A Qualitative, Small-Sample Study of Employment Challenges for People with Disabilities in Saudi Arabia.

Many people live with disabilities and many countries worldwide are acting to provide people with disabilities opportunities to find and sustain gainful employment. Notwithstanding, people with disabilities still do not have the same access to employment as their counterparts without disabilities. Although some research has investigated these issues in Western countries, very little research has investigated these issues in the Middle East, in general, and in Saudi Arabia, in particular. The aim of the present study is to gain an initial understanding of the employment experiences of people with disabilities and prospective employers of people with disabilities in Saudi Arabia. We identify several potential obstacles preventing people with disabilities from securing and maintaining gainful employment in Saudi Arabia. We secured qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with five prospective employers and five individuals with disabilities in Saudi Arabia. We focused on identifying barriers to employment. The impact of demographic factors such as age, gender, and education on employment opportunities was also examined. The results suggest several practical conclusions and recommendations relating to improving and enhancing opportunities for employment for people with disabilities in Saudi Arabia.

Teachers' Perceptions of Bullying in Saudi Arabian Primary Public Schools: A Small-Sample, Qualitative Case Study.

Bullying among primary school students is a serious problem that often has multiple negative effects including poor academic performance and mental health problems. The current study used qualitative methodology to determine the role of communication in creating awareness and preventing bullying in a school setting through stakeholder intervention and bullying-prevention programs. If teachers are aware of bullying, then they are likely to take adequate measures to reduce or prevent future bullying. The researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 teachers working in public primary schools in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The results provide an initial step in the Saudi Arabian context toward identifying the forms and types of school bullying, helping administrators, teachers, parents, and students reduce bullying and develop long-term plans for addressing bullying. Consideration of teachers' perceptions may enable the development and implementation of new programs for addressing bullying in primary school students. The discussion highlights future research directions and the limitations of the current research.

Saudi Arabian Perceptions of Childhood Anxiety, Parental Communication, and Parenting Style.

Parenting communication and parenting style, including expressions of fear, worry, and threat, may contribute to children's anxiety and apprehension. This study examined the degree to which perceptions of parental communication (both verbal and nonverbal) and parenting style are linked with childhood anxiety. This is among the first studies to investigate these relationships in a Saudi Arabian context. We employed a sample of 121 Saudi adults who completed questionnaires measuring perceptions of 2 parenting styles (authoritative and authoritarian), parental anxiety, and childhood anxiety. Parental communication elements such as shouting, criticism, facial expression, and body expressions were included among assessments of perceived parental anxiety, authoritative style, and authoritarian style. The results indicated that perceptions of childhood anxiety were positively associated with parental anxiety but not consistently associated with other assessed variables. This research addressed perceptions of parental communication and parenting style in the development of childhood anxiety, extending upon previous research on Western samples to a Middle Eastern sample residing in Saudi Arabia.

An Exploratory Study of Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication in Saudi Arabian Families.

This exploratory study investigated whether factors such as gender, age, level of education, monthly income, and the number of family members are associated with verbal and non-verbal communication in Saudi Arabian families. A convenience sampling procedure was used to recruit 182 Saudi Arabian adults who responded to a self-report survey. Verbal and non-verbal communication was categorized into positive and negative communication. Descriptive and ordinal regression analyses were conducted to assess the relationships of familial variables with communication. Female gender status had a small negative association with positive communication, whereas the number of family members, level of education, monthly income, and age did not correlate with positive communication or negative communication. The Discussion section addresses the limitations of the current study and identifies several directions for future research, with special attention to the Saudi Arabian family context.

Interpersonal Communication Style and Personal and Professional Growth among Saudi Arabian Employees.

This study explored the association of interpersonal communication style (ICS) with personal and professional growth among Saudi Arabians in the context of the work environment. It was hypothesized that different ICSs are differently associated with personal and professional growth. The participants were 143 Saudi Arabian adults, including members of both genders, who were employed, with varying incomes, and who had different education levels. The participants completed a self-report survey, assessing their ICS and their personal and professional growth in an employment context. Consistent with the hypothesis, the results indicated that different ICSs are differently associated with personal and professional growth. The controlling ICS had the strongest relationship to professional and personal growth, whereas the dynamic ICS had the weakest relationship to professional and personal growth. In the Discussion, we address the limitations of the study and identify several directions for future research, with specific reference to the Saudi Arabian cultural context.