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Emerald Article: Ranking the future global manager characteristics and knowledge requirements according to UAE business managers' opinions Belal Barhem, Hassan Younies, Pamela C. Smith

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Ranking the future global manager characteristics and knowledge requirements according to UAE business managers opinions
Belal Barhem
Business Administration Department, Abu Dhabi University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates

Future global manager characteristics 229

Received March 2011 Revised May 2011 Accepted June 2011

Hassan Younies
School of Management, NYIT Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and

Pamela C. Smith
The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to rank the importance of global manager characteristics according to the views of private and public leaders in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In addition, it will establish the most important and in demand managerial knowledge for UAE managers over the next ve years. Design/methodology/approach This study was conducted using a two-part questionnaire developed by the researchers. The purpose of the 52-item questionnaire is to assess managers ability to work in an international business environment. The sample includes 180 managers, from different public and private organizations in the UAE. Based on prior research, the characteristics examined include the following: communication skills, adaptability, open-mindedness to foreign environments, strong technical skills, stress management, ability to work well with others, social intelligence, and valuing diversity and multicultural teamwork. Factor analysis is used to analyze the importance of these global leader characteristics. Findings The study found that the sample of UAE managers feel the top ve global manager skills are: strong desire to go overseas, specic knowledge of overseas culture, the ability to adapt to time differences, the capacity to deal with expatriate work assignments, and overseas experience. In terms of the future, computer skills, communication skills, knowledge of worldwide networks and contacts, knowledge of home culture, and the ability to understand cultural dynamics are the most important skills. Originality/value The results will help in dening the major characteristics of future global managers in the UAE and the Gulf Corporation Council region. Keywords United Arab Emirates, Global managers, Managerial skills, Leadership, Gender Paper type Research paper

1. Introduction This paper seeks to rank in importance the characteristics of global leaders within the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The UAE is one of the richest countries based on

Education, Business and Society: Contemporary Middle Eastern Issues Vol. 4 No. 3, 2011 pp. 229-247 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited 1753-7983 DOI 10.1108/17537981111159984

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per capita gross domestic product, and has a population of over 3.7 million, yet only 21.9 percent are nationals/UAE citizens (Ministry of Economy, 2005). These facts have culminated in a move to develop the competencies of local employees in the workforce (Mellahi and Wood, 2004; Budhwar et al., 2002). Despite its potential economic wealth, academic research investigating skill and competencies among Arabic managers is limited. Abdalla and Al-Homoud (2001) argue scholars often overlook the study of leadership and organizational practices in the Arab context. Much of the existing literature focuses on human resource management (Budhwar and Mellahi, 2007, for a discussion, Rees et al., 2007), employee commitment within certain industries in the UAE (Suliman and Al-Junaibi, 2010), and some gender-related issues in Middle Eastern countries (Hutchings et al., 2010; Metcalfe, 2006, 2007; Metle, 2002). This studys examination of leadership within an Arabic region contributes to existing literature, and answers the call for further research into the realm of global management. This studys examination of global leader characteristics is timely for numerous reasons. First, the UAEs workforce diversity at all organizational levels and the presence of multinational corporations (MNCs) warrant an investigation of management skills. Second, the presence of MNCs in the region has increased the implementation of legal and professional requirements that are partially based on global standards. Finally, the Dubai Government recently launched the 2020 project, and the 2030 project in Abu Dhabi such as Sadiyat Island with the Louvre and Guggenheim museums. This multicultural business environment will continue to grow, and managers must be able to meet the future needs of the regions clientele (Al-Shaikh, 2001). Specically, we investigate the views of managers concerning the core competencies and skills required of global business leaders. These competencies include, but are not limited to, their adaptability to foreign environments, technical skills, stress management, communication, intelligence, negotiation skills, as well as teamwork. Existing research documents the importance of global managers possessing these competencies (Oliver et al., 2009; Schermerhorn et al., 2003; Harvey and Novicevic, 2001; Ivancevich, 2001; Hebard, 1996). Furthermore, we expand upon existing literature addressing differences in gender management style in the Middle East (Hutchings et al., 2010; Aycan, 2004; Metle, 2002). Results indicate subjects ranked the following skills as very important for successful global managers: . a strong desire to go overseas; . specic knowledge of overseas culture; . the ability to adapt to time differences; . the capacity to deal with expatriate work assignments; and . overseas experience. Despite our focus on managers in the UAE, our results may be generalizable to other Middle Eastern countries with a large population of MNCs. Our exploratory results may also assist MNCs in the region to develop and enhance their management training programs. Given the regions focus on the 2020 and 2030 projects, we also explore the sources of possible future demand for managerial knowledge. We solicit information concerning what skills are expected of managers in the next ve years. Specically, we explore various dimensions, including nancial management, project management, strategic management, information technology, and ethics. Our results indicate that over the next

ve years, the ability to work effectively with upper management, provide leadership, to know worldwide networks and contacts, the ability to understand cultural dynamics, and viewing change as an opportunity are expected of global leaders. This paper is organized as follows: Section 2 discusses prior literature documenting characteristics of global managers, and includes the objectives of our study. Section 3 provides a discussion of our sample and methodology. Section 4 provides an overview of our results, and Section 5 provides concluding remarks and calls for future research. 2. Literature review The rapid growth in information technology and electronic communication has heightened everyones awareness of the global economy. El-Sayed and Westup (2003) argue that information and communication technology has led to the formation of new and more complex networks of relations between national and global organizations. In order to be successful, global organizations must understand a myriad of factors that affect their core business. These factors include language, as well as cultural and religious differences. MNCs are considered global organizations since they have missions and strategies that are broad/worldwide in scope. Furthermore, they often maintain perspectives that lack allegiance to any one national home. Successful MNCs must hire global managers that seek to maintain and uphold a diverse corporate culture. Underlying this concept of a global manager is the denition of a leader, which is a group member whose inuence on group attitudes, performance, or decision making greatly exceeds that of the average member of the group (Simonton, 2004, p. 411). In the global context, this paper focuses on the global manager. Discussed in the context of expatriates, Harvey and Novicevic (2001, p. 69) argue:
A successful global manager will have to possess a complex amalgamation of technical, political, social, organizational and cultural competencies beyond those found in many of the expatriates of the past. The ability to amass the collective managerial skills to compete in the hypercompetitive global marketplace may be one of the most important strategic tasks facing the management of rapidly expanding global organizations.

Future global manager characteristics 231

Schermerhorn et al. (2003, p. 43) further expand upon the requirements of a global manager. They argue:
An ability to adapt well to different business environments is a basic attribute needed by a global manager. S/he should also be able to respect different beliefs, solve problems quickly in new circumstances, communicate well with other people from different cultures, speak more than one language, understand different government and political systems, convey respect and enthusiasm when dealing with others, and possess high technical expertise for a job.

In a global context, business leaders and managers need to possess strategic thinking skills. Strategic leadership involves the capacity to learn, the capacity to change, and managerial wisdom. According to Rhinesmith (1992), a global manager needs a global mindset and to be able to trust organizational processes rather than structure, in order to deal with the unexpected. Furthermore, they must value diversity and multicultural teamwork, view change as an opportunity, and be comfortable with surprises and ambiguity. Advances in technology also require global managers to expand upon standard face-to-face teamwork and move toward innovative virtual teams. In order

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to accomplish these goals, managers must exhibit superior communication and computer skills (Pauleen, 2003). Furthermore, the study by Barhem (2008) found that private sector managers in the UAE are able to deal with the demands of globalization. Literature also addresses some non-technical characteristics of a global manager. These areas focus on interpersonal relationships, such as a well-adjusted family situation, a supportive spouse, behavioral exibility, and stress management coping mechanisms (Ivancevich, 2001; Hebard, 1996). These interpersonal skills may be viewed as related to the concept of social intelligence, which Gardner (1985) denes as the ability to notice and make distinctions among individuals. This skill requires attention to a persons mood, temperament, motivations, and intentions. According to Salovey and Mayer (1990, p. 189), it is the ability to monitor ones own and others feelings and emotions to discriminate them and to use this information to guide ones thinking and actions. Global managers need these social intelligence qualities in addition to the following technical areas: academic and work qualications, language skills, a desire to work in a foreign location, and the ability to adapt to cultural change. The combination of all types of skills support the notion that global leadership development requires a holistic approach to talent management (Oliver et al., 2009). The foundation for effective global leadership is also communication. According to Gibson (1997), one must develop an awareness of different cultural communication styles, as well as understand the characteristics underlying these differences. Effective listening and interpretation skills are often viewed as critical in todays global environment. The ability to adapt to cultural change and cultural knowledge are critical characteristics for effective global managers. Cultural intelligence is a persons ability to manage effectively in diverse settings (Earley and Ang, 2003). Ng et al. (2009) argue that cultural intelligence leads to the learning process, allowing global managers to balance any friction, and may ultimately lead to an effective global leader. House et al. (1997, p. 536) note:
[. . .] what is expected of leaders, what leaders may and may not do, and the inuence that leaders have vary considerably as a result of the cultural forces in the countries or regions in which the leaders function.

The global leadership and organizational behavior effectiveness (GLOBE) research project investigates cultural values and practices in various countries to identify their impact on organizational practices and leadership attributes (House et al., 2002, p. 3). In particular, the GLOBE project examines clusters of nations, including an Arabic cluster (which includes Qatar, Morocco, Turkey, Egypt, and Kuwait). Kabasakal and Bodur (2002) maintain that team-oriented managers are perceived to be the most effective in the Arabic cluster. Furthermore, autonomous and self-protective leadership styles have a negative impact on effective leadership in the Arabic cluster. Additional research on global leadership skills in the Middle East includes studies focusing on leaders in other regions, besides those in the GLOBE Arabic cluster. Youssef and Luthans (2006) stress Egyptian leaders should exude condence, transparency and ethics, in order to sustain a competitive advantage for the organization. Zaffane and Al-Zarooni (2008) found in their sample of UAE Government organizations that organizational culture affects job satisfaction as well as the degree of trust employees maintain with management. Overall, Suliman and Iles (2000) note the belief among Arab researchers and managers that a committed workforce is a powerful source of competitive advantage and success.

Despite a wealth of information concerning the characteristics of global managers, there does not appear to be any ideal standards for assessing a managers ability to work effectively in a global environment. We seek to add to the existing literature by documenting what managers in the UAE expect of their global managers. The exploratory nature of this study calls for the proposition of the following research questions: RQ1. What do UAE managers view as the most important global manager characteristics? RQ2. What do UAE managers view as the most important manager characteristic needed for future leaders? 3. Methodology 3.1 Sample and questionnaire This study was conducted using a two-part questionnaire developed by the researchers. The purpose of the questionnaire is to assess managers ability to work in an international business environment. About 280 questionnaires were distributed to a convenience sample of 90 organizations in the seven different emirates in the UAE. Respondents were chosen from the seven different emirates that differ in size, wealth, population, and business opportunities. In total, 104 private and 76 public organizations were contacted, and the questionnaires were hand delivered to at least ve managers in every targeted organization with not less than 200 employees in total. A total of 180 respondents completed the questionnaire (resulting in a 64 percent response rate). The 52-item questionnaire evaluated a set of characteristics, knowledge, and skills necessary for global leaders, both in todays current environment and in the future (i.e. the next ve years). Each respondent was asked to determine the level of importance of each item. This level of importance was measured on a ve-point Likert scale (1 not important to 5 critically important). To determine the skill importance in the next ve years, a three-point Likert scale was used (3 increase in ve years to 1 decrease in ve years). The questionnaire also solicited demographic information (including, but not limited to, age, academic status, work experience, gender, nationality, and managerial position). Based on prior research, the characteristics examined in the questionnaire are considered requirements for a global manager. These characteristics include the following: communication skills, adaptability, open-mindedness to foreign environments, strong technical skills, stress management, ability to work well with others, social intelligence and valuing diversity and multicultural teamwork (Rhinesmith, 1992; Harvey and Novicevic, 2001; Schermerhorn et al., 2003; Pauleen, 2003). The reliability test for the elements of the questionnaire is represented in Table I. It reveals a Cronbachs a level from 0.98 to 0.99, which are considered acceptable levels. Concerning demographic information of the 180 mid-level manager respondents, 44 is working in the public sector and 104 in the private sector. Respondent proles are
Item Overall importance Current importance Future importance Cronbachs a 0.99 0.989 0.98 No. of items 104 52 52

Future global manager characteristics 233

Table I. Reliability statistics

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reported in Table II. In terms of organization size, 47 percent of the respondents work for an organization that employs more than 200 workers, with 51.1 percent in the services industry, and 48.9 percent in the production industry. About 80.6 percent of the sample respondents are male, and 51.7 percent of respondents have a Bachelors
Category Type Public Private Semipublic Age (years) , 20 21-25 26-30 31-35 36-40 41-50 . 50 Education Certicate/diploma Professional Bachelors Master PhD Marital status Single Married Divorced Separated Gender Male Female Race Arab Asian Indian Others Children 1-2 3-5 6 or more No children Size , 100 100-200 200-500 More than 500 Output Products Services Total Note: n 180 Frequency 44 104 32 12 20 29 20 33 44 22 24 10 93 41 12 42 135 3 0 145 35 79 11 73 17 45 67 21 47 69 26 22 63 88 92 180 % 24.4 57.8 17.8 6.7 11.1 16.1 11.1 18.3 24.4 12.2 13.3 5.6 51.7 22.8 6.7 23.3 75.0 1.7 0 80.6 19.4 43.9 6.1 40.6 9.4 25.0 37.2 11.7 26.1 38.3 14.4 12.2 35.0 48.9 51.1 100.0

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Table II. Respondents prole

degree, but the level of education ranged from secondary to post-graduate. Even though 66 percent of the sample members are more than 30 years old, the category of 26-30 years old is the largest single category, which explains the fact that 52 percent of the sample had less than four years work experience. In terms of ethnic diversity, 43.9 percent are Arab, and 40.6 percent are Indian. This is possibly attributable to the preference of some organizations to hire staff from South East Asia and India because they are qualied and costless. This indicates that the international and local organizations in the UAE are geocentric organizations and hiring third country nationals. As noted previously concerning gender, 81 percent of the sample are male, while 75 percent are married. Table III provides information on gender, based on race. This information illustrates that the majority of male respondents are Arabs nationals, and the majority of females are also Arabs nationals. The UAE Government lately set strategic plans to empower female leaders and in public organizations females have taken the lead to a certain extent as a result of empowerment plans. 4. Results Table IV presents survey respondents most important skills according to a scale of ve degrees. It is not surprising to nd that UAE business leaders believe that academic standing is less important than managerial or IT skills in a global business environment. It is true that people with degrees can have the latest knowledge, but it will not help them to work in a global environment without mastering managerial or intercommunication skills, which only comes second in order of importance to them. There is a huge growth in graduate studies in the UAE, and easily we see growing numbers of universities and graduate and post-graduate programs. Additionally, any announcement for jobs in the UAE will require a degree in the related academic eld. To have a strong desire to work overseas is strongly needed in a global business environment, specically in the UAE where the manager may work with more than 203 worldwide nationalities. So if the manager himself or his employees lack the desire, they will feel culture shock and may leave the organization. The following elements are considered very important skills by current global managers: . a strong desire to go overseas; . specic knowledge of overseas culture; . the ability to adapt to time differences; . the capacity to deal with expatriate work assignments; . overseas experience; and . support of spouse.
Race % 0.82 0.18 1

Future global manager characteristics 235

Arab Gender Male Female Total 62 17 79

% 0.8 0.2 1

Asian 9 2 11

% 0.82 0.18 1

Indian 60 13 73

Others 14 3 17

% 0.82 0.18 1

Total 145 35 180

Ratio (%) 81 19 100 Table III. The breakdown of races and gender

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Skills Strong desire to work overseas Specic knowledge of overseas culture Ability to adapt to time differences Deal with expatriate work assignments Overseas experience Support of spouse Write effectively for a time-constrained audience Adaptability and open-mindedness to foreign environments Space utilization skills Apply appropriate business models Views change as an opportunity To know worldwide networks and contacts Ability to understand cultural dynamics Think critically and creatively about complex issue Good language skills Good stress management skills Comfortable with surprises and ambiguity Understands different government and political systems Social intelligence Well-adjusted family situation Act effectively under time pressure Consider an overseas posting as a prospect for skill enhancement and career advancement Capacity to change Computer skills Mentor others Positive attitude towards skill requirements Behavioral exibility Adapt to change Provide consulting and advising skills Utilize IT in decision making Act responsibly beyond reproach Take initiative Managerial wisdom Inspire a shared vision Think and act entrepreneurially Communicate effectively orally Ability to adapt well to different business environments Open mind Appreciate, understand, and leverage diversity Lead change Think and act strategically Communication skills Knowledge of home culture Motivate and energize people Work effectively with upper manager Strong technical skills Negotiate effectively Provide leadership Work effectively in teams Ability to get along with others Capacity to learn Academic standing

Mean 3.0389 3.0056 2.9444 2.9389 2.9389 2.9333 2.9278 2.9278 2.9278 2.9167 2.9167 2.9111 2.9056 2.8889 2.8667 2.8611 2.8611 2.8556 2.8500 2.8444 2.8389 2.8333 2.8333 2.8333 2.8222 2.8222 2.8111 2.8056 2.8056 2.8056 2.8000 2.7944 2.7889 2.7833 2.7833 2.7778 2.7722 2.7722 2.7500 2.7444 2.7222 2.7111 2.7111 2.7111 2.7000 2.7000 2.6889 2.6833 2.6444 2.6389 2.6222 2.6000

SD 1.21151 1.15549 1.20391 1.17309 1.18257 1.23542 1.19604 1.19604 1.12379 1.21846 1.19998 1.35897 1.19915 1.28545 1.30919 1.36092 1.37318 1.36649 1.35562 1.23190 1.35846 1.25293 1.27064 1.45126 1.21055 1.14899 1.37735 1.34993 1.18226 1.28201 1.33872 1.31895 1.37003 1.19250 1.27404 1.17495 1.19977 1.38560 1.19063 1.33756 1.39454 1.29670 1.27498 1.46653 1.45280 1.17659 1.26088 1.50780 1.55934 1.40137 1.36253 1.19403

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Table IV. The most important skills in descending order

Such skills focus on international and multicultural facets of management, and are necessary to manage a multicultural workplace in a multicultural business environment similar to the one in the UAE. Previous studies have noted that working effectively in teams, the ability to get along with others, and the capacity to learn are important skills to have in a global environment; however our survey of UAE leaders shows they believe there are other more important skills. In terms of gender, the majority of the managers investigated in this study expressed a belief that it is not necessary for the leader to be male to work in the global business environment. Even in the UAE culture where the male is considered superior among the local people, we can notice global culture guiding the business environment and reecting great concern for female managers. In terms of the expected importance in the coming ve years, as revealed in Table V, managers opinions according to a scale of three degrees show that the following skills will be the most important in the future: computer skills, communication skills, knowledge of worldwide networks and contacts, knowledge of home culture, and the ability to understand cultural dynamics. The majority of the next generation of the labor force, and specically in the Gulf Corporation Council (GCC) countries, will be young people which helps us to understand the need for the latest computer knowledge, and skilful employees with a clear understanding of the requirements of working globally. As a result of the high speed of globalization, leaders may rank knowing worldwide networks and contacts as the third expected important skill required in future leaders. The increasing diversity in the business environment in the UAE will require better skills in communication in the future. Increasing diversity in the labor force requires additional quantity and better quality in the ability to understand cultural dynamics skill. For example, Dubai police are working seriously to develop language skills among its members, specically the Chinese language. Cultural awareness also seems recently more important for foreigners in the UAE, since many court cases involving foreigners are due to the lack of cultural awareness. Factor analysis was used to further investigate managerial skills needed in a global environment. In interpreting factors, a decision must be made regarding which factor loadings are worth considering. Determining a cut-off point of loading is a matter of preference for the researcher according to his research objectives and design (Tabachnick and Fidell, 2001). Hence, different researchers have used different cut off points to choose the retained variables (for example, Anderson and Gerbing, 1988 used 0.40). Factor analysis results presented in Table VI reveal more signicant information to explain the importance of the investigated variables and the relationships among these variables. The analysis strategy performed is varimax with Kaiser as normalization rotation method with a rotation converged in six iterations, and the cut-off point is 0.40 to be consistent with prior literature. The rst component includes 43 variables out of 52 with a strong inuence for leadership and adaptation to change. Referring to Table IV, we can notice that the only variables which are included in all components are overseas experience and computer skills, and the two variables ranked in the rst place in terms of current and future importance for the global business environment. The second component includes most of the skills required for a global charismatic leader such as teamwork, strategic planning, open mindedness, etc. The following skills were inserted in the third component: strong technical skills, a well-adjusted family situation, the support of

Future global manager characteristics 237

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Skills Computer skills Communication skills To know worldwide networks and contacts Knowledge of home culture Ability to understand cultural dynamics Social intelligence Specic knowledge of overseas culture Work effectively with upper manager Provide leadership Ability to adapt well to different business environments Views change as an opportunity Work effectively in teams Act responsibly beyond reproach Mentor others Communicate effectively orally Strong desire to go overseas Act effectively under time pressure Behavioral exibility Capacity to change Well-adjusted family situation Open mind Apply appropriate business models Understands different government and political systems Write effectively for a time-constrained audience Overseas experience Good stress management skills Think critically and creatively about complex issue Lead change Negotiate effectively Think and act entrepreneurially Consider an overseas posting as a prospect for skill enhancement and career advancement Ability to adapt to time differences Academic standing Space utilization skills Adaptability and open-mindedness to foreign environments Think and act strategically Comfortable with surprises and ambiguity Positive attitude towards skill requirements Motivate and energize people Support of spouse Inspire a shared vision Appreciate, understand, and leverage diversity Deal with expatriate work assignments Provide consulting and advising skills Ability to get along with others Take initiative Managerial wisdom Adapt to change Good language skills Capacity to learn Utilize IT in decision making Strong technical skills

Mean 2.7278 2.6556 2.6556 2.5944 2.5833 2.5556 2.5111 1.9889 1.9778 1.9722 1.9667 1.9444 1.9389 1.9278 1.9222 1.9222 1.9222 1.9167 1.9167 1.9167 1.9056 1.9056 1.9000 1.9000 1.8944 1.8944 1.8889 1.8889 1.8889 1.8833 1.8833 1.8833 1.8833 1.8833 1.8833 1.8833 1.8778 1.8778 1.8722 1.8722 1.8611 1.8611 1.8611 1.8611 1.8500 1.8500 1.8444 1.8389 1.8389 1.8167 1.8167 1.8111

SD 0.44635 0.47651 0.47651 0.49237 0.49438 0.49829 0.50127 0.70107 0.81847 0.75065 0.76881 0.85038 0.75608 0.75510 0.78003 0.73580 0.81505 0.81792 0.76862 0.79013 0.78887 0.80291 0.78463 0.69395 0.76587 0.79451 0.81116 0.77596 0.76872 0.74949 0.75690 0.74200 0.74949 0.70334 0.78587 0.82743 0.78857 0.75232 0.81898 0.69339 0.78934 0.75312 0.76782 0.74567 0.77297 0.79436 0.81070 0.83341 0.79217 0.77297 0.80830 0.76800

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Table V. The importance of the skills in ve years in descending order

Rotated component matrix The skill Work effectively in teams Work effectively with upper manager Provide leadership Inspire a shared vision Motivate and energize people Mentor others Ability to adapt well to different business environments Adapt to change Lead change Views change as an opportunity Capacity to change Take initiative Act effectively under time pressure Think and act strategically Think and act entrepreneurially Think critically & creatively about complex issue Utilize IT in decision making Apply appropriate business models Communicate effectively orally Write effectively for a time-constrained audience Provide consulting and advising skills Negotiate effectively Act responsibly beyond reproach Appreciate, understand, and leverage diversity Positive attitude towards skill requirements Adaptability and open-mindedness to foreign environments Ability to get along with others Consider an overseas posting as a prospect for skill enhancement and career advancement Ability to adapt to time differences Space utilization skills Strong technical skills Well-adjusted family situation Support of spouse Strong desire to go overseas Overseas experience Academic standing Good language skills Behavioral exibility Open mind Good stress management skills Understands different government and political systems Deal with expatriate work assignments Capacity to learn Managerial wisdom 1 0.752 0.734 0.783 0.698 0.718 0.693 0.778 0.785 0.774 0.724 0.770 0.728 0.741 0.772 0.670 0.777 0.427 0.640 0.586 0.578 0.725 0.651 0.627 0.580 0.603 0.665 0.543 Component 2 0.473 0.442 0.415 0.521 3

Future global manager characteristics 239

0.418 0.432 0.576

0.416 0.441 0.425 0.512 0.505 0.524 0.551 0.568 0.635 0.491 0.471 0.474 0.814 0.782 0.413

0.426 0.411 0.414 0.463 0.538 0.493 0.497 0.449 0.425 0.592 0.559

0.505 0.671 0.729 0.713 0.713 0.599 0.713 0.631 0.579

0.634 Table VI. The factor analysis results

(continued)

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The skill

Rotated component matrix 1 0.500 0.554 0.405 Component 2 0.643 0.652 0.605 0.602 0.429 0.635 0.718 0.473 3

240

Comfortable with surprises and ambiguity Communication Skills Computer skills To know worldwide networks and contacts Ability to understand cultural dynamics Specic knowledge of overseas culture Knowledge of home culture Social intelligence

0.443 0.506 0.678 0.427

0.422 0.752

Table VI.

Notes: Extraction method principal component analysis; rotation method, varimax with Kaiser normalization; rotation converged in six iterations

spouse, a strong desire to go overseas, overseas experience, specic knowledge of overseas culture, academic standing, knowledge of home culture, able to respect different beliefs, and communicates well with other people from different cultures (Ivancevich, 2001; Hebard, 1996; Schermerhorn et al., 2003; Barkema et al., 2002). The global future skills correlated with each other in three components, which indicate the existence of a stronger relationship among these variables. The third component includes the rst six ranked skills which strongly support the results presented in Table IV. The results of the factor analysis strongly supports the results in Table IV where the rst ve ranked skills correlated with each others in one component. Concerning gender, only 40 percent of male leaders and 15 percent of female leaders believe that a strong desire to go overseas is less or not important for the future leaders in the UAE. Table VII also shows that the majority of male and female respondents very and critically agreed that the ability to adapt to time differences is the third important skill that needs to be mastered by future leaders. A common agreement between the two genders on this skill indicates the importance of the ability to adapt to this element in different environments if you plan to work globally. More male leaders believe it is somewhat important for future leaders to have overseas experience. Almost 50 percent of the female leaders were of Arab origins (Table III); this may affect the importance of overseas experience due to the nature of the Arabic culture where females were not encouraged to go for overseas assignments. Furthermore, both male and female responses concentrated in the middle (i.e. somewhat important) for the most important skills which may reect contradictory ideas in their minds regarding the research topic. According to Table VIII, almost 45 percent of Asians reported very and critically important for the rst ranked skill (strong desire to go overseas), while more than 30 percent of Arabs as well as the Indians reported critically and very important for the same skill. In general, only 31 percent believed that a strong desire to go overseas is critically and very important. Strong desire to go overseas was less important for others on the contrary for all other races. The majority of Asians in all ve skills were very and critically important, while the Indian leaders have different evaluations. The majority of the foreign workforce in the UAE are Indians, and this fact is clearly reected in the sample members, and we know the close distance

Male Strong desire to go overseas Critically 15 0.1 Very 26 0.18 Somewhat 47 0.32 Less 37 0.26 Not 20 0.14 Specic knowledge of overseas culture Critically 10 0.07 Very 36 0.25 Somewhat 40 0.28 Less 39 0.27 Not 20 0.14 Ability to adapt to time differences Critically 20 0.14 Very 28 0.19 Somewhat 47 0.32 Less 30 0.21 Not 20 0.14 Deal with expatriate work assignments Critically 16 0.11 Very 38 0.26 Somewhat 38 0.26 Less 38 0.26 Not 15 0.1 Overseas experience Critically 14 0.1 Very 30 0.21 Somewhat 55 0.38 Less 25 0.17 Not 21 0.14 Total 145 1 9 7 11 5 3 5 17 9 3 1 5 10 14 4 2 5 10 12 5 3 9 10 9 6 1 35

Female 0.26 0.2 0.31 0.14 0.09 0.14 0.49 0.26 0.09 0.03 0.14 0.29 0.4 0.11 0.06 0.14 0.29 0.34 0.14 0.09 0.26 0.29 0.26 0.17 0.03 1 24 33 58 42 23 15 53 49 42 21 25 38 61 34 22 21 48 50 43 18 23 40 64 31 22 180

Total 0.13 0.18 0.32 0.23 0.13 0.08 0.29 0.27 0.23 0.12 0.14 0.21 0.34 0.19 0.12 0.12 0.27 0.28 0.24 0.1 0.13 0.22 0.36 0.17 0.12 1

Future global manager characteristics 241

Table VII. The breakdown of the rst six important skills by gender

between India and the UAE and the historical relationships between the two countries which may affect the majority opinions in ranking dealing with expatriate work assignments as critically important and very important. Public sector managers believed more than the private sector managers in the critical importance of the strong desire to go overseas, the ability to adapt to time differences, and dealing with expatriate work assignments (Table IX). The leaders in the semi-public organizations believed more that all skills are very important rather than critically important. The majority of local job seekers in the UAE, at all managerial levels, prefer to work in the public sector due to the better salaries, workplace conditions, and social status. Recently, the UAE public sector established high standards for obtaining a job in the public sector; the most important competencies being experience and cultural awareness, as well as academic status. Expatriates in the UAE business environment mainly work in the private sector. Based on personal observation, we notice that UAE private sector employers have became more attractive for job seekers from the European countries as well as the USA and Canada, due to the recent nancial crisis. And a signicant number of these are of

EBS 4,3

Arab Strong desire to go overseas Critically 9 0.11 3 Very 14 0.18 2 Somewhat 26 0.33 3 Less 20 0.25 1 Not 10 0.13 2 Specic knowledge of overseas culture Critically 8 0.1 1 Very 18 0.23 7 Somewhat 24 0.3 0 Less 20 0.25 2 Not 9 0.11 1 Ability to adapt to time differences Critically 13 0.16 1 Very 12 0.15 5 Somewhat 24 0.3 3 Less 19 0.24 1 Not 11 0.14 1 Deal with expatriate work assignments Critically 10 0.13 1 Very 12 0.15 6 Somewhat 28 0.35 4 Less 17 0.22 0 Not 12 0.15 0 Overseas experience Critically 11 0.14 2 Very 15 0.19 3 Somewhat 26 0.33 3 Less 17 0.22 1 Not 10 0.13 2 Total 79 1 11

Asian 0.27 0.18 0.27 0.09 0.18 0.09 0.64 0 0.18 0.09 0.09 0.45 0.27 0.09 0.09 0.09 0.55 0.36 0 0 0.18 0.27 0.27 0.09 0.18 1 12 12 24 14 11 6 20 21 17 9 8 20 25 11 9 8 23 16 21 5 10 17 27 10 9 73

Indian 0.16 0.16 0.33 0.19 0.15 0.08 0.27 0.29 0.23 0.12 0.11 0.27 0.34 0.15 0.12 0.11 0.32 0.22 0.29 0.07 0.14 0.23 0.37 0.14 0.12 1 0 5 5 7 0 0 8 4 3 2 3 1 9 3 1 2 7 2 5 1 0 5 8 3 1 17

Others 0 0.29 0.29 0.41 0 0 0.47 0.24 0.18 0.12 0.18 0.06 0.53 0.18 0.06 0.12 0.41 0.12 0.29 0.06 0 0.29 0.47 0.18 0.06 1 24 33 58 42 23 15 53 49 42 21 25 38 61 34 22 21 48 50 43 18 23 40 64 31 22 180

Total 0.13 0.18 0.32 0.23 0.13 0.08 0.29 0.27 0.23 0.12 0.14 0.21 0.34 0.19 0.12 0.12 0.27 0.28 0.24 0.1 0.13 0.22 0.36 0.17 0.12 1

242

Table VIII. The breakdown of the rst ve important skills by race

Middle East and Arab origin, which indicates real experience in overseas assignment and cultural awareness. Table X shows the correlation analysis between the rst ve skills in rank and the three independent variables included in the breakdown analysis. The analysis revealed a signicant relationship between gender and a strong desire to go overseas and specic knowledge of overseas culture. Males in general are more ready to go overseas, specically in Arabic and Islamic environments, and gender inuences the required global skills and knowledge. Additionally, the majority of the sample members are male which indicates the importance of gender in ranking the required global skills. The type of the organization signicantly related to the categories of specic knowledge of overseas culture, dealing with expatriate work assignments, and overseas experience. Race has no signicant inuence in determining the most important skills, which indicates a common global understanding of the required skills and knowledge needed to work globally. Such results can help us to build a common model for attracting expatriates from the diverse world. In general, private sector organizations are more ready and

Private Strong desire to go overseas Critically 6 0.14 Very 10 0.23 Somewhat 13 0.3 Less 12 0.27 Not 3 0.07 Specic knowledge of overseas culture Critically 7 0.16 Very 14 0.32 Somewhat 12 0.27 Less 7 0.16 Not 4 0.09 Ability to adapt to time differences Critically 4 0.09 Very 6 0.14 Somewhat 12 0.27 Less 13 0.3 Not 9 0.2 Deal with expatriate work assignments Critically 3 0.07 Very 2 0.05 Somewhat 10 0.23 Less 20 0.45 Not 9 0.2 Overseas experience Critically 7 0.16 Very 11 0.25 Somewhat 15 0.34 Less 7 0.16 Not 4 0.09 Total 44 1 16 17 35 19 17 7 34 25 24 14 14 18 37 23 12 16 22 26 23 17 14 21 37 15 17 104

Public 0.15 0.16 0.34 0.18 0.16 0.07 0.33 0.24 0.23 0.13 0.13 0.17 0.36 0.22 0.12 0.15 0.21 0.25 0.22 0.16 0.13 0.2 0.36 0.14 0.16 1

Semi-public 2 6 10 11 3 1 5 12 11 3 4 10 12 2 4 2 11 11 4 4 2 8 12 9 1 32 0.06 0.19 0.31 0.34 0.09 0.03 0.16 0.38 0.34 0.09 0.13 0.31 0.38 0.06 0.13 0.06 0.34 0.34 0.13 0.13 0.06 0.25 0.38 0.28 0.03 1 24 33 58 42 23 15 53 49 42 21 22 34 61 38 25 21 35 47 47 30 23 40 64 31 22 180

Total 0.13 0.18 0.32 0.23 0.13 0.08 0.29 0.27 0.23 0.12 0.12 0.19 0.34 0.21 0.14 0.12 0.19 0.26 0.26 0.17 0.13 0.22 0.36 0.17 0.12 1

Future global manager characteristics 243

Table IX. The breakdown of the rst ve important skills by organization type

motivated to go global than public or semi-public organizations, and this logically requires from private organizations employees specic knowledge of overseas culture, dealing better with expatriate work assignments, and having overseas experience. 5. Concluding remarks This study nds that the UAE subjects ranked a strong desire to go overseas as the most important qualication needed for global managers, in the current global business environment. The competence specic knowledge of overseas culture was viewed as strongly needed in a global business environment, specically in the UAE, where the manager may work with more than 230 nationalities. A study by Barhem et al. (2008) reveals that UAE managers look for future candidates who can work effectively on teams and motivate and energize people, supports our results. The following skills were also considered very important to our sample global managers: the ability to adapt to time differences, overseas experience, and the ability to deal with expatriate work assignments.

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Variables

Strong desire to go overseas Pearson correlation 1 Sig. (two-tailed) Specic knowledge of overseas culture Pearson correlation 0.551 * * Sig. (two-tailed) 0.000 Ability to adapt to time differences Pearson correlation 0.565 * * Sig. (two-tailed) 0.000 Deal with expatriate work assignments Pearson correlation 0.552 * * Sig. (two-tailed) 0.000 Overseas experience Pearson correlation 0.416 * * Sig. (two-tailed) 0.000 Gender Pearson correlation 20.178 * Sig. (two-tailed) 0.017 Race Pearson correlation 20.021 Sig. (two-tailed) 0.776 Type of the organization Pearson correlation 0.082 Sig. (two-tailed) 0.276 n 180 1 0.587 * * 0.000 1 0.630 * * 0.000 1 0.620 * * 0.000 2 0.082 0.272 2 0.101 0.177 0.200 * * 0.007 180 1 20.081 0.283 20.054 0.470 0.213 * * 0.004 180 0.694 * * 0.000 20.118 0.116 20.053 0.483 0.174 * 0.019 180 0.643 * * 0.000 0.568 * * 0.000 20.270 * * 0.000 20.014 0.853 0.172 * 0.021 180

Note: Signicance at: *0.05 and * *0.01 levels

Table X. Correlation analysis between the rst ve skills in rank and the three independent variables included in the breakdown analysis Strong desire to go overseas Specic knowledge of overseas culture Ability to adapt to time differences Deal with expatriate work assignments Overseas experience

In terms of expected importance in the coming ve years, the study revealed that the managers opinions show computer skills, communication skills, knowledge of worldwide networks and contacts, knowledge of home culture, and the ability to understand cultural dynamics are the skills considered most important. Academic institutions, schools and governmental organizations concerned with human resource development need to be equipped with the results of this study to set their plans in order to provide the UAE market with its expected needs. For example, the academic institutions need to develop their curricula to respond to such future requirements. Managers in MNCs working in the UAE and the region can utilize the current results in developing their future and current strategies. Additionally, this study provides guidance for further research in the UAE and the Gulf countries. Despite the use of a convenience sample of managers in seven different emirates in the UAE, our results may be generalized to other Arabic countries in the Gulf, including the GCC. GCC countries, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain have demographic, economical, and cultural dimensions in common with the UAE. Future research should seek to expand investigations of global management within the Arab region.
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