International management – SAUDI ARABIA (1 day)
professional environment and values
1. Economic and social environment
• Who are you working with? Diversity of people in business: Saudis, Arabs, Indians, etc.
• Wealth concentrated on oil, banking and service activities
• Operation of the Saudi companies
• The importance of an alliance with a Saudi “sponsor” partner
2. Saudi cultural tendencies
• Social life rules are organised around Islam
• Behaviour standards in public, rules, and codes
• Separation of men and women and control of proper behaviour in society
Communicating effectively
3. Saudi relational methods
• Reservation and little expression of emotion in public.
• Dualism of the social image
• An implicit culture that is often difficult to decipher
• Unsaid, implicit and non expression of refusal. How does it work?
4. At the workplace
• Establishing and building the relationship
• Businessmen are very familiar with Western culture
• The importance of non-verbal communication, gestural mistakes
Managing teams and projects
5. Management practices and tools
• The strategic role of the manager: combining a Muslim context with Western management
• The relative importance of the written contract: “words seal the deal”
• Respect for the hierarchy: speaking to the right people
• Managing a meeting, lateness and interruptions
• Decision-making: who and how?
• Collective action dynamic: managing the group
6. Operational applications
• Advice when starting a job
• Action plan