I. Introduction
The continuing growth in international business relations increases the occurrence of business negotiations among people from different countries and cultures. This creates significant challenges for international managers unfamiliar with the norms of different groups. Intercultural communication is basically the communication between different cultures which is also known as cross-cultural communication. Intercultural communication theories posit that globalizing forces of economic integration, tourism and migration are important forces that provide a rationale for increased intercultural communication.
Being aware of one’s culture and how it contrasts with others is the first step to achieve proficiency in intercultural communication. Another step is to recognize the barriers in accommodating intercultural communication and overcoming them. Some of these barriers may occur naturally and it takes conscious effort to surmount them. However it may be difficult, it is necessary to become intercultural competent because this will lead to a more productive and effective working relationships in a diversified workplace.
The ability to become proficient in intercultural communication and recognizing the barriers lies on the knowledge and understanding of a country specific culture. In this paper, the culture of the Saudi Arabia is discussed based on the country values they hold which are rooted primarily from Islamic principles. The following sections will present a more detailed discussion and analysis of the Arab culture and its implications on managerial and organizational behavior.
1.1 Culture
Culture provides predictability of human kind. It offers predictable pattern of behavior that leads to cooperative expectancies. Every culture has its own set of values that determines goodness and badness. It is this uniqueness that must be understood if one is to communicate cross culturally. Increasing the exposure to people of other cultures will influence and change one’s view of other cultures. At a larger context, it helps in the discovery of shared humanness through examining, allowing and respecting differences. In addition to the building understanding through valuing differences, cross cultural comparison supplies the necessary information to help people who are learning to live and work in new situations (Benett, 1998, p.23).
According to Jandt (2004) intercultural communication consists of three major elements: (1) worldview (2) language and (3) nonverbal communication (particularly the use of space and time). Worldview is the orientation of people to things and issues with the concept of being. Another significant element is language which is the medium through which a particular culture expresses its worldview. The importance of language is greater especially when cultures speak different languages. The differences in meaning across culture can also become significant when each culture uses the same language.
The importance of cross cultural communication has gained increased attention over the years. It is considered to be the most important issue in successful conduct of international businesses. The absence of insights into the ways of others is less likely to develop credibility and inspire a workforce. Culture affects how businesses are run, what characteristics are to look for in the selection of employees and how to manage them and work with teams (Briscoe & Schuler, 2004, p. 116).
In Multinational corporations, businesspeople from different cultures interact. They step outside their cultural and business environment and create new context. With this, MNCs understand the impact of key organizational concepts such as hiring practices, promotion policies, decision making, negotiation styles, regulations and business laws on the intercultural communication process. They bring with them their own corporate cultures and from these cultures emerges a new transaction culture. It is through intercultural communication that they are able to understand the way of doing business in a particular cultural setting. This paper will examine the culture of Saudi Arabia and discuss the implication of their culture to managers.
1. 2 Country Profile
Saudi Arabia occupies most of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered in the north by Jordan, Iraq and Kuwait; on the east by Persian Gulf and Qatar; on the southeast by United Arab Emirates and Oman on the south by the Republic of Yemen; and on the west by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba. According to the World Fact Book (2007), Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam and the home to two of the holiest shrines in Mecca and Medina. The Modern Saudi State was founded in 1932 by ABD AL-AZIZ bin Abd al-Rahman AL SAUD after 30 year campaign of unifying the Arabian Peninsula. The country remains to be the leading producer of oil and natural gas in the world and holds about 25% of the world’s proven oil reserves. The government continues to pursue economic reforms and diversification particularly after the accession in the World Trade Organization in December 2005 and promotes foreign investments in the kingdom. See Appendix A for Country Data Profile
Surface Area: 2,149.7 thousand sq. km
Population per sq. km: 9.6
Population growth: 2.6%
Life expectancy (1999): 72 years
GNI per capita (1999): 6,900 US$
GDP (1999): 139.4 billion US$
The culture of Saudi Arabia is rich and has been shaped by the Islamic heritage, its historical role as an ancient trade center and its Bedouin traditions. Saudi people have taken their values and even their style of dress and adapted them to the modern world (Hedon et al, 1996, p.182). The age-old traditions have evolved and are highly regarded. They include generosity and hospitality which every Saudi family offers to strangers, friends and family (‘Culture’ 2007).
Such traditions are learned at an early age from families and schools. The highlights of the year are holy month of Ramadan and the Hajj (pilgrimage) season, and the national holidays that follow them. During the holy month of Ramadan which culminates with the Eid-Al-Fitr holiday it is customary to buy presents and clothes for children and visit friends and relatives. The other highlight is the Hajj season during which millions of Muslim pilgrims from around the world come to Makkah. The Hajj season concludes with Eid Al-Adha holiday in which it is traditional for families to slaughter a sheep in memory of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son, Isaac (‘Culture’, 2007).
II. Country Values
2.1 Religion
Islam has been founded 1,400 years ago by the prophet of Islam, Muhammad. It is an Arabic word which means peace, love, and complete submission and obedience to God (Nasir, 2007). The words of the prophet, Muhammad are regarded as directly coming from God. They were compiled to what has become known as the Koran or the Quran. The five duties of the Muslim are the recitation of the creed (shahada), prayer five times a day (salat), almsgiving (zakat), fasting (sawn) and pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime (haj). Muslims fast for one month during the Ramadan, the ninth month of the Muslim calendar to commemorate the revelation of God’s law to Muhhamad. During this period, Muslims abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and sexual activity (Hedon et al, 1996, p. 167).
Saudi Arabians place a high value on their Islamic religion. It has become a comprehensive guide for all social behavior, a total way of life. There is no difference between Islam and Muslim. Islam is the religion which is followed by the Muslim. A Muslim lives his while life according to the teachings of Islam. A true Muslim is one who is loving, caring, promotes peace and is fully obedient and submits to the will of God (Nasir, 2007).Wahabbism is the particular branch of Islam practiced in the country. The introduction of Islam brought a highly cohesive set of moral and social values that permeate the society to this day. More than just a religion, Islam has become the all-encompassing in scope. It teaches that all the things animate and inanimate are God’s creation and are all under the dominion of God. These beliefs is so central and intensely ingrained in Saudi Arabia that it cannot be calculated simply by observing expressions of behavior whether pious or profane (Long, 2005, p.18).
The country is considered by the U.S Department of State as an Islamic country without legal protection of the freedom of religion. Islam is not official religion and all the citizens are required to be Muslims. It is also prohibited by the government to practice non-Muslim religions. Further, the Islamic practice is limited to a school from the Sunni branch of Islam. Any practice that opposes this interpretation is discouraged. The spread of Muslim teachings that does not conform to the officially accepted Islamic interpretations is strictly prohibited (‘Culture of Saudi Arabia’, 2007).
Religion is the hemp that brings together all the Saudis. The king is not only the political leader but the religious leader as well. The Koran serves as the framework that runs the country. For the Saudis, piety is honorable and religion is not separated from their daily living. Fatalism is expressed by the frequent use of inshallah or God willing. The greatest joy of the Muslim is to perform the pilgrimage to Mecca. The permeating cohesion of the family, honor and marriage are the religious beliefs of Saudis (Gannon, 2004, p. 76).
2.2 Social Behavior
Saudi Arabia is the largest of the Arab Gulf States in population and size. It is culturally diverse country with many foreign national workers. The dominant social norm is rooted from the interpretation of Islamic texts which is stricter than in most of the Islamic countries. The Arabian Society has been equated by many Westerners with the nomadic Bedouin tribes. Although much of the population is tribally based, nomadic culture plays a secondary role in forming the contemporary Saudi culture and customs. For the most part, the traditional Saudi culture evolves around the sedentary inhabitant of towns and villages located wherever water can be found. They had symbiotic relationships with nomads. Only in Hijaz did genuine urban culture actually evolved centering on the Islamic holy cities of Makkah and Medina and the port city of Jeddah (Long, 2005, p.17).
The people form a closed and extremely conservative society due to the harsh climactic conditions and physical isolation. Until the advent of the modernization during the twentieth century, the social dynamics had changed little since the pre-Islamic times. The dominant relationships in the Saudi society are personal. Allegiance to Islam, loyalty to the family and loyalty to the tribe are the strongest bonds felt by Saudi Arabians.
The mixing of the opposite sexes is strongly discouraged especially in the public. Men are not supposed to talk with women except in extreme necessity. The rigid sexual segregation is widely practiced and has effects in the occupational and educational opportunities for women. Saudi women cannot drive, are seldom allowed to marry non Saudis and may never marry non Muslims. All of which are permitted among Saudi men. There is also the matter of dress. Majority of Saudi women are veiled, a practice that begins as the girl reaches puberty (Graham et al, 1994, p.241).
The traditional Saudi social behavior follows highly stylized patterns that have remained intact despite modern Western social influences. The gap between the Saudi and Western social customs appears so wide that it becomes difficult for Westerners visiting the Kingdom for the first time. Some of the things that should be avoided are causing the Saudis embarrassment and loss of face, not exposing the soles of the feet, not using the left hand when eating with one’s fingers and not rushing to business before social conventions such as accepting tea and Bedouin coffee are observed (Long, 2005, p. 64).
There are also several types of greetings that are used. It is best to wait for the counterpart to initiate the greeting. Men shake hands with other men. However, it is advisable for businesswomen to wait for the man to offer his hand before shaking hands with them. A more traditional greeting between men involves the grasping of each others right hand while placing the left hand on the right shoulder and exchanging kisses on the cheek. Men who walk hand in hand are considered to show a sign of friendship. It is common to take off the shoes before entering the building and follow the lead of the host. The bottom of the feet is not to be shown at any circumstances because it is offensive for them like the use of ‘thumbs up’. It is not necessary to offer gifts to guests and hosts although they may be appreciated (Geert Hofstede Analysis on Saudi Arabia’, 2007).
Drinking alcohol and eating pork are also illegal. This is part of the Islamic dietary laws which is strictly enforced throughout Saudi Arabia. Vrtually all meals include the Arabic unleavened bread or the khobz. Other spales are lkamb, grilled chicken, falafel (deep-fried chickpea balls), shawarma (spit-cooked sliced lamb), and Ful medames (a paste of fava beans, garlic and lemon). Another famous custom is the Arabic tea which is used in casual and foral meetings between friends, family sand even to strangers (‘Culture’, 2007).
Some of these customs are taken from practical reasons such as the custom of not eating with the left hand because it is used for doing personal hygiene. Another example is the hospitality offered to strangers. Saudis and Arabs are known for their hospitality. This custom stems from the ancient recognition of the necessity to offer sanctuary to desert travelers who might not survive and because the roles can be reversed. Many of the social customs are related to the ancient code of personal and collective honor (sharaf). For instance, offering hospitality is not only based on the ancient mutual security considerations but also a matter of honor in which the Saudis are concerned with their own roles as host or hostess as well as with the welfare of the recipient (Long, 2005, p. 64).
Male honor is expressed in terms of virility, whereas female honor is expressed in terms of modesty. Thus, the traditional custom of gender segregation is viewed in terms of modesty. The importance of modesty remains to be intact among younger Saudi women who follow with the social restrictions placed upon them. Sincerity (ikhas) which is a form of personal honor is also of great importance. Because the society is person oriented, the sincerity is a crucial element of personal relationships. Even when foreigners disregard social customs, if they are sincere their lapses are forgivable particularly if associated with loyalty.
The understanding of the importance of honor and shame in the culture provides insight to some behaviors. Mackey (1987) argued that shame is a factor in the generosity of Saudis (as cited in Gannon, 2004, p. 75). In addition to this, hospitality adds to the reputation of the giver and not necessarily to benefit the recipient. The fear of making mistakes that may result to shame also explains excessive delays in the business processes. Many Saudis drink or gamble when outside of the country even though such acts are forbidden by Islam. Perhaps they feel the honor is not lost if no one is to bestow shame on them. Another cohesive force besides family and honor is marriage. The marriage model is the same for the modern Saudis as it is for the nomads. Partners are chosen by the elder family members.
The value of investing in friendships to facilitate transactions is also essential. This attitude goes all the way back to the nomadic days when the tribes had to cultivate a wide circle of friendships as possible particularly among the more noble tribes. One must invest a lot of time and effort in cultivating and maintaining friendships in all sectors – the government, banking system, the marketplace, private businesses and others. It takes a great deal of time and a long period of cultivation to have the right contracts. This investment though pays off particularly for subsequent deals where the gestation does not take as long (Hedon et al, 1996, p. 179).
Saudis also believed that what can be accomplished in a unit of time depends not on their effort but on God’s will. They therefore do the best they can in any situation and accept delays as signs that God’s approval have not been earned. Westerners may find it difficult to adjust to the orientation of time because it is opposed to their own sense of mastery over nature and life itself (Hedon et al, 1996, p. 175).Certain adjustment need to be made in allowing more time such as being patient in waiting for results. Saudis do not share the same sense of urgency about the use of time as most westerners seem to have to them because of the belief that nothing can rush God’s will upon which everything depends.
2.3 Appearance
The social norms of the natives have the external appearance of puritanical Islamic practice. Both men and women are dressed in cultural and religious dress and women cover their head and bodies. The typical dress of the Saudi man is a thobe, a brilliant white gown, the agal, a black ring that holds the scarf in place and the ghutra, a red and white square shaped scarf covering the head. Most Saudi from all the sectors of the society wear this custom dress although Western style clothing is becoming popular among the youth (‘Culture of Saudi Arabia’, 2007).
One’s appearance is very important in the Saudi society. Visitors are expected to abide by the standards of modesty but they do not necessarily have to adopt the native clothing since the traditional clothes on the foreigners may be deemed offensive. However, they are expected to cover most of the body despite heat. It is not appropriate to bare shoulders, stomach, calves and thighs. Men in business meetings are required to wear a jacket and a tie. They should wear long pants and shirt preferably with long sleeves and buttoned up to the collar. Men should also avoid wearing jewelry particularly around the neck. Likewise, women are expected to wear modest clothing while in the public. They are expected to wear high necklines sleeves at least to the elbows. It is a good idea to keep a scarf especially if entering a Mosque (‘Geert Hofstede Analysis on Saudi Arabia’, 2007).
2.4 Communications
When communicating, the subject of women should not be discussed not even the health of the wife or the daughter. The topic of Israel should also be avoided. The names of the Saudis are often confusing and it may be necessary to get the names in English especially those one will meet, speak to or correspond before hand. It must be understood that the communications occur at very slow pace. Saudis do not expect one to talk during periods of silence and using the word ‘yes’ usually means ‘possibly’. Saudi host may interrupt the meeting and conversation for 15 to 20 minutes to perform daily prayers. During the meeting the one who asks the most questions is regarded as the least important person. Decision makers are those silent observers (Geert Hofstede Analysis on Saudi Arabia’, 2007).
According to Hedon et al (1996), Saudis are generally not confrontational. This implies that they will not be open and honest about their problems and complaints. Saying ‘no’ is an indirect way of saying that mattes will be delayed and that they avoid being accessible. The society is shame oriented and so they suffer from being found out rather than from actually violating the norm. Therefore, they place importance in the preserving their favorable social image. They dislike hurried and arrogant behavior on the part of the visitors and partners. Such behavior suggests that visitors consider themselves superior and the Saudis are not important to spend time with (p. 175).
Initial conversations usually revolve around personal matters. They place great value on spending a lot of time getting socially and personally acquainted with their potential business partners. Another important thing which foreigners have to learn is the way in which social space is used. These are the same social mores used during the majlis system of tribal meetings. During the early days, subjects had access to leaders through the majlis system – the leader had an open door policy and anyone who had problem can approach him personally and meet with him in his tent. This pattern is used in modern offices (Hedon et al, 1996, p. 175). In a formal session, open disagreements must not be brought with Arabs. Even if they disagree, they seldom provide ‘no’ but will take actions that hint that they do not agree at all hoping that the party gets the message. Westerners are known to be straight but such approach may not work in the context of the Arab culture.
The use of interpreter is also important in communicating especially during business meetings. A local agent can help to clarify issues and questions that may arise while dealing with the other side. Saudis appreciate being informed ahead of time of any agenda that will be discussed with them. Thus, it is necessary to translate all documents into Arabic, English (Hedon et al, 1996, p. 176).
III. Hofstede Dimensions
The Hofstede Analysis for Saudi Arabia is identical to other Arab countries. Their Muslim faith plays a major role in the lives of the people. Other pre dominant characteristics are large power distance and uncertainty avoidance. This indicates that the leaders are expected to separate themselves from the group and issue complete and specific directives. Muslim faith is also demonstrated to play a significant role in the lives of the people. Large power distance (PDI) (80) and Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI) (68) are predominant Hofstede dimension characteristics in this country. The Saudi society is more likely to follow a caste system that does not allow significant upward mobility of the people. It is highly rule-oriented with laws, rules regulations and controls so that the amount of uncertainty in reduced. More so, the inequalities of power and wealth are allowed to flourish in the society (‘Geert Hofstede Analysis on Saudi Arabia’, 2007).
The combination of these two dimensions creates a situation where the leaders have the most power and authority and the rules, laws and regulations reinforce their own leadership and control in the society. The leadership is more likely to arise as authoritarian rather than diplomatic or democratic. The high power distance indicates a high degree inequality of power and wealth distributed among the people. It is expected and accepted that the leaders will separate themselves and such condition remains unchallenged by the people but instead accepted as part of the cultural heritage.
The Masculinity Index (MAS), the third highest Hofstede Dimension is 52 which is slightly higher than the average of 50.2 for all countries in the Hofstede MAS dimension. This indicates that the while women have limited rights in the country, the reason must be due religion rather than cultural paradigm. Lastly, is the Individualism (IDV) that ranked at 38 out of 64 countries. This indicates that the society is collectivist as compared to individualist culture and it is illustrated in the close long term relationship to the member group be it in the family, the extended family or extended relationships. Such culture greatly values loyalty and overrides most other societal rules (‘Geert Hofstede Analysis on Saudi Arabia’, 2007). See Appendix B for Hofstede Culture Dimension Scales
3.1 Masculinity and Femininity
Geert Hofstede (1991) concluded that Arab countries scored 53 out of 100 in the masculinity scale which gives them the rank of 23 out of 53. This average score seem surprising but the feminine societies stress solidarity, emotional displays, relationships among people and resolution of conflicts by compromise. Masculine cultures stress achievement, competition and resolution of conflicts through violence. Arab culture incorporates several of Hofstede’s feminine characteristics (as cited in Gannon, 2004, p. 73).
The strong emphasis in Arab culture on masculine role attributes is mediated by the need to have good working relationship with one’s direct superior, to work with people who cooperate well with one another, to live in an area appropriate to one’s self image and to have employment security so that one will be able to work in the interest of the family for one’s enterprise as long as one wishes. These can be seen as feminine and high relationship attributes (Al-Shamali & Denton, p. 71).
3.2 Individualism and Collectivism
Individualism and creativity is also encouraged in the Saudi culture, this country ranks 26 of the 53 nations on Hofstede’s (1991) scale of individualism which places it on the collectivist side of the spectrum. Collectivism is having a ‘we’ consciousness belonging to a cohesive in group at the beginning at birth and taking the groups’ opinion as one. Private opinions and individual achievement are not valued in this setting.
One of the strongest manifestations of the Saudi collectivism is the family. The extended family is the single most important structural unit of the society and virtually all Saudis consider themselves as members of an extended family. Each family member shares a collective ancestry, a collective respect for the elders and collective obligation and responsibility for the welfare of other family members. At the time of the birth of Islam, the traditional Saudi extended family was patriarchal, patrilineal, patrilocal endogamous and occasionally polygamous. Patriarchal means the family authority is concentrated among the elders, male and female; patrilineal refers to tracing descent through the male line; patrilocal refers to family members living in close proximity; endogamous refers to choosing spouses from within the same tribe and, extended family or social group and polygamous refers to having multiple wives (Long, 2005, p. 35).
The extended family is the norm although with new prosperity more nuclear families are living alone. Despite this fact, other members are either close by or in the same compound which replicated the Bedouin camp in the modern times. For Saudis, the family determines how they think, whom they will marry and where they work. Involvement in the family is not perceived as interference but welcomed as a form of support. The loyalty to the family takes precedence over work or friends and is protected by the group. In the workplace, relatives receive preferential consideration for hiring and promotional opportunities. The oldest male family member is honored as the head of the family. Children are brought up by all the adults in the family and even friends. This leads to the homogenous upbringing of the children. Separation from the family is the ultimate punishment (Gannon, 2004, p. 75).
Honor and shame are also major features of the culture. When the honor is tarnished, they feel shame and lose face. The same is felt by the family who is also shamed in some association. Members of the collectivist culture thus place great importance to fit in harmoniously and save face. Honor is perceived to have been lost as a result of stinginess, poor treatment of the old and the weak people, fathering only daughters, being passed over for special favors, yielding traffic and immoral sexual conduct of women.
The understanding of the importance of honor and shame in the culture provides insight to some behaviors. Mackey (1987) argued that shame is a factor in the generosity of Saudis (as cited in Gannon, 2004, p. 75). In addition to this, hospitality adds to the reputation of the giver and not necessarily to benefit the recipient. The fear of making mistakes that may result to shame also explains excessive delays in the business processes. Many Saudis drink or gamble when outside of the country even though such acts are forbidden by Islam. Perhaps they feel the honor is not lost if no one is to bestow shame on them. Another cohesive force besides family and honor is marriage.
0 comments:
Post a Comment