ions may be a useful shortcut for gaining conceptual entry into general cultural trends across countries and regions, they are in no way a substitute for more-systematic in-depth analyses as they relate to the study of culture, work, and organizations.deeper: cultural complexities and contradictionsrelated concepts of culture and cultural differences were introduced above as a means of seeing beyond overt behaviors and better understanding why and how some people act differently than others. What is often missed in these generalizations, however, is that individuals within the same society may use different strategies to deal with identical challenges. As a result, it is often unwise to stereotype an entire culture. Instead, we look for nuances and counter-trends, not just the principal trends themselves. Failure to recognize this often leads to failed personal and business opportunities.the concept of equal opportunity in the workplace. The fight for equal opportunity has been a long and difficult struggle in many nations of the world, north, south, east, and west. For many, this struggle has been quite vociferous because the underlying beliefs are so strong. What people often fail to recognize here, however, is that to a large extent societal and corporate practices regarding equal rights are embedded in our core beliefs and values. Hence, it is important to be able to compare such beliefs and practices across cultures, as well as within them. For example, some cultures stress sex role differentiation. That is, men and women are expected to play different roles in society and, as such, should be treated differently. Other cultures have increasingly stressed minimizing sex role differentiation, believing that both men and women should share both home and work responsibilities. Still other cultures strive for flexibility and tolerance. As a result of these cultural differences, many people are quick to criticize the beliefs of others as being either overly paternalistic or overly indulgent. But, for the keen observer, differences can often be found just under the surface.
To see how this works, we revisit Anna H? kansson as she arrives in Bahrain for her negotiations. Her first surprise is meeting her counterpart at Gulf One Investment Bank in Bahrain: Nahed Taher, the first woman CEO of the bank. A former senior economist at the National Commercial Bank, Taher has been immersed in plans for financing public-sector projects, including expansion of the terminal that handles Mecca pilgrims at Jeddah s King Abdulaziz International Airport. She also oversees financing for a water desalination plant for Saudi Arabian Airlines, as well as Saudi copper, zinc, and gold mines. Taher may be an unusual example of an Arab executive, but she is increasingly becoming a common one. In fact, business leaders like Nahed Taher are gaining power despite the odds - ten women executives from the Middle East made the Forbes World s 100 Most Powerful Women list.are these women managing to break through the global glass ceiling? In many cases, the increasing globalization of the world s economy has played an important role. The economic liberalization of several Muslim countries in recent years, along with the privatization of large parts of government-run companies, has helped Muslim businesswomen get a greater foothold. Now opportunities are open to everyone, says Laura Osman, the first female president of the...
