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Publication date: 10 April 2019

Racquel Warner and Immanuel Azaad Moonesar

Diversity management in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is of particular importance given the fact the UAE is the sixth country in the world for hosting the largest number of…

Abstract

Purpose

Diversity management in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is of particular importance given the fact the UAE is the sixth country in the world for hosting the largest number of international migrants in 2017. The purpose of this exploratory study is to understand how diversity is managed in the public and private sector and to identify the most important factors to diversity manangemet in the UAE context.

Research Methodology

A Grounded Theory approach to research was used to explore this very sensitive issue for the case study. In the absence of robust data on diversity management in the UAE, this inductive qualitative method was preferred since it does not presuppose a hypothesis and allows a contextually relevant theory to be derived from the data, which were collected through interviews with the participants from the public and private sector. An open-ended interview schedule was emailed to the purposefully selected group. Careful thematic analysis was undertaken to identify the resonant issues related to diversity management in this context.

Findings

This heralds increased demographic diversity in the public sector, even if only at a strategic level in order to achieve political and social objectives. Further, as the UAE embarks on being a Smart nation, successful diversity management will be a critical indicator of public sector reform.

Research Limitations

The study analyzed the perceptions of the participants using a qualitatitve method which might not be considered to be as objective. Hence a confirmatory follow up study using quantitatve design will be required to verify the findings.

Practical Implications

This chapter will explore the diversity management in the public and private sectors of the UAE, the role leaders and managers have to play, challenges faced, and what is on the horizon in this new public–private partnership environment.

Social Implications

This chapter suggests the need for a unified understanding of diversity management among leaders in the public and private sector of the UAE as a crucial enabler of productivity, development and social cohesion.

Originality

This heralds increased demographic diversity in the public sector, even if only at a strategic level in order to achieve political and social objectives. Further, as the UAE embarks on being a Smart nation, successful diversity management will be a critical indicator of public sector reform. This chapter will explore the diversity management in the public and private sectors of the UAE, the role leaders and managers have to play, challenges faced, and what is on the horizon in this new public–private partnership environment.

Details

Diversity within Diversity Management
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78754-821-3

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Article
Publication date: 10 May 2013

Abdulfattah Yaghi and Ihsan Yaghi

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is one of the few countries where nationals make up less than 20 percent of the total population and less than 2 percent of the workforce. Hence…

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Abstract

Purpose

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is one of the few countries where nationals make up less than 20 percent of the total population and less than 2 percent of the workforce. Hence organizations in the public and private sectors are highly diverse in terms of their employees' nationality, language, religion, race, and gender. The purpose of this paper is to examine how employees perceive human resource diversity and what they consider successful diversity to be.

Design/methodology/approach

The main research instrument is a questionnaire which measures diversity in human resources. Exploratory factor analysis, multiple regression, and descriptive statistics were used in order to analyze 795 survey responses.

Findings

The findings reveal that perception of human resource diversity in the UAE vary by employees' gender, educational level, nationality, professional experience, job level, previous experience in diverse workplace, and second language competency. Analysis of employees' responses helped to construct a four‐factor model, which can be utilized to improve diversity practices in organizations.

Research limitations/implications

Although the literature on the UAE is limited, the study proposes four factors needed to achieve perceived successful diversity practices: legal, personnel, bureaucratic, and political factors. Researchers are encouraged to use comparative approaches to test the proposed model.

Originality/value

The study offers important insights for researchers and practitioners of human resource management in the UAE.

Details

Education, Business and Society: Contemporary Middle Eastern Issues, vol. 6 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-7983

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