Prof. Dr. Elias Jammal. PhD in Educational Science. management with focus on the Arab world.

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1 Prof. Dr. PhD in Educational Science Professor in Intercultural communication and management with focus on the Arab world.

2 Trust in German-Arab Business Relationships International Congress Trust, Culture and Gender Heilbronn, November 13, 2009

3 Contents 1. Background 2. Objective What is missing? 3. Relevance 4. Approach 5. Results A: Trust Prototypes 6. Results B: Prototypes and Culture 7. Results C: Trust and Reliance 8. Conclusions

4 1. Background Project: Three years research project funded by the Landesstiftung Baden- Württemberg Objective: Semantic and genesis of trust in German-Arab business relationships. Method: Half-structured interviews (interview guideline) with 40 German and 40 Arab managers in the four countries Egypt, Libya, Qatar und UAE.

5 2. Objective Trust prototypes Differences between trust and reliance.

6 What is missing? Methodology of the research project Refer to Jammal/Kilian-Yasin/Leistikow2010: Trust and Culture

7 3. Relevance Theoretical framework: trust and reliance. Trust in an intercultural context. Trust in the German-Arab business context. Intercultural trainings and stereotypes

8 4. Approach Schweer s approach of trust prototypes has been adopted and modified. Prototypes: What is seen to be the essence of trustandthekindoftrustpeoplepursue.

9 5. Results A: Trust Prototypes Type 1 of trust: Sheer reliability-based trust Type 2 of trust: Friendship-based trust Type 3 of trust: Family- and kinship-based trust

5. Results A: Trust prototypes (continued) Prototype Characteristic Basis Control and vulnerability Prototype 1 Sheer reliability Competence-based attributes Controlled exposure.

10 5. Results A: Trust prototypes (continued) Prototype Characteristic Basis Control and vulnerability Prototype 1 Sheer reliability Competence-based attributes Controlled exposure. Control can diminish through successful reciprocity. Vulnerability is accepted only to a certain extent Prototype 2 Friendship-based Friendship feelings Control can diminish through trust and ties, sincerity relationships. Vulnerability is and honesty accepted to a high extent Prototype 3 Family- and Family and kinship Controlled exposure. Control can kinship-based feelings and ties, diminish through successful trust sincerity and reciprocity. Vulnerability is rather honesty avoided in the business context.

11 6. Results B: Prototypes and Culture Prototypes Differences between German and Arab Ip Differences between the Arab countries Prototype 1 (sheer reliability) Higher occurrence rate amongst the German Ip Highest occurrence rates in Egypt and UAE than among the Arab Ip Prototype 2 (friendship- Higher occurrence rate Highest occurrence rates in based trust) among the Arab Ip than Qatar and Libya among the German Ip Prototype 3 (family and Higher occurrence rate Highest Occurrence rates kinship-based trust) among the Arab Ip than in Libya and UAE among the German Ip

12 6. Results B: Prototypes and Culture (continued) Determinants Family and kinship Meaning of respect Expectations Second-order expectations and hetero stereotypes Explanations Arab Ip show higher importance of family and kinship ties than in the case of the German Ip. Arab Ip understand by respect mainly respect of their culture, whereas the German Ip refer respect to keeping deadlines, quality standards etc. The Arab Ip underline the importance of respect much stronger than German Ip do. Arab Ip expect from the German Ip cultural adaptation and flexibility. The German Ip expect high competence, better commitment, keeping agreements etc. Arab Ip expect that Germans expect from them higher competence, keeping of agreements etc. German Ip expect that Arabs expect from them fulfilment of the hetero stereotypes: Competence, punctuality etc.

13 6. Results B: Prototypes and Culture -conclusions- a. Similarities and differences all the way b. One cannot generalize! Cultural dimensions do not help to understand theintricaterelationshipbetweentrust andculture.

14 7. Results C: Trust and Reliance -Logical and Real Options- Distinction between two perspectives: Perspective aof the Informant : Only real options (experience level) Perspective b neutral third person, the analyst: general options Aristotelian distinction between real possibilities and logical possibilities!

15 7. Results C (continued) From perspective a: Trust is mainly characterized by immunity against vulnerability and risk arguments. Immunity is based on bonds (emotional ties, traditional ties, or a mixture of the two). Reliability is far more dominant in the business context than trust.

16 8. Conclusions The dominance of reliance in business does not necessarily mean that bonds do not play a role at all. They might play a role, yet one can assume that their intensity and their influence on behaviour are not as high as it is in the case of trust. The role of reliance in building trust should be stressed: As in the case of prototype 2, successful reliance is a prerequisite for establishing friendship ties. This relates also to the phenomenon of prototype switching. Successful reliance and reciprocity in prototype 1 may lead to a switching to prototype 2.

17 8. Conclusions (continued) Whether the differences between the trust prototypes 2 and 3 on the one hand and the reliance prototype (prototype 1) apply in general to trust and reliance or not, is a question that goes beyond the scope of the presented research project.

18 Thank you for listening Questions?

Reviewer: Prof. Encho Gerganov, PhD

Reviewer: Prof. Encho Gerganov, PhD REVIEW of the dissertation RATIONAL AND EMOTIONAL INFLUENCES ON THE DEGREE OF SUCCESS OF MEDIATION, submitted by Yael Sne, Israel, a dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for