Culturally anchored leadership in Saudi Arabia’s remote work context: a qualitative study of well-being, sustainability, and adaptation

This study examines how managers in Saudi Arabia reconfigure leadership for remote and hybrid teams in a high power-distance, collectivist setting shaped by Vision 2030. Using purposive and network sampling, twenty-three semi-structured interviews with mid-level managers across multiple sectors were analyzed via reflexive thematic analysis with iterative coding and constant comparison. The findings show three patterns: effective virtual leadership rests on cadence and predictability rather than visibility; psychological safety grows from fair-process and clear availability norms; and inclusion is engineered to fit hierarchy through culturally intelligent choices of tone, channel, and timing. Leadership also serves as the vehicle for enacting sustainable HRM, as managers design equitable workloads, humane schedules, and tangible supports aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. The study advances international HRM by specifying how transformational and distributed leadership travel beyond Western settings and by reframing cultural intelligence as everyday design rather than a leader trait. Practically, it offers a ‘trust-by-design’ model—codified through cadence charters, learning-oriented reviews, and inclusive meeting routines—in place of surveillance.