(Al Arabiya) Omar Al-Ubaydli - The characteristics of Arab organizations are almost the exact opposite of what is required to promote innovation. The principals of Arab organizations tend to be conservative, administratively sclerotic, suspicious of change, reactive, and totally bereft of creativity. When an excited employee brings an innovative idea to an Arab CEO, the response is likely to be: "I like things as they are - why should we rock the boat? How dare this underling insinuate that my leadership decisions are flawed?" Employees are instructed to stop thinking outside the box and do as they are told by their superiors. While there are many organizations in the Arab world that function well and promote innovation, the aggregate statistics on innovation paint a picture of woeful underperformance by the Arab world. Our companies do not compete globally, our scientists do not win international prizes, and our economies do not grow. The writer is a researcher at the Derasat think tank in Bahrain.
2023-07-20 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive