadership and Followership
1- Introduction and foundational concepts in Leadership
2- Contemporary Leadership: The good, the bad and the ugly
3- Leadership and power
4- Leadership in the digital era
5- Followership and Role theory approach
6- Contemporary Followership
7- Followership in the digital era
8- Frameworks of leadership and followership
9- Ongoing Discussions and sum up

Final Submission: Reflexive Report

See publication

Tags: Culture, Digital Transformation, Leadership

Leadership for Master Degree students 2019
Heriot Watt University
September 11, 2020
Leadership is a popular research and general interest subject that generates lots of discussion and debate amongst academics, practitioners and the public. There are many leadership theories that attempt to describe how it works and why. Unfortunately, all of them are only useful for describing leadership in particular or narrow situations, none provide a universal formula for understanding how leadership works. Therefore, it is important to have a wide understanding of the different theories available. This course provides that broad overview of leadership and its contributing theories.
Many research studies have discovered a positive relationship between effective leadership and improved performance across a number of critical organisational activities like competitiveness, innovation, new product development etc. Relating practice to leadership approaches to understand, which theories are relevant and how they improve performance are examined in the course as well. Moreover, leaderships impact on four important contemporary organisational themes will be explored in the course. These important themes are gender, culture, teams and ethics. Finally, guest speakers are used to help bring to life the leadership approaches and issues discussed in the course.

See publication

Tags: Culture, Digital Transformation, Leadership

Masters Degree Dissertation Supervision on Sustainable Knowledge Sharing
Heriot-Watt University
May 01, 2020
This research was conducted on retail industry by proposing the sustainable knowledge sharing using Salih's (2020) Model of dynamic cultural intelligence to assist retail managers and firms improving their knowledge sharing culture and overcome cultural obstacles, towards improvement and innovation.

See publication

Tags: Culture, Innovation, Retail

Masters Degree Dissertation Supervision on adaptive leadership impacts employee wellbeing and happiness
Heriot-Watt University
September 13, 2019
This research talks about the effect of adaptive leadership on employee wellbeing and happiness in the organization and its subsequent impact on performance. The research is conducted in Dubai.

See publication

Tags: Culture, Health and Wellness, Leadership

Masters Degree Dissertation supervision on Disruptive Innovation in coaching industry
Heriot-Watt University
August 31, 2019
This research is about how disruptive innovation has become key to understanding the increased number of new companies overtaking the market. The work explored the use of technology such as Artificial Intelligence in the coaching industry and showed how poor is the use of technology in this domain....

See publication

Tags: Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation, Future of Work

Masters Degree Dissertation Supervision on project management of events
Heriot-Watt University
August 18, 2019
This work explores the challenges faced by project managers in the events industry in the UAE whilst adopting Salih's (2018) Model of Adaptive Leadership in the event industry, within the UAE. Salih's model consists of effective leadership effectiveness and ineffectiveness, the meta-cognitive dimension of Cultural Intelligence (CQ) combined with the autonomous culture of the Douglasian Cultural Framework (DCF).

See publication

Tags: Culture, Leadership, Project Management

Masters Degree Dissertation Supervision on the influence Aikido and Cultural Intelligence (CQ)’s Mindfulness on leader-follower relationships
Heriot-Watt University
July 20, 2019
This research sheds light on the dynamics of leader-follower relationships. The Adaptive Leadership Model of Salih (2018) has been employed to interpret followership to this end, in order to bridge the gap between leadership and followership literature. As CQ’s metacognition is related to mindfulness and Aikido practitioners are known to possess mindfulness, the study has been conducted on Aikido practitioners.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Culture, Leadership

Masters Degree Dissertation Supervision on the application of Adaptive leadership in sustainable project management
Heriot-Watt University
April 23, 2019
This piece of work explores the effect of Salih's (2018) Model of Adaptive Leadership on the project management sector in Nigeria. The aim is to achieve a sustainable project management practice in the country.

See publication

Tags: Culture, Leadership, Project Management

2 Advisory Board Memberships
7th CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY FESTIVAL | PROPERTY TECHNOLOGY FESTIVAL
b2b Connect
February 16, 2024
The goal of the Advisory Board is to share opinions in conversational format, on the key issues, trends, developments and experiences in the areas of digital transformation, data management and sustainability that will be translated into a market-driven, must-attend agenda and event.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Digital Transformation, Sustainability

CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY FESTIVAL KSA: Injecting digital transformation into Saudi Arabia’s projects supply chain
Venture Connect
August 15, 2022
As an Advisory Board member, KI worked with others in the CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY FESTIVAL KSA (CTF KSA) to bring together the Kingdom’s key government authorities, project developers, contractors, consultants and ConTech companies to share digital use-cases that design, build and operate major projects faster, cheaper and more efficiently.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Digital Transformation, Digital Twins

4 Article/Blogs
Evolving Needs for a Rapidly Changing Industry
Technical Review Middle East
August 15, 2023
n the "Evolving needs for a rapidly changing industry" piece in Technical Review Middle East's latest issue, read what Dr. Ahmad M. Salih Salih, our Senior Director of Operation Excellence and Knowledge Management, had to say about how BIM is evolving to meet our industry's demands and the challenges in implementing it.

Dr. Ahmad stresses the immense potential for combining AI and BIM and the strength of their synergy in the Middle East's construction sector, which is critical to innovation, superior quality, and meeting the region's expanding infrastructure demands. He also emphasizes digital twins as an indispensable partner to BIM in modern buildings.

To learn more about the growing landscape of BIM and its revolutionary potential in the construction industry, go to page 16 and check out the full article: https://bit.ly/3EjFO5P.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Digital Transformation, Leadership

Perceived Managerial and Leadership Effectiveness In UAE and Egypt: A Comparison Through The Combined Lenses Of Islamic Work Ethics and Islamic Leadership
European Management Review
April 18, 2021
We conduct an emic replication study of managerial and leadership effectiveness in UAE, thereby addressing the paucity in extant literature of indigenous management research in non-Western countries. Second, we compare our findings from the UAE study with those from a similar study previously conducted by author 3 in Egypt, to reveal that there are considerable similarities in the perceived effectiveness and ineffectiveness of managerial behavior across these two countries, but also considerable differences. Finally and most importantly, we examine the findings from the two studies through the combined conceptual lenses of Islamic Work Ethics (IWE) and Islamic Leadership (IL). We find that more than half of positive and negative Behavioral Statements emerging from these studies are grounded in the principles of IWE and IL, implying that these principles exercise significant influence on followers’ Implicit Leadership Theories, and consequently their perceptions of managerial and leader behaviors. Theoretical and managerial implications are also offered.

See publication

Tags: Culture, Leadership, Management

A Dynamic and Interactional Framework Cultural Intelligence
International Studies of Management & Organization, Volume 48, 2018 - Issue 4: INNOVATIVE TRENDS IN CULTURAL STUDIES
April 17, 2020
Cultural Intelligence (CQ) scholars' continuing reliance on static geo-ethnic (mostly national) conceptualizations of culture raises three dilemmas: (1) the practical challenge of managers having to adapt to as many national cultures as they encounter, (2) a superficial understanding of how cultural intelligence manifests itself in everyday life, and (3) the inability to elaborate upon the nature (transient versus profound) of and potential pathways for cultural adaptations. There is, therefore, an urgent need to liberate the CQ discourse from geo-ethnic confines a need which is met in our present article through the introduction of transactional anthropology-based Douglasian Cultural Framework (DCF). The DCF conceptualizes human behavior as grounded in social transactions as opposed to geo-ethnic affiliations. According to this framework , the ongoing interactions between an individual's preferences on two social dimensions (grid and group) and social context results in the emergence of four worldviews. Integrating these four worldviews of DCF with the four dimensions of CQ (motivational, cognitive, meta-cognitive, and behavioral) results in an innovative DCF-based CQ framework. This framework not only refrains from constraining the CQ discourse to geo-ethnic confines but also satisfactorily resolves the three dilemmas emerging from conventional CQ literature. Thus, our article contributes toward enriching extant CQ and DCF literatures and simultaneously combines insights from anthropology and psychology, but it also recognizes this is one small step in the right direction and calls for efforts toward generating other geo-ethnicity-free cultural frameworks that will further enrich our understanding of CQ.

See publication

Tags: Management, Culture, HR

Knowledge is Precious
Self
June 28, 2019
Knowledge is the root of all good!
— Ali Ibn Abi Talib.

Learning process is reciprocal. We learn from each other! leaders learn from followers and teachers learn from students.

See publication

Tags: Digital Transformation, Future of Work, Innovation

1 Board Membership
Advisory Board Member for the Construction Technology Festival (ctf-uae.com) & Property Technology Festival
Construction Technology Festival & Property Technology Festival
June 14, 2022
The advisory Board member role includes share your insights into the following:
- Market trends impacting different regions such as Saudi Arabia
- Overall theme and narrative for the event
- Key topics in innovation, sustainability and digital technology that must be included in the agenda
- Digital use-cases/experiences that you are working on within your organisation that might make good case studies – particularly in KSA
- Must have speakers and sponsors

See publication

Tags: Digital Transformation, Change Management, Digital Twins

3 Books
Digital Leadership: Evidence from Theory and Practice
Routledge
February 13, 2024
In the evolving landscape of leadership, factors from both environmental and cultural dimensions play a crucial role. In the contemporary era of digitalisation and globalisation, the impact on leadership has expanded significantly. This places greater pressure on leaders to succeed. The integration of technology and knowledge management adds complexity, demanding not only effectiveness but also cultural adaptability for navigating digital organisational changes.

Effective leadership prerequisites endure, regardless of technological influence. Amid the push for digital leadership in modern organisations, it's essential to acknowledge the complexity of defining and analysing leadership. This treatise emphasises adaptability and intelligence as foundational for digital leaders and followers. Organisational ambidexterity underscores the simultaneous need for digital alignment and adaptability in effective leadership.

This book emphasises followership's natural evolution in individual growth. It delves into the intricate interplay between leadership and followership within the globalised, digital context. Core to the narrative is the 'intelligently learning organization,' a concept explored throughout and conclusively in Chapter 7. While technological prowess benefits leaders, it's vital to recognise its limitations in achieving organisational growth.

The text highlights 'digital dexterity,' a concept evaluating internal capacities for embracing digital trajectories. This nascent concept is vital for modern digital leaders to embody.

See publication

Tags: Culture, Digital Transformation, Leadership

Cultural Spaces in International Business: Theories and Applications
Routledge
April 15, 2022
Culture studies in international business are passing through difficult times of scrutiny and critique. This is due to the fact that the paradigms, approaches, and methods used so far to study culture have been limited in their scope. For several decades now, approaches that consider national cultures and geo-ethnic origins of interacting individuals have dominated management literature.

This book distinguishes itself from other books on Culture in International Business (CIB) studies in two important ways. First, it illustrates how Mary Douglas’s Cultural Theory framework (referred to commonly as DCF) can be used to explore different aspects of international business. This sets the stage for future scholars to consider DCF as an alternative tool of cultural sense-making as opposed to limiting themselves to categorical frameworks grounded in static notions of national and/or corporate culture. The second unique feature is that it focuses on the complexities of the applied side of culture (i.e., it takes a culture-in-practice perspective), while simultaneously emphasizing the dynamicity and diversity of culture. The book concludes by offering suggestions for the future of CIB studies. This domain, it predicts, may witness significant changes in the way culture is seen as influencing workplace relations. It also identifies other areas on which CIB scholars may need to focus attention in the future: culture in an increasingly digitalized world, culture and the organization as a system, and culture and the intelligent/knowledgeable organization.

It will be of interest to researchers, academics, and students in the fields of cross-cultural management, international business, human resource management.

See publication

Tags: Digital Transformation, Culture, Entrepreneurship

Cross-cultural Leadership: Being Effective in an Era of Globalization, Digital Transformation and Disruptive Innovation
Routledge
July 08, 2020
For many decades, management in its research and practice has been in need of an alternative approach and paradigm to understanding human behaviours. Many studies and books have attempted to provide solutions to the individual, which ended up being a cultural dilemma with little success. This book provides a novel approach to address this dilemma by linking aspects from three knowledge domains; Psychology, Anthropology and Sociology. Cross-Cultural Leadership supports Cultural Intelligence (CQ) and makes it a practical construct and tool that both managers and researchers harness to understand what" cultural Chameleon" means. The book also renders support to Douglaisan Cultural Framework (DCF) by activating the role of the usually neglected fifth culture; the hermit by linking it to the metacognitive dimension of CQ. This link introduces for the first time the mechanism that individuals use to run through metacognitive processes to drive change. This book is a tool for individuals to help them work efficiently outside their homeland. Being an adaptive or culturally hybrid leader is among the most important competencies of the effective leaders in the 21st century. By focusing on comprehending the five cultures as elaborated in DCF, leaders and managers will be relieved from the dilemma of having to understand each and every national culture of their employees. This book will be of value to researchers, academics, managers, and students with an interest in leadership, management, organization studies, globalization, and innovation

See publication

Tags: Culture, Digital Transformation, Leadership

6 Book Chapters
Entering into the Mind of the Entrepreneur: The Hermit’s Metacognition as an Entrepreneurial Driver
Routledge
April 15, 2022
In this chapter, a novel approach toward understanding how entrepreneurs act to draw new business horizons when faced with new opportunities or challenges is introduced. In the current decade, there has been much emphasis on strengthening individuals’ capabilities to move them into the space or mindset of entrepreneurs. The work in this chapter builds on previous attempts where the metacognitive dimension of Cultural Intelligence (CQ) is employed to help entrepreneurs plot the right strategies toward achieving their self-gains. Furthermore, the work adds another building block to previous achievements and draws a new horizon by explaining how a change can happen in individuals’ mindsets to transform themselves into adopting a competitive or entrepreneurial culture. This chapter calls for a paradigm shift in approaching, understanding, explaining, and boosting entrepreneurship among individuals by deploying Douglasian Cultural Framework-based Cultural Intelligence. Moreover, it lays out a set of behaviours and a process individuals could follow to achieve their sought-after transformation to become entrepreneurs and follow opportunities globally.

See publication

Tags: Culture, Change Management, Entrepreneurship

The Role of Aikido and Cultural Intelligence in Harmonising Leader-Follower Relationships
Routledge
April 15, 2022
Aikido is a modern Japanese martial art founded by Morihei Ueshiba in the 1920s and
internationally promoted in the 1950s. It differs from other marital arts: Aikidokas (Aikido
practitioners) not only practise mindfulness but also live within a culture of social and spiritual
harmony, discipline, focus, and direction. On the mat, Aikidokas free their minds from any
prejudicial thoughts and indulge in a no-mind state during the training. In this chapter, Aikido is
linked with Cultural Intelligence’s metacognition and Douglasian Cultural Framework’s
egalitarian culture. By so doing, it highlights that an egalitarian culture can help employees blend
in a healthier work environment and increase their productivity. Additionally, in this chapter, the
concept of flexecution, which links flexibility to execution, is discussed, and how this concept,
which has its roots in Aikido, can help in improving the decision-making process in the business
environment is shown

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Culture, Leadership

Taking Stock of the Present and Looking Toward the Future: Cultural Evolution in a Knowledge-Intensive and Digital Era
Routledge
April 15, 2022
In this concluding chapter, we attempt to summarise the overall value of the book by focusing on the significant concepts of each chapter from the knowledge management and intelligence lenses. Furthermore, the chapter lays out some genuine trends that cultural studies would encounter in the near future. Such trends range from conceptual, methodological to pragmatic. First, the way culture is approached needs to change to become more comprehensive. This implies that studying culture needs to be done using aspects from different knowledge domains and also by deploying multiple paradigms. This is because culture is a multi-faceted and complex construct, and cannot be looked at studied using one paradigm. Second, future cultural studies may witness change in the way culture used in the workplace to harmonise the relationship between managers and employees, to name a few. Finally, we recommend in this chapter that cultural studies need to take a proactive stance in dealing with new areas of practice such as culture in a digitalised/platforms world, culture and the organisation as a system, and culture and the intelligent/knowledgeable organisation

See publication

Tags: Culture, Digital Transformation, Future of Work

Adaptive and Sustainable Leadership for Event Management
Goodfellow
June 01, 2021
Event Management, as a field of study, is relatively nascent. Attempts have been made by some scholars to define a workable framework that includes collaboration from different knowledge disciplines or industry services (Getz, 2000). However, as with many other fields of study, research reacts to the phenomena happening in the outside world, and attempts to find the right solution to standardize individuals’ and organisations’ practice. While we understand the gap between academia and practice, where the latter is always advancing due to actual needs on the ground, we also believe that adopting a proactive approach in research to provide the right solutions and run proper training programs, can help to bridge this gap and provide real value to practice.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Leadership, Project Management

Adaptive and Sustainable Leadership for Event Management
GoodFellowPublishers
February 01, 2021
Due to the fast-changing economy globally, and technology impact on business and individuals, the events industry became much more complex especially with governments involvement and increased regulation (Bowdin et. al, 2006). By nature, events are ephemeral, and even if they do repeat, they are a separate project every time. Therefore, events can be considered as fast-track projects with many activities and stakeholders engaged for a short period. One important aspect that impact the delivery of successful events is leadership. In this chapter, hence, we shed some light on the main challenges faced when implementing events in Dubai. Given the multi-cultural nature of working in the events industry in Dubai and the different types of events conducted every year, our study attempts to understand how project leaders within the events industry use adaptive leadership across cultures to produce successful outcomes and/or meet project deliverables. Event management as a field of study emerged in response to the growing events industry, and is yet to be mature (Getz, 2002). Moreover, attempts were made to examine the effect of cognitive, social and environmental psychology, sociology and anthropology knowledge disciplines to understand the differences between the field’s subdivisions (see Getz, 2007 and 2012). For this purpose, we focus on the behavioural aspect of event management, I.e. events leadership, and propose a novel approach to the challenges faced by both academics and practitioners. We emphasise on the adaptive leadership aspect of managing events following Salih’s (2017; 2020) Model for Sustainable and Adaptive Leadership as the mechanism to be used by individuals and organizations, and by so doing, we attempt to synch theory and practice. The Model comprises three main components: Hamlin’s (2004) model for leadership effectiveness and ineffectiveness, the meta-cognitive dimension of Cultural Intelligence (CQ), and the autonomous culture (hermit) of the Douglasian Cultural Framework (DCF). There has been much research done on culture, project management and adaptive leadership however, there is a paucity of literature on events management in Dubai.

See publication

Tags: Culture, Leadership, Project Management

Sustainable Leadership in Multi-Cultural Teams
Goodfellow
August 22, 2020
Description
The current shift towards digital transformation that guides the building blocks of the digital economy, has made it imperative to review some of the current theories, frameworks and paradigms. This applies to the different contexts of business management, where effective leadership is crucail, including project management and more so, sustainable project management. The authors’ current work, which is directed at both academics and practitioners, calls for a new paradigm in approaching Sustainable Leadership Effectiveness, that brings aspects from three knowledge domains (Anthropology, Sociology and Psychology) which are important for understanding human behaviors (in response to Murdock, 1971). The new paradigm and approach take leadership effectiveness practice, training and development into new dimensions, and embed them within an intelligent process with the Douglasian Cultural Framework (DCF)-based Cultural Intelligence at the center. Leaders focus should harness past and present experience to make a better future (Senge, 2008 cited in Tideman et al., 2013). This implies that for leadership to be considered sustainable, it must be formed around two important factors: adaptability and intelligence (Tideman, 2013). Accordingly, the journey that readers will be guided through in this chapter, is about novelty in thinking and practicing leadership which is different from the mainstream of leadership and Cultural Intelligence discourse and practice. The aim is to have managers and leaders not only understanding how to be effective, but how to behave intelligently in a challenging global context. In the introduction, the chapter presents the debate about leadership from the globalization lens, illustrating the obstacles that leadership research is facing. The chapter then provides the reader with a general review about Cultural Intelligence showing the dilemmas that the construct is facing, leading to the main theme of this chapter where the leadership adaptability framework is presented.

See publication

Tags: Culture, Leadership, Project Management

5 Conference Publications
Toward forming Leadership Intelligence and revoking the individual in leadership studies
Sixth International Engaged Management Scholarship Conference Organized by the Executive DBA Council
September 08, 2016
Extant literature on leadership behaviour and Cultural Intelligence (CQ) continues to be grounded in static geo-ethnic conceptualisations of culture (e.g. national culture). This practice is proven problematic because it leads to the dilemma of ‘losing the absolutes’ (Gelfand et al., 2008) – the concern that irrespective of their versatility, international leaders or managers cannot be expected to know or master all national cultures with whom they may be called upon to interact. To overcome this dilemma, we offer to integrate Yukl’s (2012) leadership behavioural framework with Sternberg & Detterman (1986) Loci of Intelligence; a culture-agnostic framework; as solution to this important gap and form a new construct of Leadership Intelligence (LQ). The paper discusses the potential advantages of this integration to individuals and organizations. Accordingly, this theoretical contributions to management and leadership literature bridges the gaps between theory and practice (Yukl, 2004), along with a discussion of managerial implications and suggestions for future research.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Culture, Leadership

Should an intelligent leader in the 21st century be a cultural chameleon? A call to disentangle national culture from
The International Conference on Organization and Management ( ) 2015 Conference Theme: Innovative Management Practices: Challenges & Opportunities in
November 22, 2015
Extant literature on leadership behaviour and Cultural Intelligence (CQ) continues to be grounded in static geo-ethnic conceptualizations of culture (e.g. national culture). This practice is problematic because it leads to the dilemma of ‘losing of absolutes‘– the concern that irrespective of their versatility, international managers cannot be expected to master all national cultures with whom they may be called upon to interact. To overcome this drawback, we offer to integrate Yukl’s (2012) leadership behavioural framework with Sternberg & Detterman (1986) loci of intelligence as a solution to the important gap and form a new construct of Leadership Intelligence (LQ). Integrating these two frameworks results in an innovative framework of leadership behavioural studies with many advantages to individuals and organizations in the 21st century who either operate across borders or are obliged to respond to the cosmopolitan pressure in their homelands as in the case of United Arab Emirates. Thus, our paper offers theoretical contributions to management and leadership literatures. We end the paper with a discussion of managerial implications and suggestions for future research.

See publication

Tags: Culture, Leadership, Management

From local to cross-cultural to global, challenges that face UAE nationals in the 21st century. The role of transactional framework of Cultural Intelligence.
ICSB 2015 World Conference Proceedings ISBN13: 978-0-9819028-7-6 ISBN: 0-9819028-7-1
June 06, 2015
Extant literature shows that the GCC region as a whole, and mostly so the United Arab Emirates suffer from the scarcity of management studies in general and Cultural Intelligence (CQ) studies specifically. While most of the studies are either US or western based (Jackson, 2005), Tsui et al., (2007) call to conduct indigenous research in indigenous context. In response to this need, we offer an in-depth study on the effect of transaction framework of CQ (Salih & Patel, 2015) on Emirati citizens to help them overcome the dilemma of “losing the absolutes” (Gelfand et al., 2008) when dealing with a globalized environment present locally at their doors, and at the same time to help them protect their own national culture from being negatively affected. Thus, our paper offers theoretical contributions to management and CQ literatures by applying this context-free of CQ framework in UAE. We end the paper with a discussion of practical and theoretical implications and suggestions for future research.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Culture, HR

HOW TO MEASURE PERCEIVED MANAGERIAL AND LEADERSHIP EFFECTIVENESS & INEFFECTIVENESS WITHIN UAE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS IN CONNECTION WITH DOUGLASIAN CULTURAL FRAMEWORK
GRENOBLE ECOLE DE MANAGEMENT Category: 15 CONFERENCE GENERAL TRACK >> 15_00 CONFERENCE GENERAL TRACK
January 13, 2015
Access to this paper is restricted to registered delegates of the EURAM 2014 (European Academy of Management) Conference.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Culture, Leadership

Toward a Dynamic and Interactional Framework of Cultural Intelligence - Best Paper
AIBMENA 5th conference: Bridging the Divide - Cognitive dissonance between management theory and practice - Developing relevant and impactful research
January 13, 2015
Extant literature on Cultural Intelligence (CQ) continues to be grounded in static geo-ethnic conceptualizations of culture (e.g. national culture). This practice is problematic because it leads to ‘losing of absolutes‘– the concern that irrespective of their versatility, international managers cannot be expected to master all national cultures with whom they may be called upon to interact. To overcome this drawback, we offer the Dougalsian Cultural Framework (DCF) as an alternative framework of culture. Integrating the dynamic conceptualization of culture offered by DCF within the CQ construct results in an innovative framework of CQ with many advantages. First, being grounded in a transactional/interactional approach to culture, this framework allows us to break away from static geo-ethnicity based frameworks of culture. Second, our framework explains, how despite having different cultural affiliations, culturally intelligent individuals shift from one culturally-appropriate behavior to another as part of the adaptation process in intercultural interactions. In so doing, we expose the merits of the often-neglected fifth cultural type of DCF- the hermit. Thus, our paper offers theoretical contributions both to CQ and DCF literature. We end the paper with a discussion of managerial implications and suggestions for future research.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Culture, HR

9 eBooks
Design of Risk Management Process
Khatib and Alami
July 01, 2021
Designed a comprehensive and dynamic projects' risk process. The process follows PMI standards and organizational best practice. The process included a workflow that is included within the risk register along with a process.

See publication

Tags: Culture, Project Management, Risk Management

BIM Practice Manual
Khatib and Alami
May 15, 2020

See publication

Tags: Cloud, Digital Transformation, Emerging Technology

Remote Working Procedure
Khatib and Alami
March 31, 2020
At the beginning of the pandemic, companies started to panic and everyone started to look ways to survive running projects, keep connecting with clients, manage resources and most importantly maintain a winning position in the market.

As response to this situation during the Covid-19 pandemic, I developed a new Way of Work with specific steps and mechanisms to keep everyone connected and maintain projects success. The new Way of Work; remote working procedure; included policies, strategies, tools and mechanisms for users to follow.

The procedure was implemented successfully and Khatib and Alami was a pioneer in the market in this regard. Moreover, the procedure was lent to some of our clients who were looking for similar solutions.

See publication

Tags: Culture, Future of Work, Project Management

Project Managers Assessment Toolkit
Khatib and Alami
October 13, 2019
Having the overall project management capability building and accreditation process embarked by K&A’s senior management, evaluating how project management practice is conducted and followed in K&A becomes imperative. Understanding how project managers interact with projects, clients and people is of high importance to evaluate, prior to commencing the Projects Managers development process. Below is the main steps described in a bit more detail:
1- The questionnaire/evaluation criteria: Projects Directors, Senior Projects Managers, Projects Managers and Associate Projects Managers will be requested to evaluate themselves against the (9) areas of knowledge and practice laid out in the attached questionnaire. These areas are:
1. Qualification and accreditation
2. Client Management
3. Project Cost/Financial Management
4. People Management & Development
5. Project Delivery & Quality Management
6. Effective Communication
7. Knowledge Management
8. Commercial & Risk Management
9. Safety, Health, Environment & Sustainability

Each one of the knowledge areas mentioned above is devised into (4) categories reflecting the level of seniority of K&A’s Projects Managers.

2- Weight of the Knowledge Areas: Out of 100%, a dedicated weight for each of the 8 knowledge areas is assessed and kept confidential for committee use in the calibration process.

3- Self-Evaluation Process: Every Projects Manager is requested to rate himself according to the 8 knowledge areas above and provide a rank from (1) to (4), where (4) represents the highest mark in the rank and (1) is the lowest.

4- Supervisor Evaluation: The same process described in point no. 2 above shall be conducted by the Projects Managers’ supervisors. The results shall be compared and calibrated with that provided by the Project Manager. A meeting shall be requested to be held with the Project Manager and his supervisor to discuss the results if required.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Leadership, Project Management

Winning Proposal Procedure
Khatib and Alami
August 01, 2019
This procedure was designed to take proposals managers and teams to prepare successful proposals to ensure a winning mode.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Culture, Sales

Effective Performance Appraisal System
Khatib and Alami
January 01, 2018
A novel approach to Performance Appraisal that was designed based on leadership effectiveness, dynamic cultural intelligence, digital transformation and work ethics. the system was conduced and applied on almost 3500 employees. 60 hours training conducted by the author in four regions. Detailed analyses were driven to show how and where employees can best fit within the organization

See publication

Tags: Culture, Entrepreneurship, HR

Design Centers' Operations: Policy and Procedure
Khatib and Alami
December 14, 2016
This procedure has been developed to sets up the K&A Policy in terms of the Design Centers chargeability and collaboration with sectors across all locations. It places even greater emphasis on the initial decision taken by K&A’s CEO and the Board to consider and subsequently implement the Cost Effective Design Centers as active centers that are meant to carry out the execution of all K&A detailed design works across all sectors. Market sectors, therefore, are requested to comply with this instruction. Market sectors are urged to take responsibility for:
1. Effectively collaborate with their teams at the design centers to ensure competitive projects pricing.
2. Making sure that design centers chargeability does not fall below 85%, and
3. Market sectors are responsible for producing optimum quality projects’ submission accepted by K&A clients regardless in which design center the work is carried out.
The Operation units across K&A, supported by Strategy, shall be following up with all Market Sectors to ensure proper implementation and ongoing monitoring of this policy and procedure. Violations shall be reported to the CEO immediately and corrective measures shall follow accordingly.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Management, Project Management

Design Project Management Manual
Khatib and Alami
June 23, 2010
The purposes of producing the design project management manual are mainly to:
1) Improve the projects performance and quality
2) To provide the manual holders with essential information on K&A’s practices for managing projects.
3) Determine all aspects of interaction among project management sections and other company departments.
4) To provide an effective training tool for the new employees.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Project Management, Risk Management

CAD Manual
Khatib and Alami CEC
January 01, 2000
Following the National CAD Standards (NCS), a CAD manual was developed to allow all architects and engineers including newcomers to work seamlessly on running projects. The manual included a layering system, colours, line weights, and drawings of standard title blocks among other drafting configurations.

See publication

Tags: Digital Disruption, Leadership, Project Management

18 Executives
SAP Procurement Business Process leader
Khatib and Alami
August 26, 2022

See publication

Tags: Change Management, ERP, Leadership

SAP business leader for CPM/PS
Khatib and Alami
July 26, 2022
leading the CPM/PS business process and solving, with the team involved, the challenges that face project managers, department heads and the operational excellence team when delivering projects.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Digital Transformation, Project Management

SAP Business Leader for C4C module
Khatib and Alami
July 26, 2022
Leading the Cloud 4 Customer module of SAP within Khatib and Alami.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Customer Experience, Digital Transformation

International Aikido Federation membership
International Aikido Federation
January 01, 2022
Part of the AfriMENA Workgroup within the International Aikido Federation (IAF), I am responsible to encourage nations in the region to enroll under the AIKIKAI and IAF umbrella after having them establishing their national Aikido identity.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Culture, Leadership

Design of Enterprise Content Management System
Khatib and Alami
July 11, 2021
Lead a team from IT, project managers, quality assurance, document controllers, design and construction supervision team to design and implement an enterprise and content management system based on Microsoft SharePoint. The system included four main verticals; proposals, projects, Knowledge repositories and Business Management System.

The system is now in th implementation phase.

See publication

Tags: Digital Transformation, Future of Work, Project Management

Establishing digital academy
Khatib and Alami
April 01, 2021
Link Learning Management system to digital courses delivery. The Digital academy proposal was designed to employees performance appraisal designed and career path planning at K&A.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Culture, Digital Disruption

Establishment of Knowledge Lab
Khatib and Alami
January 21, 2020
The following are the aims of the Knowledge Lab:
1. Project management and control – understanding when the system should be updated, when critical items e.g. contract value, start/end dates, invoicing schedule changes etc. are permitted to be changed
2. Change and VO management – management of changes in contract from PMs (letters of extension when the project is delayed, changing scope when contract value is adjusted etc.)
3. Stakeholder management –understanding of how to influence clients and who we should be escalating issues to
4. Financial management – capability and knowledge of finance and its importance for project management

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Culture, Project Management

Projects Budgeting for a $400M value
Khatib and Alami
November 01, 2019
Lead a team from finance, project management and project controls to prepare a bottom up budgets for all running projects of the company.

See publication

Tags: Business Strategy, Leadership, Project Management

Three Years Growth Plan
Khatib and Alami
August 09, 2019
A three years growth plan was developed to set the guidance to align geographies and engineering sectors with the overall market and company targets.

See publication

Tags: Business Strategy, Leadership, Sales

Talent Development System
Khatib and Alami
May 29, 2019

See publication

Tags: Culture, HR, Leadership

Head of PMO for Organizational Design
Khatib and Alami
December 01, 2018
Lead the organizational design with the CEO of the company and Mckinsey to drive organizational redesign, operational efficiency, sales process design and grading system redesign.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Digital Transformation, Leadership

Head of Digital Transformation office
Khatib and Alami
September 07, 2018
Head the Digital transformation Initiative and the transformation office in general.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Digital Transformation, ERP

Career path development
Khatib and Alami
March 01, 2018
For 3500 employees, I have established a career path development program based on employees' strengths, challenges and potential. The program included the creation of digital learning spaces which can be linked to HR system.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Culture, HR

Certified Chief Innovation Officer (CCInO)
Global Innovation Institute GInI
March 17, 2017
GInI Certified Chief Innovation Officer (CCInO) is GInI’s recognition of senior business leaders who have demonstrated an advanced understanding of key topics relating to enterprise innovation, innovation strategy, innovation groups, innovation spaces, management and workplace innovation, and other leading innovation practices.

See publication

Tags: Business Strategy, Innovation, Leadership

Proposals development workshop
Khatib and Alami
April 09, 2016
In this workshop, proposals managers from across K&A business units were introduced to the new Way of Work of the Winning Proposal Procedure. The new operating model (modus operandi) of the proposals units was demonstrated and discussed.

See publication

Tags: Business Strategy, Change Management, CRM

Wrench Solution Implementation
Khatib and Alami
July 01, 2009
Led a team from IT and project management to implement Wrench solution for project management, knowledge management, document management and collaboration management system. The process included conducting many customizations to the system to adapt it to the working environment of the company. Workflows were set within Wrench to enforce quality control.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Emerging Technology, Project Management

Project Management Office establishment
Khatib and Alami
March 01, 2006
In 2006, I established a PMO within K&A to manage all design projects. Projects types manages range from small to large scale and include residential, retail, hospitality, healthcare, mixed-use, educational, infrastructure and urban planning projects.
The PMO unit grew and accommodated more than 8 project managers and many planning engineers. Establishing the PMO introduced a major change in projects operations and lead to better project delivery.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Leadership, Project Management

Training Officer
Khatib and Alami
January 01, 2002
As a rotating training officer, I was responsible for leading the process of collecting all training requirements from all design and corporate departments, collaborating with them to assign the right resources and coordinating with external parties to conduct the required course.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, HR, Leadership

1 Founder
Certificate in Responsible Leadership and Followership
Grenoble Ecole de Management
April 17, 2021
segregation, and with ever increasing questions being raised regarding (un)ethical and ineffective practices of leaders, it becomes important to think critically about leadership practices. It becomes equally important to sensitize followers of their inherent power in bringing about positive change. It is therefore necessary to question the so-called dichotomy between ‘leaders’ and ‘followers’. It is also necessary to explore the dark side of both leadership and followership. It is equally important to reflect on the positive and progressive concepts of leadership that are emerging in literature and which seem better suited to our times as opposed to the authoritative (top-down) styles that have dominated the business sector in the last century. It is, moreover, imperative to give voice to those groups or segments of the workplace and of the larger society that have been marginalized over the course of time, and to address the implications of cultural sensitivity and emotional intelligence among both leaders and followers.
These objectives are consistent with Grenoble Ecole de Management’s identity as a ‘Business Lab for Society’ and its dedication to serving the interests of and creating a positive impact on its local as well as international stakeholders. They are also consistent with the ideas of critical thinking, reflexivity, and making students responsible for their own learning and future.
Therefore, with the aim of meeting these objectives, I propose the creation of a 'Certificate in Responsible Leadership and Followership' for ESC students. The program could gradually be repackaged appropriately for Executive Education programs, and could eventually lead to the creation of an Institute/Partnered Chair in Responsible Leadership and Followership.

See publication

Tags: Culture, Innovation, Leadership

2 Industry Awards
BIM Organization of the year
Construction Technology Awards
June 09, 2022
Winning this award as a result of the successful strategy and implementation of BIM as part of the overall digital transformation initiative.

See publication

Tags: Digital Transformation

BIM organization of the year
Ventures Connect
June 08, 2022
I have set the strategy for K&A to start a BIM configuration and implementation journey. For that, we have been named the BIM Organization of the Year, recognizing our commitment to a holistic approach to BIM strategy, planning, management, and execution throughout all project phases. 

See publication

Tags: Digital Transformation

3 Industry Badges
Creating a Compelling Board Value Proposition Course
Future Directors
October 03, 2024
WHY IT'S IMPORTANT
In order to secure your ideal board role, whether you are a first-timer or experienced director, you need to present a compelling value proposition that will make your networking conversations, role applications, Board CV and the interview stage far more effective. It’s an essential part of the process that will differentiate you from other candidates.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
Identify your strengths and how to structure a successful pitch that puts you at the head of the pack. Develop confidence in your ability to add value to a board.

WHO IS THIS COURSE FOR?
Aspiring or existing NEDs

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Leadership, Risk Management

Structuring Board Committees for Success
Future Directors
September 26, 2024

Structuring Board Committees for Strategic Success is a comprehensive course designed to equip Chairs and Board Members with the essential skills and knowledge to enhance their governance practices.

The course focuses on optimising committee structures to ensure strategic alignment, efficient operations, and robust risk management. Leaders will be better prepared to take on the challenges of participating in and leading a committed, improved, tailored committee design, decision-making, and increased accountability.

See publication

Tags: Business Strategy, Culture, Leadership

Anatomy of a Future Director Course
Future Director
September 23, 2024
What are the character traits of a modern board member?

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT
This short course will detail our definition of what it means to be a successful modern board director, and what human skills (or character traits) you need to navigate the boardroom.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
The modern boardroom is increasingly time-consuming, complex and diverse. We need Future Directors sitting on boards to help companies and organisations navigate our VUCA* world.

*VUCA stands for Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguious.

But, what is a Future Director?

This course will give aspiring and existing directors an achievable list of traits that we believe are necessary to develop and strengthen as a successful board member.

See publication

Tags: Business Strategy, Culture, Leadership

3 Industry Certifications
Chief Innovation Officer CCInO
Global Innovation Institute (GInl)
April 30, 2018
Finalized the requirements for the GInI Certified Chief Innovation Officer (CCInO). CCInO is GInI’s recognition of senior business leaders who have demonstrated an advanced understanding of key topics relating to enterprise innovation, innovation strategy, innovation groups, innovation spaces, management and workplace innovation, and other leading innovation practices.
CCInO certification affirms an individual's proficiency at executive-level innovation practices and methods. This includes enterprise innovation programs, the GInI Enterprise Innovation Architecture, innovation strategy formation, the GInI Strategic Innovation Compass, the GInI Strategic Innovation Roadmap, strategic innovation portfolios, management and workplace innovation, the GInI Experiential Human Innovation Framework, innovation group design, innovation space design, outcome-driven innovation, discovery-driven innovation, and innovation maturity.

Credential ID USAM000101051215

See publication

Tags: Culture, Innovation, Leadership

Project Management Professional (PMP)
Project Management Institute
June 29, 2009

Credential ID 1343248

See publication

Tags: Procurement, Project Management, Risk Management

Productive Microstation Instructor
Bentley Systems
August 25, 1999
Certified Instructor for Miscrostation CAD application developed by Bentley Systems

Issued Aug, 1999 – Expired Jan, 2005

Credential ID 9123608

See credential

See publication

Tags: Culture, Digital Transformation, Future of Work

1 Industry Council Member
Secretary General of the UAE Aikido Committee
The Uae Aikido Committee
January 01, 2016
Acted as the Secretary General for the UAE Aikido Committee responsible for orchestrating all the national and international registrations and seminars. Also organized the committee recognition at the AIKIKAI in Japan.
In this capacity, I was responsible for coordinating with International Aikido, Iaido and Jodo instructors (Sensei and Shihans) to conduct international seminars in Dubai.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Health and Wellness, Leadership

1 Influencer Award
Top 50 Global Thought Leaders and Influencers on Change Management 2023
Thinkers360
May 21, 2023
Change Management 50
2023 Annual Ranking


Find and work with the World’s Premier B2B Thought Leaders, Advisors, Analysts, Authors, Influencers & Speakers (100M+ followers combined). Join Enterprise Lite to work with all of these experts!

See publication

Tags: Change Management

2 Influencer Newsletters
Advancement of Social Sustainability
VentureConnect
September 06, 2024
After the momentum of COP28, social measures such as safety & wellness, inclusion, and accessibility are increasingly cast into the built environment agenda, emphasizing the role of construction in enhancing social sustainability.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Digital Transformation, Leadership

Top 50 Global Thought Leaders and Influencers on Procurement 2023
Thinkres360
May 21, 2023

See publication

Tags: Procurement

4 Keynotes
Applying Parametric design with BIM automation in complex projects
Construction, Digital Construction
January 10, 2024
Design automation can help alleviate resource shortages by saving the manpower hours in repetitive design components and enforce quality by eliminating human error and optimising 1000s of potential design routes. Taking new and innovative approaches to design management can provide a simultaneous review process and oversight including real-time reporting – leading to better designs.

Khatib & Alami, an engineering company, has been at the forefront of digital technology adoption for over three decades, with a strong focus on integrating technology such as Building Information Modeling (BIM) into their design processes. In this presentation, Dr Ahmad Salih, Senior Director Knowledge Management and Operational Excellence, Khatib & Alami shares real-world use cases where they’ve harnessed technology to revolutionise design and construction practices. He sheds light on the successful implementation of digital twin project management and emphasises the pivotal role BIM plays in their digital strategy.

Dr. Salih elaborates on how these technological advancements have translated into tangible benefits, saving projects a staggering 7,700 hours through automation and compressing certain processes from a lengthy 97 days to a mere single day. Furthermore, he elucidates the seamless transition of project designs from one technology to another, ensuring a streamlined and highly efficient design practice.

As the construction industry undergoes rapid evolution, driven by an escalating demand for innovative solutions to tackle the intricacies of contemporary construction projects, it becomes imperative to explore transformative technologies like parametric design and BIM automation. In this blog, we embark on a journey to understand how these cutting-edge technologies are reshaping the construction landscape.

Understanding Parametric Design
Parametric design is a design approach that uses algorithms and mathematical relationships to generate and manipulate design elements. In the context of construction, it allows architects and engineers to create and evaluate multiple design options by changing parameters, such as dimensions, materials, or environmental conditions. This process is highly iterative and can lead to more efficient and innovative design solutions.

The combination of parametric design and BIM automation is transforming the construction industry by offering an efficient way to address the complexities of complex construction projects. Through optioneering and quality assurance, these technologies empower project teams to make informed decisions, reduce costs, and deliver high-quality, sustainable buildings. As the construction industry continues to evolve, embracing parametric design and BIM automation will become increasingly essential for staying competitive and meeting the demands of the modern built environment.

See publication

Tags: Digital Transformation, Digital Twins, Innovation

Panel Moderator - Dealing with the human factor
Construction Technology Festival in UAE 2023
May 31, 2023
As part of the Construction Technology Festival hosted by Ventures Connect, Dr. Ahmad M. Salih, our Senior Director of Operation Excellence and Knowledge Management, will moderate a keynote discussion on “Dealing with the human factor” with other industry experts. The panel will focus on how the construction industry can overcome the challenges of adopting new technologies and strategies for increasing acceptance of new technologies at all levels of the organization.

Join him and other #ConTech experts on May 31 at the Conrad in Dubai as they define greener, faster, and more efficient asset and project delivery methods. K&A is a proud Design Innovation Partner and Sponsor for the event, co-located with the #PropertyTechnologyFestival.

Register here: https://bit.ly/3ND8w7N.

#ConstructionTechnologyFestival #ctf #DigitalTransformation #SustainableBuiltEnvironment #Sustainability #DigitalConstruction #Digital #Innovation #KhatibAndAlamiExperts #KhatibAndAlami

Ventures ONSITE
Ventures Middle East (VME)

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Culture, Project Management

Leading projects in a cosmopolitan environment
PMI MENA
December 05, 2022
A successful project manager in construction will ensure that their team meets deadlines, reaches targets, and adheres to set budgets. Develop power project management skills who can deliver solid business results by attending The Big 5 Project Management Talks track.

Register now for free entry: https://lnkd.in/dWqBtweE

See publication

Tags: Culture, Leadership, Project Management

Digital Leadership in a cosmopolitan workplace
Zigurat Institute Local Hub
November 18, 2022

See publication

Tags: Culture, Digital Transformation, Leadership

7 Media Interviews
Discover the possibilities of new technology within project management
Greyfly.ai
November 24, 2023
Gain insights into what the future holds for project management including AI and where your company should consider its focus. Whether you’re a project or business leader, or simply curious about the future of Project Management and AI, this webinar is your gateway to valuable knowledge and practical insights.

Reserve your spot now, and understand the future of technology within Project Management. Register for the event in the link.

We will discuss:
Use cases, current technology and limitations
Future technology and currently available

Poll: Biggest need for AI in Project Management
Where should a company prioritise investment?
Q&As
Take aways

See publication

Tags: Digital Transformation, Ecosystems, Project Management

Navigating the Digital Era: Insights from a Leading Construction Expert
ProjectPro
September 15, 2023
The construction sector stands at the forefront of transformation in an era of innovation and technology reshaping industries.

Digitalization has become a driving force, revolutionizing how construction professionals approach their work.

To gain valuable insights into the evolving landscape of the construction industry, we sat down with an industry expert – Ahmad M. Salih, who shares their thoughts on digitalization, sustainability challenges, and the potential of cutting-edge technologies.

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Digital Transformation, Project Management