In countries ranking high on uncertainty avoidance, lifetime employment is more
common than in countries which rate low on this dimension (Hofstede, 2001). The situation
in Saudi Arabia is that a company is not able to terminate the employment of any Saudi
national unless that person has committed a criminal act. This is clearly a protection delivered
by the state to its citizens, but at the same time, citizens have a strong respect for their
workplace, and are sensitized to their position in the hierarchy, and the roles and responsibilities
accruing to them. In this respect, in high power distance and high uncertainty avoidance,
workers are aware of the pyramidal structure of their organizations, employees are
very much aware of the line management applying to them, and follow the formal lines of
communication which are seen to channel from top to bottom.