Page 212 - Aamir Rehman - Dubai & Co Global Strategies for Doing Business in the Gulf States-McGraw-Hill (2007)

194 Dubai & Co.

paperwork in the processing of these visa applications to other
countries on which the employer may be asked to declare “no objec-
tion.” These tactical matters, though they create an administrative
burden, can be effectively managed given adequate resources and
planning.
The strategic challenge, however, is more fundamental. How
can multinationals foster a sense of commitment—and a long-term
outlook—among expatriate staff when the staff is reminded each
day that they are foreigners in the Gulf and that their home country
is elsewhere? How can firms avoid a short-term, exploitative
take-the-money-and-run approach by expatriate staff?
The first safeguard against such attitudes lies in the firm’s core
values and ethics. Most leading multinationals now make explicit
such values as long-term client commitment and responsibility to
communities served. HSBC’s celebrated chairman Sir John Bond,
for example, would note to staff that “we are guests in the countries
we serve” and therefore have a responsibility to look after the
countries’ well-being. Being invested in the success of a market is a
critical value for firms to consciously adopt and communicate,
especially in the GCC context.
A second safeguard lies in the performance management
systems used for both the institution and individual staff. If
professionals are brought to the Gulf on a rotational basis, their
performance there should be measured in terms both of short-term
results (e.g., revenues, growth, profits) and of strategic metrics that
speak to the long-term health of the business and that reflect
investment in long-term assets: market share, customer satisfaction,
number of new clients, brand equity, etc. Firms that have long
traditions of rotating professionals around the globe, such as
professional services firms and energy companies, are good sources
for best practices in managing the mobile employee for long-term
success.
The shortsighted “take-the-money-and-run” attitude of some
expatriates has, unfortunately, been a chronic problem in the GCC
countries. A Qatari friend recently recounted the story of an expa-
triate academic brought to Qatar on a multimillion-dollar annual
package to head an important institution. The expatriate stayed
for a few months, saved his generous earnings, and promptly
resigned to return to his home country and build a retirement home.