Information systems strategies for multinational companies in Arab Gulf countries

With the emergence of an expanding interdependent global economy, information systems (IS) strategists need to face the challenges of internationalization. The growth of multinational business has led many corporations to support significantly high level of IS operations and IS applications development in foreign environments, By developing a conceptual framework, this paper addresses multinational companies (MNCs) IS global policy formulation and several implications for IS management issues in Arab Gulf countries (AGC). The objective is to illustrate the uniqueness of the business and IS problems confronting MNCs in AGC. Insights have been gained from examining the implications of the pertinent economic, sociopolitical. legal, and cultural variables that affect MNC IS global policy formulation. The uniqueness of the business and IS problems confronting MNCs in the AGC are illustrated. Helping MNC IS executives/professionals to understand the differences between their own environment and the one in which they must operate can improve their IS functions in this region. AGC native companies with IS activities can also benefit from such an analysis in managing their multinational personnel. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.