Human Resource Planning Practices in the Omani Public Sector: an Exploratory Study in the Ministry of Education in the Sultanate of Oman
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Edith Cowan University Research Online Theses: Doctorates and Masters Theses 2016 Human resource planning practices in the Omani Public Sector: An exploratory study in the Ministry of Education in the Sultanate of Oman Adnan S. Al Wahshi Edith Cowan University Follow this and additional works at: https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses Part of the Human Resources Management Commons Recommended Citation Al Wahshi, A. S. (2016). Human resource planning practices in the Omani Public Sector: An exploratory study in the Ministry of Education in the Sultanate of Oman. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1915 This Thesis is posted at Research Online. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1915 Edith Cowan University Copyright Warning You may print or download ONE copy of this document for the purpose of your own research or study. The University does not authorize you to copy, communicate or otherwise make available electronically to any other person any copyright material contained on this site. 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Higher penalties may apply, and higher damages may be awarded, for offences and infringements involving the conversion of material into digital or electronic form. i Human Resource Planning Practices in the Omani Public Sector: An Exploratory Study in the Ministry of Education in the Sultanate of Oman ADNAN SAIF HAMED AL WAHSHI Principal Supervisor: Associate Professor Maryam Omari Associate Supervisor: Professor Rowena Barrett Adjunct Supervisor: Senior Lecturer Megan Paull Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the award of Doctor of Philosophy School of Business and Law, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Western Australia 2016 ii Abstract Human resource planning (HRP) is the management process that helps organisations prepare for the number of employees and the types of skills needed to achieve organisational goals and objectives. In short, the aim of HRP is to have the right people in the right place at the right time. However, unlike the private sector, HRP practices are not widespread in the public sector. Literature on the ways in which HRP is conducted in public sector organisations has been limited to date. While the process of moving from traditional models of public management to New Public Management (NPM), and the Resource-Based View (RBV) approach implies the need for emphasising the central role of the Human Resource Management (HRM) function, the question of how public-sector organisations implement HRP remains largely unanswered in the existing management literature. The focus of this study was to explore the current practices of HRP in the Ministry of Education (MoE) in Oman, an unexplored context, in order to gain an understanding of good practice, and recommend further improvements. An interpretive case study methodology was adopted for this study which enabled the researcher to gain access to the tacit knowledge held by experienced practitioners who are involved in HRP processes in the MoE. The analysis of data collected through interviews with key informants revealed that despite the implementation of some strategies, the MoE did not formulate or implement a comprehensive HRP approach. The focus for the MoE remains on operational and annual requirements with only few attempts made to incorporate HRP into strategic planning efforts or to involve HRP professionals in strategic planning processes. Strategic and operational HRP practices in the MoE have lagged the good practices highlighted in the literature. The results from this study also indicate that HRP professionals lack the ability, knowledge, and skills necessary to develop and implement effective HRP practices. The study found that HRP in the MoE is influenced by both external and iii internal factors. The external factors were government policies, the legal context, the labour market and the economy, while the internal factors included organisational structure and culture. Through cross-comparison and alignment of MoE practices with those best practices identified in the literature, the key characteristics of good HRP practices in Oman’s MoE were identified. This study begins to address this issue by attempting to use RBV and NPM theories to explain how HRP practices are currently recognised and used in public- sector organisations. The implications of the study suggest that having HRP in place is conducive to improving the competitiveness of the organisation. Moreover, under the principles of NPM, the study has been able to show how people at both strategic and operational levels of public organisations adopt, develop and manage the new concept of strategic HRP to continually improve organisational performance. This calls for researchers and those interested in the theory to give particular attention to the development of the skills and competencies of HRP professionals, including the skills needed to explore the ways that HRP is used to achieve competitive advantage. Further, in order to facilitate the effective adoption and application of NPM reforms, efforts should be made to prepare public-sector organisations well in terms of their culture, policies, rules and regulations. iv Acknowledgements First and foremost, I would like to thank Almighty Allah (God) for His grace and for giving me strength, insight, enablement and determination to complete this thesis. Second, my PhD journey would not have been possible without the sincere efforts of several wonderful people who deserve to be both acknowledged and thanked here. This thesis is dedicated to my parents )Um Adnan and Abu Adnan(. Words cannot express how grateful I am to them for their endless love and support. Their prayers for me was what sustained me thus far. I would like to express my sincere appreciation and gratitude to my main supervisor, Associate Professor Maryam Omari for her academic guidance and enthusiastic encouragement throughout the research. Without her unlimited support and continuous follow-up I could not have done what I was able to do. She was very generous in sharing her experiences of academic life and beyond. Her effort and patience will never be forgotten. I know I cannot thank my mentor and supervisor Associate Professor Maryam Omari enough but at least I can promise that I will try to use her professional and personal qualities as my model throughout my future life and career. I do not have words to express my real appreciation for Associate Supervisor Professor Rowena Barrett. I was always full of motivation whenever I left her office. I sought to see her often as talking with her brought new ideas and gave me all the enthusiasm to move another step forward. When I mention her to my colleagues, they always inform me how lucky I am. Professor Barrett is not only my supervisor, but also sometimes acts as an older sister when circumstances call for it. She was always there to listen and to give me a lot of consideration about anything I hoped for. Although she moved to another university, she never gave up on me and always maintained her confidence in my ability to complete this PhD. Professor Barrett set a great example for me, and I really consider myself lucky to be her student. v My special words of thanks should also go to Adjunct Supervisor, Senior lecturer Dr Megan Paull. Her support and contribution was there both at the beginning and the end of my PhD journey. She spent endless hours proofreading my thesis and giving me excellent suggestions which always resulted in improved versions of the thesis As always it is impossible to mention everybody who has had an impact on my thesis. However, there are some of my friends whose spiritual support is even more important. A special mention of thanks to my friends in Australia, Dr Ahmed Bello and his wonderful sons, Abo Biker and Mahmood. The unlimited assistance that they have provided me over the years was the greatest gift anyone has ever given me. I am deeply thankful to Dr Abdul Latif Al Balushi and Dr Salem Al Kindi for their helpful suggestions when I was writing my thesis. I would especially like to thank my cousin Nasir Abu Mohammed Al Wahshi for his support and help, and Mr Mohammed Al Hosni, Khaled Daabaj, and Ms Layla Al Hameed for their logistical support. I wish to express gratitude to HE Saud Al Balushi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education in Oman, for generously funding my study and giving me the opportunity to conduct this research project and obtain my PhD in the HRM field. Without his generosity and support I would not have been able to achieve my goal. I particularly wish to thank Mr Hamid Al Hajri for his encouragement while I was doing my PhD. I would like to also to thank Mr Fahad Al Khawaldi and Mr Talal Al Asmi who have been kind enough to advise me and help me to study in Australia. In Perth, Western Australia, my thanks also go to professional editor Ms Ilsa Sharp, who took on the task of expertly proofreading and copy-editing my thesis draft even despite her need to nurse her husband after his recent stroke; I am grateful to her for her many insightful comments and queries. A special thanks to all my brothers and sisters for their love and affection.