Publications

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region includes a group of countries that share significant cultural, economic, and environmental similarities. The term “Middle East” evokes contradictory images, from war and conflict to petroleum fields and lavish wealth. The region is also home to three of the world’s major religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the followers of which have often come into conflict. Tensions among the various linguistic and ethnic groups have likewise complicated the efforts of the region’s inhabitants to coexist and cooperate. At the same time, the historical and archeological sites that are scattered across the MENA region include some of the first urban centers in the world, making it the “cradle of civilization.” Now, some cities around the Arabian Gulf and southern Mediterranean are forging ahead and flourishing as sprawling, ultramodern urban centers that attract talent and investment from across the world while other areas are plagued by political and economic instability.

Despite these challenges, the MENA countries offer many opportunities for entrepreneurs and global organizations to expand. Growing Your Business in the Middle East: How to Master the Cultural Game is an invaluable guide for anyone preparing to navigate the region’s rich and complex mix of people and ways of life. The topics covered include negotiating partnerships, expanding enterprises, managing cross-cultural teams, and increasing revenues. The author explains common business communication challenges that foreigners face when doing business in the Middle East and offers practical advice on dealing with them effectively. Readers will learn how to recognize opportunities and develop strategies for approaching problems that result from cross-cultural misunderstandings.

Thanks to extensive practical experience and academic training, the author is able to provide an expert’s insights into Middle Eastern business culture. Through this book, he makes these insights available to researchers and executives seeking to expand their understanding of the region’s people and to predict its future in light of current events. The primary focus is on clear and precise information crucial for entrepreneurs, executives, and international business practitioners who need to communicate effectively in the region. In other words, Growing Your Business in the Middle East: How to Master the Cultural Game is a nuts-and-bolts guide for those planning to establish or expand a business in the region.

This reference book is also intended to be read for pleasure. In an engaging and personal manner, the author presents numerous examples from his life experience as well as interviews with leaders in the region to maximize readers’ comprehension of the region’s cultures. A discursive perspective facilitates the telling of a cultural story that touches on the major historical events that have left their mark on the region and the ideas that originated and continue to circulate there. The book also contributes to the cultural studies literature by introducing a research methodology that combines the tools of discourse analysis, observation, interviewing, and aesthetic analysis. This approach informs readers about the forces that have shaped and guided the cultural identity of the peoples of this region through history and the various conceptions of power that are determining the current frames of reference for understanding the region’s cultures and sub-cultures.
 

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