Countries all around the world have their distinctive business environments. Therefore, in each country’s business environment, there exist unique business protocols and procedures which form the basis of the overall business culture. Additionally, the business diversity in various localities means that some aspects of the business environment cannot be accepted in different situations. Moreover, the local hierarchies and reward systems of different countries are different based on the cultural backgrounds.
Further, the U.S and Qatar have several differences when it comes to business meeting protocols. Some of these differences are in the mode of dressing, punctuality, and context of sessions.
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Mode of dressing. In Qatar, local business people are more likely to wear traditional Arab business apparel as opposed to the U.S where business people are comfortable in suits (Avril & Magnini, 2007). The attire worn by men, is the conservative business suit or long-sleeved shirts and lightweight trousers, together with a matching tie (Kim Jean Lee & Yu, 2004). It is common for a CEO in Qatar to wear customary Arab business clothes whereas, in the U.S, the typical CEO will be in a well-fitted suit with a shirt and a tie to match. Notably, Qatar’s customary obligations and Islamic faith require conservative dressing, especially for women (Khakhar & Rammal, 2013). As compared to the U.S, a business lady can wear any business cloth she feels comfortable in, however, a business woman in Qatar who prefers not to be dressed in traditional women attire must wear modest blouses, skirts or suits that are cut below their knees and elbows (Goodpaster, 2007).
Punctuality. When it comes to meetings, the Qataris have a relaxed attitude of keeping time (Avril & Magnini, 2007). In Qatar, a meeting may be scheduled to start at a defined time, but the local business people will be a few minutes late. The Qatari culture believes that what is achieved in business meetings is more important than strictly keeping time. If a Qatari arrives late for a meeting, it should not be construed to be a sign of disrespect or disinterest as that is not the intention (Harrison & Huntington, 2000). In the US, when it comes to time management, the opposite is true. Fundamentally, the U.S business people start their meetings exactly at the predetermined time, and if the meeting is late, it is only by a few minutes. Punctuality is fundamental to the success or failure of a business meeting in the U.S corporate environment (Kim Jean Lee & Yu, 2004). Additionally, as opposed to the U.S where most meetings take place during regular working hours, business meetings in Qatar are held in the evenings. Notably, foreign business people need to be aware to accommodate the discrepancy in the timing of scheduled meetings (Harrison & Huntington, 2000).
Context of meetings. Meetings involving Qatari business people may seem unorganized since there are no core agendas to follow and resulting digressions can be numerous. Accordingly, receiving phone calls, secretaries requesting for documents to be signed, and other aspects of daily business operations are typical in a Qatari corporate meeting (Kim Jean Lee & Yu, 2004). On the other hand, corporate meetings in the U.S have set agendas which are strictly followed throughout their durations. Due to punctuality and following a set procedure, U.S business meetings have shorter time intervals as compared to Qatari business meetings. Notably, outcomes from the meetings can be generated quickly, depending on the context of the meeting (Khakhar & Rammal, 2013). Additionally, Qataris do not expect aggressive business behavior during meetings which is common in the U.S corporate world (Goodpaster, 2007). Moreover, the use of the word ‘no’ is highly discouraged in the progress of a meeting having Qataris as opposed to U.S business people who use it often. Further, even if a written contract is not signed, Qataris take a verbal agreement as a serious commitment to the actual contract. In the U.S, a written, signed contract signifies the legality of a contract (Kim Jean Lee & Yu, 2004).
In as much as the above differences show the uniqueness of each country’s business protocol, there are a few areas that can be considered rude in one country but not the other. In Qatar’s perspective, two areas that rudeness can be observed are cultural differences and the mode of greetings.
Cultural differences. Compared with its Middle Eastern neighbors, Qatar’s culture is reasonably open-minded though it is still significantly influenced by the Islamic religion and traditional beliefs (Avril & Magnini, 2007). Mindful body language in Qatari business meetings is critical to the success of any meeting. Moreover, pointing with a finger or showing the underside of shoes (even if not deliberately) is considered rude by Qataris (Harrison & Huntington, 2000). Additionally, in the U.S, alcoholic drinks are common in business meetings, but since Qataris are Muslims who do not partake in alcohol, it would be misconstrued as rude and insensitive by offering it (Harrison & Huntington, 2000).
Mode of greetings. The Qatari culture believes in seniority and rank, and so it is rude if the senior people in a Qatari meeting are overlooked (Goodpaster, 2007). Fundamentally, Qataris appreciate a firm handshake so it would be culturally and professionally expected to greet the person with seniority first (Hofstede, 2003).
Notably, by looking at the U.S and Qatar’s business structures, several differences can be observed in the local hierarchies of each country. In Qatar, a person’s social status and level of wealth are vital (Kim Jean Lee & Yu, 2004). Therefore, the organizational hierarchy is based on this level of authority and the respect. The decisions in these organizations always originate from the top with little input from the lower levels (Goodpaster, 2007). In the US, the hierarchy is also top-down, although lower levels of management and the general employee population have a chance of contributing in the decision-making process.
Comparatively, the U.S and Qatar have different reward systems for employees. The basis for the reward systems varies from friendship with people in power to genuine hard work. The reward system in each country is based on the hierarchical system in use (Hofstede, 2003). In Qatar, since the people with wealth and higher social standing to influence much of an organization’s operations, they also have the privilege of choosing who to reward (Avril & Magnini, 2007).
All in all, it is evident that countries such as the U.S and Qatar have their individual business environments. As a result, in the business environments of the two nations, different business protocols and processes form the basis of the general business culture. Additionally, the market assortment in the various countries leads to several aspects of a business environment not being acknowledged in another different setting.
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