When Cultural Ignorance Results in a Costly Business Mess

Why Cultural Awareness Training Is Essential for Global Mobility and Employee Safeguarding When Working in Foreign Cultures

Have you heard those nightmare stories of foreigners working abroad and causing offence?

Well, strap yourself in for this one, because this is one hell of a tale!

Business case studies from the business world are one of the most powerful ways to highlight the importance of local knowledge and cultural awareness training for those managing in foreign countries.

Often ignored or undervalued, this lack of cultural sensitivity can sometimes have messy and expensive outcomes.

An Example of Bad Cross Cultural Management

Managers going to work in foreign countries is nothing new. Neither are managers going into foreign business cultures and making fools of themselves. 

However, in this case, poor management skills combined with a lack of cultural sensitivity led to a violent and costly mess.

This incident happened in Iraq. It’s real and not made up.

It ended with angry local Iraqis, made up of workers and tribesmen, storming a Schlumberger Ltd camp at one of Iraq’s main oilfields in Rumaila. They wrecked the offices, as well as beating a British man so badly that he ended up in hospital.

It all started essentially due to complete ignorance of local cultural and especially religious sensitivities.

Prior to the major Muslim Shia holy day of Ashura, a British employee of G4S, on instruction from management, decided to try to remove a flag and some posters from their compoud walls. The flag had the name of Imam Hussain, and posters had images of Imam Ali. Both are venerated saints in the Shia tradition.

Ignorance of Local Iraqi Culture

When we first heard this story, we were shocked. Totally shocked.

It showed a complete and utter ignorance of the massive ramifications it would have. He clearly had no idea what he was doing; the only other explanation would be that he was consciously provoking them – which is even worse!

Let us keep it simple. For the Shia, Ashura, is holier than holy. For Sunnis, it is also a day of special significance where fasting takes place. But it is also the day when Imam Hussain (the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad and son of Imam Ali) was martyred; killed along with his family by a tyrant wanting to take power from the Ahle Bayt (the descendants of the Prophet).

It is a story which literally makes millions cry every year as they remember the slain. Processions take place, extra prayers, and gatherings of lamentations and a time of deep, deep reflection.

Every year, Shia Muslims re-enact what happened on the day of Ashura so that the story is never forgotten. Photo taken in Tehran, Iran by Ninara on Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

An Extreme Insult to Shia Muslims

What the security guard did was essentially insult the descendants of the Prophet, the day of Ashura and the locals.

This led to:

• the poor man being beaten by a mob,
• the offices of the firm being ransacked,
• the police intervening, and
• it became a diplomatic incident with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki weighing in to demand answers!

A costly mess, no?

So next time you hear someone question “why do we need to learn about their religion or culture?” please remember what could happen and has happened.

Main photo of Shia flags at Karbala, Iraq by ‏?? في عین الله on Unsplash