Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
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. 1 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; 2 • 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. 3 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; 4 • 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! 5 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. 8