Introduction
The UAE market has been evolving at an accelerating pace over the past few years, having made substantial progress. However, further efforts must be made in order to embrace all opportunities available. Specifically, the UAE economic environment currently suffers from the lack of strategies for embracing issues emerging in a multidisciplinary setting (Griffin & Coelhoso, 2019). For this reason, due to the strong and efficient infrastructure of the UAE market, the integration of the tools such as multi-criteria decision-making and active interactions within multicultural teams are likely to be nearly effortless. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to study the effects of the specified approaches.
Articles: Overview and Assessment
Article 1: Multi‐Criteria Decision Making
Problem/Purpose
The authors strive to locate the model for making multi-criteria decision-making in the business context. For this purpose, an adaptive model for creative decision-making is tested with the help of the multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) methods.
Method
To perform the analysis, the authors ground their study in the quantitative research method. The proposed technique implying the application of the discrete Choquet integral is justified by the necessity to compare and contrast the results of assessments and quantify the obtained information (Čančer & Mulej, 2013). The resulting data was believed to prove the importance of using the selected model in the business context.
Theory
The research is based on the tenets of the Dialectical Systems theory. The selected approach toward understanding the effects of integrating the MCDM framework into the workplace environment gives a chance to scrutinize the phenomenon from a multifaceted perspective.
Solution/Results
According to the outcomes of the assessment performed by Čančer and Mulej, the MCDM model has proven to be quite helpful in prompting creativity in organizational decision-making.
Article 2: Cultural Influences
Problem/Purpose
The research performed by Guesalaga, Pierce, and Scaraboto is geared toward studying cultural factors that affect customers’ expectations and demand for quality in the environment of local emerging economies.
Method
Since the nature of the inquiry made by the authors involves multiple perspectives, the choice of the multi-method approach is quite legitimate. The study embraces qualitative changes in customers’ attitudes, locates the sources thereof, and measures the intensity of their demand with the quantitative analysis.
Theory
The theoretical foundation of the research resides on the classification of cultural dimensions suggested by Hofstede. As a result, the multicultural nature of alterations in buyers’ perspectives can be analyzed.
Solution/Results
The results of the research indicate that the expectations of service quality in customers are quite homogenous both in local and foreign markets. Therefore, the implications of the research outcomes suggest performing careful and meticulous market analysis prior to entering it to define sociocultural trends that determine customers’ demands for quality.
Article 3: Quality Management
Problem/Purpose
Quality improvement and the subsequent increase in a company’s competitiveness are the main subjects of Johansson, Witell, and Rönnbäck’s (2013) scrutiny. In their article, the authors define what interventions can be utilized to boost an organization’s quality rates.
Method
While a quantitative comparison between different types of quality management techniques could have been included into the study as well, the authors restrict themselves to the qualitative exploratory research. For the purpose of their study, the specified method seems legitimate, though additional tools for a more accurate analysis could have been added.
Theory
The authors deploy the principles of the Total Quality Management (TQM) framework extensively. The TQM principles can be seen as foundational values for encouraging progress and architectural innovation in the economic context.
Solution/Results
The authors point out that the introduction of interventions such as staff education, creation of cross-functional teams of experts, and other tools can be utilized to spur economic growth within an organization. However, Johansson et al. concede that there is no unanimously beneficial approach toward encouraging business progress.
Article 4: Team-Based Organizing
Problem/Purpose
The research by Zander et al. is aimed at analyzing the effects of team-based functioning in the global market. According to the authors, the identified approach is the most promising one among the rest of solutions for global business development.
Method
The application of the quantitative research method seems appropriate, if not a bit restricting to the opportunity of assessing the effects of team-based organizing. By using the thematic analysis, Zander et al. allow their readers to distinguish several crucial topics in the sea of themes emerging in the global market.
Theory
While the authors never specify what theoretical framework they adopt in their study, it can be assumed that the postulates of the organizational theory serve as the basis for the analysis.
Solution/Results
After the evaluation of the general discourse, Zander et al. reveal the discovery of three essential themes, which are the significance of process and leadership, interactions within global teams, and the notion of organizational unity.
Implementation
The proposed solutions in the form of multidisciplinary teams can be implemented to spur the performance of UAE organizations, specifically, decision-making based on innovation-driven philosophy and strong corporate ethics. The specified interventions are expected to have a positive impact on the quality of service and efficacy of staff’s performance due to active knowledge sharing and professional leaning. Moreover, misunderstandings during the cross-cultural dialogue will be reduced with the introduction of the principles of cooperation and teamwork in the cross-cultural setting.
References
Čančer, V., & Mulej, M. (2013). Multi‐criteria decision making in creative problem solving. Kybernetes, 42(1), 67–81. doi:10.1108/03684921311295484
Griffin, M., & Coelhoso, P. (2019). Business students’ perspectives on employability skills post internship experience: Lessons from the UAE. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, 9(1), 60-75. doi:10.1108/HESWBL-12-2017-0102
Guesalaga, R., Pierce, M., & Scaraboto, D. (2016). Cultural influences on expectations and evaluations of service quality in emerging markets. International Marketing Review, 33(1), 88–111. doi:10.1108/imr-08-2014-0283
Johansson, E., Witell, L., & Rönnbäck, Å. (2013). Using interventions to change the quality profile of an organisation. International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences, 5(1), 32–45. doi:10.1108/17566691311316239
Zander, L., Butler, C. L., Mockaitis, A. I., Herbert, K., Lauring, J., Mäkelä, K., … Zettinig, P. (2015). Team-based global organizations: The future of global organizing. In Progress in international business research: The future of global organizing (pp. 227–243). doi:10.1108/s1745-886220150000010008