How much self‐presentation behavior do applicants from the United Arab Emirates exhibit?

Abstract

Applicants from different cultures vary in their self‐presentation behavior during job interviews. This study investigates self‐presentation behavior in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the second largest economy in the Arab world. Specifically, it examines self‐presentation behavior of applicants from the UAE and compares it to the behavior of American, European, and Chinese applicants from previous studies. The randomized response technique was used to gather self‐presentation prevalence data of 111 UAE applicants regarding self‐presentation behavior in their last job interview. Prevalence rates were lower than those from the United States and from China but higher than those from Iceland and from Switzerland. Results indicate that though UAE culture values modesty, UAE applicants still engage in distinct self‐presentation behavior.