5th Business & Management Conference, Rome

EXPATRIATE LEADER CROSS-CULTURAL MANAGEMENT

HANAN ALMAZROUEI

Abstract:

Purpose – Managing across cultures is vital for international business success. Expatriate leaders often are confronted with difficulties in managing in the new national culture. Leaders need to be able to make decisions in a way that suits the new culture in which they find themselves. This article explores how expatriate leaders in the cities of Al Ain and Dubai in the UAE make decisions differently in their current job compared with their home country. In addition, the aim of the study is to identify the approaches that expatriates in both Al Ain and Dubai use to adjust their decision-making since beginning work in the UAE. The study also indicates how those expatriates in both cities manage local staff differently to those in their home country. Finally, the study identifies factors based on expatriate leaders’ experiences in both cities they believe contribute to the situations they face in managing UAE organizations. Design/Methodology/approach – Structured interviews of expatriates drawn from stratified sampling were employed to discover the styles of decision-making that were effective in both cities. Findings – The aspect such of Arabic language was found to have a significant bearing on expatriates’ management in Al Ain while Dubai interviewees indicated that supporting their staff was found to contribute markedly to the success of their management. Practical implications –The study discovers approaches that will assist expatriate leaders working in both cities to successfully manage local staff. This will facilitate organizations in delivering more focused training on matching decision-making styles to the local culture. This will also be of assistance to expatriates currently on assignment in both cities. Originality/value – The article concentrates on management across cultures for expatriate leaders working in the UAE.

Keywords: Expatriate, management, decision-making, Dubai, Al Ain, UAE.

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