Egypt - Cross cultural research paper

Résumé du document

As the world becomes more interconnected, it is important to remember that managerial values are not the same everywhere. In the global market, multinational corporations may make costly decisions if they assume that their corporate policies will receive the same attention, understanding or acceptance in each of their branches all over the world. However, there is a solution. The basis for making good business decisions lies in understanding the people one works with. This paper will attempt to bring into light the people and culture of Egypt.

Extraits

[...] These problems have saturated Egyptian workplaces, affecting the entire business structure of the country. The most appalling factor is that this type of activity is regularly occurring with the help and knowledge of government officials, and unfortunately everyone from manufacturers to consumers is affected by corruption, causing a range of upset in the value chain. It is wise for any business person travelling to Egypt to be aware of what may be expected by Egyptian partners. It is widely recommended to research future business associates thoroughly before making any kind of agreement. [...]

[...] The main economic resources of Egypt are petroleum, metals, tourism, and agriculture (especially cotton). The majority of Egyptians are Islamic. The religion was introduced in Egypt in 642. The supreme religious authority is the sheikh of Al-Azhar, which claims to define the official line of Sunni Islam in most subjects. Religious feasts vary according to the lunar calendar (Bairam, Eid el-Kebir, Mouled el-Nabi). The Islamic calendar is shorter than the Gregorian calendar; religious festivals fell eleven days every year. Ramadan is observed, although many Egyptians are trying to circumvent the rule of fasting by changing their hours of standby. [...]

[...] The Egyptian profile of leadership thus de-emphasizes charismatic/value-based, team-oriented and participative leadership. Ethics in Egyptian Business While it can seem like a glamorous, exotic place to conduct business, managers should be wary of doing business in Egypt. Several problems may be encountered by foreign business people who are not accustomed to certain behaviours in their home country. Bribery and corruption are among one of the most common problems in Egyptian business. Bribery is just another form of doing business and it is commonplace for Egyptian companies to give and receive bribes. [...]

[...] An assertive country has been called masculine while one that is modest and caring can be considered feminine (Hofstede). The country of Egypt has a very high masculinity index of 52, which would indicate that while women in the Arab World are regulated to their rights, it may be due more to their heavy Muslim influence rather than their cultural theories (Hofstede) Uncertainty avoidance The uncertainty avoidance dimension within Hofstede analysis is due to the idea that the society has a strong caste system where roles are dictated by being higher or lower within the caste system and there is very little mobility within this caste system. [...]

[...] Multinational corporations should study the culture of the country they plan to do business with and also monitor changes in the life style and management values of these countries over time. References Al-Muhaiza, I. A., & At-Twaiji, M. I. (1996, January 1). Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions in the GCC Countries: An emperical investigation. International Journal of Value Based Management pp. 121-131. Beekun, R. I., Elnaby, H., Hamdy, R., Hassan, R., & Westerman, J. [...]