Competence, Competitiveness, and Intercultural Conflict in Qatar - Case Solution

Executive Summary – Competence, Competitiveness, and Intercultural

Conflict in Qatar

Samir Singh, the CEO of Singh Security Systems Limited (SSSL), an Indian company and security systems manufacturer, is venturing into Qatar due to increased competition in the domestic market. Al Zulfi, the group he chose for partnership, is a typical organization in Qatar that has 180 men on board.

Seema Saran, a critical employee for SSSL, wants to work with the Al Zulfi group. Singh can either send her and risk the partnership by trusting her competency or send a male manager instead.

He can also choose to defer her expatriation and give the Al Zulfi group time to recognize her competence by working remotely.

Situation Analysis

Samir Singh, the CEO of SSSL, faces a dilemma of whether or not to send her most valuable employee, Seema Saran, as the product manager for SSSL products in Qatar.

SSSL is an Indian company that deals in security systems. It is expanding its operations in Qatar in partnership with the Al Zulfi group due to the growing domestic market competition.

In conversations with Mir Ahmed Khan, leader of Al Zulfi Group, Singh realized the male-dominated culture of the organization and mentally mapped his male manager, Lal or Mehta, as the product manager in Qatar while remotely taking guidance from Seema.

Seema Saran, who has had exceptional performance metrics for 7 years and proven expertise in managing clients’ expectations, wants to work on the Qatar project to explore new avenues and increase the volume of her merit payouts by managing the cost variance, in which she is best at Singh Security Systems Limited.

To let Seema test the waters, Singh requests a meeting in Doha with Mir Ahmed and the Sheikhs and accompanies her to check her comfort level. Though she tactfully handled the interaction, Singh is still unsure if she could surpass the cultural barrier to work efficiently with Al Zulfi.

Problem Statement

Keeping the cultural resistance in consideration, whom should Singh expatriate for managing SSSL operations in Qatar?

Options

1. Honor Seema’s dedication to the company by sending her to Qatar
2. Send either Lal or Mehta and refuse Seema’s chances.
3. Defer Seema’s expatriation till she proves her mettle to Al Zulfi working remotely

Criteria for evaluation

1. Partnership success and Seema’s safety
2. Cultural fit for Al Zulfi
3. Probability of Seema’s resignation

Evaluation of options

1. Honor Seema’s dedication to the company by sending her to Qatar

Partnership success and Seema’s safety

Seema is a capable woman and is ready to put in extra effort to make the Al Zulfi leaders look beyond her gender and consider her exceptional credentials.

Even during the meeting with Sheikhs in Qatar, she…