Conference Report on the AMSS Seminar on “Islamic Principles of Organizational Behavior” Safar 12-14, 1409 September 23-25, 1988

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 ...