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Leadership Challenge: Juggling Cultures - Women in Saudi Arabia

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Culture, gender, and leadership can be closely intertwined. In most cultures, even Western cultures, leadership is associated with males. This is even more the case in many Arab Muslim countries where women play a limited role in public and business life.

As a leader of a business division, you face the choice of selecting the leader of a negotiation team to draft a new deal with a potential Saudi Arabian client. By far your best, most experienced, and most skilled negotiator is one of your female executives. She has, for many years, successfully negotiated deals within the United States and in several Western countries. Her second in command is a promising but relatively young male executive who still needs to develop his skills and experience (Nahavandi p. 27).

1. It is your understanding that women in Saudi Arabia do not even drive, let alone participate in business. Is this still true, or is it changing?

2. What is the purpose of the negotiation? How will that affect your choice of negotiators?

3. Who will you send to Saudi Arabia as head of your team? Why?

4. If your CEO is insistent on sending the female executive, what adjustments might you make to ensure that the deal is not put at risk?

5. What are the implications of your decision for your business and the message you send as a leader?

Objective

- Discuss and explain when and why participation should be used to improve leadership effectiveness.
- Apply ethical reasoning skills and ethical theories to business situations.

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1. It is your understanding that women in Saudi Arabia do not even drive, let alone participate in business. Is this still true, or is it changing?

Doing business in Saudi Arabia is somewhat more challenging for women. There is gender separation in the Kingdom. Many public places, like hotels and restaurants, will have family rooms where women are served with their husbands. Women are expected to dress conservatively, with long skirts most appropriate, sleeves at elbow length or longer, and necklines that are unrevealing. It is generally uncommon for a Muslim man to shake hands with a woman or engage in the conversational body contact that is common when speaking to another man, although Saudis who have experience with Western culture may be inclined to do so.

(source: http://www.the-saudi.net/business-center/business-etiquette.htm )

Thus, it is quite easy to presume that Saudi Arabia is certainly not one of the most liberal places for women and is a society which has been dominated by males for years. However, the increasing advent of globalization, influence of Western Culture and spread of education, information an awareness is transforming the male dominated society of conservative Muslim Nations like Saudi Arabia. As cities like Dubai, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi are becoming more and more cosmopolitan, Middle East has transformed itself radically and business practices and culture is changing as well to suit Western business practices. ...

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Sandeep Bardia, MBA
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  • BCom, SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi
  • MBA, Rochester Institute of Technology
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