Competing values in Asian business: evidence from India and Dubai
| Published date | 07 January 2019 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JABS-09-2017-0164 |
| Date | 07 January 2019 |
| Pages | 97-107 |
| Author | Indu Rao |
| Subject Matter | Strategy,International business |
Competing values in Asian business:
evidence from India and Dubai
Indu Rao
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to highlight the fact that investors in the Asian region are
shifting their investments from one country to another, in this case,from India to Dubai, in the real
estate and infrastructure industry. While countries compete to get in vestments, competing ‘‘values’’
at the workplace may also influence in attracting the investments. This paper makes use of
competing values framework (CVF) to understand this phenomenon and to provide research
evidence about differences in workplace cultures in India and Dubai. It is proposed that differences
in workplace cultures, besides other non-culturalfactors, may influence this phenomenon of shifting
of investments between the two countries.
Design/methodology/approach –It is an inductive study to investigate why investors are shifting
investments from India to Dubai in the real estate and infrastru cture industry. This paper further
explores literature to support our claim that workplace cul tural differences may be responsible for
the shifting investments. Next, this paper identifies th e instrument called organizational culture
assessment instrument using CVF to collect data and plot the cultural profiles at the two country
sites.
Findings –The findings suggest that workplace cultures in the two countrylocations are different and
could be areason for Indians to shift their investmentsto Dubai in the real estate andinfrastructure sector.
There are bothcultural and non-cultural factors, which are responsiblefor the shift in global investments.
Research limitations/implications –The study has several research implications. It highlights the
possibility of a shift in global investments because of cultural and non-cultural differences at the
workplace.Specifically, it provides evidencethat workplace cultures are differentin the two countries and
could play a role in the competitivenessof firm and countries. This findinghas implications for research in
the fields of both strategy and international business.However, this is a preliminary study to explore a
recent phenomenon and uses data from only one organization in two countries. Therefore, this paper
accepts this as a limitation; however, it creates a potential for further exploration inmany directions for
futureresearch.
Practical implications –Managers in multinational firms have to deal with subsidiaries in different
countrieswith different cultures. While culture is not traditionallyconsidered an important factor,the study
highlights that it may have far-reachinginfluences on financial decisions. Therefore, managers needto
understandcultures and create strategiesto deal with diverse cultures.
Originality/value –It is perhaps the first attempt to investigate the workplace culture across India and
Dubai in the real estate and infrastructure industry through empiricalevidence. Further, in the context of
shifting global investments across the two countries, it highlights the importance of workplace cultures
towardseconomic and financial implications for countriesin the Asian subcontinent.
Keywords Asian business, Competing values, India and Dubai
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
As per the data from Government of Dubai’s Land Department (DLD), Indians have once
again topped the charts as the number one investor in Dubai realty with a whopping
investment of Rs13,600 crore ($2bn) into the sector in the first half of 2016 alone (www.
tribuneindia.com/news/real-estate/dubai-hot-favourite-for-realty-investment/331485.html).
Indu Rao is an Associate
Professor of Human
Resource Management at
the Institute of
Management, Nirma
University, Ahmedabad,
India.
Received 31 March 2018
Revised 20 June 2018
Accepted 27 September 2018
DOI 10.1108/JABS-09-2017-0164 VOL. 13 NO. 1 2019, pp. 93-103, ©Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 1558-7894 jJOURNAL OF ASIA BUSINESS STUDIES jPAGE 93
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