In the business environment, studying the cultural dimensions of societies is essential because it measures the impact of culture on the values of community members and the extent to which these values are related to behavior. This uses a specific structure and measurable elements (Bing, 2004).
In the previous discussion, I tried to analyze these cultural dimensions according to the theory of Professor "Gert Hofstede" on Bechtel Corporation and compare these exact cultural dimensions between the country of origin of Bechtel (the United States) and (Saudi Arabia), which is one of the countries in which the company is implementing giant projects.
In this discussion, I will share how to evaluate Saudi culture through these dimensions and, if I become a manager there, what the appropriate strategy for managing the company's business in this country would be based on the results of this evaluation.
Assessment of the cultural dimensions of the Saudi society:
There are seven Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, among the 50 countries on which Professor "Geert Hofstede" conducted the questionnaire and analyzed the results; he also monitored its level according to the first four dimensions in the original study, given the importance of these countries. Looking at these results according to (Hofstede Insights nd), we find the following:
PDI = 72: The research argues that Saudi society tends to centralize and unequal business responsibilities. There are always decision-makers and those who implement them.
IDV = 48: Saudi society accepts the idea of public interest, and everyone participates in the work positively.
UAI = 43: Saudi society does not accept vague and ambiguous decisions and tends to stabilize and slow steps for reform and change.
MAS = 64: The Saudi culture tends to be patriarchal, and the manager is expected to be firm to run the work more efficiently and effectively.
LTO = 27: Saudi culture does not tolerate strange and abnormal ideas about society, as it is a conservative society that does not tend to behaviors that do not conform to its customs and traditions.
IND = 14: Saudi society does not openly accept submission to personal desires; it is governed by the norms of the Islamic religion, which sets strict standards for satisfying all kinds of desires.
Business management strategies according to the culture of Saudi society:
According to (Denton, 2016), it mentioned the experience of Bechtel Construction Company in Saudi Arabia from the seventies until now, the factors that need to be taken into account can be summarized as follows:
Hierarchy of power in (PDI):
According to (Nestorović, 2016), respect for hierarchy or degree of individuality is very important; for example, when appointing a Saudi project manager, entire and undiminished responsibilities must be assigned to him, not only to please him but because this is what is followed in Saudi culture, there is a manager with powers and employees who carry out the instructions, as for the creative side of the employees, it is done through consulting with their managers and not jumping on them.
Employee Habits in (LTO):
Religion has always been considered a constant component of culture, and business owners cannot and should not try to change this. Friday, for example, is the day of worship for Muslims all over the world, but Saudi Arabia has a particular situation. When Bechtel tried to change it to Sunday, it could not do so, unlike Malaysia, which has Saturday and Sunday like all Western countries (Smith,1991).
Satisfaction of Desiresm in (IND):
In Bechtel's experience building Jubail Industrial City in Saudi Arabia from the 1970s until now, the top management of the project were and still are of American citizenship. This cultural dimension contrasts sharply with Saudi society. For example, the celebration of drinking wine or mixing men with women is totally unacceptable. Therefore, these gaps between American and Saudi cultures must be respected (Denton, 2016).
Conclusion
Although the results of Geert Hofstede's model of cultural dimensions are not absolute or reliable at all times, as people's cultures and convictions are constantly changing (Beugelsdijk, Kostova & Roth, 2017), however, understanding these cultural dimensions after studying them individually can help managers develop strategies to reduce conflict, communicate more effectively with staff and develop ideas to improve the work of organizations in international environments.
References
Beugelsdijk, S., Kostova, T., & Roth, K. (2017). An overview of Hofstede-inspired country-level culture research in international business since 2006. Journal of International Business Studies, 48(1), 30-47. Retrieved from ProQuest One Academic database.
Bing, J. W. (2004). Hofstede's Consequences: The Impact of His Work on Consulting and Business Practices. The Academy of Management Executive (1993-2005), 18(1), 80-87. Retrieved from JSTOR database
Denton, S. (2016). The Profiteers: Bechtel and the Men Who Built the World. Simon and Schuster.
Hofstede Insights (nd). Compare Countries: Retrieved from https://www.hofstede-insights.com/product/compare-countries/
Nestorović, Č. (2016). Islamic Marketing. Management for Professionals.
Smith, J. C. (1991). Mega-project construction management--the Corps of Engineers and Bechtel Group in Saudi Arabia (Doctoral dissertation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology).