An Arab Cross-Cultural Overview

So it's theory day today.  If you combine all the three Western cross-cultural experts together; Hall {see wgaw blog archive; Hall} Hofsteede {see wgaw blog archive; Hofsteede} and Trompenhaar {see wgaw blog archive: Trompenhaar} it seems Arab culture can be described in the following ways by westerners:


1
Time - Polychoronic or Monochroninc:
Polychronic

2
Communication - high or low context:
high context

3
Collectivism - groups or individuals:
high collectivism/ groups

4
Power Distance - vertical or horizontal:
vertical

5
Male/female - patriarchal or matriarchal:
patriarchal

6
Risk Avoidance - high or low:
high

7
Age - youth or experience:
experience

8
Time orientation - short-term or long-term:
short-term

9
One theory for all - particularism or universal:
universal

10
Feelings - affective or neutral:
both affective & neutral

11
Social Status - achievement or ascription:
ascription


Combining all these 11 factors together means in an Arab culture the following is likely to happen regularly.  Please remember these are generalisations:

* groups of people operate/ think/ act as a tribal group, not as individuals: group think rather than moving above self-actualisation
* use of auditory and visual skills, not just visual
* highly emotional reactions
* enjoyment of family life and children
* expect high powder distances between workers and rulers (or bosses and employees)
* strong usage of oral traditions
* will do only one thing at a time, very little multi-tasking
* fludity of plans - plans can change often and easily
* operate in the, 'here and now' rather than planning ahead for the future
* generous with time, things, money, help
* take a long time to let people into the inner circle, and then never let them go
* want control other people and situations, all the time
* expect to work in win-loose or loose-loose situations. win-win is often not an option
* are high-context and already have information
* have low spatial intelligence
* expect things to be done through contacts {see wgaw wosta}
* stop everything to speak to someone they know
* think ‘more is more’