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Ethics

Women remain relatively uninvolved in Saudi business culture today. Saudi females receive higher education in business or technical professions at a far lower rate than even in other Muslim nations (Calvert & Al-Shetaiwi, 2002).

The purpose of the negotiation is to draft a deal with a potential client. Thus, there is a strong sales orientation to the meeting. We are establishing a relationship with our Saudi client. This affects our choice of negotiators because we must build the relationship with the Saudis before we are able to secure the deal and negotiate the specific terms. I would be hesitant to send either of these individuals to do this deal. Because we need to establish the relationship, we are at risk of failure by sending a junior male, and yet we are at risk if we send our senior female as well.

If the CEO insists we send the female, I would ensure that a senior male executive make the trip as well. Our female is exactly the person we want to do the negotiating, in order to win the best terms, but before we get to that step we must ensure that the deal goes through in the first place. Sending as high an executive as we can shows the Saudis due respect and allows us to establish a favorable relationship. Saudi business culture is still based on personal relationships -- it may be insulting to send anybody other than a top executive to open the negotiations (Hendon et al., 1996). However, we can use our female negotiator because many Saudis executives are trained in the West and familiar with Western business practices. They will not likely be put off, once the social aspect of the business relationship has been established. It is when the deal is close to being finalized that we need our best negotiator, and this stage of the process lacks the strong social context of the opening stages, where a male executive's presence is likely required.