The Impact of Community Service in College on Volunteerism in Saudi Arabia

187 Pages·2015·0.75 MB·English

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Education Doctoral Dissertations in
School of Education
Organization Development
2015
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Mahmoud M. Alaish
University of St. Thomas, Minnesota
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Alaish, Mahmoud M., "The Impact of Community Service in College on Volunteerism in Saudi Arabia: An
Interpretive Case Study" (2015). Education Doctoral Dissertations in Organization Development. 46.
https://ir.stthomas.edu/caps_ed_orgdev_docdiss/46
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The Impact of Community Service in College on Volunteerism in Saudi Arabia:
An Interpretive Case Study

A DISSERTATION
SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS

By
Mahmoud M. Alaish
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQURIEMENTS
FOR THE DEGREE OF
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION
May 2015
UNIVERSITY OF ST THOMAS
We certify that we have read this dissertation and approved it as adequate in scope and
quality. We have found that it is complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any
and all revisions required by the final examining committee have been made.

Dissertation Committee

John Conbere, Ed.D, Committee Chair Date

Alla Heorhiadi, PhD, Ed,D, Committee Member Date

Eleni Roulis, Ph.D, Committee Member Date
Copyright 2015, Mahmoud M. Alaish
This document is copyrighted material. Under copyright law, no parts of this document
may be reproduced without the expressed permission of the author.
i

DEDICATION
I would like to dedicate this dissertation to the most important people in my life:
my family. First and foremost, my late father, Mohammed Zain Alaish, who put my
siblings and me on the right path of education. He was our role model as he was the first
electrical engineer to earn a bachelor’s degree in Saudi Arabia. Secondly, I would like to
dedicate this success to my mother, Raefah Hashem, who suffered a great deal because I
left Jeddah when she was almost seventy years old, to earn this degree, and with her
prayers I am who I am today. Third, I would like to dedicate this dissertation to my four
beautiful children, Rayan, Anas, Rahaf, and Yousef. Without their support and
understanding I would not have been able to achieve this success. Finally, I dedicate this
success to my lovely wife, Sahar Awliya. Without her determination, full support, love,
and compassion, I would never have been able to pass this important stage in my life.
Sahar believed in my abilities, believed in me when no one else would have supported
my dreams, helped me when times were tough and difficult, extended a gracious and
courteous hand, picked me up and kept pushing forward to achieve something
worthwhile in life like graduating with my doctorate degree, getting me to this point in
life where I am able to achieve my dreams and goals. I am grateful for all of you because
you have guided me on this journey of becoming the man I am today. Thank you all for
helping me throughout life and my dissertation.
ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge people that provided me the
opportunity to pursue a higher education, who offered me jobs, who helped me, and who
took a chance on me to accomplish something awesome.
I would like to acknowledge Dr. Jim Kielsmeier, who mentored me during my
trip to understand and apply service learning, and Dr. Eleni Roulis, who gave me the
opportunity to become a service learning practitioner at the Office of Service Learning at
the University of St. Thomas; Dr. Alla Heorhiadi, who was a great instructor and mentor
to me throughout my doctoral studies period; and Dr. John Conbere, who was a great
support to me since I joined the OD program, was an educative mentor, and advisor
during the time he chaired my dissertation committee.
I would like to acknowledge people who meant a lot to me in the United States.
Dr. Julie Thompson, who was so dedicated to helping me in editing this dissertation. I
also acknowledge my Minnesota family members, who were my Arabic family in the
States, especially Hassan Mahmoud, Zafer Hanon, Aydah Hanon, Hesham Elish, and
Wardah Hassan.
I could never underestimate the support and encouragement I received from my
colleagues and cohort 6 members at the OD program, especially Toccara Stark, Joe
Zandlo, Bob Randall, Julie Loosbrock, and Karen Lang, who was a classmate and a very
supportive Dean of Student at UST. Finally, I thank Lori Freedman and Sara Hastings for
all the kind support I received from them as the heads of the International Student
iii

Services at UST. Without their support and understanding I would have suffered during
this long educational trip.
Finally, I would like also to acknowledge people back in Saudi Arabia whose
support and encouragement did me a great deal. I thank Dr. Faisal Al-Haddad, from King
Abdul Aziz University, whose support and determination enabled me and my family to
gain excellent educations at United States colleges and schools; Tarik Nasraddin, who
was a young mentor to me; Abdullah Bakrain, Sabir Goudah, and Paz Juacalla, whose
support to handle any personal issues back in Saudi was tremendous. I would also like to
thank Ms. Amani Abo Dawood, whose sincere support to achieve my educational goals
was enormous. Finally, I thank Dr. Ali Abo Al-Hassan, my religious and emotional
mentor. Dr. Ali helped me make the decision to move to the United States for a better
family life quality and better education. Without this scholar, I would not have realized
my true dream, potential, calling, and strengths; achieved my vision; and learned the true
nature of helping other people. He steered me in the right direction, has been there for me
through thick and thin, and has never stopped believing in me.
iv

ABSTRACT
This study investigated the impact of college students’ volunteerism and the
lasting effect their community service experiences had on post-graduate attitudes toward
volunteerism. The research employed an interpretive case study approach of
undergraduate female college students’ participatory experiences during their service
learning programs. The study participants were students and graduates from two private
nonprofit schools in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The study included three participant groups:
female college students and graduates, college staff members, and the students’ family
members and close friends. Data was collected through semi-structured, open-ended face-
to-face, and Skype interviews.
Post-interview data analysis identified emergent themes regarding the students’
past and current experiences with volunteerism, as well as their attitudes toward future
volunteerism. Major themes that emerged from this study were: There is a major
transformation among young women in Saudi schools and colleges, and relationship is
imperative in Saudi culture for gaining research participants’ trust.
v

Table of Contents
Chapter1…………………………………………………………………………………...1
Background……………………………………………………………………………..1
Personal Interest………………………………………………………………………...1
Problem…………………………………………………………………………………2
Problem statement. ..................................................................................................... 5
Purpose…………………………………………………………………………………5
Research Question……………………………………………………………………...5
Significance…………………………………………………………………………….6
Relevance to OD. ........................................................................................................ 7
Definition of Key Terms……………………………………………………………….8
Chapter 2 ........................................................................................................................... 10
Literature Review .............................................................................................................. 10
History of Volunteerism………………………………………………………………10
Volunteerism in the U.S…………………………………………………………….11
Volunteerism in the Arab World……………………………………………………13
Volunteerism in Saudi Arabia……………………………………………………….13
Chapter 3 ........................................................................................................................... 18
Methodology ..................................................................................................................... 18
Research Design……………………………………………………………………….18
Sites Selection…………………………………………………………………………18
Data Collection ................................................................................................................. 21
Changes in Methodology .................................................................................................. 23
Changes in Criteria for the Participants……………………………………………….24
Changes in the Data Collection Sequence…………………………………………….24
Changes in Interview Questions………………………………………………………25
Challenges during the Data Collection Process ................................................................ 26
Limited Knowledge about Volunteering Field in Saudi Arabia………………………27
IRB Approval for U1 and U2………………………………………………………….28
Interruptions of Data Collection Due to Religious Holidays………………………….29
Meeting Participants in Open Public Places…………………………………………..30
vi

Researcher’s Bias……………………………………………………………………...32
Ethical Issues………………………………………………………………………….33
Confidentiality………………………………………………………………………...34
Chapter 4 ........................................................................................................................... 35
Findings ............................................................................................................................. 35
Chapter Organization………………………………………………………………….36
U1 University………………………………………………………………………….38
History, Campus Location, and Program Details of U1………………………………39
U1 Interview Process ........................................................................................................ 41
U1 Participants .................................................................................................................. 41
U2 University .................................................................................................................... 54
How I Learned about U2’s Community Service………………………………………55
U2 History, Campus Location, and Program Details ....................................................... 59
The Community Service Program at U2 ........................................................................... 59
Value Point Calculations………………………………………………………………60
The Ambassador Program……………………………………………………………..61
U2 Interview Process ........................................................................................................ 64
U2 Participants………………………………………………………………………...64
Themes and Issues ............................................................................................................ 72
Chapter 5 ......................................................................................................................... 128
Discussion ....................................................................................................................... 128
Reflection on the Process…………………………………………………………….128
Major Similarities and Differences between U1 and U2 Data………………………130
Overview of Major Themes…………………………………………………………134
Implications for OD Practice .......................................................................................... 158
Promoting Service Programs in Saudi Schools and Universities……………………158
The Need for Cooperation between the Nonprofit Sector and Universities…………160
Preparing Saudi Society for the Already-Started Change……………………………161
Implementing Better Practices for Better Service Learning Programs………………162
Limitations…………………………………………………………………………...162
Suggestions for Future Research………………………………………………….164
Personal Reflections………………………………………………………………….165