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Managing across cultures is vital for international business success. Leaders need to make decisions in a way that suits the new culture in which they are placed. This paper aims to explore how expatriate managers in the UAE make decisions in respect to their contextual environment. Additionally, the study investigates the approaches expatriate managers use to adjust their decision-making and how they manage local staff in contrast to home country staff. Finally, the study investigates the factors that contribute to the situation-specific environment of the expatriate leaders’ experience.

Structured personal interviews of expatriates drawn from stratified sampling were used to discover the styles of decision-making that were effective in the UAE.

The consultative management style of management enhanced by a hybrid approach of melding the strongest aspects of the expatriates’ decision-making style with the strongest aspects of the local decision-making style met with much success managing in the UAE. Additionally, the expatriate managers’ expression of appreciation towards local staff provided motivation and encouraged cooperation. Moreover, it was found that expatriates can face difficulties in expressing their wishes and requirements accurately to local staff because of their unfamiliarity with the Arabic language.

This research provides practical guidance for expatriate managers charged with successfully leading organizations in UAE. It also offers guidance for employers seeking to recruit or employ appropriate management talent to UAE.

The paper concentrates on expatriate managers’ decision-making practices within the UAE.

The concept of company culture is now playing an ever‐increasing role in the continuing endeavour to work towards ever better company management, particularly in the industrial field. This monograph reviews the history and development of both national and company cultures, and then goes on to demonstrate the significance of a culture to proper company management. Well‐managed companies will have both a “quality culture” and a “safety culture” as well as a cultural history. However, it has to be recognised that the company culture is subject to change, and effecting this can be very difficult. Of the many national cultures, that of Japan is considered to be the most effective, as is demonstrated by the present dominance of Japan on the industrial scene. Many industrialised nations now seek to emulate the Japanese style of management, but it is not possible to copy or acquire Japan′s cultural heritage. The text is illustrated by a large number of practical examples from real life, illustrating the way in which the company culture works and can be used by management to improve company performance.

Asian management systems, led by the so‐called lean production system invented by Toyota and refined by Japanese companies are being transplanted to North America with mixed success. A necessary but not sufficient condition for a successful transplant across vastly different cultures, such as from east to west, is the development over time of a third culture which is compatible with both of the original cultures, but transcends them to produce a unique venture culture. Discusses how business partnerships can begin to build such third cultures.

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between managerial skills and effectiveness in a cross-cultural setting to determine their applicability.

Data from 7,606 managers in 5 countries from a large multinational firm were analyzed using structural equation modeling to assess all relationships simultaneously and reduce error effects.

The results support the cross-cultural validity of the model of managerial skills-effectiveness. Few cross-cultural differences were found. Interactive skills had greater positive impact on attitudes than initiating skills. Pressuring skills had a negative impact on attitudes. None of the skill sets were related to job performance.

Using a single firm and industry to control for other cultural levels may limit the generalizability of the results. Only three skill sets were assessed and one coarse-grained measure of culture was used. These factors may account for the few cultural differences observed.

Training programs for managers going overseas should develop both interactive and initiating skills sets, as both had a positive impact on attitudes across cultures.

The model of managerial skills and effectiveness was validated across five cultures. The use of structural equation modeling ensures that the results are not an artifact of the measures and represents a more direct test for cross-cultural differences. Managing successfully across cultures may require fewer unique skills, with more emphasis placed on using basic management skills having positive impact.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a synthesis based on a review of the existing literature with respect to the variations in training practices and attitudes across national cultures.

A content analysis technique was adopted with a comparative cross‐cultural management perspective as a backdrop to address the occurrence of differences in practices and attitudes across various national cultures.

Most of the extant literature remains distant from providing a systematic and analytical repertoire on the subject. In efforts to bridge this gap, a synthesis of the literature has been elaborated, identifying a range of variations that have been grouped around the following categories: importance of organizational training; access to organizational training; different types of training provided to employees; actors involved in organizational training; and organizational support for training.

The heterogeneity of the literature impeded the use of a theoretical training management framework for the present review.

Organizations operating overseas and HRM/HRD practitioners should consider the complexity of diverse cultural differences, while managing employee training in culturally diverse settings. Nations ought to be aware of training practices abroad to observe trends and changes caused by globalization, as they may influence the shaping of national training practices and regulations. From a theoretical point of view, it is important to undertake conclusive research by further examining training practices and attitudes through the various national cultures with the objective of better circumventing the differences and by highlighting their prominent characteristics and implications.

The present contribution is the first documented synthesis of the literature on the subject.

The hospitality and tourism industry has seen an increase in organizations operating internationally, bringing people from diverse cultural backgrounds together. The authors aim to help clarify that with a lack of awareness and understanding about diversity, many problems arise in terms of effective intercultural communication between managers and employees and employees and the customers. This paper helps in answering the questions related to the importance of cross cultural management, the intercultural issues faced by an organization, the best practices for diversity management and the future of cultural diversity.

The authors have carried out a review-based research of 60 papers relevant to the topic. The study has been restricted to secondary data consisting of research in the area of managing cultural diversity.

The researchers have concluded that there are different dimensions of cultural diversity and thus policies and programs to manage it have to be carefully implemented and integrated. Also, managers need to identify the current gaps in the organization in terms of diversity management to take the necessary steps for building a harmonious relationship between expatriates and the local employees.

The study addresses the complex nature of cultural diversity and the management issues of multiculturalism within the hospitality and tourism industry. The authors have made an effort to identify the best practices and programs for managing a diverse workforce which may also improve engagement and retention levels through radical inclusion of employees.

The purpose of this study is to examine issues of skills and cultural awareness amongst expatriate managers working in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The study explores expatriate management and leadership experiences within a predominantly Islamic context and the adjustments that have had to be made by the new arrivals before they could effectively undertake their senior functions within their organisations. Rapid economic growth and recent prosperity in the UAE has resulted in the recruitment and placement of large numbers of expatriate managers.

Interviews were utilised to explore the experiences of expatriate managers in the UAE. These experiences have been interpreted to provide lessons and advice for new arrivals to the UAE, particularly those who are about to be placed into senior management positions.

The findings from our interviews of expatriate managers and leaders reveal a great deal regarding Islamic principles and religious practices, the Arabic language, the preference for a paternalistic management style, customs around issues of female dress and issues of time management. A number of strategies are provided for managing these sensitive cultural issues in the workplace.

This research provides an important examination of the effects of the UAE national culture on expatriate managers and how they have adjusted when managing local staff.

This article adds to the disciplines of management and human resources by focussing on cross-cultural sensitivity and awareness, specifically within the context of the UAE.

This study examined whether organizational socialization content areas are applicable across cultures. Data were gathered from 324 U.S. and 198 Hong Kong employees who completed a questionnaire assessing four socialization content domains (training, understanding of the job, coworker support, and future prospects within the company), five measures of job satisfaction, and three measures of organizational commitment. Based on the merged data from the two cultures, all four socialization domains played a significant role in predicting satisfaction and commitment. These socialization measures also were stronger predictors than a variety of demographic measures. Although there were some differences in the relative strengths of the socialization measures when the data were analyzed separately for each nation, the overall results support the idea that the socialization content areas tested are applicable across cultures. Implications for managing employees in the different cultures are discussed.

US marketers know the US standard of ethics. However, that standard can lead to ethical conflict when Americans encounter the emerging market giant, China. As smaller US companies enter China, the potential for ethical conflict increases. Reducing that potential requires knowledge. Knowing the nature and history of the two cultures can lead to an understanding of the foundation of their ethical systems. Ethics and the expectations within cultures affect all business transactions. It is vital for Western marketers to understand the expectations of their counterparts around the world. Understanding the cultural bases for ethical behavior in both the USA and China can arm a marketer with knowledge needed to succeed in cross‐cultural business. Implementing that knowledge with a clear series of managerial guidelines can actualize the value of that understanding.