Are school leaders culturally intelligent? Validation of the cultural intelligence (CQ) scale in the UAE

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Al Dhaheri
Keyword(s):  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Private School ◽  
Culturally Diverse ◽  
Cultural Intelligence ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
Abu Dhabi ◽  
Response Scale ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Strongly Agree

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to report results of testing and validation of the cultural intelligence (CQ) Scale in a new location, the culturally diverse United Arab Emirates (UAE) and in a new sector: public and private school leaders. Design/methodology/approach This study surveys 167 school leaders from public and private schools in the UAE using the 20-item version of the CQ Scale, which uses a seven-point Likert response scale of strongly agree to strongly disagree. An examination of the dimensionality of the 20 items was conducted using both principal components analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. Demographics were also gathered. Findings Results from testing and validation of the scale indicated a high level of CQ among school leaders in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. An examination of the dimensionality of the 20 items showed them to fall into the same structure of four sub-components as conceptually conceived: knowledge, strategy, motivation and behaviour. The mean scores for the four components of CQ in this study indicate high CQ amongst Abu Dhabi school leaders, although the knowledge dimension measured slightly lower. The results confirm previous research that found CQ to be higher in culturally diverse settings, which, according to socio-demographic details gathered in the study applies to the UAE. Originality/value This is the first known study to test the Cultural Intelligence Scale in UAE schools. It answers the call from the CQ Scale developers to validate the scale in diverse contexts.

Do school leaders in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi predominantly practice a transformational, transactional, or laissez-faire style of leadership?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Aldhaheri
Keyword(s):  
Transformational Leadership ◽  
Leadership Styles ◽  
Leadership Style ◽  
Private Schools ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
Full Range ◽  
Abu Dhabi ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Laissez Faire

Purpose The purpose of this study is to understand the predominant leadership style of school leaders in Abu Dhabi. The leadership style deployed by a school leader affects the performance of the school and its pupils. Methods for identifying the leadership style of school leaders in the UAE have varied, and it is difficult to conclude what the predominant leadership style is. Some studies have sought only to identify a specific leadership style, whilst others have focussed on a particular school type. Changes and improvements cannot be made without an understanding of the baseline leadership style. Design/methodology/approach The 36-item multifactor leadership questionnaire (MLQ)5x questionnaire (Bass and Avolio, 2004) is used to quantitatively understand the full range of school leaders’ leadership styles, with 167 respondents from across both public and private schools. Findings School leaders predominantly exhibited transformational leadership, practising transactional leadership less frequently and rarely using laissez-faire leadership. This is a positive finding for schools in the UAE; transformational leadership has been shown to result in improved subordinate and organisational performance. Differences between school leaders in public and private schools were tested and are discussed. Dimension reduction techniques were used to assess the structure of the 36-item MLQ5x but did not provide results that met minimum requirements for acceptability. Possible reasons for this are discussed. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, this paper is the first to fully explore and baseline an understanding of the predominant leadership style amongst school leaders in the UAE, identifying the full range of leadership styles – transformation, transactional and laissez-faire – in both public and private schools.

Antecedents of parent-based school reputation and loyalty: an international application

2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 635-654 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masood A. Badri ◽  
Jihad Mohaidat
Keyword(s):  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Parental Satisfaction ◽  
Abu Dhabi ◽  
Careful Examination ◽  
Parental Perception ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Parent Orientation

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to validate the direction and strength of the relationships between school reputation, parental satisfaction and parental loyalty. Design/methodology/approach – The paper reports the findings of a survey of 806 parents from Schools in Abu Dhabi – the United Arab Emirates. The paper builds mainly on previous work of Skallerud (2011) on measurement of school reputations. Structural equation modelling was used to validate the reputation measure and to test the proposed relationships. The model hypothesised and tested relationships linking school reputation to parental satisfaction and loyalty. Findings – The results show strong support for a satisfaction-reputation-loyalty model and confirmed the four-dimensional scale (parental orientation, learning quality, safe environment and good teachers) for assessment of parent-based school reputation. Evidence was found that parents’ satisfaction significantly affects the four reputation dimensions. However, only three constructs of parent orientation affected parental perception of school loyalty. Additional personal or demographic variables should be included to improve the model. Research limitations/implications – The study was limited to parents of children attending public and private schools in Abu Dhabi. The model should be validated with other schools and in other Emirates and countries. Practical implications – Identifying the antecedents of parent-based school reputation might aid school decision makers to better address parental satisfaction and loyalty. A careful examination of the causal relations between the various constructs could aid in crafting and implementing effective programs for increasing parental satisfaction and attracting future students. Originality/value – The study adds to the limited body of research addressing the appropriate conceptualisation and measurement of school reputation. It also sheds light on a better understanding of the potential relationships among the constructs in the model.

scholarly journals Measuring school leaders' adaptability in the UAE: development of a scale to measure leadership adaptability

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Aldhaheri
Keyword(s):  
Dimension Reduction ◽  
Private School ◽  
Quantitative Measurement ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
Measurement Instrument ◽  
Abu Dhabi ◽  
Three Dimension ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThis paper presents a quantitative measurement instrument for Leadership Adaptability.Design/methodology/approachQualitative themes are examined, grouped and developed into 13 quantitative statements of Leadership Adaptability. A robust analysis is conducted to understand the relationships and underlying dimensions in the statements. Three types of dimension reduction techniques are employed: principal components analysis and two types of exploratory factor analysis. The instrument is tested in the form of a survey for the first time with public and private school leaders in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi (n = 167).FindingsThe quantitative Leadership Adaptability scale is validated by applying robust tests of dimensionality, validity and reliability. The three dimension reduction tests identified that the 13 statements are measuring a single dimension of Leadership Adaptability, and should therefore be treated as a single homogeneous scale. Reliability analyses further confirmed the results of the dimension reduction results, with a high score for Cronbach's alpha of 0.953, classified as an “excellent” level of reliability. Discriminant validity tests of the 13 statements, analysed alongside the 20-item Cultural Intelligence Scale, further confirmed the statements as being a distinct scale. Applying the instrument to Abu Dhabi school leaders showed they have high levels of adaptability.Originality/valueThis paper presents the first known quantitative measurement instrument for understanding Leadership Adaptability. This instrument addresses a need by developing a quantitative tool for researchers studying Leadership Adaptability, and it can be used to facilitate further exploration of this topic.

Perspectives of teachers’ on the selection and the development of the school leaders in the United Arab Emirates

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-69
Author(s):  
Solomon Arulraj David ◽  
Abdulai Abukari
Keyword(s):  
School Improvement ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Professional Development Training ◽  
Teachers Perspectives

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine teachers’ perspectives on school leaders’ selection and development strategies in order to propose/recommend strategies that are relevant to the context of the United Arab Emirates. Design/methodology/approach The study gathered data through group discussion of school teachers who attended the module “leadership for school improvement” taught by the researchers. The teachers who participated in this study include local and expat teachers who are currently working in both public and private schools in the UAE. The reports of the group discussion were used as transcripts and thematic analysis was used to analyse the results. Findings The results indicate that there is a strong aspiration for setting better standards for the selection of the school leaders. There is great interest in engaging experts and instrumenting accredited continued professional development training on developing school leaders. The respondents emphasised on the required qualifications, experiences and knowledge, and the need for mentorship approach. Research limitations/implications The key limitation of the study is the smaller sample size. Practical implications The outcome of the study offers necessary insight to the decision makers on the selection and development of school leaders in the UAE. Social implications The study insists that the social and cultural values of the UAE to be considered in the selection and development of school leaders in the UAE. Originality/value The study offers potential gap and scope for further research on school leadership in the UAE that could be further explored with many samples and cases for broader understanding.

Leadership and competition in the age of public and private school markets

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolin Julia Reimann ◽  
Judith Schwarz ◽  
Thomas Koinzer
Keyword(s):  
Primary School ◽  
Private School ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Competitive Situation ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Good Reputation

PurposeThe article deals with competition between primary schools in Berlin. The focus is on the perception of competition and the process of student selection – despite school law restrictions for primary state schools. The aim is to find out whether and in what way primary school leaders perceive a competitive situation and how they act in view of second-order competition.Design/methodology/approachBerlin primary school leaders' statements were analyzed, which were collected and evaluated using quantitative and qualitative methods.FindingsResults show that schools with a good reputation are more likely to benefit from competition because a good reputation may increase the demand for spots at that school and may enable the school to select “desirable” students. State school leaders are more limited in their actions, while private school principals are more autonomous and are better able to make a match between a school's orientation and families' ideas.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is limited by its small sample size, yet it provides a basis for further research and gives much needed attention to selection processes at primary schools in Germany.Originality/valueThis is one of a few studies looking at the perspectives of primary school leaders regarding the competitive situation and in particular the selection of students.

scholarly journals Cultural intelligence and leadership style in the education sector

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 718-735 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Aldhaheri
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Style ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Cultural Intelligence ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Education Sector ◽  
Abu Dhabi ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Schools in UAE are multicultural in nature. In this context, cultural intelligence (CQ) is a tool, which can increase an individual’s ability to interact with people outside his/her culture. The purpose of this paper is to explore the perceptions of the school leaders regarding the key influences of cultural intelligence on their ability to adapt their leadership style in the Abu Dhabi Education Sector. Design/methodology/approach An extensive review of the literature was carried out to acknowledge the cultural intelligence and leadership style adaptability concepts. This research has adopted a qualitative method of inquiry. Data for the study have been collected from three focus groups with 14 schools leaders in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Findings This pilot study reveals that cultural intelligence has some influence on the school leaders’ ability to adapt their leadership style within a diverse work environment. This influence is complex in nature and multiple factors have been identified. Research limitations/implications The main limitations of this study are associated with the small sample size. Regarding the implications, while this study was conducted in a UAE cultural context, it can be extended to other Gulf countries. Future research should prompt educational leaders, administrators, students, and research academics to further consider the impact of cultural intelligence on leadership style. Practical implications This study contributes towards cultural intelligence literature. Schools should provide cultural training to managers before appointing them to leadership positions, which helps in understanding the culture which they are going to operate in, and effectively manage their drives, workforce, students, and the community. Originality/value The paper highlights six core factors that influence the ability of school leaders to adapt their leadership style in culturally diverse environments. These preliminary factors need to be examined further to validate the dimensions of leadership adaptability in various contexts.

Residents’ perceptions of the impact of tourism in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 551-572 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nada Hammad ◽  
Syed Zamberi Ahmad ◽  
Avraam Papastathopoulos
Keyword(s):  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Social Exchange ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Social Exchange Theory ◽  
Cultural Influences ◽  
Abu Dhabi ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to investigate residents’ perceptions of tourism’s impact on their support for tourism development in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Design/methodology/approach Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires from Abu Dhabi residents (n = 407), who represented 30 nationalities residing in the emirate. Based on social exchange theory, structural equation modeling was used to test hypotheses. Findings Results suggest that Abu Dhabi residents perceive the impacts of tourism positively and are more sensitive to the environmental and economic influences of tourism than the social and cultural influences. Research limitations/implications This study was limited to Abu Dhabi residents; findings cannot be generalized to other emirates in the UAE, or other countries. Originality/value This study adds value to extant tourism literature by investigating residents’ perceptions of the influence of tourism in one of the richest cities worldwide, which aspires to be one of the fastest growing tourism destinations in the Middle East.

Etihad Airlines: growth through successful strategic partnerships

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamad A. Al Ali ◽  
Syed Zamberi Ahmad
Keyword(s):  
Strategic Management ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
International Business ◽  
Business Strategy ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Sustainable Growth ◽  
Abu Dhabi ◽  
Aviation Industry ◽  
Strategic Partnerships ◽  
Content Type

Subject area International business and/or strategic management. Study level/applicability This case is useful for undergraduate and postgraduate level students majoring in international business management and/or strategic management. Case overview Etihad Airways was established in 2003, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) with the UAE government as sole owner. It is the national carrier of UAE with Abu Dhabi as its centre of operations. Etihad is recognized as a fast-growing player in the aviation industry, and has become one of the dominant international players in the industry in a relatively short time. Etihad's fleet now contains more than 67 planes, with more than 1,300 flights per week to diverse destinations across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and North America. The company describes its business strategy as “sustainable growth”. Looking through a practitioner's lens, strategic partnerships have been the critical activities through which Etihad has delivered its strategy. The purpose of this case study is therefore to elaborate on its major and successful partnerships and the critical benefits of these. Secondary data were collected from credible sources including academic studies, relevant Etihad publications and industry reports published by official aviation associations. Expected learning outcomes Students will be able to understand the theory of strategic partnerships, their roles and benefits and critically evaluate the pre-staging “requirements” of such partnerships. In this case, the specific learning outcome of it is to help students to understand the importance of successful strategic partnerships for Etihad Airlines and how partnership strategies can improve the performance of Etihad Airlines. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes.

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