The subject of cultural integration has been debated upon quite a number of times, and it would continue to do so perhaps throughout the growing years of Dubai / UAE. The issue is whether Dubai is a cultural melting pot or whether cultural co-existence. I have talked about this subject in my columns here and here. However I came across a very interesting outlook from Marco Blankenburgh in an old issue of Time Out magazine. Marco's company Knowledge Workx specializes in what he calls "intercultural training", which I agree is extremely essential for the ever-growing population of Dubai.He agrees that the problem of people not being able to adapt culturally is indeed a serious and growing issue. Especially now that the pressure on people, in terms cost of living and quality of life, is rising:
"We co-exist but don't really mix, and we assume that it is supposed to be this way. So if I appoint a boss from a certain nationality to lead a certain department, it's assumed that people from that nationality will start appearing and sooner or later they will be the majority. If you have a social event at your company, you typically see people from the same nationality grouped together and there is no real synergy among the team."
I feel he also voices a very commonly felt syndrome which is rarely accepted or given credence in public - that of racial discrimination at the work place. Despite claiming that they are "equal opportunities employer", majority of the companies either flout it openly or have numerous ways possible to justify their stance.
For example the recruitment process itself starts with "Western educated" or "Indian Male" as a few of the pre-requisities for some positions, and comparatively much lower salaries offered to some nationalities despite more experience, maturity and values offered in return. (See the blog posts here, here and here.)
Marco agrees too, that people should be paid equal salaries regardless of their nationalities:
"It helps to create true cultural synergy and attaches value to the individual's skills rather than their nationality. You can't do it overnight ... It is so entrenched that it could take years to change. Slavery was abolished 200 years ago but the effects of it haven't gone
away..."
Any other ideas, comments or points of view?
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