Title: Encouraging migrant foreign workers in Saudi Arabia to participate in problem solving: the role of leadership, trust, and security

Authors: Abraham Y. Nahm

Addresses: Department of Management and Marketing, College of Business Administration, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, 105 Garfield Avenue, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, USA

Abstract: Successful implementation of lean manufacturing requires shop-floor employees to actively participate in problem solving. Encouraging migrant foreign workers in Saudi Arabia to do so may be a challenging task. This research examines a research model that links transformational leadership with workers' trust in management, perceived security, and participation in problem solving. Analysing the survey data collected from 93 manufacturing workers in Saudi Arabia, we find that while transformational leadership and trust in management have largely positive effects upon workers' participation in problem solving, perceived security has negative to no effect. Migrant foreign workers' temporary status in Saudi Arabia appears to work as a disincentive for workers to participate in problem solving. Implication for managers and possible future research directions are provided.

Keywords: transformational leadership; employee trust; trust in management; perceived security; employee participation; problem solving; migrant workers; foreign workers; Saudi Arabia; immigration; lean manufacturing.

DOI: 10.1504/MEJM.2015.073569

Middle East Journal of Management, 2015 Vol.2 No.4, pp.352 - 365

Received: 14 Aug 2015
Accepted: 29 Aug 2015

Published online: 12 Dec 2015 *

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