Improving the cooperation of a mixed United Arab Emirates-China project team E-Book

Tobias Hoffmann

• Herausgeber: GRIN Verlag
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2014

Beschreibung

Seminar paper from the year 2014 in the subject Cultural Studies - Basics and Definitions, grade: 1,3, University of Applied Sciences Essen, language: English, abstract: Analyse der Kulturen der Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate und China anhand der kulturellen Dimensionen nach Geert Hofstede mit dem Hintergrund ein gemischtes Projektteam auf die interkulturelle Zusammenarbeit vorzubereiten.

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Table of contents

List of abbreviations

1 – Introduction

1.1 – Cultural background of the UAE and China

1.2 – Objectives and scope of work

2 – Cultural analysis of the UAE and China

2.1 – Power Distance

2.2 – Uncertainty avoidance

2.3 – Individualism versus collectivism

2.4 – Masculinity versus femininity

2.5 – Long-term versus short-term orientation

3 – Conclusion

3.1 – Cooperation between the UAE and China

3.2 – Prospects

Bibliography

List of abbreviations

1 – Introduction

1.1 – Cultural background of the UAE and China

The United Arab Emirates and China are countries in the Middle East and East Asia with a different cultural background.

The United Arab Emirates is one of the few countries in the world where religion has a high impact on politics and the society (cf. Rothlauf, 2009, p. 603). It is a federation of seven constituent monarchies, each with its own ruler. Political parties are not allowed in the UAE which leads to a constant leadership of the royal families (cf. CIA, 2013, p. 4). Although the UAE adjusts itself more and more to Western countries because of the increasing importance of tourism and international companies for their economy, its society is still highly linked to traditional Islamic values (cf. Rothlauf, 2009, pp. 610-611). A modern economy is guided by an individual thinking and the success is the result of the individual’s work whereas an Islamic economy is guided by economic values of the Islam where the welfare of the community occupies central stage (cf. Rothlauf, 2009, pp. 626-627). This collective thinking is reflected in the role of the family in the Arabic world. Family is the most important element in the society and the individual’s welfare is always subordinated to the family’s welfare (cf. Rothlauf, 2009, p. 617).

China is the world’s most populated country with an estimated population of about 1.3 billion people (cf. Emrich, 2011, p. 365). It is a single-party state which is ruled by the monopolistic Communist Party (cf. Sieren, 2007, p. 25). The society is based on two pillars: Danwei and Guanxi. Danwei is the unity of the community a Chinese is living and working in, e.g. his family, factory or village. The public spirit of a Chinese is highly developed within his Danwei but it is also limited to it. In spite of the will to work hard for the community, the public spirit outside of his Danwei is unincisive (cf. Rothlauf, 2009, pp. 428-429). Guanxi is the social network beyond the family which is especially important for entrepreneurial interaction. This social network is established in a process of mutual favors in order to strengthen the relationship (cf. Rothlauf, 2009, pp. 429-430; Emrich, 2011, p. 373). China’s ethical principles are characterized by the philosophy of Confucianism whose main fundamentals are: humaneness, justice, morality, honesty and mutuality (cf. Sieren, 2007, p. 53).

1.2 – Objectives and scope of work

To establish a successful UAE-China project team, it is essential to analyze these cultural differences.

The analysis of the United Arab Emirates’ and China’s cultural differences will be based on Geert Hofstede’s five cultural dimensions:

1. Power Distance

2. Uncertainty Avoidance

3. Individualism versus Collectivism

4. Masculinity versus Femininity

5. Long-term versus Short-term Orientation (Hofstede, 2001, p. 29)