Introduction
Al Mansoori Group is a UAE-based corporation that specializes in several engineering services in the Middle East oil exploration and production industry. With its headquarters in Abu Dhabi, the company seeks to enhance technology, innovation, and training in the oil exploration field, providing these services to several companies in the UAE and beyond. Established in 1977, the company operates in about 24 countries in various parts of the world. In 2008, the company segregated its company business into manufacturing and fabrication units under two holding companies- the Al Mansoori Petroleum Industries and Al Mansoori Petroleum Services. In a corporate video directed by Moiz Saeed and released through YouTube, the company provides a brief explanation of its corporate culture and practice that have promoted growth, development, and positive reputation. The purpose of this paper is to develop a critical analysis of the corporate culture at Al Mansoori, with a critical reference to Hofstede’s cultural dimensions and contemporary scholastic perspectives on corporate culture.
Analysis of the business model at the company
According to the company’s corporate video clip and WebPages, the company has achieved growth and development from its culture that emphasizes technology, thrives on a grasp of the local conditions, assets, prudent procedures, and comprehensive standards of safety (Saeed: Corporate Video: Al Mansoori Group – Abu Dhabi). The corporate managers at the company argue that their mission, vision, and goals are centered on value, with a special focus on client satisfaction and retention through quality service provision. They focus on maintaining a healthy and safe environment and quality standards. The company also emphasizes talent attraction and development, with a clear focus on the safety and well-being of the workforce.
The employees are treated as a single Al Mansoori family, regardless of their gender, origin, ethnicity, and color. There are comprehensive processes of integration of new employees into the Al Mansoori family. Employee building and development is an important strategy at the company that seeks to enhance the quality of employee service provision. The company claims that its achievements are driven by teamwork and passion for better qualities. They emphasize on qualified team and equipment in service provision. It focuses on creating better standards of living for its employees, clients, and society in general. The corporate leaders at Al Mansoori argue that their focus is to improve the future of all the parties as families. Integrity, strong commitment, strong ethical values, and transparency are emphasized in the process of conducting business.
What corporate culture is promoted at the company?
Al Mansoori’s collectivist culture
An in-depth analysis of the corporate practices and values at Al Mansoori Group provides evidence that the company has attempted to develop a strong corporate culture based on enhancing people integration. According to the company, a focus on the employees as “our people” or “Al Mansoori Family” has helped the company attract, train, develop and retain highly qualified and strongly committed individuals that drive the mission and vision of the corporation. From Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, it is evident that this form of culture is largely based on individualism versus collectivism (Hofstede 324). Hofstede argues that this dimension refers to the degree to which individuals are integrated into society. In a society with a high degree of individualism, individuals are made to stand on their own in the process of achieving their goals. On the other hand, a society with a collectivist culture allows individuals to work in groups. Every person acts as a member of society (Hofstede 252). The groups or teams are lifelong and cohesive, which allows them to achieve individual and group goals through teamwork. This is the type of culture promoted at Al Mansoori because new employees are integrated into the Al Mansoori family. Every person is a member of the team, which works together to achieve personal and organizational goals.
A culture of long-term orientation
At Al Mansoori Group, there is a clear practice of focusing on the current and future of the company, team members, their families, and society in general. The time horizon at the company seems to be focused on a long-term orientation. The company tends to promote a culture of developing the capacity to adapt to the local environment, including social, cultural, and legal aspects of the regions where the company operates. In this case, Al Mansoori’s practices promote a culture that is concise with Hofstede’s dimension of long-term orientation. The company seeks to hire, train, and develop quality human resources. It also seeks to use their services for the long-term and develop their career, families, and well-being on a long-term basis. This amounts to a long-term orientation cultural dimension.
A culture of low power distance
According to Hofstede (129), a culture that has a low power distance expect and accept democratic and consultative power relations, where individual expect an equal distribution of power and responsibilities. This is the culture developed at Al Mansoori. Since every person in the company is considered a member of the corporate family and person duties as a team, communication and interrelations are promoted. In this way, employees expect an equalized distribution of power and responsibilities.
Works Cited
Hofstede, Geert. Culture’s Consequences: International Differences in Work-Related Values. Beverly Hills CA, 2004. Print.
Corporate Video: Al Mansoori Group – Abu Dhabi. Dir. Moiz Saeed. Abu Dhabi: Studio 54. 2013. Web.