Conference Report on the AMSS Seminar on “Islamic Principles of Organizational Behavior”

Abstract

One of the most successful seminars held jointly this year by the Association of Muslim Social Scientists (AMSS) and the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) was the one on “Islamic Principles of organizational Behavior” held in Herndon, Virginia, @fur 12-14, 1409/September 23-25, 1988, and attended by 50 people. What contributed most to its success was the small manageable number of mostly specialized prokssionals, the shortness of the speeches (none more than 20 minutes) and the humane schedule that was “on schedule” including ample free time for general conversation. The seminar was envisioned by Dr. AbulHamid AbiiSulaymzin, the President of AMSS, in his introductory remarks, as a step on the road to similar successive seminars worldwide. He viewed it as a way ”to help Muslim social scientists acquire the ability and adopt the scientific attitude which would enable them to effectively communicate with the contemporary world,” and as a means to undertake a “renewed . . . search for our mts and ideals that have . . . been swept aside in many cases,” especially in the business community. In the opening session, Dr. Taha Al Alwani (President of IIIT), speaking in Arabic (rendered into English by Dr. Mona Abul Fadl), presented the framework for understanding the challenge that an “Islamic” Organizational Behavior Discipline poses. He delineated the relationship between culture, institutions, and civilization. “Culture,” he said, “provides the intangible matrix . . . which conditions the performance of institutions which, in turn, provide the scaffolding for civilization.” He warned against repeating the mistake of third world countries, and particularly Muslim countries, that still suffer from their “misreading or misconstruing the relationship between cultures and institutions.” He noted that Muslims do not need to look to Western experts for the “values deemed favorable for the performance of a model administration because “our cultural heritage” provides “the ideals and the values which are necessary for a competent and effective, as well as humane and ethical, administration.” He said, “our heritage provided the models for implementing these ideals and values in changing situations.” Dr. Al Alwani offered the guidelines of the agenda of the Islamization of Knowledge developed by the IIIT as the environment in which they will develop scholarship and practical orientation in the field of organizational behavior ...