DBA Literature Review Tas: How Might Emitati culutre affect teamwork in UAE Goverment - Research Paper Example

In order to see how the Emirati culture impacts its work force and influences team work we must first interpret what these terms actually mean in the present context and how they can be interlinked to arrive at logical conclusions. With a labor force that comprises personnel from over 200 countries the importance of organizing efficient teams and ensuring that their collective performance is not counter productive to the development and financial growth of the establishment is quintessential in the UAE context.

One of the biggest plus points of a multicultural society like UAE is the fact that creativity levels are higher in such teams which could yield significant financial gains for the company and are therefore of utmost importance to the management and in turn to the organization. The key factors at play here are; a) Teamwork – According to Kraft, this is usually defined as a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable (as cited in Al Rawi, 2008).

The benefits of working with teams are much higher than that of individuals. Teamwork implies a dynamic process of transfer and acquisition of ideas, information, knowledge and data which increases productivity and efficiency. The collective pool of talents, creativity, knowledge, energy and skills that are incorporated in a team translates in to tangible performance results. Moreover, there is also an increase in trust, interpersonal skills, better communication and an overall work culture that is based on interdependence rather than independence (Al Rawi, 2008).

In his analysis, Khalid Al Rawi surveys data from 76 teams collected from three industrial institutions in the UAE to arrive at some remarkable results. With the model he tested, he was able to find that cohesiveness in team performance was important in the overall functioning of teams and in turn the organizations (2008). b) Effective management – According to Desouzu and Evaristo (as cited in Al Rawi, 2008, p.96), risk is a prerequisite in the choice to trust. When managers are unwilling to accept constructive feedback from the team, they end up forcing their opinions and ideas on the team members thereby reducing creativity, exchange of ideas, communication and openness.

This has been reported in a large number of firms in the UAE. Effective management is about authority that comes from asking the right questions as much as it comes from giving the right answers (Al Rawi, 2008). c) Fusion and Cultural metacognition – In order to understand these terms, it would be essential to first understand the concept of co-existence in the work place. The principle of co-existence is respect for and maintenance of, in particular, cultural differences, although the principle generalizes to all differences (Crotty & Brett, 2009, p.9). Let us consider a multi cultural team to be one whose members come from three or more different national cultures.

It is important then that ideas of all team members are respected and discussed in order to ensure meaningful participation so that the multi cultural aspect of the team is not lost. It is also important that members of the team have the freedom to express their opinions an