Examining the cultural acceptability of the EBEM in the context of Yemen

Management tools and approaches that are seen as essentially western in origin are viewed with some suspicion in many Middle Eastern and Islamic countries, and this represents an obstacle to their acceptance. The work reported in this paper examines the cultural acceptability of quality management exemplified by the EBEM in the context of Yemen and also investigates the barriers to the implementation of such model. This was done by a pilot project working with two different organisations. The project involved translation of the model into Arabic, and the generation of guidelines for use of the model which are designed to match the values and aspirations of Islam. Trials of this material were conducted using a number of different methods for establishing the responses of individual employees and managers.