clo5

LSC 2533 Research Methods

Journal Article Reviews (CLO 5)

Components

Three articles are described with the following for sections each:

·         Section 1 – Library research description

·         Section 2 – Article abstracts and references

·         Section 3 – Research descriptions

·         Section 4 – Article evaluation

The full evaluation is provided under the top ranked article – Article 1  

Article 1

Section 1

Source:           HCT Libraries page >Discover>Electronic Resources   

Search terms: Emiratization

Section 2

Title: Barriers to Emiratization: the role of policy design and institutional environment in determining the effectiveness of Emiratization.

Abstract

The severe shortage in local workforce, in the face of an escalating demand for workers over the past several decades, induced the United Arab Emirates to adopt a liberal immigration policy which allowed an influx of large numbers of foreign workers into the country. However, the continued reliance on foreign workers created a distortion and segmentation of the labour market whereby the national workers became concentrated in the public sector, while close to 99% of the jobs in the private sector is staffed by expatriate workers. An unemployment problem among nationals started to appear despite the workforce Emiratization policy which has been implemented since the late 1990s. The current study assesses the effectiveness of the Emiratization policy as practised over the past two decades along with major challenges encountered. Data for the study were collected through interviews with a sample of 32 senior managers and human resource professionals from various sectors of the economy. Findings of the study reveal several weaknesses of the Emiratization programme over the past two decades related to the policy tools and regulations, as well as implementation mechanisms adopted. Based on assessment of weaknesses and challenges faced, recommendations are provided with regard to the needed changes in regulations, policy tools and mechanisms, and parameters of compliance to ensure effective implementation of an Emiratization programme that can significantly contribute to alleviating the unemployment problem among citizens and ensuring their effective integration into the labour market in both the public and private sectors.

Reference

Al-Waqfi, M. A., & Forstenlechner, I. (2014). Barriers to Emiratization: the role of policy design and institutional environment in determining the effectiveness of Emiratization. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 25(2), 167-189.

Section 3

Population

The population of the study involved Emirati and expatriates managers and HR professionals from different organizations with various economic sectors of United Arab Emirates.

Research Approach

The collection of data and analysis process was a mixed qualitative and quantitative approach. As the nature of the study was exploratory, hence it involved also interviews along with questionnaires for a broader understanding of the subject.

Participant selection

The sample size of the research who participated in the study was 32 interviewees which included 20 males and 12 females. The selection process mentioned was based on the representativeness of key industries. However the exact selection method of the respondents is not mentioned in the research. 

Main results

According to the results of the research, one of the strongest barrier to Emiratization are “high reservation wage of nationals compared to foreign workers”,  and ‘foreign workers are more attractive to employers as they are easier to control’.  According to the respondents, employers will continue to hire more expatriates if they have same human capital characteristics especially in the private sector, who are looking for profit maximization, because of the high salaries of Emirati employees.  Another unexpected result found was that ‘unrestricted influx of foreign workers into the UAE labour market’ is thought to be a least barrier to Emiratization.

To suggest the policy makers and government initiative to tackle the issue of barriers to Emiratization, 72% of the research respondents suggested that government needed to maintain reliable data about Emirati job applicants and should not issue work permits to expat workers where qualified Emirati applicants are available.

Section 4

            Ranking: Best

Authors’ selection of sample from different industries is a useful effort for the validity of the research. The interview approach used in this study helps us to understand the situation from the point of view of respondents from different economic sectors and country backgrounds working in UAE. The study indicates that the educational attainment and skill levels of Emirati workers is still inadequate in the GCC region. Authors are also of the view that among the major factors, the failure of Emiratization belongs to the absence of setting reasonable targets for achieving the desired policy goals and the lack of effective means for the achievements of these objectives.

It seems that the authors have fully grasped the subject matter in this article through analyzing objectively the research literature deeply as it has also mentioned the government’s initiatives for the Emiratization, which leads us to think that the study is reliable.  The categorization and putting the responses into different themes according to the context and specific needs of the research has made the topic more understandable and useful for further researches. There are multiple insights in the study for the policy makers, which includes in order to decrease the barriers to Emiratization, they should focus on the productivity which is one of the major concerns for both public and private organizations.

Improvements may have been taken place in the article if the response rate could be increased.            

a

Article 2

Section 1

Source:           HCT Libraries page >Discover>Electronic Resources   

Search terms: Emiratization

Section 2

Title: Quality of Work Life in the Postnationalization of Human Resources: Empirical Examination of Workforce Emiratization in the United Arab Emirates

Abstract

In response to the challenge of human resource imbalance in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the government enacted a nationalization policy (Emiratization) which compelled organizations to hire national job seekers. The present study aimed at assessing the quality of working life (QWL) of 450 national employees in the public and private sectors. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that employees indicated an above average level of perceived QWL. Four factors were important to adding quality to the work life, namely managerial approach, prestige, pay and benefits, and professional development opportunities. These results and their implications were discussed in detail.

Reference

Yaghi, I., & Yaghi, A. (2014). Quality of Work Life in the Postnationalization of Human Resources: Empirical Examination of Workforce Emiratization in the United Arab Emirates. International Journal of Public Administration, 37(4), 224-236.

Section 3

Population

The study population included all Emirati employees who were working in public and private sector organizations of United Arab Emirates.

Research Approach

A quantitative approach is used as data collected was through questionnaires and outcomes are presented numerically.  The respondents are assessed by 5-point Likert scale used to collect the responses form the Emirati employees about the different dimensions of QWL. 

Participant selection

Method for selection of the sample from the major population was convenience sampling of the 450 Emirati national employees who were working in public and private sectors. With this, drop off and pickup technique was used, which is in authors’ point of view, a popular way of sampling in GCC countries and used widely by researchers.

Main results

The study provides that a major portion of the Emirati workforce in the sample has gained a college degree or higher education, which represents that the educational development is rising. More than 50 % of the sample were females, which might say that women workforce is increasing.  According to the findings, organizational commitment of the Emirati employees is low. The results also shows that the perceptions of Emirati employees regarding the quality of work is made other than the factor of sector preference.

The authors’ assumption that the education development is increasing among UAE national workforce from the research samples is doubtful and not valid as this is not a genuine criteria for knowing the education development in the country.

Section 4

            Ranking: Middle

Article 3

Section 1

Source:           HCT Libraries page >Discover>Electronic Resources

Search terms: Emiratization

Section 2

Title: Emiratization as a strategic HRM change initiative: case study evidence from a UAE petroleum company

Abstract

Nationalization programmes that are designed to encourage and support the employment of nationals in preference to expatriates have become a key feature of HRM throughout the Middle East, with countries such as Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates adopting politically led nationalization initiatives. A literature review is presented that identifies a dearth of academic research relating to these initiatives within the context of the Middle East. The paper argues that this weakness in international HRM literature has implications both within the Middle East and in terms of more general international theory building in relation to issues such as the transferability of HRM systems and practices. In later sections of the paper, a case study of Emiratization in practice is presented with a view to identifying and exploring issues surrounding the implementation and evaluation of organizationally based Emiratization programmes. The case study findings demonstrate some of the complexities surrounding issues such as management commitment, quantitative evaluation methods, resistance to change and the role of expatriates in implementing Emiratization programmes. A number of implications and subjects for future research into Emiratization are identified. These implications relate to: the reasons underlying the scarcity of HRM literature on nationalization initiatives; emotional perspectives on nationalization methodologies; strategies for dealing with resistance to nationalization within organizations; issues surrounding the design of Emiratization programmes; and the role of expatriates as key stakeholders in nationalization programmes.

Reference

Rees, C. J., Mamman, A., & Braik, A. B. (2007). Emiratization as a strategic HRM change initiative: case study evidence from a UAE petroleum company. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 18(1), 33-53.

Section 3

Population

This article describes population which involved 12 senior level personnel at the highest managerial level of a petroleum company based in UAE. The exact name of the company is not mentioned in the research for anonymity.   

Research Approach

The article takes a mixed approach and is a meta-analysis about the Emiratization as a strategic HRM change initiative. It is a case study evidence from a UAE petroleum company. Both primary data and secondary data were collected and analyzed and interviews were conducted to explore and analyze intangible factors to gain a holistic view of the situation and subject studied.

Participant selection

The data comes from other studies and secondary sources and primary data through interviews. The interviewees were drawn from a range of departments across the company including various production departments, the Nationals' Development department and the HR department. Of all the interviewees, ten were male. Among all, four were UAE nationals.   

            Main results  

The results indicate from the study some findings which have complexities surrounding the issues such as quantitative evaluation methods, management commitment, resistance to change and role of the expatriates in the implementation of Emiratization programs. The research also identified that there is a lack of HRM literature related to the nationalization initiatives and emotional perception on nationalization methodologies.

The respondents were of the view that the Emiratization process could be strengthened if the top management included the UAE nationals. They can enhance the nationalization process through training the local workforce and facilitating recruitment policies for Emiratis.

The discussion revolves around the validity of the data. There is one organization included in the research and the number of participants is also very small. And there is also a lack of full analysis in terms of the respondents’ background and characteristics.

Section 4

            Ranking: Bottom