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Asia Pacific Academy of Science Pte. Ltd. (APACSCI) specializes in international journal publishing. APACSCI adopts the open access publishing model and provides an important communication bridge for academic groups whose interest fields include engineering, technology, medicine, computer, mathematics, agriculture and forestry, and environment.
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Administration is an academic field that is showing signs of maturity, with a theoretical and practical mainstream that has been consolidated around Weberian bureaucracy, a management paradigm with numerous examples suggesting that it may be reaching its limits in terms of the new advances it can offer the discipline. On the other hand, the shift to a paradigm that transcends it (while retaining all its virtues) requires not only successful empirical counter-examples, but also a consistent alternative theoretical corpus that gives academics and especially practitioners the confidence to adopt it. In this sense, through “integrative” literature review-based research, the article intends to outline a scholarly narrative that provides concrete theoretical underpinnings to explain, in a systematic and concise manner, why management styles that depart significantly from bureaucratic orthodoxy are stable (i.e., do not diverge towards “chaos and anarchy”), while also proving effective and efficient. As a result of the analysis carried out, an intertwined combination of contributions about alternatives to the classical bureaucratic arrangement is obtained, sourced from studies of different time periods. Thence, based on four conceptual axes (self-actualization, objectives, capabilities and monitoring), the elaboration of a theoretically integrated explanation for the sustainable viability of participatory and horizontal management is achieved. This article’s contribution points towards the future possibility of consolidating novel approaches that virtuously supplant the current bureaucratic mainstream.

Many organizations try to spark innovation by imposing artificial constraints like tight deadlines or hackathons, hoping to replicate the ingenuity born of necessity. Yet research shows these often fall short. This article contrasts “authentic scarcity”, conditions of irreversible consequences and existential urgency, with artificially imposed constraints. Only the former reliably activates the psychological, cultural, and systemic drivers of transformative innovation. Through case studies of Mumbai’s Dharavi slum and Silicon Valley’s frugal innovation labs, we show how real constraints foster resilience and radical problem-solving, while artificial ones yield superficial creativity. We present a strategic framework for leaders to engineer purpose-driven missions with real stakes, collaborate with necessity-driven ecosystems, and cultivate high-stakes leadership. The paper concludes with a theory of authentic scarcity, explaining how genuine constraints uniquely drive breakthrough innovation by triggering focus, cohesion, and urgency, offering crucial insights for innovation management in resource-rich settings.
Sustainable leadership with authority span on the development of the United Arab Emirates’ oil and gas sector
Article ID: 3103
Vol 2, Issue 1, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.54517/bmtp3103
Vol 2, Issue 1, 2025
Received: 26 November 2024; Accepted: 17 January 2025; Available online: 24 January 2025; Issue release: 31 March 2025
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Abstract
This study examines sustainable leadership and span of control in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)’s oil and gas industry. Sustainable leadership may boost strategic efficiency, creativity, and operational resilience in geopolitically complex and unstable environments. An optimum span of control permits close supervision without slowing decision-making, notably in its subsidiaries. Results show that sustainable leadership boosts employee engagement and innovation. The review paper shows that the UAE’s gas and oil business faces several obstacles due to political instability and global market fluctuations. The UAE must implement sustainable leadership practices to foster industrial innovation, development, and growth.
Keywords
sustainable leadership; span of control; organizational development
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We would like to inform all of our readers of the formal release of the first issue of Business and Management Theory and Practice (eISSN: 3082-8155) in 2025. This issue consists of three research articles, five review articles, and one editorial from our respected editorial board member, Dr. Jian Xu, who has been recently selected into the 2024 Elsevier "Highly Cited Chinese Researchers" list.
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