Cross-Cultural Management in UAE: A Comprehensive Examination

This report provides an overview of cross-cultural management in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It begins with an introduction to the diverse culture of the UAE, highlighting the influence of Islam, Persian, and Arabic cultures. The report then delves into the cultural aspects of the UAE, including its federation of emirates, religious tolerance, and the significance of Emirati attire. A PESTLE analysis is presented, examining the political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental factors impacting the UAE. The report also explores management practices, emphasizing the importance of cultural sensitivity and appropriate business etiquette. It discusses the skills and abilities required for expatriates to succeed in the UAE, including both technical and soft skills. Finally, the report concludes with individual reflection, emphasizing the importance of cultural knowledge for expatriates and the overall success of businesses in a foreign land. References to relevant academic sources are also included.

Running head: CROSS- CULTURAL MANAGEMENT
Cross- cultural management
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note

1CROSS- CULTURAL MANAGEMENT
Introduction
The United Arab Emirates or UAE has a diverse society and culture. They have a mixed
culture due to the influence of Islamic, Persian and Arabic on their architecture, attire, cuisine,
lifestyle and also music. Their weekend begins on Friday as it is considered as the holiest day
and that is why most of the Muslim countries celebrate their weekend either on Thursday- Friday
or Friday- Saturday (Al Mazrouei and Pech 2015).
UAE culture
There are many interesting facts about the culture of UAE. It is the federation of seven
emirates such as Abu Dhabi, Umm al- Qaiwain, Ajman, Sharjah, Dubai, Ras Al- Khaimah and
Fujairah. It is a Muslim dominated country and Islam is considered as the basis of UAE’s
politics, culture and lifestyle. The official language is Arabic. On the other hand, it is a multi-
cultural nation which is tolerant towards other religions too. All the citizens have the freedom to
practice any religion as per their wish and the country celebrates the festival of Diwali,
Christmas and Eid. The country is culturally diverse as they have 200 different nationalities
staying in the same place.
Emirati clothes are significant since the historical age and a symbol of pride for them.
The Arabian men wear a white cloak which is known as ‘kandura’ or ‘dishdash’ or ‘thawb’.
There is similarity with the desert garments worn by men in North Africa. The women in the
UAE wear a long black gown which is known as ‘abaya’ (AlMazrouei and Pech 2015).
There are two classifications in the Arabian society- the nationals and the foreign
immigrants. A federal government is present in the country with the inclusion of several parts.

2CROSS- CULTURAL MANAGEMENT
PESTLE analysis of UAE
Political All the 7 emirates have individual government
organizations; UAE sometimes have conflicts with
the neighboring countries due to oil reserves
Economic High GDP per capita; low unemployment rate;
highest FDI in the region
Social Live a comfortable lifestyle; mixture of different
culture; religion holds a significant place
Technological Tech-savvy young population; huge amount of
wealth is used in purchasing technological
equipments
Legal No such legal factors and can be considered as a
part of the political factors
Environmental Lower rate of productivity due to hot and dry
climate; not good for cultivation; high sell of air
conditioners; easy trade by the sea
Source: (AlMazrouei and Pech 2014)
Management practices
In a business relationship it is not appropriate to start the conversation directly about
work but a warm welcome is appreciated by the Emiratis. Punctuality and calmness is the two
important criteria that are looked for. The Emiratis do not greet the expatriates in the traditional
way of “essalamu aleikum” (may peace be with you) and it is expected to open the shoes when

3CROSS- CULTURAL MANAGEMENT
the floor is covered in rug or carpet. It is always the correct way to greet the oldest people in the
room first and wait for the other person to close their hands first while shaking. The male
expatriate should not shake hand with the woman associate (Qubaisi et al. 2015).
Skills and abilities
As UAE is one of the fastest growing economies of the world therefore it requires the
expatriates to have specific skills and abilities to work in that culture. This is especially meant
for the tourism, medical and construction sector. The companies not only look for technical skills
but also for soft skills such as problem solving and leadership in the organization. Regional
experience and cultural awareness is also important for the expatriates to work in UAE.
Individual reflection
From this rep[ort it can be analyzed that be it UAE or any other country in the world, an
expatriate should always have a thorough knowledge of the specific culture. Not only this
increases his chance of getting employed but also helps the business to flourish well in the
foreign land.
Conclusion
A number of criteria have been presented in this report which will be helpful for an
expatriate to follow in UAE.

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Reference
Al Mazrouei, H. and Pech, R.J., 2015. The expatriate as company leader in the UAE: cultural
adaptation. Journal of Business Strategy, 36(1), pp.33-40.
AlMazrouei, H. and J. Pech, R., 2014. Expatriates in the UAE: advance training eases cultural
adjustments. Journal of Business Strategy, 35(3), pp.47-54.
AlMazrouei, H. and Pech, R.J., 2015. Working in the UAE: expatriate management
experiences. Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research, 6(1), pp.73-93.
Qubaisi, J.M.M.L.F.A., Elanain, H.M.A., Badri, M.A. and Ajmal, M.M., 2015. Leadership,
culture and team communication: analysis of project success causality-a UAE case. International
Journal of Applied Management Science, 7(3), pp.223-243.