Islamic Work Ethics and Its Implications on Saudi Muslim Workers Productivity - Thesis Example

The paper "Islamic Work Ethics and Its Implications on Saudi Muslim Workers Productivity" is a perfect example of a management thesis. The Islamic work ethic is a unique work ethic because it includes religious beliefs and practices which are also incorporated within the socio-political, and economic practices of the workers. In the modern and western context, religious practices may sometimes clash with the work conditions and workdays; in the context of the Islamic work ethic, however, Islam is expected to play a significant, if not major role in the lives of the workers.

The subject of discussion in the proposed study is the Islamic Work Ethic (IWE) and its implications on employee productivity. The relationship between religious beliefs and work outcomes has received increasing attention since Max Weber’s work on the Protestant Work Ethic (PWE) (Ali, 1988). The majority of the studies have been conducted in the West on the basis of PWE and have had little applicability in the Middle East (Rokhman, 2010; Whiteoak, Crawford, & Mapstone, 2006). Unlike the perception Western scholars hold, IWE creates an environment conducive to organizational development (Ali & Al-Owaihan, 2008).

Ali (1988) stated that IWE is an orientation toward work. IWE originated from the Qur’an and the sayings and practices of Prophet Mohammed who preached that “no one eats better food than that which he eats out of his work” (Ali, 1992, p. 507). The researcher will conduct this ethnographic qualitative study in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The influence of IWE on employees’ productivity in a Saudi Arabian petroleum products distribution facility will be explored in the study.

This survey design will be used to explore employees’ IWE and its implications on their productivity. KSA has a population of close to 27 million of which about 5.6 million are non-Saudis, according to the July 2013 estimates (Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), 2013). The economy of KSA is oil-based with oil accounting for about 80% of the revenues, 45% of GDP, and 90% of earnings through export (CIA, 2013). The kingdom focuses on growing the private sector and the employment of more Saudi youths (CIA, 2013).