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Volume 1 Issue 6 Paper 1
A review of the nature of Islamic ethics practices followed by Saudi businesses
Yousef Ghalib Alharbi,
University of Newcastle, Australia
Abstract
The aim of this research is to provide insights about the nature of Islamic ethics practices followed by Saudi businesses currently. The Google Scholar search engine was used to locate relevant literature. The search terms used were ‘Islamic Ethics’, ‘Business’ and ‘Saudi Arabia’. A total of 5 papers finally selected for a review based on their relevance. The review found that: Islamic ethics in the Saudi business context is still relatively unexplored compared to ethics in the western business context; Islamic ethics share some common principles with ethical practices in the western context, however, there are some additional principles which pertain to Islamic ethics only such as trust and benevolence; Islamic ethics play a major role in the Saudi business context; Business is considered an acceptable and dignified occupation in Islam and Islam encourages the creation, acquisition and consumption of wealth, as long as certain conditions are adhered to; Islamic work ethic has economic, moral and social dimensions. These along with basic principles of Islamic work ethic provide the faithful with a sense of worthiness and strengthen organizational commitment and continuity. The work is viewed not as an end in itself, but as a means to foster personal growth andsocial relations; and Managers are highly committed to the Islamic work ethic and shows a moderate tendency toward individualism, and demographic and organizational variables have a minimal influence on managerial orientations. The findings from this research provide insights about the role that Islamic ethics play in the context of business in Saudi Arabia. It is expected that these findings will inform people and businesses looking to engage with Saudi Arabia for business purposes and lead to more successful collaborations for all concerned.

Keywords: Islam, Islamic Ethics, Business, Saudi Arabia

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