Group 3

Core Issues Discussed(1/2)

Gender Discrimination in the Bahrini Society in the organizational
culture
Subject to discriminatory practices in Saudi Arabia & experience difficulty travelling alone
Have difficulty in obtaining entry visas
Customers would not accept to negotiate with a woman
In case of hostile outbreak, she could be in danger

International migration of qualified workforce

Interaction not only with Arabic nationals, but also with managers from others parts of
the world, and with workers from developing countries
No formal training, especially in the difference among management practices, was
provided in order to better adapt expatriates to new country/culture

Core Issues Discussed(2/2)

Managing in a different culture (in Bahrain)
Trust issues: What Western managers considered to be proof of an argument or
factual evidence could be flatly denied by a Bahraini: if something was not believed,
it did not exist
Concept of time differed between Middle Eastern and Western cultures- schedules
and deadlines commanded little respect from Bahraini employees
Stereotyping again women:
All women could work outside the home, with hours restricted both by convention & by the
labour laws
Only after husbands, fathers, or brothers' permission, no threat to men employment
Work outside the home was additional to duties performed inside the home

Truth to a Bahraini employee was subject to an Arab interpretation

Ellen Moore: Personality

Highly
Qualified,
Achiever

Low Power
Distance
trait

Trait
s
high
Uncertainty
Avoidance
(UA) Barrier
Breaker

Selfmotivated,
competitive

Possible solutions that Ellen

faced (1/4)
Strength

1. Take the Customer Services position

Sending the message that
she is accepting the
discrimination
Compromising her values
Violation of true
personality

Weakness

Taking her career to a new

level
New challenges to face,
more responsibilities to
meet
Role model for women in
this country that want to
be in management
position
Take her career further

Possible solutions that Ellen

faced (2/4)
Strength

2. Fight Back
Stepping over GM & reaching
the SVP to solve the issue
might affect her relationship
with GM
Appraisal issue: GM might not
trust her and nominate her
for other senior management
position
Organization conflict & risk
Ellen's job

Weakness

Remain her true

personality
Contest in Bahraini Labor
Tribunals, winning will help
her change the women
unequal rights in the
company
Role model for women in
the Bahraini society

Possible solutions that Ellen

faced (3/4)
Strength

3. Stay in her current position

Reduced promotion
opportunity if she refuses this
promotion
By not accepting the goodwill
from the general manager,
Ellen could be risking her
relationship with him

Weakness

Safe choice for Ellen to

maintain good relationship
with her manager
True to her own values
Do not give up to general
managers prejudices

Possible solutions that Ellen

faced (4/4)
Strength

4. Leave the company

Current employer might
refuse to release the
employee if there is absence
of cordial relations
If Ellen cannot find another
job and leaves the country,
her husband might also need
to leave his current job

Weakness

Differences in Uncertainty
Avoidance and Power
Distance traits between
Ellen's and Bahrain society
might hinder Ellen's ability
to develop her career in
the country, so better to
leave
Can find other job positions
with International
experience, better pay &
challenging opportunities

Our Recommendation
ELLEN

Staying in the same position until other work opportunities arises

She possess low Power Distance (PD) that wants equality between men and
women, so refusing to accept the gender discrimination
Allows Ellen to express her strong interest in sharpening her financial expertise
Possibly retaining good relationship with the supervisor
Can lobby some policy evaluation in the organization

MANAGEMENT

Policy & structure change in the organization

Have a clear policy in place for doing business in foreign countries
with respect to cultural beliefs
Training for cross-cultural business