PhD Degree Awarded to Researcher Adnan Hamoud Yahya Abashaer in Business Administration
Researcher Adnan Hamoud Yahya Abasher was awarded a PhD degree in Business Administration from the Center of Business Administration – Sana’a University, for his dissertation titled: The Role of Creative Leadership in Improving Competitive Capabilities Through Total Quality Management: A Field Study on Money Exchange Networks in the Republic of Yemen, under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Nabil Mohammed Ali Al-Alfi. The dissertation defense was held on Sunday, January 18, 2026.
The PhD Viva-Voce Committee, which was formed based on a resolution issued by the Graduate Studies and Scientific Research Council, consisted of the following:
| # | Committee Members | Designation | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Assoc. Prof. Fadhl Mohammed Al-Mahmoudi | Internal Examiner | Chair |
| 2 | Assoc. Prof. Ali Saleh Al-Alaajam | External Examiner | Member |
| 3 | Assoc. Prof. Nabil Mohammed Ali Al-Alfi | Main Supervisor | Member |
The study aimed to examine the role of creative leadership, through its dimensions of problem-solving and decision-making, initiative and proactiveness, originality and innovation, and effective communication, in improving competitive capabilities through total quality management, represented by customer focus, continuous improvement, training, top management support, and teamwork. The study also sought to investigate the role of total quality management in improving the competitive capabilities of money exchange networks in the Republic of Yemen.
The study population consisted of 400 individuals representing 7 money exchange networks (companies) out of a total of 16 networks. The study sample comprised 363 respondents, selected using the proportionate stratified sampling method.
The findings revealed a statistically significant role of creative leadership in improving the competitive capabilities of money exchange networks. The results showed that effective communication had a positive and significant effect on competitive capabilities, while no statistically significant effect was found for problem-solving and decision-making, initiative and proactiveness, or originality and innovation in improving the competitive capabilities of money exchange networks.
The findings also indicated that the level of competitive capabilities among Yemeni money exchange networks was high. In addition, creative leadership was found to have a statistically significant effect on total quality management, while total quality management also had a statistically significant effect on improving competitive capabilities. Furthermore, a statistically significant relationship was identified among the three variables—creative leadership, total quality management, and competitive capabilities. The inclusion of total quality management as a mediating variable in the relationship between creative leadership and competitive capabilities had a substantial effect on this relationship, as total quality management contributed to increasing the overall effect of creative leadership on competitive capabilities.
The study presented a number of recommendations, most notably the need for owners and managers of money exchange networks to select, appoint, and attract creative leaders who are capable of fostering a culture of creativity among employees, given their central role in promoting employee innovation and excellence. It also recommended adopting innovative methods for identifying talents and developing employees’ skills, empowering managers and employees with greater authority to introduce new initiatives in performing their duties, and reducing centralization in decision-making.
The study further recommended that the leadership of money exchange networks devote greater attention to creating an organizational environment that encourages employees to propose innovative ideas and services, develop leaders’ skills in using modern tools for problem-solving, and address areas that received lower levels of performance, particularly the use of modern problem-solving tools.
With regard to total quality management, the study recommended developing a quality manual for money exchange networks and activating the role of quality management in conducting periodic customer surveys to identify opportunities for improvement. It also emphasized the importance of promoting a culture of total quality through training programs, workshops, and specialized seminars, as well as establishing dedicated development units within money exchange networks to improve their programs and services in accordance with quality standards. The study also highlighted the importance of regularly evaluating customer satisfaction due to its significant role in improving and developing services.
The dissertation defense was attended by a number of academics, researchers, postgraduate students, and other interested individuals, in addition to the researcher’s colleagues and family members.
