Cross-Cultural Management Challenges at University of Dubai

This essay, written by an MBA student, reflects on the challenges encountered while working on a group project at the University of Dubai, focusing on the 'Effect of Corporate Social Responsibility on Financial Performance of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company.' The student describes cultural clashes arising from diverse backgrounds, including American, Japanese, and Middle Eastern students, highlighting differences in work styles, data collection methods, and the influence of Hofstede's cultural dimensions, particularly power distance and uncertainty avoidance. The essay analyzes these challenges and suggests practical solutions, such as promoting clear communication, utilizing diverse skills, and establishing effective team structures. The author also discusses the importance of diversity training and mentoring programs to facilitate cross-cultural management within organizations, emphasizing the value of understanding cultural beliefs in a globalized business environment. The essay concludes with insights gained from the experience and potential strategies for future management roles.

Running head: CROSS CULTURAL MANAGEMENT
Cross Cultural Management
Name of the student
Name of the University
Author note

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Culture refers to shared set of the traditions along with the behaviours which is shaped
by the history along with the religion of a particular country (Thomas and Peterson 2016).
Middle East refers to the transcontinental region that is inclusive of Western Asia along with
the Egypt. They are an integral part of Arab world and history of the country dates back to
the ancient times. Value of the Arab culture have been found to be unique and Islam have a
great effect on the Arabian society. The people in the Middle East are dictated by the
principles that have been enshrined in the Koran. The beliefs in the Arab world are very
orthodox and this has an influence on the work ethics of the Arab people. This essay
discusses about the challenges that I faced while working in a project in the University of
Dubai and the useful knowledge that I was able gain with the help of my experience.
I am an MBA student in the field of International Business and Marketing in the
University of Dubai. I had to do a group work in the course of my first semester when I
encountered an experience that had a great impact on my mind. We had been asked to do a
project on the topic of “Effect of Corporate Social Responsibility on Financial Performance
of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company” during which time I had to work with the students of
various kinds of cultural backgrounds. There were some students of Japan along with
America in our group and the differing cultural background gave way to a cultural clash
while carrying out the project. Our group was comprised of some senior members and they
were working along with us on the project. There was a rift in between the group members
regarding how to organize the project and collection of the materials in relation to the
research (Bird and Mendenhall 2016). The people of our culture wanted to go along by the
opinion of the senior members whereas the people of the Japanese along with the American
culture had a distinct way of the work that impeded the progression of the work while doing
the project. The American and the Japanese people wanted to carry out the process of the
work collectively whereas the students belonging to the Middle Eastern culture wanted to

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work in the independent manner. There was discrepancy in relation to the process of the data
collection that cast a shadow over the completion of the project. The students belonging to
the Middle Eastern culture wanted to take recourse to the process of the primary data
collection so that correct information could be collected that can help in the maintenance of
the accuracy regarding the project. There were some students of the other culture who wanted
to collect the important data with the help of the secondary research method that can shed
light on the project. I had to go through painful experiences while doing the project that have
left a deep impression in my mind.
On the basis of the Hofstede Cultural Dimension, it can be asserted that UAE have the
high power distance and the people believe in a hierarchical order in the society. The people
who were senior wanted to take the lead in doing the project whereas there were people of
American along with the Japanese culture who laid equal attention to the perspective that was
put forward by the junior along with the senior members in the group (Tjosvold 2017). The
power distance have been found to low among the people of the United States and the Japan
that has a great influence on their manner of working in the society. The people believe that
the power is distributed in an unequal manner in the society that has an effect on the kind of
the work that is carried out by these people. UAE have a collectivist society and it fosters
strong relationships among the group members that can aid in the area of the long-term
commitment. In the American society, the hierarchy are generally established for the sake of
the convenience and the people in the higher level have to depend on the people in the lower
level that can help in driving the work. The hindrance was faced by us at the time of doing
the project on account of the fact that the students coming from the Middle Eastern culture
preferred the independent manner of working and on the other hand the American and the
Japanese students wanted to collect the information together at the time of doing the project.
The conflict took place in between team members owing to the method of the data collection

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about the project. The people of the Arabian culture have the tendency of feeling threatened
by the unknown situations and they have the tendency of avoiding any kind of uncertainty in
relation to a particular work. The data can be collected first-hand with the help of the primary
method of the data collection that helps in establishing the validity of the research. The
Americans on the other hand wanted to collect the data with the help of the secondary
research method. The people of UAE wants to maintain the rigid code of the belief along
with the behaviour and they lay a great deal of importance on the element of the authenticity.
The scores of USA have been found to be below the average on the basis of the uncertainty
avoidance dimension. This has an effect on their behaviour and their manner of doing a
particular task.
There are certain measures that can be adopted by me that can help me in the area of
the cross-cultural management. The multicultural teams would have the individuals having
the unique set of the skills along with the knowledge and the people should be encouraged to
make use of their abilities that can prove to be useful in the area of cross-cultural
management. The clear direction should be provided to the members of the team that can help
the team in working well with the people belonging to the other cultural group (Luo 2016).
The team members should be given access to the resources along with the information that
can help in completing the tasks in an efficient manner. The structure should be established
that can help in the completion of the task within the framework of a multi-cultural team. The
norms should be established that can help in ensuring the progress of the work within the
framework of the multi-cultural team.
There are useful insights that I have been able to gain with the help of my experience
in the University of Dubai. I have been able to learn that cross-cultural management can help
an individual in dealing with the people from the various kinds of the cultural backgrounds. It
can prove to be useful in understanding the people from the various kinds of the cultural

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backgrounds. The organizations in the present age have become global and the managers
should learn about the cultural beliefs of the people of the various kinds of the backgrounds
that can be useful for the functioning of an organization. In the event of becoming the
manager, I would create various kinds of policies that can help in the management of the
diversity in the workplace. There are certain strategies that can be taken recourse to that can
help in the arena of cross-cultural management. The diversity training can be implemented in
a company that can help a company in the area of the cross-cultural management (Hou et al.
2018). The mentoring programmes can be taken recourse to by the managers that can help the
employees in adjusting to the cultural differences within the framework of an organization. I
would encourage the aspect of the diversity in the company as it can be instrumental in
solving various kinds of problems in the company that can facilitate the conducting of the
international business.

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References
Bird, A. and Mendenhall, M.E., 2016. From cross-cultural management to global leadership:
Evolution and adaptation. Journal of World Business, 51(1), pp.115-126.
Hou, N., Fan, J., Tan, J.A., Hua, J. and Valdez, G., 2018. Cross-cultural training
effectiveness: Does when the training is delivered matter?. International Journal of
Intercultural Relations, 65, pp.17-29.
Luo, Y., 2016. Toward a reverse adaptation view in cross-cultural management. Cross
Cultural & Strategic Management.
Thomas, D.C. and Peterson, M.F., 2016. Cross-cultural management: Essential concepts.
Sage Publications.
Tjosvold, D., 2017. Cross-cultural management: foundations and future. Routledge.