The shared feeling is that we are all here for business, so let's talk business. 5. It is like any other religion or way of life: people follow it or they don’t. If they do, they will ask them to help get them the visa. Informal Agreements - The Middle East is not as contract based as Europe or the US. For simplicity I will primarily focus on Arabs. In fact much of the time someone's word is considered enough. don’t forget their emotionally incestuous relationship with their MOTHERS. "Let's get down to business" - in the UK, Europe and US it is perfectly reasonable to start talking about business after minimal polite conversation. Staff will expect explicit orders and guidance, meetings will be where decisions are implemented rather than discussed and very formal relationships exist with the boss. It is important to make sure you both save face for people and also give it. 6. 3. This captivating Netflix documentary on the Middle East delves into those relationships, as well as other aspects of the Saudi culture that this Middle Eastern nation is notorious for, like women’s rights violations, poverty, and outlandish executions for violations as benign as writing about freedom. Holistic thinking permeates Eastern philosophy and culture (Credit: Getty Images) Crucially, our “ social orientation ” appears to spill over into more fundamental aspects of reasoning . However in the Middle East this is the opposite. For the European this is seen as slightly rude whereas for the Arab to not answer the call is rude! Intercultural awareness training provides people with an insight into those very differences and provides strategies to help overcome potential obstacles. The Spoken Word - the Islamic world places much more importance on the spoken word than anything else. Negotiations - negotiations can be lengthy and frustrating affairs. Disagreements - Due to the need to save face in this part of the world it is never a good idea to be too direct with people. 10 Very Cool Facts About South Korean Culture, Cultural Differences in International Merger and Acquisitions. For the European this is a distraction but for the Arab it is simply hospitable to allow people in, and those that wander in will naturally want to speak with you. The Islamic religion is well known for its universal laws of abstinence before marriage, no toleration of alcohol, and other such distinctions. Firstly the Middle East is not a homogenous region. Middle-Eastern Women The Middle-Eastern culture is very different from that of the United States. In Western society, the individual rules. 1950 W. Corporate Way PMB 25615, Anaheim, CA 92801, USA. The rules of the Arab culture or the religion of Islam keep the followers focused, or they don’t. If there is to be a personnel change in the region it is critical that the person leaving the region introduce the new face. Azazeel, Youssef Ziedan. To enable Verizon Media and our partners to process your personal data select 'I agree', or select 'Manage settings' for more information and to manage your choices. Secondly, please note that the article will be making generalisations about the Middle East. A personal approach and continuity of care by the same health care professional help to bridge the gap between Middle Eastern cultures and Western medical culture. The people in eastern countries are more traditional than people in the West when we consider their rituals, customs, clothing, etc. Gender Roles & Muslims in the Middle East – An Essay By Kaycee on February 2, 2015 • ( 5). We and our partners will store and/or access information on your device through the use of cookies and similar technologies, to display personalised ads and content, for ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Information about your device and internet connection, including your IP address, Browsing and search activity while using Verizon Media websites and apps. Eastern world refers to countries in Asia and Middle East. To sum up, this blog has stated that those planning on doing business in the Middle East need to take some cross cultural knowledge with them in order to maximise their potential. Consensus - in hierarchical societies decisions are usually made on a group basis. The Middle East of 2017 is a violent imbroglio in which the U.S. is hopelessly mired. A good example of how a hierarchical society differs to a more level one is in management styles. Middle East Relationships, Explained Through An Interactive Map. I always recommend that people to use the "health, wealth and family" formula - i.e. These are areas such as attitudes, beliefs, assumptions, world views, communication styles and values. In the Middle East problems and disagreements should not be sorted out by pointing to clauses but rather through personal discussion. This goes back to the beginnings of Islam where the Quran was a revelation disseminated through speech. Intercultural awareness training is sometimes perceived as a luxury within the business world. This group mentality means the interests, opinions and decisions of the group carry much more weight than that of the individual. Women in the US have as much freedom as they would like; whereas the women in the Middle-East have very little. Collectivist - this means that in such cultures the \"we\" takes precedence over the \"I\". The right intercultural awareness training briefing can offer a company real benefits, namely a competitive advantage and a greater long term gain. As we get closer, our differences become more acute and more of a problem thus further driving the need for intercultural awareness training. 4. Broken promises will lead to broken relationships. Evolution - the Middle East is steeped in religion, culture and a pattern of thought. Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Getting to know people on a personal level is crucial in order to assess whether a relationship can be established. Middle Eastern religion, any of the religious beliefs, attitudes, and practices developed in the ancient Middle East (extending geographically from Iran to Egypt and from Anatolia and the Aegean Sea to the Arabian Peninsula and temporally from about 3000 to 330 bc, when Alexander the Great conquered much of the area). If you are not negotiating with the decision maker you are most likely wasting your time and simply being sussed out. ask about their personal well-being, business and the kids. personal relationships form the basis of social (and business ) interaction. He has been lecturing at different German universities since 2011 on issues related to ideology and the interplay of power thereof in socio-political life, and religion and its relationship to contemporary politics in the regions of West Asia and North Africa, especially Egypt and Syria. You may be in a meeting a find that people walk in and out of the meeting room, will sit down next to you and completely change the topic of conversation. These of course do not bear in mind individual differences. We use generalisations in intercultural awareness training as it acts as a useful safety net, meaning if someone goes to the region and knows nothing about it they can fall back on the generalisations made until they start to figure things out for themselves. of Middle Easterners and, therefore, will improve rather than impede their health care. their MOTHERS ensure that they will inbreed and not find a real woman. The Middle East is as culturally diverse as the USA, which makes it difficult to talk about Middle Eastern culture as something homogenous. This includes Collectivist vs. Individualistic Societies, Power Distance, Masculinity - Femininity, Uncertainty Avoidance, and Long-Term Orientation as described by Hofstede (2001). If they are unsure about you they will want time to try and learn more about you. Get Personal - one should not be afraid to open up and divulge personal details. • It can also be defined as those countries where Arabic is the dominant language. For example, Indians pay respect to their elders by touching their feet; East Asians use bows as greetings, apologizing and thanking. If one were to be very blatant in their opinions without regards for the others sense of honour, a relationship can be easily ruined. In addition, periodic use of cultural interpreters helps ameliorate the what choice do they have? It is no longer a luxury but a necessity. If in a business relationship both sides started to communicate through a contract it is a sure sign that the relationship has broken down. For example, if a person needs a visa to Sweden but have left it too late, they can see if people within their network system have "wasta" in the embassy. When intercultural trainers explain culture, many use the iceberg model. For example in the Middle East, saying "no" or blatantly disagreeing with people is not usually done in order to save people's face. 8. Relationship driven cultures usually have the following traits: 1. Although every society has its own culture, it may vary in each due the differences in their sets of values. An intricate means of favours and reciprocation are part of daily life, from being introduced to the right people or getting past red tape. This is in fact false. Particularly, the way women are treated. Find out more about how we use your information in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. Many who feel this way are also proponents of the misconception that because the "world is getting smaller" our differences are becoming less obvious and less of a problem. Honour/Shame/Face - In relationship driven cultures there is usually an emphasis on maintaining face, i.e. middle eastern men have far too much baggage to handle! This can make those unused to this way of doing business nervous. The area is not solely populated by Arabs but also Kurds, Turks, Iranians and more. One can still have contracts signed but never see them as water tight. Middle Eastern Language, Literature and Culture. ... has been designed to give students majoring in other departments an opportunity to gain a substantial introduction to Middle Eastern and African languages, and to the cultures and civilizations of the Middle East and Africa. D) If the right level of trust has not yet been established through the building of a relationship then this may be holding up proceedings. The Family - the family or tribe takes central focus in daily life. upholding the family/tribal honour. •While a ME may be offended by the Americans attention … 3. The Importance of Business Relationships in the Middle East. In hierarchical societies the boss takes sole control because that is what they are paid for. However throughout the years, the two have come to influence one another constantly due to globalization, and shaping and moulding one another in the process. The Middle East is what we would call in intercultural jargon a \"relationship driven culture\", i.e. Norms and Values in Middle Eastern Culture A culture is a particular society at a particular time and place. personal relationships form the basis of social (and business ) interaction. •Punctuality is less important to a Middle Easterner and may be late for an appointment or not come at all if a relationship issue arises. Trying to understand the complexities of Middle East politics can seem like an impenetrable task and the tangled and changing relations between governments and groups in the region are a common subject of discussion. In such cultures very tight relationships are built with a small group of people whereas in more individual cultures people tend to have loose relationships with many people. B) Arabs often make decisions on gut and heart feelings, not on facts and figures. A man is what his father is and a woman is what her husband is. Middle Eastern Culture Culture and Customs Understanding daily life and social norms, such as customs and etiquette, are a key to understanding a nation or culture or having an enjoyable visit. The Middle East is what we would call in intercultural jargon a "relationship driven culture", i.e. +44 01963 23253 or +1 (315) 215 1652. They will appreciate that you have helped save face. Such family centred cultures tend to put the interests of the family first. If the married couple wants to visit the husband’s homeland, she could only do so using a passport of her husband’s country. “Whereas, Mediterranean sort of focuses on the culture group that’s united, rather than culturally divided, by the Mediterranean Sea as a trading area. This group mentality means the interests, opinions and decisions of the group carry much more weight than that of the individual.2. Understand face - one must observe and try and understand how face, shame and honour work in the region. Once should be prepared to be held, touched, felt and kissed! You can give face by praising people for their hospitality, hard work or kindness. Shura means surveying the opinions of those who are most knowledgeable in order to reach a decision that is best. Do not expect deals to be completed in two visits to the region. For example, rather than openly identifying a problem as the fault of a particular person it is better to address this issue with the person alone. Hagging or bargaining is a very important part of Middle Eastern culture, and it is viewed as offensive to refrain from engaging in it. To become insistent on contracts and deadlines can make Arabs become rather stand-offish as they would consider such behaviour as signifying a lack of trust in them. Therefore it is critical that one keeps to their word. “In Middle Eastern culture, trust is a commodity you have to earn through repeated social interactions.” — Soroush Aslani Another major difference consistent with the researchers’ predictions was that Americans tended to exchange information more openly with each other, trying to make clear their needs, while Qataris shared much less information. In order to succeed in the region it is important to use wasta and to also reciprocate favours done for you. Continuity - once a relationship has been built it is important to maintain continuity. Finally, a note about haggling. they do not know how to behave or socialize. This lack of knowledge hurts our ability to understand, and engage in intelligent discussion about, current events. Middle East Jared Kushner reps Trump's US in Middle East one last time. For example, I can make the generalisation that women in the Middle East do not shake hands with men, but there will always be exceptions to the rule. Recoiling from such behaviour would make one seem cold. There are several characteristics of culture impacting the interactions between Middle Eastern and Western peoples. It is important to keep conversation friendly and personal and always wait for the other party to start talking business. In less hierarchical cultures a subordinate is expected to use initiative, share in the decision making process, can say "no" to the boss and most of the time has an informal relationship with the boss. And once in the Middle East, she can only leave if the husband agrees. Contracts - contracts are viewed as memorandums of agreement rather than binding obligations. Today, the cultures of the world can be divided into two main parts such as the Eastern and Western culture. 3. 7. Although this excludes Somalia, Djibouti, and the Comoros Islands which are part of the Arab world. HuffPost is part of Verizon Media. •Americans are more task oriented and annoyed by a nonchalant approach to time. Small talk - informal chatting is critical. The following are some pointers to the main areas one should consider if they are serious about building strong and profitable relationships in the Middle East: 1. Because of this, doing business in the Middle … It is important to always be patient in meetings and to allow for delays and distractions. People speak to each other at a distance and touching is kept to a minimum. As of 2003, an average of 45% of married couples were related in the Arab world. Although in the Middle East final decision making is usually made by the head of the family or tribe, there is still a level of consultation with others called "shura". 1. Networks - due to such cultures relying on bonds and relationships, networks are usually the way things get done. Meetings - there are elements of conducting business meetings in the Middle East that a European can find testing. It is the underbelly of the cultural iceberg that poses the problems. What we will do, however, is to pick a few cultural differences which are shared across most of the Middle East and which are more likely to trip North Americans up when working in the region. 5. 6. 4. The Individual. C) Decisions usually come from the top. Eastern world is comprised of nations in Asia including the Middle East whereas Western world refers to North and South America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. One of these obstacles when thinking about the Middle East is the approach to relationships in business. A) There is usually a lot of red tape surrounding business deals and discussions. Is where people use their connections in order to assess whether a relationship be... 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