BC Assignment

My sincere gratitude for his support and guidanceSubmitted toMichael Lohan

Submitted by,NehaNaz ShaikhAUD 1117

Dubai Culture and Economic DevelopmentAs a member of a federation of Arab Islamic Monarchies, the leaders of the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) have implemented a bold development strategy. In the space of four decades, they have managed to shift the city's economic focus from fishing and gold trading to tourism, mass communications, shipping and finance. Unlike many of its regional peers which have developed unstable regimes and stagnant, oil-dependent economies, Dubai has diversified its economy to become a politically stable center for commerce and tourism.Governments decision to diversify from a trade based oil-reliant economy to one that is service and tourism oriented made property more valuable, resulting in the property appreciation. Dubai's limited oil supply has played a significant role in spurring its leaders toward a serious diversification strategy. The second significant factor is that Dubai's elites have consistently demonstrated sustained unity in carrying out their development strategy. Dubais interest then shifted to trade, then to manufacturing, then to development of tourism. Indeed, only 40 years ago the emirate's economy was based predominately on gold trading and fishing. During this period, people lived much more simply, with a greater emphasis on tradition and Islam. Although Dubai's gaudy development projects and commercial spirit may be a curiosity for visitors, this embrace of Western-style entertainment and lifestyles has irritated some citizens. While Dubai's rulers have clearly demonstrated a willingness to introduce globalizing forces into their society, some nationals in the emirate are less liberal and feel that the pace of change has been too fast. Arab culture has developed a mindset that is not open to change because of its traditionalism; that this contempt for change has hindered development by fostering a widespread reluctance to embrace Western technology in the Arab world. Although this regional Arab-Islamic cultural literature would have predicted economic stagnation and political instability for Dubai, given the Islamic and Arab identities of its rulers and citizens, the emirate has not had this experience. In terms of its economy, it has displayed instead consistent growth and movement toward greater modernization. Thus its economy, which is by no means fully free market, is in part guided by Muslim economic attitudes .Although Dubai's rulers are conscious of the need to preserve traditional culture, they have not been closed to new ideas and have instead embraced many aspects of Western culture and technology wholeheartedly. Indeed, the Maktoum family supported the selection of Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum as Dubai's Crown Prince in 1995 precisely because of his demonstrated willingness to aggressively lead's Dubai's modernization and development program forward.Lewis model of culture plots countries in relation to three categories:Linear-actives Those who plan, schedule, organize, pursue action chains, do one thing at a time. Germans and Swiss are in this group.

Multi-actives Those lively, loquacious peoples who do many things at once, planning their priorities not according to a time schedule, but according to the relative thrill or importance that each appointment brings with it. Italians, Latin Americans and Arabs are members of this group.Reactives Those cultures that prioritize courtesy and respect, listening quietly and calmly to their interlocutors and reacting carefully to the other side's proposals. Chinese, Japanese and Finns are in this group.Linear-activeMulti-activeReactive

FocusResultsRelationshipHarmony

TalksHalfMostLittle

TasksSequentialParallelResponsive

PlansStepwiseOutlinePrinciples

PolitenessMostlySometimesAlways

ChallengeLogicalEmotionalIndirect

EmotionIgnoredExpressedSuppressed

CommunicationWrittenVerbalFace-to-face

Body languageRestrainedOpenSubtle

Dubai being multi-active likes a flexible work schedule and sometimes they ignore the rules. They would rather win an argument than compromise. Because relationships are more important than fixed appointments, they tend to complete meetings with friends or colleagues before moving on to the next meeting, even if that means showing up later than the scheduled time. They achieve status in their culture by having charismatic personalities and connections. In business, having a good relationship with the client is deemed more important than drawing up a contract, which is considered more idealistic than realistic. Pulling strings and doing favors is a way of business and life.They take pride in their history and nationality. They place high priority on their families, relatives, roots and loyalty to them. They keep their honor and they are concerned over integrity and they try to save face and do not cause others to lose face.A leader is considered someone who knows the answer to everything and solves all problems; therefore, leadership in Dubai requires to have a strong personality.