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Values, Ethics, and Cultural Differences in the United Arab Emirates, With a focus on Dubai Fairooz Nawar Byung Choon Lee Casey Steele Jonathan Taylor
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Abstract
This paper will focus on the values, ethics, a nd cultural differences of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), specifically on the city of Dubai. The paper aims to discuss and highlight values that the city is based on in an objective manner to give better insight on what it would be like to visit v isit or reside in the country. We also intend to discuss the importance of ethics and how they play pl ay a part in day-to-day day-to-da y business. Ethics is an important concept that all countries handle in their own unique way based on cultural values, and in some cases religion. This pap er will look at all those aspects and examine the legitimacy of the ethical behavior that takes place in Dubai. And lastly this paper will examine in detail, the culture in Dubai and the UAE, and make a comparison with the culture of the USA. In doing so we hope to provide with a perspective into the culture of Dubai and our own culture as well, w ell, showing in multiple ways how the two compare and contrast. Introduction
Dubai is the largest city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), full of glamour and excitement. It is rich in culture and has man y values that form the foundation for a steady stead y rise to success. However, though Dubai is currently doin g very well there are some ethical and cultural issues that it neglects. These issues could be come sandbags for the ever-emerging city and delay its growth in the future. Fortunately Dubai is doing everything in its power to ensure that is not the case. With a heavy focus on o n healthcare and education, the city and the country as a whole are clearly focused on progressing in a positive and effective manner. They appear to be trying their best to be a city accepting of multiple cultures. Dubai is a blossoming city and the most successful emirate that leaves
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the others trailing behind. Values of the UAE
Every country has their own set of values and beliefs. As someone who is going to either visit or live in United Arab Emirates (UAE), one must learn the proper etiquette and be careful not to offend the natives. Since Dubai is viewed as the most successful city of the UAE, this paper will focus on the impact Dubai has on the Emirati culture. The UAE culture tends to follow Arabic and Islamic tendencies, with Arabic being the official language and Islam being the official o fficial religion. However, Dubai takes pride in the fact that they are multicultural and accepting of other cultures. A book entitled, “ Analysis of Cultural Differences in Dubai” states that, “it can be divided into 26.1% Arab (17% of them are Emirati), 42.3% Indian, 13.3% Pakistani, 7.5% Bangladeshi, 2.5% Filipino, 1.5% Sri Lankan, 0.9% Euro pean, and 6% other countries”(Reiser, 2010, p. 42). The author goes on to write, “In Dubai, people pe ople from these described countries have the opportunity to work in an environment which offers them high salaries, zero taxes (very attractive to Westerners) and a high standard of living if the y play according to the social rules. Dubai wants to be attractive for tourists, investors, and its inhabitants”(Reiser, 2010, p.48). So by b y attracting wealthy Westerners and other nearby wealthy individuals they help increase the living standards in their own environment. This is one of the main reasons many people dream of living in the beautiful city of Dubai. The people pe ople of Dubai place a high value on living in a world of beauty. They find it to be peaceful and one of the more important values in their culture. The b eauty of their homeland helps them th em to increase their comfort and excitement of living in the UAE. As a whole, the United Arab Emirates has their own unique ranking of the
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Rokeach values. The book, “CultureShock! “CultureShock! United Arab Emirates A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette” Etiquette” states that, “The UAE is unique in that a single culture to settle into does not exist. It would appear that one o ne has many choices of culture with which to mix. Choices are somewhat restricted by gender, langu age and social status. Outside of the expatriate group, men and women do not tend to t o mix socially-it is against the rules and norms of the society”(Benesh, 2008). This quote from Benesh shows that the UAE does not value gender equality like present day America does. The way they live they believe that men should be superior and dominant over women. In other words, gender equality does not seem to be an important value in the Emirati lifestyle. However, there seems to be a trend recently that may soon cause this to dramatically change. The United Arab Emirates Career Guide states, “fifteen percent are in technical jobs, medicine, nursing and pharmacy, and another an other fifteen percent are in the armed forces, cu stoms and police. Approximately 12,000 business women run 11,000 investment projects. Woman also make up nearly 38 percent of the workforce in banks, and 77 percent of students in higher education in the UAE, the highest proportion in the world, according to INSEAD Knowledge”(United Arab Emirates Emirates Career Guide, 2013). They do value love, or else they would not be getting married, but it is mostly because the man is expected to t o provide for his woman and their children. The man sees his role as the provider for his family. Education is another value that is very v ery highly regarded in the United Arab Emirates. The United States Country profile on the United Arab Emirates states, “According to the UAE government, the overall literacy rate is 91 percent. The government has set a goal of achieving full literacy (Library of Congress. Federal Research Division, 200?)” 200?)”. The government believes that if their citizens are educated
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they can help the economy econom y flourish. To show this belief, “The UAE cu rrently devotes 25 percent of total federal government spending to education (Library of Congress. Federal Research Division, 200?)” 200?)”. Twenty five percent of the federal government's spending is a large chunk to be devoted to only one portion of what makes a country thrive. However, if they can educate their citizens they can create innovations and not have to rely solely on oil, one of the most profitable industries of the UAE, to create income. According to a Superintendent of Documents publication the literacy rate in the UAE is about ninety percent (Background notes on countries of the world, 2011). Healthcare is also a growing field of the Emirati lifestyle. The United Arab Emirates currently have free healthcare for its citizens. Since there are many tourists in the country, especially in Dubai, “To attract wealthy wealthy UAE nationals and expatriates who traditionally have traveled abroad for serious medical care, Dub ai is developing Dubai Healthcare City, a hospital free zone that will international-standard advan ced private healthcare and provide an academic medical training center”(Library of Congress. Federal Research Division, 200?). Dubai tends to be a little bit ahead of the other emirates, so it would not be a surprise if the o ther six emirates were to follow in Dubai’s footsteps. From this model, the UAE values taking care o f their citizens. It is one of the benefits that one can get from living there, instead of just being one of the extremely high number of tourists. Islamic culture has impacted The United Arab Emirates greatly. The architecture, dress, food, music and sports are all similar to those in other surrounding Middle Eastern countries such as Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Oman. Out of all of those, architecture is very valuable to the typical UAE citizen. Their buildings are built to suit the climate of
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the region, but it is also crucial that they the y are visually stunning. Dubai, in particular, is known for its beautiful landscape and architecture. The people of Dubai take pride in the overall appeal of their emirate. The other United Arab Emirates do as well, but bu t Dubai is one of the most alluring regions in the entire world. They have everything from houses being built on the ocean to skyscrapers that reach above the clouds. In Dubai and the rest of the UAE, Mosques are some of the most extravagant buildings they have. This is because they value their Islamic roots and want to build a place of worship that their God would be proud of. To them, th em, being able to take in the city’s attraction is something they can sit back and view, while also taking pride in what their fellow emirates were able to accomplish. Cleanliness is also important to the people of the UAE. The beaches of Abu Dhabi and in particular are world-renowned beaches. Pilkey, Neal, Cooper and Kelley (2011) compiled a list of the world’s best beaches beaches based on man y different factors such as cleanliness, safety, surroundings and the environment. Based on their findings, Pilkey, Neal, Cooper and Kelley (2011) found Emirates Palace Beach in Abu Dhabi and Jumeirah Beach in Dubai to be b e two of the world's top beaches. beach es. This is yet another aspect of the United Arab Emirates culture that they value and take pride in showing off to all their visitors and even their residents. It has been said b efore that the UAE is full of nasty beaches filled with problems due to the high amounts of oil in the land, and although that may be true for a few beaches, these two stunning beaches in Abu Dhabi and Dubai are valuable to the people of the UAE because it allows them to show they do indeed care about their land and are working to make all their land appeal to the rest of the world. Oil is the big moneymaker for the United Arab Emirates, which in return helps
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improve other items that the Emirates find valuable such as the ones listed above. In Business Motor International’s International’s “United Arab Emirates Oil & Gas Report” the publisher states that, “The federation of emirates that forms the UAE had proven oil reserves estimated at 97.8bn barrels (bbl) in 2012, equating to nearly 10% of the world total”(United Arab Emirates Oil & Gas Report Q1 2014, 2014). Ten percent of the world’s supply of oil coming from one country t hat makes up a very small proportion of the land of the world is a very large number. Ibrahim Abed and Peter Hellyer (2001) wrote in their book titled, “United Arab Emirates: A New Perspective” that, “The UAE possesses, therefore, huge reserves of oil and gas, capable of sustaining long-term economic growth”(Abed and Hellyer, 2001). Su staining long-term long-term economic growth is the key phrase there. That simply means that this commodity will be one of the highest valued commodities a developing country can have. Oil is what helped the UAE grow into the country it is today, and will continue to help it grow exponentially exp onentially in the future. So, how does the UAE regulate this big money maker? A journal titled, “Global Energy Market Research: United Arab Emirates” found that, “Each o f the 7 emirates has sovereign control over its hydrocarbon resources, which are man aged by the emirates’ own supervisory body”(United Arab Emirates energy energy report, 2013). So since oil and other resources are so valuable to the nation, they have decided to leave it up to each independent emirate to control. The United Arab Emirates and Dubai especially place a high value on many different areas of their culture. Education, health care, clean liness, family security, oil, beauty of the country, peace, comfort, excitement, religion and love are among the most valued items in the Middle Eastern country. On the flip side, equality among men and
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women, although it is improving, and basic human h uman rights are not as highly regarded as they are in developed western cultures. The values of Dubai and the United Arab Emirates will continue to develop over time as they become more developed, and they certainly hope to continue their own unique high style of living. Ethics in the UAE
Most people define ethics as rules that distinguish between rights a nd wrongs, such as “the Golden Rule ("Do unto others as you would have them do unto you"), a code of professional conduct like the Hippocratic Oath ("First of all, do no harm"), a religious creed like the Ten Commandments ("Thou Shalt not kill..."), or a wise aphorisms like the sayings of Confucius. This is the most common way of defining ethics” (David B. Resnik. What is Ethics in Research & Why is it Important? National Institute of environmental health science. March 1, 2011). 2011 ). It has a very important role in our society. It prevents people from doing illegal actions or harming o thers, and it also makes our society run smoother. Ethic is not a law that people have to obey, however their conscience and common knowledge know that they have to keep and obey it. In our society, ethics is taught in school, home, and in social groups and organizations (David B. Resnik, 2011). People naturally learn it from socializing and watching how other people interact with each e ach other. Most people learn ethics during th eir childhood, however it is a lifelong lesson. Thus, people’s ethical norms develop from what they went through during their life, and it affects their characteristic and personality, either positively or negatively (David B. Resnik, 2011). Furthermore, ethics may have effect on people’s decision in many different cases, such as in the business world. For example, getting rid of used or wasted materials. If the company uses twice the money
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that it’s currently using to get rid of them, it can reduce the amount of pollutants they cause by half. The owner will be in a dilemma and has to make a choice. As a result, the owner will make a decision based on his ethical values, which the owner developed through his life. How do ethics apply and work in business world? “Business ethics is defined as the principles and standards that determine acceptable condu ct in business organizations. The acceptability of behavior in business is determined by customers, competitors, government regulators, interest groups, and the public, as well as each individual’s personal moral principles and values” (IMS book PDF. Chapter2 Business Ethics and Social Responsibility. McGraw-Hill. 2011). Business ethics is very important in our society, because it makes us live together with less problems. However, many companies have poor business ethics. There are still many co mpanies that are aiming for profits only, but not the bad effects they cause on the other side. According to IMS book PDF, about 50% of people said that they have done something against business ethics, and they knew it was illegal and harmful (Chapter2 Business Ethics and Social Responsibility, McGraw-Hill. 2011). People who participated in the surve y mentioned that it was to make more profit, and make the company better (Chapter2 Business Ethics and Social Responsibility. McGraw-Hill. 2011). However, a study case shows that comp anies, whose behaviors were ethical, have made more profits, and the companies were run smoother under well-organized system and leadership (Chapter2 Business Ethics and Social Responsibility. McGraw-Hill. 2011). Forsyth’s Ethics Position Questionnaire
Every country has a different ideology of o f ethics. To study and distinguish the
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difference of ethical ideology in every countr y, people use a case study stud y system called EPQ (Ethical Position Questionnaire). EPQ is developed by Donelson R. Forsyth “to measure individual differences in moral thought, prompted in part by curiosity about the diverse reactions to one of my favorite social psychological studies: Milgram’s (1963) classic studies of obedience to authority. Milgram (1964), in defending his work, noted the wide range of opinions on the morality of his methods” (Donelson R. For syth). syth). It has a scale from one to nine, and people choose depending on how strongly they agree with the statement. After people are done with th e survey, it is scored with points. Finally, it is calculated with methods of mean and median, and figure out if people fall in the category idealism or realism. Idealism is a “behavior or thought based on a conception of things as they should be, or as one would wish them to be, with a tendency to be imaginary or visionary”, and realism is a “behavior or thought based based on a conception of things as they are, regardless of how one wants them to be, with a tendency to be practical and pragmatic” (Chapter 2 Business Ethics and Social Responsibility. McGraw McGraw-Hill. 2011). Dubai is one of the most beloved places to travel and one of the most beautiful cities in the world, located in United Arab Emirates. It’s not only a tourist attraction, but also a high technologically developed city (Dubai general rules. 2009). The reason wh y Dubai is very developed is that it contains oils, thus many people come to run business there. Therefore, it will be good to learn about Dubai, if a person is interested in the business field. It’s very important to to learn about social ethics of people who live in the country, to learn the country. Since, Dubai is Muslim religion based, it is good to know about the rules and taboos in the Muslim culture, such as during the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn to sunset. Throughout this month eating, d rinking,
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smoking, playing loud music and dancing danc ing in public places during da ylight hours are strictly forbidden and punishable by law, including for non-Muslims (Living in the UAE. August 2013). People are mostly respectful and genuine in Dubai, and they also have good social ethics. Sangeetha Vino and Fayaz Ahamed did EPQ research on Employee opinion about Ethical dimensions of E-monitoring in MNCS in Dubai. Man y companies want their employees to work hard and be productive, thus the owners set electronic monitoring devices to watch them and hear them. them. Even though it’s to improve the work efficiency, employees feel uncomfortable, and complained for it causing them unwanted stress. They feel being watched all the time and having no privacy is unethical, and creates a negative relationship between the employer and emplo yees (Delhi business review. 2011). As a result, Sangeetha and Fayaz did research to understand how employees think about the electronic monitoring system in ethical views. To start the EPQ, they made eighteen questions that are based on business ethics issues of electronic monitoring. According to Sangeetha and Fayaz’s research, about eighty percent of the employees strongly agreed that the electronic monitoring should be done occasionally rather than on a continuous basis. About sixty-five percent of the employees strongly agreed that it should be clear c lear if they are being monitored or not. Additionally, fifty percent of the employees strongly agreed on electronic monitoring without notice is unethical. The rest of questions about secretly bein g monitored had mean of seventy percent that answered it negatively; unethical and taking too much privacy (Delhi business review 2011). However, about seventy five percent of employees answered positively about electronic monitoring, if a notice is given to them. Additionally, seventy seventy
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percent of the employee answered that it’s not against ethics if a notice is given beforehand. As a result, employees are fine with electronic monitoring if a notice is given and it’s done occasionally. Cultural differences in UAE
Every country in the world is set apart ap art by their unique components of culture. In order to understand the people of a country and learn how to interact or conduct business with them, we must first study the different elements of their culture and understand their behavior. A great way to do so is by figuring out where a country stands in Hofstede’s model of cultural differences. Geert Hofstede, a Dutch social ps ychologist and former IBM researcher established the Hofstede’s model by conducting attitude attitude surveys on employees from 50 different countries and three regions. This model, which serves as a framework for cross-cultural communication and international business, mainly studies systematic cultural differences in the following dimensions: Power Distance (PDI), Individualism versus Collectivism (IDV), Masculinity versus Femininity (MAS), Uncertainty avoidance (UAI), Pragmatic versus Normative (PRA), and Indulgence versus Restraint (IND). By measuring the scores of UAE in these dimensions and comparing them to USA, we are able to draw a clear picture of the differences that exists in the two cultures. Similar to other Middle Eastern cultures, the four most predominant cultural dimensions found in UAE culture are: 1. High power-distance: predominance of a caste or tribal system that limits upward mobility; inequalities in power and wealth; leaders has ultimate power and are
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relatively unquestioned and an expectation exp ectation that leaders will separate themselves from the group. 2. High uncertainty avoidance: low acceptance of uncertainty at any level; strict rules, laws, policies and regulations; change averse and risk averse. 3. High masculinity: reliance on traditional power structures; assertive; competitive and lack of caring and inclusivity. 4. Low individualism: collectivist society; loyalty to the ruling group or family overriding individual preferences (McAdam, Keogh, El Tigani, & Gardiner, 2013).
Power Distance (PDI)
This dimension expresses the degree to which the less powerful members of a society accept and expect that po wer is distributed unequally. The fundamental issue here is how a society handles inequalities among people. People in societies exhibiting a large degree of power distance accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. In societies with low power distance, people strive to equalize the distribution of power and demand justification for inequalities of power (Hofstede). The level of power distance among the upper and lower classes that a typical society exhibits can be measured measured by Power Distance Index (PDI) score. The United Arab Emirates has a high score of 90 on o n the PDI, whereas USA has a score of 40. The glaring differences shows that the Emirati society is very different from American society. Especially in Dubai, there is a huge gap between the upper class and the lower class people. At the top of the social chain are the affluent indigenous Emiratis and well-off
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expatriates. The Emiratis have their own community just outside downtown Dubai, in suburbs where they like to live in luxurious lux urious villas with gorgeous views of the infamous skyscrapers that adorn the city of Dubai. Th e other well-to-do section of UAE society is made up of expatriates. Plenty of Arabs and South Asians have done don e well for themselves, but the largest share of the expatriate upper class is of Western origin. origin. Wealthy expatriates are seldom seen in the crowded older parts of town, and almost never reside there. Instead, many members of the upper uppe r class receive housing benefits from their employers in order to be able to afford homes in more desirable areas. The very richest residents are holidaymakers from Britain, Russia, Iran, or elsewhere who have purchased a second or third home in the city, and only reside there briefly each ea ch year. For the city's elites, Dubai offers the chance of a glorious lifestyle of sun, sea, and sand, with nightclubs and expensive meals thrown in for good measure. In order to attract more such people, Dubai has built not only luxury housing, but also a variety of playgrounds for the rich (Divided Dubai, 2009). At the bottom of the social pyramid are the working class, especially day laborers who work tirelessly to build the present day Dubai. Th is class mostly include expatriates from poor rural areas from countries such as Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Philippines etc. This section of the city is generally invisible while not at work. Most laborers are forced to live in crowded camps on the outskirts of the city, where land is cheap, ch eap, and conditions are generally poor. These camps often lie in inaccessible locations, meaning it would be hard for a worker to travel to the city and back by bus on a weekday even if he were not already working 10 or 12 hours a day. The cost of a taxi ride puts such a luxury well out of the reach of anyone living in such accommodation. On Friday, their day off, they are
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bused into the old markets near the center of the city, where they can connect with workers from other camps and thus speak in their native tongues. They can then take over small streets or open spaces with grass (Divided Dubai, 2009). These workers are not allowed or capable of affording housing in decent areas. They also face various forms of government-approved or government-enforced discrimination. Anyone who is visibly visibly working class may be denied access to hotels or shopping malls by (working class) security guards, and public parks often impose nominal entry fees or declare familiesonly days in order to deter workers from loun ging around inside on their day off (Divided Dubai, 2009). There is a high power distance between boss-subordinate relationships in the UAE culture as well. High ranking officials are shown utmost respect. Their de cisions and judgment are never questioned. Various forms of physical queues also define this power distance. When in the presence of a high ranking official, the subordinates have to stand up and greet them. It is considered rude to sit crossing legs in front of them or beckon by pointing pointing fingers (GETTING FAMILIAR WITH DUBAI’S CULTURE AND ETIQUETTE, 2013). On the contrary, the PDI of the USA is a low score of 40, which indicates a low level of power distance between the different social classes and boss-subordinate relationships. Everyone in the society enjoys at least the basic amenities of a comfortable lifestyle and possess the opportunity to be successful in life despite of the social social class they belong to. Individualism versus Collectivism (IDV)
The high side of this dimension, called individualism, can be defined as a preference p reference for a
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loosely-knit social framework in which individuals are expected to take care of only themselves and their immediate families. Its opposite, collectivism, represents a preference for a tightly-knit framework in society in which individuals can expect their relatives or members of a particular in-group to look after them in exchange for unquestioning loyalty. A society's position on this dimension is reflected in whether people’s self -image -image is defined in terms terms of “I” or “we” (Hofstede). In collectivist societies offence leads to shame and loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion de cisions take account of the employee’s in-group, in-group, management is the the management of groups (Hofstede). UAE scores a low 25 on the IDV scale, which indicates that they promote a ve ry collectivist society rather than an individualist society. Since Islam is a great influence in the culture of UAE, which places great importance in family relationships and responsibilities, family and tribal ties are placed over every ever y other relationships even in business. Everyone is expected to look out for and favor members of the same family or tribe. Each E ach community is closely knit. Emiratis seldom live in the same neighborhoods as expatriate, and precious few members of either group seem eager to socialize with the other (Divided Dubai, 2009).It is a normal occurrence for business meetings to b e interrupted by phone calls or visits by family members or relatives (Taylor & Butler). Arab negotiators place emphasis on building relationships and use referent power (wasta) (Khakhar & Rammal, 2013). Loyalty in a collectivist culture such as U AE is paramount, and over-rides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group (Country Comparison). On the other hand, USA scores 91 on (IDV) which means individualistic success and
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responsibilities are greatly emphasized. The society is loosely-knit in which the expectation is that people look after themselves an d their immediate families only and should not rely (too much) on authorities for support (Country Comparision). Masculinity versus Femininity (MAS)
Masculine cultures tend to be more assertive, ambitious, assertive and tough, with distinct gender roles. Whereas feminine cultures focus on quality of life and ambiguous difference between genders. Pursuit of excellence is n ot initiated, rather people would try to encourage weaker ones. Unlike masculine societies, there are no double standards and equality is felt among all aspects of life (Reiser, 2010). UAE has a lower score of 50 on the MAS scale compared to the score of 62 of the USA. This indicates that the UAE society is in the middle of the scale, that is, it is neither masculine nor feminine. Despite the suggestion of the score, the society of UAE is still very masculine. This male-dominated society still resists the idea of women thinking for themselves, even though the UAE President, P resident, Sheikh Zayed, is ready to support a different role for women as suggested by his following statement: “Women have the right to work everywhere as long as they are given the appropriate respect ... the ir basic role is that of bringing up children but, over and above that, we have to support a woman who chooses to perform other functions as well.” (Sheikh Zayed, online) (Richardson, 2004). As can be seen, roles are clearly differentiated by Islamic codes within Muslim Muslim families; the male stands for status and the known world surrounding the home and the female for morality and the home itself. Men are expected ex pected to be assertive and dominant dominan t over women in social relations and demonstrative of ambitious and competitive behavio r, whilst women are nurturers and central to the home h ome (Mulder, 1996). However, as the UAE is
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slowly moving towards knowledge-based economy in orde r to compete with the industrialized nations of the world, they are beginning to understand the importance of women participating in the workforce. Thus we see an improvement in education of women in UAE. The share of women entering higher education and their further integration into the workforce has consistently increased over the past two decades and currently constitutes 65% of graduates in the UAE (UNESCO (UNESCO 2009). The role of family members in women’s educational choices is not to not to be overlooked. Family have long been identified as an important influence in women’s wo men’s educational choices (Aswad, Vidican, & Samulewicz, 2011). Women are more likely than men to enter engineering based on encouragement from a family member than because becau se of their own intrinsic interest (Ware & Lee, 1988). Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI)
The uncertainty avoidance dimension expresses ex presses the degree to which the members of a society feel uncomfortable with uncertainty and ambiguity. The fundamental issue here is how a society deals with the fact that the future can never be known: kn own: should we try to control the future or just let it happen? Countries exhibiting strong UAI maintain rigid codes of belief and behavior and are intolerant of unorthodox behavior and ideas. Weak UAI societies maintain a more relaxed attitude in which practice coun ts more than principles (Hofstede). UAE scores an 80 and USA scores a 46 on UAI scale, which indicates that the Arab emirates society tends to be on the high end of uncertainty avoidance. In an effort to minimize or reduce this level of uncertainty, strict rules, laws, policies, and regulations are adopted and implemented. The ultimate goal of these populations is to control everything in order to eliminate or avoid the unexpected. As a
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result of this high Uncertainty Avoidance characteristic, the society does no t readily accept change and is very v ery risk adverse (Taylor & Butler). But the American society, with a low score of 46, tends to be more accepting of changes and uncertainty as a part of their progressive society. As of now, there are no information on UAE in regards of pragmatic versus normative and indulgences versus restraint dimensions. Conclusion
As Dubai ages it will become more and more progressive and we believe the other emirates will follow suit. The core values that are represented in the city are commendable. The aesthetics of the city cit y alone are enough to bring tourist in for years to come. Despite some ethical issues, Dubai seems heavily focused o n improving their employer and employee relations and are making strides towards a more trusting work environment. The cultural situation in Dubai is q uestionable, as there is a great distance between the upper class and the working class, and we will have to see how that develops over time. With the steps the city has put into place it is hard not to envision Dubai with a bright, emerald like future.
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Reiser, Danina. Analysis Danina. Analysis of Cultural Differences in Dubai. Dubai. Berlin: BWV, Berliner Wiss.Verl., 2010. Print
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