Overview

For this assignment, an interview was conducted by four students: Romy Snitsevorg, Paul-Éric Simatti, Lisa Hendriks and Kay Hilders. The interviewed person has worked in different countries including Germany, the United-Kingdom, The Netherlands and different Arab countries such as Saudi-Arabia, Kuwait and the United Emirates. While conducting this interview, the focus was put on the Arab countries since we expected a lot of differences according to the Hofstede Dimensions.

The questions asked in this interview arise from the given lectures about aspects such as power distance, gender equality, individualism and Masculinity vs. Femininity. While the interview continued, it was clear that the interviewee had a lot of experience on cultural differences and what is and what is not prohibitive and inhibitive in the Arab countries. It was fascinating to see what the cultural differences between the Netherlands and Arab countries are.

One of the first things that the interviewee explained is that there are just a few countries in the world that can be compared to The Netherlands. ‘The fact that someone would be working abroad would only be effective if that person would understand the culture and way of living within that country’. This shows that the interviewee has had a moment of realisation that some things work differently in for example Arab countries. He emphasized that one of the biggest cultural differences between the Netherlands and Arab countries was gender equality, where it is prohibitive for women to walk alongside men on the streets. This is just an example of the cultural differences between these two countries.

Not knowing about these cultural differences could possibly lead to many misunderstandings and or even conflict between people. This is why it is important to know how to comprehend cultural differences before working abroad in a country different from your own.

Outcome

Power Distance

Arab countries have a big power distance. Hierarchy is important to them, this means that the Dutch, who have a much lower power distance, need to realise that hierarchy and respect is critical to a successful relationship in any Arab country. An example of hierarchy in Arab countries is that anybody more senior must be deferred to and cannot be called by their first name. In the Netherlands, there is no emphasis placed on hierarchy because of the low power distance. An example is that Dutch students refer to their lectures using their first name. For the Dutch it would be prohibitive to exercise high power distance which should not be interpreted as disrespectful to hierarchy but for a dutch person being equal is important. When the Dutch do not respect the hierarchy, then this can be interpreted as rude or disrespectful to Arab culture. Consequently If the Dutch are disrespectful to the Arab employees within Arab society, the employee will be sent home.

Gender equality

Arab countries have very different perspectives on gender equality. In Saudi Arabia, for example, a country where our guest worked, it is prohibitive for women to start their own businesses in the kingdom without seeking the consent of a male guardian, nor to travel abroad without a guardian’s agreement. Starting a business for a woman was prohibitive until 2018, as was travelling without consent until 2019. It would be inhibitive for a Dutch woman to come and work in an Arab country and be the head of a large group, with thousands of men under her responsibility, and abide by the restrictive laws. Some laws continue to disfavour Emirati women. For instance, Emirati women must receive permission from a “male guardian” to remarry.

Individualism

Arab countries are very group oriented, which is the Hofstede collectivism compared to the Netherlands which is the individualism dimension. In a company, the spirit of the group and the success of the group is more important than individual performance for them. In practice, professional success in the Netherlands will result in a special financial bonus, while in Arab countries the reward will be on a profit-sharing system or with an event for the whole company. Money is not the main motivator, and employees would largely prefer the recognition of the work and value they bring to the company rather than gifts or bonuses. It would then be inhibitive to give a cash bonus without any special attention or sign of respect to the employee and the rest of the company. The interviewee also gave us ways of celebrating success in the UK where he worked too, which shows the collectivism orientation. For instance, they established a “pizza day” where everyone eats together, and sometimes they stop an hour before the end of work to go to the pub with the company. For Christmas, everyone receives a surprise gift from an employee, which also strengthens internal ties.

Masculinity vs. Femininity

Arab countries can be described as masculin countries. Masculinity represents the preference for achievement, assertiveness, and material rewards for success, so therefore more competitive. Femininity represents cooperation, modesty, and caring for the weak, so therefore are less competitive. The Netherlands can be described as a feminine country. In Arab countries the interpretation of equality is different. Arab countries are perceived as more assertive and competitive. To the Dutch this interpretation could be perceived as oppressive.

Achievement

People in Arab countries are more focussed on achievement than Dutch people. The Dutch care more about how they like the job and whether they feel appreciated by their managers. The interviewee stated that in the Arab countries he had the impression that people often did not like their job, however stayed in the job because of the money. They were pushed to achieve things by their managers, while in the Netherlands the gap in communication between managers and employees is almost zero. The interviewee also emphasizes that he believes it is very important to recognize the efforts of your employees, whereas in Arab countries this is not very common.

Best Practise (Team)

As a group, it is important to prepare questions that are clear and make the interviewee comfortable to prevent misunderstandings. This could be more of a challenge since the interview was conducted online. During the interview, the interviewee provided many examples based on his experiences. He came across as a very direct person. The importance of direct communication is also shared within the team through the Dutch and French culture. This symbolises the tip of the iceberg model, where you hear and see what someone means. However, the context of how communication is received differs within the team as the French are more high context and the Dutch are more low context. This represents the bottom of the iceberg model, because high context behaviour is more nuanced and hidden.

Best Practice (Manager)

The interviewee has worked in many different cultures. With his Dutch origin, the differences between the Dutch and Arabic culture was the most significant. An important aspect in this difference was religion. In Arab countries some things are prohibited that are completely normal in the Dutch culture. Therefore, working there requires a lot of adaptability. The interviewee noted that it is important to be prepared to a certain level for what you can expect from a different culture. The easiest way to do this is to do research and talk to people who have been to that country as well. However, he stated that you learn the most when being there.

Student Authors

Kay Hilders (LinkedIn)
Student: Faculty of Business & Economics Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, The Netherlands
Block 4, semester 2, 2021

Lisa Hendriks (LinkedIn)
Student: Faculty of Business & Economics Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, The Netherlands
Block 4, semester 2, 2021

Paul-Éric Simatti (LinkedIn)
Kozminski University, International management, Warsaw, Poland
Block 4, semester 2, 2021

Romy Snitsevorg (LinkedIn)
Student: Faculty of Business & Economics Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, The Netherlands
Block 4, semester 2, 2021