Page 309 - Aamir Rehman - Dubai & Co Global Strategies for Doing Business in the Gulf States-McGraw-Hill (2007)

Bringing It Home: Fostering GCC Awareness in the Head Office 291

As more executives with Gulf experience take global leader-
ship roles, the strategies of firms in the region will naturally receive
more insightful attention. Executives without firsthand experience
in the GCC markets or deliberate study of the region are far more
likely to hold dangerous misconceptions that can lead to poor
strategic decisions and stifle sound initiatives put forth by regional
management.

RAISING AWARENESS AT
THE HEAD OFFICE

There are three ways in which awareness of the GCC is raised
within an organization: one-time events, regular events, and sys-
temic changes. Depending on your firm’s circumstances, culture,
and overall business norms, one or more of these ways will work
best for raising its awareness. There is no one method or prescrip-
tion, no magic bullet that will work for all organizations. Figure 11.1
illustrates and describes, in order of increasing intensity, the three
categories of awareness-building measures.

Figure 11.1 Raising GCC awareness in the organization