INFORMATION-SYSTEMS STRATEGIES FOR MULTINATIONAL COMPANIES IN ARAB GULF COUNTRIES

With the emergence of an expanding interdependent global economy, info rmation systems (IS) strategists need to face the challenges of intern ationalization. The growth of multinational business has led many corp orations to support significantly high level of IS operations and IS a pplications development in foreign environments, By developing a conce ptual framework, this paper addresses multinational companies (MNCs) I S global policy formulation and several implications for IS management issues in Arab Gulf countries (AGC). The objective is to illustrate t he uniqueness of the business and IS problems confronting MNCs in AGC. Insights have been gained from examining the implications of the pert inent economic, sociopolitical. legal, and cultural variables that aff ect MNC IS global policy formulation. The uniqueness of the business a nd IS problems confronting MNCs in the AGC are illustrated. Helping MN C IS executives/professionals to understand the differences between th eir own environment and the one in which they must operate can improve their IS functions in this region. AGC native companies with IS activ ities can also benefit from such an analysis in managing their multina tional personnel. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.