(MENAFN- The Peninsula) deepak john |
The Peninsula
Doha: Culture has a significant impact on the communication process as it influences the way we think and behave. Panellists explored the relation between culture and business and the impact of social culture on business administration methods and practices during an event yesterday.
The Management Science Division of the Community College of Qatar (CCQ) organised the 'Culture and Business Day' forum, which brought together representatives from various embassies and entrepreneurs from Qatar, the USA, Japan, India, and Italy.
The event was inaugurated by Dr. Khalid Al Horr, CCQ's President, who emphasised that culture is a fundamental component of human beliefs and influences all actions and decisions, including professional endeavours at the job level for individuals and the management level for small businesses and large organisations. The forum represented a qualitative leap for student and academic activity in the College and is expected to benefit students and professors, broaden their horizons of thought and open up new fields for scientific research, Dr. Al Horr added.
Dr. Ezz El Din Bakhit, Dean of the Management Science Division, emphasised the importance of social culture as a critical factor in shaping the thoughts and actions of individuals and social groups, pointing out that culture had a profound impact on communication and administration techniques, and business involvement, all of which led to the achievement of business objectives.
Hamad Mubarak Al Hajri, owner of Snoonu, moderated the panel discussion.“Today we are living in a world where culture can play big part in companies and businesses. Qatar's core value is to bring people together,” he said.
Speaking about the cultural attribution and values of American companies, Brooke Holland, Executive Director at the American Chamber of Commerce in Qatar, said,“It is very important for US companies to have that cultural relationship with others. When you look at US it is truly a melting point of different companies and cultures specially when it comes to business relationships.”
Palma Libotte, Founder and President of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Qatar, said,“As an Italian I can say that we have so many similarities with Qatar culturally and in business. Our two main assets are creativity and ability to work in complex environment. We have the capacity of problem solving and joining dots in any difficult situation. Creativity is seen in all our luxury products, fashion and arts and the ability to get results right in any adverse situation which is a big strength for an individual entrepreneur.”
Family values and family-centred society is important for business because the family-centred society builds a network through family and business members. One of the most important things for doing business in Qatar is to create a network which is created by trust, she added.
Ashraf K P, Managing Director of WellCare Pharmacy Group, advised students to show dedication.
Toshikazu Hirobe, Managing Director of Chiyoda Almana Engineering, discussed how culture impacts not only business but every part of our life.
The event was attended by distinguished guests, including Jae Man Jeon, Public Diplomacy Officer at the US Embassy; and Tamami Yoshida, the First Secretary for General Affairs and Head of the Cultural Section at the Embassy of Japan. Also present at the event were CCQ's deans, faculty members, administrative staff, and students.
A booth was set up for each participating country to showcase how its culture impacted the way of doing business. The team representing India was announced as the winner of the best cultural booth competition.
The forum also featured a mini-exhibition for small businesses, where nine CCQ students showcased distinctive businesses across various industries, including sports, hospitality, confectionery, beverages, décor, and crafts.