Introduction:
Whitehouse building Inc is a private construction company in the us. It has a variety of overseas tasks and activities mainly for American clients in Western Europe. The company has been granted a agreement to create a 75 storey hotel and discussion centre in Jeddah, for a Saudi Arabian customer. As the client is at Saudi Arabia, the company will have to select a project team comprising of company's US nationals working from home and in European countries.
Past:
Whitehouse Building Inc has endured loss before due to insufficient understanding about the Western european culture and their way to do business. The company is concerned that the distinctions in cultures of the Western and the Arab countries may be challenging in this task. It has been said that if we don't study from the past, we are sure to do it again the same faults. It is true for the development of understanding variety in culture. There is a huge social difference between US and Saudi Arabia. These distinctions will probably affect the structure staff and their working features as they would be functioning outside their ethnic norm.
Cultural variety:
Cultural variety is all of the human being societies or ethnicities in a particular region, or in the world as a whole (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Cultural_diversity). Communication differences related to culture may become the foundation of misunderstandings and may lower workgroup effectiveness. The diversities in cultures can be an advantage or an inconvenience for the firm. Indeed, different behaviours or habits between people in the same company may be the key to success or on the contrary, the inability too.
"Managing diversity does not imply changing valid expectations and benchmarks. It simply recognizes the fact that some communities react in a different way to different situations, and we should try to decrease the frictions that may effect. " ( http://www. au. af. mil/au/awc/awcgate/acsc/97-0607c. pdf)
Differences in the North american and the Saudi Arabian culture:
There are numerous differences between your societies all over the world. Saudi people's methods are bonded by Islamic religion instructions and very old customs. Therefore, Saudi people's methods will vary than American people methods, which rely completely on development and independence.
The Saudi culture is a polychromic modern culture. In this kind of country, the natural cycle is respected and enough time is shared. People do a number of things at a time, they have a very flexible concept of time. They can simply change ideas and activities. They could set a time to meet "sometime in the evening" and on many situations the plan is broken, transformed or deadline unmet.
The United States is known as a monochromic world. Here the items are done individually and the time is segmented into specific units. Here the time is arranged, slated and managed. They'll schedule get together at an accurate time, such as 2. 15 p. m. and expect all included gatherings to be punctual. For People in the usa, time is a treasured resource never to be wasted or taken softly. The American world has non-working times on Saturday and Sunday while Saudi world has non-working times on Thursday and Fri.
Collectivism in Saudi population is more important than it is in the American population. Saudi people choose group activities; they like carrying out work in the firms with an organization to doing it alone. On the other hand, American people prefer doing their activities only. , at work, Saudi people expect the employer to make all the decisions, and everything they do is the getting. In contrast, at the job in American companies there is not just as much difference between people of high and low position. The employer listens to people in any way levels in the business too. Saudi contemporary society is close minded. For example, the employees in the company are always against any change in the business procedures that they work in, while American company employees tend to be available to changes. Saudi people never work devotedly with no good relations can be found between them and the mangers in their work. However, in American population the most crucial thing at the job is the task itself. They never allow romantic relationship between them and their mangers affect strongly on their work. Saudi people tend to like having many rules. For example, at work if there were not many guidelines, they might not achieve, come to focus on time and leave on time, so the employer could put a lot of guidelines to actualizing his work. Within the other side, American employees favor less rules and even more freedom in their work to accomplish efficiently. (http://ceslae2. blogspot. com/2008/09/differences-between-saudi-society-and_13. html)
Impact of diversity on the American employees: Diversity can become two times edged sword. If not taken care of properly it could lead to a huge loss which the company has confronted earlier. Due to diversity, the task culture and the task environment for the American workers would be very different. Coping up with the new environment will be a huge task to them which could even cause reduction in the output of these work. Communication difference related to culture could become source of misunderstanding and could lower the effectiveness of the whole group. To avoid a huge effect on the workers, they must be properly selected and sent for an appropriate pre-departure training program.
Strategy and standards for selecting appropriate staff:
Face: Dignity and value are fundamental elements in Saudi Arabian culture and conserving face, by using compromise, fortitude and self-control is a means by which to maintain these qualities. In a very culture where confrontation and discord are to be avoided, the idea of face is a fundamental issue of lifestyle. In Saudi Arabia, the concept of face is utilized to avoid issues and avoid embarrassing situations and to avoid discomforting others. Therefore the American workers who have human mother nature and the product quality to save the facial skin by means of non-conflict actions should be selected. In business context, stopping face is evenly important. For instance, the Saudi Arabian counterparts would not like it if they are placed under pressure that places them under discomforting situation. So the American personnel which could work well in difficult situation without burning off their cool should be selected.
Islam: Islam governs every part of the Muslim's life and permeates every part of Saudi express. As a result, Arabian culture is described as detail focused, where emphasis is placed on ethics and expected interpersonal behaviour such as generosity, value and solidarity. They are social traditions and duties which also hinder what sort of Arabians deal with business dealings. The American staff having high ethical values n cultural behavior should be decided on. Also the personnel can produce every fine detail of the development project as the Arabs may demand it.
High Framework Communication: Saudi Arabia is known as an extremely high context culture. It implies that the meaning which people are trying to convey relies closely on the other communicative cues such as body language, eye contact rather than immediate words. A specific emphasis is located on modulation of voice, use of silence, facial expressions and body gestures. The American personnel should be decided on such that they know about these non-verbal aspects of communication in virtually any business setting as well as the misunderstanding scheduled to incorrect interpretation of the gestures would be averted. For example, silence is often used for contemplation and you ought to not speak during such intervals.
Issues to be included in pre-departure development programme:
Successful carry out of business in Saudi Arabia requires attitudes and skills significantly different from those needed in america. Distinct societal distinctions can turn earning practices in one culture into failures in another. Despite Saudi Arabia's recent emergence as a rich marketplace, traditional ideals and a unique lifestyle persist. Distinctions between suitable and unacceptable duties are a lot more pronounced than in U. S. society. The pre-departure training programme is a necessary training for all departing migrant staff which normally includes terms training, culture familiarization, stress management, country specific orientation, health insurance and safety, government schemes etc. http://www. eric. ed. gov/ERICWebPortal/search/detailmini. jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED304884&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=ED304884)
Working procedures in Saudi Arabia: The task culture of Saudi Arabia is different than that of America. There are many major things which play an important role in the way the Arabians perform their business. So, while coping with them these factors shouldn't be forgotten. Some of them may be the following:
Generally, business appointments in Saudi Arabia are essential. Visits should be scheduled relative to the five daily prayer times and the religious holidays of Ramadan and Hajj. It really is customary to make sessions for times of day rather than precise hours as hospitable and tranquil characteristics of Saudi business culture may cause delays in agenda.
The Americans have their each week off on Saturdays and Sundays. However the Saudi week commences on Sunday and ends on Wednesday. So the staff must be provided with training to work on Saturdays and Sundays and take recognized leftovers on Thursdays and Fridays based on the Arabian culture. Any office hours tend to be 0900-1300 and 1630-2000 (Ramadan 2000-0100), with some local variations.
The idea of time differs in Arabia as compared to the european countries. Time is no problem and hence Arabians are usually unpunctual as compared to the western specifications. Therefore the American staff should never brain if their Arabian counterparts are operating out of agenda. Despite this, it is abnormal for meetings to encroach on daily prayers and you'll be expected to arrive at appointments on time.
Initial conferences are a way to become acquainted with your counterparts. They are usually long in length and conversations are conducted at a leisurely pace over tea and coffee. Time should be allocated for such business meetings, as they are an essential part of Saudi Arabian business culture.
In the function that you will be offered a gift, it is known as impolite and offensive if you don't except it.
Work connections in Saudi Arabia: For just about any successful business is it vital to maintain healthy work connections. The type of relation may hinge upon the culture and history of the countries involved.
The Saudi Arabian people prefer in person meetings as doing business in the Kingdom is performed against an intensely personal track record.
Establishing trust is an essential part of Saudi business culture. The American personnel must try to remember to establish trust and cultivate sturdy business connections before entering into business dealing as this is actually the key to success running a business in Saudi Arabia.
Respect and camaraderie are the ideals that are presented high by the Arabs. People in america should not ignore that running a business setting, favours based on mutual benefit and trusts will be the ways of improving these cultural prices. Often personal associations and family impact take precedence over the governing factors in the business of Saudi Arabia.
Structural hierarchy in Saudi Arabian companies: There exists a dichotomy between subordinates and professionals within the Saudi Arabia companies.
The people with expert are accepted and expected to concern complete and specific directives to others.
Age performs an important role in the culture of Saudi Arabia. The American personnel must keep in mind that higher value must be shown to elders at all times. For example, when entering a room or greeting your Saudi counterparts for the first time, you should tremble hands with most older person first. You must greet each of your Saudi counterparts individually, making your way in the room in anti-clockwise path.
Saudi Arabian business etiquette: There are specific do's and don'ts in every business culture. It will always be beneficial for the business enterprise dealings if we follow the etiquettes as they could work in our favour.
Do abide by requirements of modesty and dress appropriately. For men, conservation business wear are recommended. For women, high necklines, sleeves at least to elbow, and preferably long skirts below the knee.
Maintain a solid attention contact and keep a closer distance during dialog at both business and interpersonal settings. Both are the ways to strengthen trust and show respect in Saudi Arabia.
Communications take place at slower tempo and patience is absolutely necessary. So People in the usa should not hurry their Arabian counterparts during business discussions.
Maintaining humility and showing conservative behaviour all the time is important. Showing loud or excessively animated in public areas is recognized as rude and vulgar.
While in a small business meeting don't suppose that the person who asks most questions is the decision machine. In Saudi Arabia this person is considered to be least respected or least important. The decision maker is really a silent observer. For this reason, if American personnel should retain in brain that they shouldn't ask the questions available getting together with. ( http://www. communicaid. com/cross-cultural-training/culture-for-business-and-management/doing-business-in/Saudi-arabian-business-and-social-culture. php)
