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Anna Håkansson Case Study
[Name of the Writer]
[Name of the Institution]
Anna Håkansson Case Study
Introduction
The case study represents an issue of identifying cultural and religious aspects of the middle east country called Bahrain. Since Anna Hakansson is sent to Bahrain to negotiate certain terms of a contract with the senior managers of Bahrain Investment Bank, she is also told to learn about the Arab experience and culture. As a Swedes, she is unfamiliar about their culture or religious aspects along with the way of their lives. She only has limited information which is gathered from certain colleagues and people with first-hand experiences. She also read some interesting articles about the Arab culture from Google and learned about the essential traits and characteristics of Islam, and it's followers. The discussion of this case study would illustrate whether the information gathered along with the Hofstede’s cultural dimension chart is enough for Anna to be entirely prepared for this visit to Bahrain.
Discussion
Identification
Anna Hakansson prepared adequately for her business trip, but she could have done a better job by learning about the language in Bahrain and not only their culture, experience and some religious aspects. As she is to negotiate with the managers of the Bahrain Investment Bank, she needs to learn some Arabic to be able to convince the managers of their deal. Moreover, learning about their ethics would also be useful and can go a long way. Arabic culture is embroidered with a considerable amount of detail which focuses on all the very historical aspects of their religion. As mentioned in the case study, Anna learned that Arabs are more family-centered and have great respect for their elderly. The men are the decision makers outside while the women are dominant and decision makers inside the home. The role which each person play to run a society is vital to understand.
Evaluation
There is a lot of cultural difference in Sweden and Bahrain. After reviewing the Hofstede’s cultural model, a lot of variation can be identified for all parts of the graph such as masculinity, and decision making (Obeidat et al. 2012). Men are more dominant outside home in Bahrain while both men and female are dominant outside their homes in Sweden. The aspect of equality and freedom is more prominent in Swedes culture. There are more restrictions in the Arabic culture while the Swedish culture is freer. If the core cultural dimension is used rather then the Hofstede’s framework, Annas consideration for differentiating both cultures might not differ since it is no different in both models. Both models illustrate the same amount of ethical experiences of Arabic and Swedish culture. Even though there might be some difference between the lack of respect given to the seniority in Sweden but the ones provided in Bahrain are to a considerable extent.
Recommendations
What Hakansson can do to minimize the creation of stereotypes is by understanding and learning as much about their culture and ethical values (Cuddy et al. 2015). Even if something offensive and inappropriate might strike them, at least Anna would be able to understand and be prompt to minimize the damage. Being able to understand the differences between the two cultures would give her a considerable amount of push in having this negotiation successful. Some of the most difficult and challenging complexities and contradictions which Anna might not be able to understand or grasp about the Arabic culture might be there religious values and there language. Which is why an interpreter along with a book which explains the fundamentals of their religion and cultural values would be an essential part to bring along on this business trip. Hofstede’s model can only help to a limited extent to which she can understand the difference between the role of men and women in their society.
However, to understand the intellectual fundamentals behind their culture, she would have to have a first-hand experience herself rather than to learn about it from articles and colleagues. Apart from what Anna has already done to get prepared for her trip to Bahrain, she would have to develop an understanding of the business culture in Bahrain that can be helpful to a considerable amount. She would have to learn about the rules and regulations which they have in discussing business negotiations. Also, it would be critical for her to understand the ethical constraints holding against and for making such a negotiation. As Arabic culture and religion have certain restrictions over banking aspects, it would be wise for Anna to learn about those constraints before making a deal as it could offend them and make a wrong impression (Tlaiss, 2015). Following these steps can help Anna prepare for her trip to the middle east.
Conclusion
The aforementioned evaluation of the case study states some knowledgable facts about both the Swedish and Arabic culture. It gives an understanding of Hofstede’s cultural model by differentiating between Swedish and Arabic culture. By following the above, Anna would be able to learn a lot about the Arabic culture along with successfully negotiating the business deal with the managers of Bahrain Investment Bank. Despite all the differences between the two cultures, she would be able to understand the importance which makes it so significant. Having to go through a first-hand experience herself, she would be able to become self-aware of the situation promptly and the recommendations she might give. She will be prepared for the next time she visits a country in the middle east for a business trip.
References
Cuddy, A. J., Wolf, E. B., Glick, P., Crotty, S., Chong, J., & Norton, M. I. (2015). Men as cultural ideals: Cultural values moderate gender stereotype content. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 109(4), 622.
Obeidat, B. Y., Shannak, R. O., Masa’deh, R. E. M. D. T., & Al-Jarrah, I. (2012). Toward better understanding for Arabian culture: Implications based on Hofstede’s cultural model. European Journal of Social Sciences, 28(4), 512-522.
Tlaiss, H. A. (2015). How Islamic business ethics impact women entrepreneurs: Insights from four Arab Middle Eastern countries. Journal of Business Ethics, 129(4), 859-877.
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