Purpose
The overall goal of this paper is to explore via Gap and TOWS analysis if organizations are offering
innovative benefits from the perspective of married employees that make being a working dad or mom easier in
Qatar.
Design/methodology/approach
A large convenient sample of 824 working Qataris were surveyed, using a 15-item instrument based on
previous research. The researchers used factor analysis to ascertain construct validity, based on two suitability tests:
First, the Kaisers-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure of sampling adequacy generated a score of 0.807, well above the
recommended level of 0.50. Second, the Bartless test of sphericity result was significant (Chi Square = 2079.671, P=
0.00), indicating that there are adequate inter-correlations between the items which allow the use of factor analysis.
Findings
Findings of the gap analysis validate the trust – building model between leaders and followers from the
employee’s perspective. The responses identified in this study enhance the trust in leaders who behave ethically,
treat employees fairly, and promote work-life balance. This is an indication that Qatar’s National Vision 2030
introduced by Qatar government is transforming organizations’ values and attitudes in Qatar so that they perform
beyond expectations. Additionally, findings of TWOS analysis identified four employer benefits items that are
considered opportunities and eight employer benefits items that are identified as threats for the organizations in
Qatar as a whole. Also, findings of path analysis confirm that the impact of “gap in perceived supervisor support”
on “gap in perceived development of a caring organization” is strengthened via the intervening of “gap in
perceived child-friendly working hours” and “gap in perceived parental leave”.
Originality
Qatar’s National Vision 2030 has set new future trends that demand changes in organizational culture and
the empirical findings of this article should help decision and policy makers in Qatar to determine where change is
possible and to focus on priorities as well as possibilities