Human Resources Authority - Essay Example

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Literature Review

The resource by Rees, Mamman and Bin Braik, (2007) is considered for the present literature review is regarding Emiratization as a strategic HRM change initiative studied on the basis of a case study by drawing evidences from a petroleum company in the UAE. The paper has been published in the year 2007. The main objectives of this paper are to critically examine the nature of Emiratization and to identify the issues regarding the evaluation and implementation of Emiratization programs in organizations. The research methodology used is case study method comprising of secondary data collection from select company documents and primary data collection from the members of the senior management team of a selected petroleum company in the UAE. The primary tool employed for data collection was one on one interview. The main questions are directed at identifying the meaning of the term Emiratization, the views of the managers regarding the senior management's commitments to Emiratization and the main challenges associated with the Emiratization program in the company. The findings of the research are that the selected company has been able to fulfill its vision of achieving a leadership position in Emiratization, but there are diverse views among the senior management regarding the definition and meaning of the concept of Emiratization. Also, the commitments of the senior management to Emiratization are based on psychological perceptions. The senior management of the company measures the success of Emiratization be estimating the percentage of Emirati employees in the company , the number of enrolments in the corporate Emiratization programs conducted in the organization, the selection and recruitment targets and the turnover data of the national and non national employees (Rees, Mamman and Bin Braik, 2007). It can also be concluded that the companies in the Middle East conduct Emiratization programs through centrally driven agendas. This article is relevant to the preset research because it highlights the substantial effects of the nationalization programs and Emiratization programs in the HRM modules conducted in the organizations of Middle East.

The second article by Harry (2007) explores the critical issues related to localization and employment creation in the GCC countries. This paper aims at exploring the reasons underlying the problem of localization and employment creation in the GCC countries and demonstrating the degree of HRM challenges faced in these regions. The research methodology entails secondary data collection and on an explorative research design. It is identified from the study that the private sector in the GCC countries is concentrating on short term gain maximization while neglecting the long term issues of workforce development (Harry, 2007). The need for localization of the private sector companies has also been focused on. The findings suggest that the GCC countries including the UAE need to create employment opportunities for the local people as a part of the nationalization initiative.

In this article Harry (2007) clarifies that as long as more of private institutions are willing to employ citizens, the reality is that there would be not enough jobs to absorb every one seeking for employment. The findings obtained from this study indicate that the government has reduced deoendency of foreign labor by establishing a more productive labor force and better job opportunities for the citizens. This article would be of significance to the "The role of Human Resources Authority in implementing Emiratization" study because it helps in addressing challenge facing labor force in the Middle East. Besides, factors causing identifying the lack of employment opportunities for local people in the GCC countries is disused in this paper which is also an important aspect to be considered in the present research.

The third article was written by Al-Ali in 2008. In this article Al-Ali (2008) examines Emiratization and the antecedents of the phenomena from the perspective of policy formulation at national levels in the UAE. The main objective of this paper is to examine how Emiratization affects the workforce composition, organizational cultures, job roles and job specifications in the private sector companies in the UAE. The research is based on a qualitative and quantitative survey designed by using sampling and questionnaire. The primary data has been mainly collected from the sample respondents selected from the banking and insurance sector in the UAE. The main findings are that there are various barriers to Emiratization found in the UAE such as the lack of skills among the potential Emirati employees, the lower standards of education, lesser level of fluency in English language and a general lack of trust displayed by the private sector employers towards the abilities of the Emirati employees (Al-Ali, 2008). The findings from the individual perspectives suggested that the potential employees in the UAE prefer public sector employment opportunities to the private sector job opportunities because in their opinion, the private sector offer lower wages band lesser career growth opportunities to the nationals. This paper is relevant to the case research because it investigates into the various barriers noted in the process of Emiratization which can be valid inputs with respect to determining the role of the HRM in popularizing Emiratization in the UAE.

One more study has been reviewed which is the analysis of the private sector localization in Kuwait. This study explores the obstacles in the process of Emiratization in the Kuwaiti private sector organizations. The research methodology includes collection of both qualitative and quantitative data as well as primary and secondary data. Primary data has been collected through a study questionnaire while secondary data has been collected through analysis of the available literary works. The findings reveal that the Emiratization of the UAE nationals is hindered by constraints such as barriers to entry into the employment domain of the private sector organizations. These barriers are lack of training, lower educational standards, limited career opportunities, existing culture of the Emirates, lack of English fluency, nepotism, gender issues, low skills and experience and the HRM systems followed in the private sector organizations (Salih, 2010). The findings of this research are in line with other studies in the same domain which highlight a general negative attitude displayed by the Emirati people towards working in the private organizations in the Emirates. This paper is relevant because it highlights the main barriers in the way of localization of the private sector organizations and proposes methods as to how the private sector can overcome the negative perceptions held by the Emiratis regarding working in the private sector.

The study conducted by Forstenlechner, Madi, Selim and Rutledge (2012) aims at reviewing the factors which determine the employment decisions of the private sector employees in the UAE. This study analyses the issue of low proportion of Emiratis working in the private sector of the GCC states. The study specifically delves into the national to non national employee ratio in the private sectors of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. This research is directed at finding the answers to the problem of slow Emiratization by gaining an in-depth understanding of the behavioral aspects such as attitudes and perceptions of the Emirati nationals towards working in the private organizations. Data has been collected through survey questionnaire administration and one on one interviews conducted with relevant stakeholders. The research has revealed that the major portion of the Kuwaiti labor population display a negative attitude towards getting employed in the private sector because of the amble jobs opportunities in the Emirati public sectors. The Kuwaiti government focuses on the employment of all the nationals due to which it has provided many opportunities for them to work in the public sector domain. The advantages of working in the public sector and the ease of accessing jobs in the same have developed much reluctance among the nationals to opt for private sector employment opportunities. This study is relevant because it identifies that the issue of low proportion of national workforce in the private organizations in the country has stemmed from the cultural and social contexts prevailing in the Emirates which act as strong barriers s in the way of localization of the private sectors. Thus, it is recommended that the social constructs of the Emirates and the public sector employment management by the Emirati governments are also to be considered by the HR departments of the private organizations as important factors affecting their localization initiatives.

The paper written by Yaghi and Yaghi (2014) aims at exploring the quality of work life in the UAE through an empirical analysis of employee Emiratization in the UAE. The main objective of the paper is to evaluate the policy of Emiratization as a mechanism for mitigating the issue of demographic imbalance in UAE. The primary research question is to evaluate the factors which determine the perceived QWL of the Emirati workers. There are 4 hypotheses formulated viz. The article clarifies how the perceived QWL of the Emirati employees is above average as measured on a 5 point scale. It further confirms that there are no significant differences between the perceived n the productivity and the satisfaction of employees. According to Yaghi and Yaghi (2014), a statistical relationship can be established between the provision of resource and the attrition of employees. With reference to the article, a statistical relationship exists between decision affecting work and work related problems and the demographic variables of the workforce. The study uses a questionnaire comprising of 66 questions for primary data collection. The findings are that a major portion of the sample Emiratis perceives employee satisfaction on the basis of multiple factors apart from pay scale such as prestige, career growth opportunities, managerial approaches and non monetary perks and benefits. This paper is relevant to the present study because it helps to identify how the HR managers in the private sector can develop HRM policies to attract more local people to work in the private sector organizations.

The paper by Al-Waqfi and Forstenlechner (2014) identifies the main barriers to Emiratization and evaluates the effectiveness of the practice in the present scenario. The research also aims to focus on the role of the institutional environment and policy design in determining the impact of Emiratization. The study evaluates the effectiveness of the Emiratization policy through the collection of primary data from interviews conducted with senior managers and HRM professionals from various public sector of the UAE. The findings of the study highlight inherent weaknesses in the Emiratization policy with respect to policy regulations and implementation mechanisms. Recommendations are provided regarding changes to be made in the overall institutional and regulatory environment in the UAE so that the Emiratization programs can be effectively implemented with the aim of resolving the localization issues in the labor market. This paper is highly relevant to the scope of the present research because it identifies the basic issues associated with localization and also provides recommendations and solutions to such issues. The recommendations can be referred to in the present study for assessing how the external macro environment of the country can play a crucial role in the Emiratization processes.

The research by Afiouni, Ruël and Schuler (2014) aims at contributing to an in depth understanding of the HRM practices in the Middle Eastern region the research is conducted by critically examining the patterns and objectives of HRM research in this domain as conducted over the last 7 years. The study delves into the existing and potential challenges of HRM in this region and provides recommendations as to how these regional issues impact the HRM practices and policies. Data is collected from nine articles to gain understanding of the challenges faced by both the organizations and employees in this region, to discuss the aspects of retention and attrition of employees, the work systems in the private sector organizations and the employment nationalization systems.

The findings obtained in this study indicate that the direction of the human resource management in the Middle East has taken toll an opposite direction in the past seven years. Besides, Afiouni, Ruël and Schuler (2014) has recommended that current and future challenges facing HRM in the middle eastern region can be solved by shaping research and practices. this article is very important because it creates room for better understanding of challenges facing both employees and organizations in the middle east and the UAE. Moreover, the findings and recommendations in the study are contextually relevant to the scope of the research work because it provides a strong base for developing HRM policies related to Emiratization.

The study by André and Miriam (2016) investigates whether there are any discrepancies between the UAE businesses construct as defined in literature and as actually practiced. The business context of UAE has been explored with the aim of identifying the main issues that it poses in the labor market. The research is based on literature study for the theoretical aspects and on primary data collection through interviews conducted with Emirati and non Emirati expatriate managers working in the private sector of UAE. The research finds that the UAE business context is primarily dominated by an international business setting with the Arab business setting playing a secondary role. This is influenced by predominated family influence termed as Wasta.

In support for the need of a better labor force in the UAE, André and Miriam (2016) acknowledge that a high level of religious influence supported by a strong centralized power and the concept of Wasta has made it difficult to operate a business in the Middle East. The findings obtained in this study makes indicates that an ordinary Arab enterprises are designed to operate in an international business setting. Based on the findings obtained from this study, the article is perceived best in defining the core UAE business construct which helps to define the inherent issues and scopes in the existing business constructs in the UAE. Besides, it provides an in depth view of the current state of affairs in the business domain of UAE. As a consequent, it would play a significant role in identify some of solution for reducing depending on Wasta to get jobs.

The study by Aljanahi (2017) is aimed at ranking the challenges in the Emiratization process so that a better understanding of the main obstructions in hiring nationals in the private sector can be gained. The study is conducted using a qualitative content analysis technique through the consideration of the reports and articles published between 2011 and 2014 in the leading business magazines and newspapers in the UAE. The study finds that the main issues in Emiratization are the gaps prevailing between the employers’ expectations and the skill levels of the national employees, higher cost of employing the Emirati nationals, the preference of the nationals to opt for public sector jobs and the lack of job security in the private sector.

The main findings obtained from this study indicate that majority of Emirati are recruited to the public sector compared to immigrants. It further elucidates that UAE government has also instituted policies that subjects the private sector into recruiting more Emirati nationals. by addressing changes, the required experiences and the number of working hours, the articles makes a good publication for addressing the needs for Emiratization programs. Finally, the article will be useful to the present research because these can be valid inputs to understand how the private sector HRM policies can be designed to facilitate the Emiratization programs.