Employees Performance: Cultural Traits - Essay Example

Cultural traits Introduction Cultural traits are the significant influencing factor as far as the employee’s performance is concerned. Cultural traits are deep root into the human characteristics. Those deep rooted cultures significantly influence performances of the employees. This factor is very true for the case of Emirati employees as well. Performance appraisal is a human resource function where managers, evaluate and examine the performances of the employee and on the basis of that career growth of the employees are being decided. That is why performance appraisal is an important factor. Here in this paper impact of the cultural traits on the performance appraisal of the employee will be analyzed on the basis of various factors. This paper will evaluate three cultural traits of the UAE employees. The paper will also discuss various stereotypes against the Emiratis employees. The study will also focus towards several negative performances due to the stereotypes. The study will also incorporate some suitable recommendations to address the issues related with negative stereo types. At the end of the study a suitable conclusion will be drawn for the topic. The study will follow a structured approach. It will be done in step by step fashion. Three cultural traits Hofstedes culture dimension is a framework through which cross cultural communication can be analyzed. Here in this section of the study cultural traits of the UAE people will analyzed on the basis of three cultural traits of Hofstedes. Power distance dimension of the model, showcases levels of individual inequalities in the society. Power distance varies from country to country. Power distance score of UAE is significantly high in nature. In this dimension score of UAE is 90. This score indicates the significant scope of power distance in the Emirati society. This high score is also indicating that, people of the UAE society has historically accepted the hierarchical situation into their socio economic context. Inherent inequalities are significantly clear and prominent in the UAE society. Subordinates in UAE are generally being liked to be guided by the upper level of the management. All the above aspects are indicating that power distance is a prominent cultural trait in UAE. Individualism is also an important cultural trait which showcases or indicates the level of interdependence in a particular society. This cultural trait indicates that whether a society is “I” centric or “we” centric. As far as UAE is concerned societal individualism is less over there. In this dimension the score of the country is 25. This low score is clearly articulating that people of UAE significantly believe in collective society. The low score in individualism is clearly manifesting that UAE people share long term close commitment with the other group members in the Emirati society. People of UAE generally show paramount loyalty to the collective culture. Sense of unity and fellow feelings for the group members are always given significant priorities into UAE societal culture. Uncertainty avoidance is also an important dimension on the basis of which culture of a particular country can be analyzed. Uncertainty avoidance provides a clear cut picture regarding the preparedness of the society towards the future uncertainty. It indicates up to what level a society tries to avoid future uncertainties. Uncertainty avoidance tendency for the UAE people is significantly high in nature. In this context score of UAE is 80. It means as far as the culture of UAE is concerned there is a high scope of rigid cultural believes and very low scope of unorthodoxy and flexibility. The scope of innovation is low because the people of UAE do not like future uncertainties. Stereotypes against There are several stereo types are present related with the Emiratis people. All those stereo types are having significant negative popularities for the Emiratis employees. One of the most talked about stereotypes is laziness of the UAE employees (Moneim and Ahmed, 2009, pp. 294-311). Over the years various studies have articulated that, UAE employees are significant lazy in nature. It has been a common perspective for the all employers across the world. Employers across the world has common thinking that, Emiratis women employees are much more efficient than the Emirati men. In several reports it has been observed that, men and women of UAE are being treated lazy workforce by the employees. It has been observed that employers believe, due to the laziness of the Emiratis employee, various projects can get delayed. The other stereotype for the Emiratis employees is competency. As far as the competency is concerned Emiratis employees are less competent due to the lazy nature. The capacities of the Emiratis employees are significantly questioned and have enough scope of doubts. Due to their lack of competencies, it is often being observed that effectiveness and productivity of the Emiratis employees are less. Due to their deep rooted culture of orthodoxy, lack of innovation from the side of Emiratis employee is also prominent. Lack of innovation in the operational purpose has become a widely known stereotype as far as the Emiratis employees are concerned. Too much high expectation from the side of the Emiratis employees is also a highly known stereotype. According to Gulf News survey, middle class Emiratis undergraduates expect high salary from their first job but in reality employers do not offer that much high salary at the undergraduate level. That is why too much high expectations are being considered as the stereo types against the Emiratis employees. According to a survey done by Dubai School of Government, it has been observed that nationalities of the UAE are failing to perform as the world class standard employees. It has been a significant prominent stereo type against the Emiratis employees (Mohyeldin and Suliman, 2007, pp. 294-311). Due to their rigid cultural believes intercultural clash is a prominent stereotype against the Emiratis employees. It is often being observed that Emiratis employees are often being engaged in several cross cultural clashes. It certainly creates bad environment in the organizational context. All the above discussions are clearly indicating that, several stereotypes are deeply rooted with the Emiratis employees. Negative results Laziness from the Emiratis employees certainly has negative results as far as the performance appraisal is concerned. Due to the lazy attitude of the Emiratis employees, often projects or assigned responsibilities are not being completed within the stipulated time frame. Deadline of the projects are often being missed. All these negativities certainly, bring negative results as far as the performance appraisal is concerned. Due to their laziness, on time promotion or incentives are generally being blocked because dissatisfactory performance appraisal. Laziness obviously reduces the performance level of the Emiratis employees. Once the performance levels are down, there will be an automatic negative impression in the performance appraisal. Lack of innovation from the side of the Emiratis employees also has significant negative effect as far as the performance appraisal is concerned. In the modern business world global employers search for the innovation at all the level of their organization. Managers in the various organizations do performance appraisal on the basis of individual employee innovation. This aspect is lacking in Emiratis employees, and that is why this factor is brining serious negative impacts for the performance appraisal purpose. The modern business world requires high degree of flexibilities and unorthodoxy. That factor is missing in Emiratis workforce. Lack of flexibilities and high degree of rigidness, obviously creates certain limitations for the employees. Those limitations are significant roadblocks for the purpose of positive performance appraisal. Several limitations due to the rigid mind sets often blocks the Emiratis workforce to perform up to best possible way and those lacking in performances have clear cut negative impacts on performance appraisal. Diverse workforce is the need of the modern day business organization. This workforce diversity is significantly endangered due to inter cultural clashes or conflict. Inter cultural clashes from the side of the Emiratis employees often disturb the team environment in the organizational context (Behery and Paton, 2008, pp. 34-49). This scope of disturbance certainly reduces the performance of team and organization. That is why this kind of stereotype is significantly detrimental for the purpose of performance appraisal. Competency is also an important factor as far as the performance appraisal is concerned. This identified stereotype of the Emiratis employees is also has utter negative effect on performance appraisal. Lack of competency is a significant reason for the declined performance of Emiratis employees. It certainly reduces their competitive advantage in the arena of performance appraisal. It reduces personal growths of the Emiratis employees. Recommendations The modern day business world has become significantly competitive in nature. In this environment of cut throat competition, Emiratis employees have to be much more competitive. They have to do away with all the stereotypes related with them. Overcoming all those stereotypes is significantly important for the Emiratis employees to have a suitable and positive performance appraisal. Laziness is a primary stereotype for the employees of UAE. This can be addressed with the help of both monitory and non monitory motivation. Emiratis employees should be motivated with extra monitory facilities like incentives or any other financial rewards, where their hardworking will be acknowledged by the high level management. Emiratis employees should be given high opportunities to take more active participation in the organizational process. In this way employees will be able to relate themselves with the organizations. It will certainly increase the commitment level of the Emiratis employees. Highly committed employees can be significant assets for the organizations and high degree of responsibility will be able to eradicate laziness from the Emiratis employees. In the modern world continuous innovation is highly required for the purpose of long term sustainability. That is why the sense of innovative thinking is highly required among the Emiratis workforce. To achieve this, organizations should encourage all the employees of UAE to think in innovative ways. The organizations should support Emiratis employees to come up with new innovative thinking. Organizations can come up with various innovative seminars and conferences. It will allow the organizations to inculcate innovative mind sets among the Emiratis employees. Generally mind sets of the employees are hard core, deep rooted and rigid in nature. So it requires prominent and innovative continuous activities from the side of the companies to replace all the orthodoxies with flexible thinking. Team building is highly important factor as far as the organizational culture and environment is concerned. This important aspect is adversely affected by the cross cultural issues from the side of Emiratis employees. This issue should be resolved in suitable ways. The organizations should come up with various kinds of team building activities. Several teambuilding activities will allow the Emiratis employees to experience fellow feelings in diverse workforce. It will create a sense of synergy among the Emiratis employees. Conclusion The modern world has become highly competitive in nature. In this changing business situation organizational dynamics are also changing in very fast pace. During the course of this study one thing has been observed that, in UAE society power distance is high. That means there is high degree of inequality in the UAE society. The society has a clear cut believe for the hierarchical order. The people of UAE believe in collectivist society. Individualism does not get high priority. The study has also indicated that, people of UAE most of the time try to avoid future uncertainty. The study has categorically stated that, there are several stereo types are presents with the Emiratis employees. Those stereotypes are laziness, lack of innovation, lack of competency and intercultural clashes. The above written paper has critically analyzed the several impacts of the identified stereotypes in the context of performance appraisal. It has categorically indicated that, various stereotypes are significantly counterproductive for performance appraisal. Several recommendations have been given in the study, with the help of those recommendations all the issues can be resolved. All the above discussions and arguments have critically analyzed the affect of cultural traits on the Emirati performance appraisal in detailed fashion. References Behery, M . H. and Paton, R. A. (2008). "Performance appraisal‐cultural fit: organizational outcomes within the UAE", Education, Business and Society: Contemporary Middle Eastern Issues. Vol. 1(1). pp.34 – 49. Mohyeldin, A. and Suliman, T. (2007). "Links between justice, satisfaction and performance in the workplace: A survey in the UAE and Arabic context", Journal of Management Development.Vol. 26 (4). pp.294 – 311. Moneim, A. and Ahmed, M.B. (2009). "Staff suggestion scheme (3Ss) within the UAE context: Implementation and critical success factors", Education, Business and Society: Contemporary Middle Eastern Issues, Vol. 2 (2). pp.153 – 167. Read More