Transcript PowerPoint 97

35 Managing Employee Conflict in
the Middle East.
Summary:
32.1 Introduction.
32.2 Conflict Created by Management.
32.3 The Role of Culture in Conflict Management.
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35.1 Introduction.
• Conflicts between individuals and groups causes:
– reduced productivity and efficiency;
• therefore it is important to minimize such conflict.
• In the Middle East, labor disputes have been
increasing:
• employees on strike has reached the thousands;
• arrests and deportations of foreign labor have become
commonplace;
• the result can be significant financial losses to international
construction companies;
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• Much of the labor comes from overseas, in
particular from other Islamic countries, but also
Korea etc..
• Much of the conflict has arisen from a lack of understanding
and provision for cultural differences:
– contractors dealing with labor from unfamiliar cultures;
– made worse by the fact that labor from many different cultures.
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35.2 Conflict Created by
Management.
• Management’s conduct towards employees often
triggers conflict:
• inequity in salaries between groups;
• inadequate incentive programs:
– sense of unfairness;
– reduced motivation;
– conflict;
• incompetence of supervisors:
– employees develop lack of respect for supervisors and thus
demonstrate resistance to assignments;
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• Change is common during the life of a
construction project, to initiate:
• work improvement (quality, and productivity); and
• safety.
– if such changes are not managed carefully, then:
• employees will see this as a statement of their incompetence;
• thus, conflict will arise between the employee and the
supervisors implementing the change;
communication and explanation is the main solution
(and needs to overcome language and related barriers).
• Confidence of employees in management must
exist if conflict is to be eliminated!
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35.3 The Role of Culture in
Conflict Management.
• Conflict arising from cultural differences requires:
• adaptation of policies and procedures to alleviate (or at least
minimize) cultural clashes;
• five cultural factors can be identified that significantly
influence managerial efficiency in Middle Eastern contracts:
(1) religion (discussed in more detail below);
(2) personal values and attributes (for example, loss of face in front of
colleagues - be discreet);
(3) social structure (extended families take precedence - be flexible);
(4) language (Arabic people use body language more than people from
the West); and
(5) technology (communicate reasons for using unfamiliar methods
and technologies).
the employment of well-trained local superintendents can6
help alleviate many of the consequential problems here.
Religion:
• Islam is the most common religion in the Middle East, and of
labor imported to the region;
• it shapes the:
– values;
– attitudes; and
– entire social structure of the region.
• observing employees expect:
– at least 2 daily breaks for prayer (provide facilities as well);
– fewer working hours during fasting month; and
– observance of religious holidays.
• social customs during religious celebrations such as:
– visiting extended family;
– preparing the sacrificial lamb; etc;
can force a complete stop of construction work.
• Conflict can be avoided by adapting working practices to7
accommodate these factors.
• Safety in the work place is not usually a point of conflict in
this culture since:
– in Islam, self-protection and preservation is in accordance with the
duty of individuals.
• Work improvement programs (if properly communicated)
should also be acceptable since:
– one of the teachings of Islam is to strive towards understanding, and
to improve one’s inner life.
• Low motivation can be cured by:
– placing responsibility in hands of native superintendents;
– being competent in your decision making; and
– understanding the Islamic religion.
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