Cultural and Gender Differences in Management

Cultural and Gender Differences in Management

Introduction

Women involved in the battle of gender interest since they got rights that were traditionally enjoyed by men. The issue of gender disparity is regulated by governments of both developed and developed countries. However, it is known that gender disparity in employment is experienced by middle eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar, where culture and tradition favored women to be dependent on men. The tradition that favored men originated from ancient times, and it is reviewed as time goes by. As a result, a lot of concern and confusion is raised in less-men dominated countries. In the middle east, hiring women to take up managerial positions, especially in the scientific and technological organization, is perceived as strange. On the other side, in western countries where religion and culture have less influence, it is viable to appoint women to a leadership position. In Islamic countries, attaining gender balance at work is difficult because the society perceived men as dominant. The objective of this paper is to explore the cultural dimension in Qatar and a course of action that should be taken to solve gender differences at work.

Relevant Concepts in the Study

Management in Culture Difference

            The case study illustrates the issue of women employees to managerial positions to an Indian company that has a branch in Qatar. Singh, who the chief executive of Singh Security Systems Limited, had an extended conversation with Ahmed Khan, who was his colleague from Qatar. The individuals originate from different communities with varying cultural backgrounds.  Singh recommends Seema Saran to take the managerial position of the company because she had vast knowledge and experience. He pointed out that the woman is the best candidate for the job because she is flexible, personable, and had problem-solving skills. Khan, on the other hand, understood the importance of appointing the woman to the success of the company. However, he is reluctant to the decision to select Seema Saran to the position because society had negative stereotypes and attitudes towards women holding a managerial position. He said that the male employees would not work with her comfortably, and they may not take orders from her. After a lengthy discussion, Singh decided to invite Seema Saran to Qatar to test her for the job and to determine her comfortability level with stereotypes and attitudes of Qataris towards women managers (Felder, & Vuollo, 2008). The woman was intelligent and inventive, and she was ready to pursue the objectives of the organization despite the challenges posed by society.

Culture Self-Awareness

Cultural self-awareness is the awareness of the influence of culture on self. It is essential to understand the impact of culture on the behavior of people, especially at the workplace. Culture can create values and beliefs that affect the workplace and people from different cultural backgrounds. Qatar is a male-dominated country, and Islamic tradition is highly practiced.  The society of this country is characterized by collectivism and masculinity. The tradition of the society is based on a group of people rafter than individuals. The Qataris depend on the community and its perspectives and judgments. The people of Qatar interact and cooperate to enrich the welfare of the community in extending that individualism is perceived as harmful. Individuals such as Ahmed Khan and mentioned Sheikhs are born in such an environment and are conscious of the existing rules. Those beliefs of society can not only be explained culturally but also genetically because the previous generation also had the same rules. Ahmed Khan was reluctant to support the appointment of Seema Saran to a managerial position because he was ready to put the need of the individual before that of the community.

The perspective of the Society towards Women

Masculinity is the main pattern in Qatar in terms of cultural dimension perspectives. The country is a male-dominated society, as illustrated in the case study. Amir Khan stated that the community had a negative attitude towards women managers and that no male employee will take orders from them comfortably. The women were expected to raise children and to follow their husband’s rules and guidance.

The adaptability of the Society to Changes

Qatar has a society that will not adapt to new circumstances quickly. The old sheiks are conservative as compared to young people.  However, the male employees and the community as a whole was ready to interact and cooperate with Seema Saran even though she was a woman manager. She will be successful if she establishes a good relationship with young people, rather than old sheik, who is conservative. The adaptability of the society to new circumstances such as perceiving women in managerial positions as usual and productive will take time.

Most women in a society like Qatar are straggling to fight with the stereotypes that were set up the community. Unfortunately, they would give up the fight to overcome then challenges. This is because the male perceived women, such as Seema Saran, who is intelligent and contemporary, to be dangerous. Seema Saran was able to circumvent her opponents because she was ready to conform to the rules that were laid down by society and to protect her individuality. She is appropriate to bridge the gap in culture and intellectual by interacting and cooperating with young people who are less conservative. She had to show the society that she has knowledge and experience to hold the managerial position and to conform with their rules, and she will not interfere with them. She has to prove to society that any gender can manage the organization. As a result, they will gain their respect despite existing stereotypes and attitudes towards women managers.

How I Will Address the Issue of Cultural and Gender Difference in Employment as a Manager in Future

Advocate for Removal of Restrictions of Hiring Foreigners to Promote Cultural Diversity

The society of Qatar has nothing against other cultures, provided it does not interfere with their culture. The main problem is that society does not accept gender diversity in employment. The community perceives a woman as dependent on the men. Similarly, Islamic tradition forbids women to be part of the business system due to aggressiveness and competitiveness, which is not appropriate for them. In the year 2015, the percentage of women in the workforce is about 10 percent. The percent did not increase for a long time. As a result, the members of the society may not cooperate with the female in the managerial position.  The company should manage both cultural diversity and gender equality with the organization. For instance, Seema Saran is the best candidate despite coming from a different culture. Gender disparity in employment is being addressed slowly in contemporary society. More women are educated today, and they are becoming the growing group of labor workforce that will take up more job opportunities in the future. The change will become visible when youths assume the positions of their ancestors. The Qatar companies should remove restrictions of hiring foreigners to ensure cultural diversity.

Managing diversity is essential for organizations. Cultural diversity enables the organization to deal with clients from different backgrounds. For instance, Seema Saran had multicultural skills to interact with American stakeholders to discuss business transactions. As a result, the products and goods of the organization will be available to a diverse market. Most foreign customers will buy the products of the organization, which will increase their profitability. Tourism is the best way to engage in different cultural backgrounds in the economy.

Workable Plan to Promote Gender Diversity, and Creating Awareness on the Importance of Diverse Workforce 

I will lay out a workable plan to promote gender diversity in the organization. I will lead those in charge decision making to establish a new vision, embrace diversity, and allocation of resources that will ensure implementation of the policies. I will propose the establishment of the Inclusion and Diversity Committee that will be responsible for outlining policies and practices that promote diversity. The committee will layout policies and practices that will help gender balance. The committee will formulate a report that will address areas to be tackled to bridge the gap between males and females in the working system.

I will evaluate, implement, and communicate work that has been done by strategic levels. The selected committee and the Human Resource Department will support supervisors in the execution of practices and policies that promote gender balance at the workplace. The other step involves communicating about the commitment of the organization about gender diversity. The methods and policies should be communicated to all relevant publics.  The next stage is ensuring gender diversity accountable. The selected committee will conduct an evaluation of the implemented practices and policies and their impact. This will include conductive qualitative and quantitative merits, such as measuring the attrition rate of women in the organization. Finally, I will conduct a constant review of the practices and policies to ensure their effectiveness. Here I will organize a meeting of all key stakeholders to review policies against specific objectives.

Employment of females to different positions of the organization will attract qualified talent from developed countries. Cultural and gender diversity will enable the organization to take over the global market. The organization will engage values and customs that are essential for development. Seema Saran will increase funding of projects from western countries and bridge the gap between the female and males in the working system.  Al Zulfi group will benefit in the short and long run by appointing female representatives such as Seema Saran. She is experienced and knowledgeable to lead partnerships and ensure the success of projects. In the long term, the organization will lay down the culture of selection that is based on merit, rather than on gender. The organization that left out women is likely to miss out on quality talent. Talent diversity results in the diversity of thoughts and ideas which promote innovation and the emergence of new technology. Employment of qualified women gives the organization a competitive advantage.

What from this course do you anticipate having the most significant impact on you professionally as you move forward in your career?

The concept of cultural diversity and gender balance has changed my perspective. Cultural diversity Throughout my career, I will support practices and policies that promote cultural diversity and gender balance. Cultural diversity at the workplace ensures the organization sells its products and services to the multicultural market. Wider market increases profitability and innovation of the organization. Cultural diversity drives diverse thoughts and ideas that are useful in achieving the objectives of the organization. Gender balance enables the organization to enjoy women’s talents that are quality, which ensures the firm enjoys a competitive advantage.

Cultural diversity is essential because our institutions have individuals from different cultural backgrounds. Have a level of understanding will enable one to learn various concepts from others. Understanding the culture of different people will allow me to identify and respects cultures that are different from our own. The diverse culture at the workplace makes the organization a better place to work in and interact. The more we interact with employees from different cultures, we can bridge gaps in understanding and respect across cultures.

            The concept of culture self-awareness has enabled me to review how my culture has influenced my behavior. The idea has prompted me to consider the influence of culture on the behavior of people. I have realized lifestyle create some values and beliefs that affect peoples’ behavior and perspective at the workplace. Therefore, there is a need to promote a favorable culture that will drive innovation and development of the organization. I will interact with people from a different culture that will encourage new thoughts and ideas, new experiences, and knowledge. Finally, I will listen proactively to people from a different culture and welcome their opinions, even though they are different from my values and beliefs.

The concept of management in cultural differences is useful in understanding the challenges faced by leaders in managing cultural diversity. Firstly, there is a need to integrate into a particular culture by mastering their language to communicate with them. Learning a foreign language is time-consuming. Secondly, the leader must show understanding and acceptance of their beliefs and custom to gain their trust. The other challenge is to address the issues of individuals from a different culture by training them for new changes and managing emotional concerns. Finally, there is a need to use technology such as social media to communicate on a timely basis, especially with a young workforce. Understanding these challenges is useful in gaining cross-cultural intelligence that helps in addressing sensitive issues in the global context.

How do you anticipate those concepts impacting you professionally?
How will you apply these concepts to your future work?

From the knowledge I got, I know that the importance of multicultural talent to the success of the organization. As a result, I will strive to gain multicultural skills and experience to increase my competency and experience (Itani, 2017). I will be keen to learn from a diverse population. I have realized that multicultural expertise is an asset to the organization, especially when dealing with stakeholders from different countries. I will interact with individuals from different cultures to increase my understanding of their culture. Similarly, I will avoid imposing values and beliefs that may bring conflict with their lifestyle.

I will learn about different cultures to understand the different perspectives of people around the world. This will help in dispelling stereotypes and negative attitudes about a particular culture or society. Similarly, I will intervene whenever I see anyone engaging in behaviors that display cultural prejudice or bias.

I will address all the challenges that are associated with the management of cultural diversity at the workplace to gain the trust and respect of diverse employees. I will master common terms and phrases to communicate with employees from a different culture without the help of an interpreter.  I will also show an understanding of their beliefs and customs to remove barriers between foreign employees and me. Moreover, I will use social media to connect with the young workforce frequently. Ultimately, I will use established rules and regulations to handle conflict and to avoid bias. This way, employees will observe that rewards and punishment apply to everyone within the organization.

References

Felder, D., & Vuollo, M. (2008). Qatari women in the workforce.

Itani, R. (2017). Intercultural Competence Developed Through Transnational Teaching Experiences in Qatar: A Narrative Analysis (Doctoral dissertation, Northeastern University).