The relationship between human resource practices and employee retention in public organisations : an exploratory study conducted in the United Arab Emirates

In recent years, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has rapidly developed into a dynamic global economy with the influx of foreign ideas and practices, facilitated by the development of the Internet and associated technologies. As with many organisations worldwide, staff retention problems affect organisational productivity and performance. Managers face the challenge of having to address retention problems in the context of increasing competition in the global marketplace. It is against this background that this research will look into employee retention problems within the socio‐economic context of the UAE. This study brings into focus the extent to which human resource management (HRM) practices and organisational culture in the UAE affect employee retention in public organisations. The purpose of this study was to identify HR practices and other factors such as job satisfaction, organisational commitments and leadership practice that affect employee retention in the UAE with emphasis on public organisations, in a comparative study of Sharjah and Dubai. To accomplish this task, both quantitative and qualitative research approaches were employed. The research questions were answered through two research phases involving four distinct research tools. The first phase involved a survey of Sharjah’s and Dubai’s governmental organisations, and provided specific information about employees in these organisations. Of 300 targeted respondents, 154 completed the survey questionnaire, a 51.33% response rate. In the second phase, in‐depth interviews with fifty former employees, also from Sharjah, were conducted; in the third, semi‐structured interviews with 7 HR professionals, also in Sharjah, were utilised; and the fourth research method used focus groups. The research used both quantitative and qualitative approaches to data gathering and analysis

Employee turnover: The hotel industry perspective

Purpose: This study analyzes employee turnover in the under-researched context of the Gulf Cooperation Council. Methods: This study uses a qualitative approach to examine the reasons for turnover and strategies adopted within the hotel sector to reduce this turnover. Results: The findings reveal that turnover reasons are organization- and employee-specific. Strategies to reduce turnover include promoting a good work environment, providing transfer opportunities, talent and development planning, and implementing exit strategies to find out employees' reasons for leaving. These findings will benefit the hotel industry's human resource planning, as most employees are expatriates, and will reduce costs in terms of new recruitment. Implications: From a context based perspective cultural differences between employees' nationalities are a reason for turnover linked to differences in salary and benefits. "Social" and "economic" value are key elements for human resource professionals to consider when developing employee benefits

Beyond The Call of Duty: Realities of Work-Life Balance in the United Arab Emirates Education Sector

Previous research have been intrigued to assess the mechanisms used by employees to cope with tedious work schedules and other areas of their non-work lives. While there are yet to be sufficient studies that explore the countries in the Middle East, this paper aimed to explore the realities of WLB among professionals in the education sector in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). We further considered the implications of workplace and family support, and organisational culture on employees’ WLB and productivity. The study employs the use of qualitative data generated from semi-structured interviews of 41 lecturers across seven higher education institutions in Dubai, UAE aimed at investigating the various contexts of WLB

PRIVATE SECTOR EMIRATIZATION: EVALUATING THE POLICIES AND PRACTICES DESIGNED TO ACHIEVE ABU DHABI\u27S STRATEGIC HRM GOAL

The purpose of this study is two-fold: firstly, to gauge the job satisfaction levels of UAE nationals employed in the private sector and secondly to consider the HRM policies and procedures most likely to attract and retain such individuals. The issue is of contemporary importance because the UAE has a fast-growing population, and already overstaffed public sector and, a labor nationalization program that has yet to have a significant impact on the ratio of nationals employed in the private sector visa- vis the classic public sector. Using a combination of employee survey and expert interview feedback this study provides a policy-orientated analysis of the current state of private sector Emiratizations and makes a significant contribution to the emerging Arab Middle East HR Model by suggesting ways in which UAE HR policies and strategies may be enhanced. If the compensation and benefits disparity between the two influence the employment decision include Salary and Fringe Benefits, opportunities for growth along with training and development, a friendly and professional working environment that offers job security, and finally the social perceptions. This research can be helpful in understanding what incentives and measures can be useful and effective for the operational implementation of the Emiratizations process. The analysis can help in the identification and prioritization of issues that are impacting the pace of implementation of the Emiratizations process. This study finds a number of statistically significant relationships between the dependent variable of “continuance intentions” and various predictor variables: β .399 for pay and benefits; β .163 for professional development opportunities; β .072 for the nature of the job; the impact of sociocultural influences was found to have a significant and negative relationship, β -.423. The study concludes by making a number of policy-relevant recommendations focusing on HRD at the macro level and HRM policies and procedures at the company leve

Private Sector Emiratisation: Evaluating The Policies and Practices Designed To Achieve Abu Dhabi\u27s Strategic HRM Goal

The purpose of this study is two-fold: firstly, to gauge the job satisfaction levels of UAE nationals employed in the private sector and secondly to consider the HRM policies and procedures most likely to attract and retain such individuals. The issue is of contemporary importance because the UAE has a fast growing population, an already overstaffed public sector and, a labour nationalisation program that has yet to have a significant impact on the ratio of nationals employed in the private sector visà- vis the classic public sector. Using a combination of employee survey and expert interview feedback this study provides a policy-orientated analysis of the current state of private sector Emiratisation and makes a significant contribution to the emerging Arab Middle East HR Model by suggesting ways in which UAE HR policies and strategies may be enhanced. If the compensation and benefits disparity between the two sectors be minimised, the majority of Emiratis would be willing to work in the private sector. The factors that can influence the employment decision include Salary and Fringe Benefits, opportunities for growth along with training and development, a friendly and professional working environment that offers job security and finally the social perceptions. This research can be helpful in understanding what incentives and measures can be useful and effective for the operational implementation of the Emiratisation process. The analysis can help in identification and prioritisation of issues that are impacting the pace of implementation of Emiratisation process. This study finds a number of statistically significant relationships between the dependent variable of “continuance intentions” and various predictor variables: β .399 for pay and benefits; β .163 for professional development opportunities; β .072 for the nature of the job; the impact of sociocultural influences was found to have a significant and negative relationship, β -.423. The study concludes by making a number of policyrelevant recommendations focusing on HRD at the macro level and HRM policies and procedures at the company lev

EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF EMIRATIZATION STRATEGIES IN THE QUASI-PRIVATE SECTOR: MULTIPLE CASE STUDIES FROM THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR IN THE UAE.

A central aspect of the United Arab Emirates’ strategic vision for a post-oil future is to make better use of its indigenous human capital, thus securing a return on the substantial investment the government has made in education, and reducing the reliance on a largely non-national labour force. While Emiratization (a policy to replace expatriate workers with citizens) has been successful in the public sector, the private sector is still largely staffed by expatriates with citizens representing less than 5 per cent of the total workforce in this sector. Therefore, Emiratization efforts have recently been focusing on enhancing employment opportunities for citizens in the private sector. One of the key initiatives in this regard is to make use of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), as commercially-run organizations capable of subsidizing the public sector. These enterprises are expected to achieve this transition through the strategic policy of Emiratization. Many researchers have identified a myriad of barriers that prevent effective Emiratization, but few have focused on the elements required for successful Emiratization. The purpose of this study is to explore elements of successful Emiratization to date in several subsidiaries of one of the UAE’s largest industrial investment holding companies, operating in the metals, oil and gas, construction and building materials, and food and beverages sectors. These multiple case studies allow us to discuss in-depth factors that can make Emiratization successful in the manufacturing sector in the UAE. In order to achieve this, semi-structured interviews were conducted with key stakeholders, including managers from human resources (HR) and Emiratization departments within these SOEs. A multiple case studies approach was used to obtain empirical data on the factors that contribute to successful Emiratization, and the challenges faced in implementing Emiratization plans at these organizations. The findings of this study indicate that Emiratisation is not just a matter of increasing the number of Emiratis in the workforce or hiring Emiratis to meet quotas, but a strategy designed to recruit and develop Emiratis for current and future positions. This study explored three factors that enhance Emiratisation strategy. Government regulations can support and enhance nationalization in the country and many companies have prepared long-term Emiratization plans, as they must send in quarterly reports to the HRA. Each company investigated here has set an Emiratization target to match their business needs, not just to fill quotas. Another key factor in successful Emiratization is upper-management support. In order for a nationalization program to be successful, it must offer total commitment and support to the candidates, otherwise, we will not see any motivation from the participants and the program will fail. This study also explored the role of strategic HR involvement. One of the key roles of a human resources department is the training and development of staff. The findings of this study can assist decision-makers and HR professionals in identifying factors in successful Emiratization and thus enhance the employment of nationals in the hi-tech manufacturing sector. Additionally, these findings can help to further expand the parameters of workforce nationalization and emphasize the aspects that make for successful nationalization in key organizations

Work Engagement Antecedents and Consequences Across Generations in the United Arab Emirates

Drawing upon generational differences and work engagement literatures, this research examines the antecedents and consequences of work engagement in the context of the UAE, and the moderating effect of generational membership. Statistics predicted that in the year 2015, 45% of the UAE labor market was comprised by individuals born between 1980 and 1999, known as the Y Generation. However, little is known about generational differences in the UAE, in particular among members of the Y Generation with respect to work engagement. Whereas organizations need suitable human resources practices and tools to ensure the consistency and growth of the three generations that are operating together for the first time in the current UAE labor market. This research accordingly identifies and examines organizational antecedents and associated consequences of work engagement in relation to both the current state of employment in the UAE and its broader culture, and the current literature on generational differences. As it also examines the moderating effect of generational membership on the hypothesized relationship of identified antecedents and consequences of work engagement. A review of the literature identifies four key organizational antecedents, namely, job characteristics (performance feedback and job autonomy), rewards, corporate social responsibility and work/life balance. These have been found to be of great importance in the context of generations. Furthermore, the literature identifies three consequences of work engagement in the context of organizations and generations, namely, organizational commitment, organizational citizenship behavior and intention to leave. These factors have been evaluated with regard to generational membership and associated differences in the UAE. The results of the current study indicate that all the identified antecedents and consequences are positively correlated with work engagement in the context of the UAE\u27s culture, except for work/life balance (as well as the negative expected relationship with the intention to leave). Moreover, the current study illustrates that generational membership moderated only two of the identified relationships associated with organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and intention to leave, the relationship being stronger for Baby Boomers than for the X and Y Generations. To summarize, this study contributes to the literature on work engagement and generational differences in several relevant and substantive ways. First, it examines the impact of the selected organizational antecedents on work engagement and certain consequences in the context of the UAE\u27s culture. Second, it examines the moderating effect of generational membership on the selected antecedents and consequences. Finally, it examines work engagement in the UAE workforce from both demographic and socioeconomic perspectives. In light of this, a list of recommended tools for enhancing work engagement is illustrated. The current study thereby promises a better understanding of work engagement and generational differences in the context of the UAE, upon which it recommends that further attention should be paid to individual differences and organizational culture rather than tailoring HR policies and practices for the purpose of accommodating generational differences

The impact of internal marketing and organisational culture mediated by organisational commitment on operational performance

This empirical study examines the impact of internal marketing and organisational culture mediated by organisational commitment on operational performance in the UAE fast food sector. We present preliminary finds based on a survey of over 90 fast food outlets. We use regression analysis to argue that internal marketing and organisational culture have positive impacts on operational performance. However, the role of organisational commitment as mediator has less weight. The findings suggest that staff reward and development are the most important factors in internal marketing to enhance operational performance. Moreover, innovation is the highest correlated dimension of organisational culture. Investigation the effect of organisational culture on the operational performance, provide a contribution to the resource-based view of the organisation. Managerial implications as well as study limitations are discussed

A framework for reducing turnover intention among police personnel in Abu Dhabi

Turnover intention is a universal issue that faces countries and organizations. The rate of turnover is higher in United Arab Emirates (UAE) compared with regional countries and the global average. Moreover, prior literature focused on the turnover intention in the private sector in developed countries. In the UAE public sector, the rate of turnover intention is higher than in the private sector. Among the public sector, the highest percentage of turnover is among the police personnel. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to propose a framework for turnover among police personnel. The literature was reviewed to understand the findings of previous studies and identify significant turnover predictors. Moreover, the leadership theories, social exchange theory and organizational justice were reviewed. Based on the review, this study proposed that leadership style and organizational justice will affect negatively the turnover intention. The study also proposed that the quality of working life will mediate the effect of leadership style and organizational justice on turnover intention. These causal relationships would be also moderated by trust in the supervisor. The population of this study is police personnel in Abu Dhabi. Using stratified sampling, the study collected the data from 388 police personnel using questionnaires. The data were analysed using both Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) and Structural Equation Modelling Partial Least Square (SEM-PLS). The findings indicated that the organizational justice and leadership style affected significantly the turnover intention. Quality of working life mediated the effect of leadership style on turnover intention while trust in supervisor moderated the relationship between leadership style and turnover intention. Having these variables satisfied will lead to high job satisfaction, motivation, happiness, job security, and organizational commitment which in turn will lead to turnover prevention and better productivity. In conclusion, decision-makers in Police Headquarter have to focus on the implications of organizational justice and leadership style as well as income equality and training and development for turnover intention prevention