Arab Culture Dimensions in the International and Arab Models
This paper explores the dimensions of Arab culture through a rich comparison of the Arab culture as seen from the international and Arab models of national culture. The paper also put emphasis on the gap between the two. It proves that national culture plays an important role in supporting or rendering the effective organizational culture. Arab culture is a complex collective whole of people’s self-perceptions, values and attitudes that can help us understand how Arab individuals and organizations function in different circumstances and how they prefer to respond to them. The study includes eleven international models and six Arab models of national culture. This study presents a beneficial analysis of these models and emphasizes that international models do not tell the whole story, and that they are insufficient to explain many of the decisions made by Arab managers. It also shows the need to enhance the stereotypical image that can emerge from international models through considering national models. The study provided a broad vision of Arab culture to combine Schein’s three levels of Culture with the main components of the Arab culture.
Arab Culture, Islamic Work Ethic, Arab and International Models of National Culture
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