How do the cultural differences in this case affect the available options?

You have spent three years expanding your consulting services in the Middle East. After spending more than nine months in Saudi Arabia, you have established close relationships with key healthcare professionals and educational leaders. You have been appointed to the Saudi Ministry of Health’s (MOH) International Advisory Board, which has provided you with access to many of the top leaders in the country.

The MOH is beginning to construct 100 new hospitals, 1,000 clinics, and four medical cities in the country. Almost all of the hospital administrators are physicians—most poorly prepared—and the results across the country show this. The ministry’s leadership recognize that they have not invested enough in training the leaders of their health system and want to better prepare the new managers.

A major MOH bid for healthcare leadership training has been developed, and you are interested in obtaining at least a portion of the business.

Several big players in the market are also bidding on the proposal, including GE Healthcare Consulting, McKinsey & Company, and IBM. You know that it will be difficult for you to win even part of this bid, but you do have personal contacts that others do not have.