Qualification Standards

Nationals’ educational standards remain a concern for private sector employers, who frequently require technical and mathematical disciplines in recruits’ qualifications (Tanmia 2004) to meet job specifications. Table 5.2 shows the percentage of participants who believe Emiratis are appropriately qualified at that level. Note that Emiratis are required to complete secondary school before they can enter the job market (Tanmia 2004).

Table 5.2: Meeting Qualification Levels for Job Specifications

Qualification Job Specification Requirements %

Secondary school 94

Technical diploma 76

Higher diploma 71

Bachelor’s degree 65

Post graduate degree 47

Table 5.2 presents the percentage of participants that consider qualified Emiratis actually meet the job specification qualifications. Overall, three-quarters (76%) of the HRM respondents consider that Emiratis meet the specified qualifications levels. The remaining quarter (24%) said that UAE nationals are not adequately prepared for the workforce and need further training to develop their skills. Suggestions for addressing these concerns included links between the private and public educational institutions, industry leaders, and professional organisations to match curricula with current and future workforce skills; and that curricula contain more real-life examples and practical experiences.

5.6.4 Barriers to Employment

Respondents were queried on general attributes of national job applicants, and those they considered a barrier to employment. Table 5.3 shows respondents’ views on this theme.

Table 5.3 Personal Attribute Barriers to Emiratisation

Variable Response* Percentage:

Deficiency in experience/training/skills 70

Low motivation 65

Low English fluency 65

Lack of interpersonal skills 59

Low trust 41

* Results combining ‘important’ and ‘very important’

The participants’ views in Table 5.3 are that Emirati job applicants are deficient in work experience, job training and thus work skills; they are unmotivated to work, and they are not fluent in English, nor do they exhibit interpersonal skills. These are the major determinants of personal attribute barriers to workforce participation.

With some differences in emphasis to the literature (see Chapter 4), respondents reported similar views: that young Emiratis find deficiencies in career development, and remuneration; and employers note Emirati deficiencies in experience, training and

qualifications, and motivation including expectations to the effort involved in participation in the workforce.

5.6.5 Hiring Emiratis

Respondents, as employers, were asked for their evaluation of characteristics of nationals. Table 5.4 shows the extent respondents’ decision is influenced when they consider recruiting a national.

Table 5.4: Evaluation of Applicant Characteristics

Variables Responses* Percentage

Qualifications/skills 94

Experience 65

References 12

Age 24

Gender 12

* Results combining ‘very important’ and ‘important’

Table 5.4 shows that of these variables, qualifications and skills factor was regarded as the most important, with experience cited by 65 per cent of the respondents. Of note, age was a factor in a quarter of the responses. Participants reported that

Finding the right skills profile in Emiratis is extremely difficult. Their English needs attention and they are undisciplined and do not have appropriate work ethics (Participant 3). In Participant 6’s opinion, the availability of required skills and loyalty to their employer among UAE nationals is very low.

5.6.6 Retaining Emiratis

Once employed, research shows nationals have a high turnover rate. For employers to meet quotas for Emiratisation not only do they need to attract nationals, they must retain them. Respondents were questioned as to their views of important elements to retain staff. Table 5.5 below gives their views.

Table 5.5 Factors to Retain Emiratis in Employment Variable Responses Important Percentage Very Important Percentage Total* Percentage

Government contributes to corporate costs to achieve Emiratisation

18 82 100

Regular reviews of remuneration 18 76 94 Establish an Emirati employment

centre

29 65 94

Establish a lifelong learning centre for technical and language training

17 71 88

Impose penalties for corporations who do not reach Emiratisation quotas

35 53 88

Implement quotas for employment of UAE nationals

41 47 88

Encourage corporations to offer work

experience to Emirati students 17 59 76

Observe cultural differences in workplace

41 29 70

* Results combining ‘important’ and ‘very important’

To retain Emiratis in employment, as shown in Table 5.5, respondents nominate government financial contributions, establishing an employment coordination centre and regular remuneration reviews as important considerations. Of interest is the heavy emphasis placed on government assistance, especially with training, and salary reviews. An indication of the difficulty in retaining nationals was expressed by Participant 4:

UAE Nationals are under represented in the private sector, an environment which is not suitable for U.A.E. national women. Many women leave work when they find that their employers do not support their career aspirations.

5.6.7 On-the-job Training

Training is an issue for Emiratis, as they are under-prepared in working skills. English fluency and some deficiencies in mathematical and technical skills require rectification for Emirati participation in the work teams or task fulfilment. In this study, 41 per cent of respondents reported that UAE nationals received training in the past year, whilst 12 per cent reported workplace training for Emiratis up to five times during the year and 35 per cent of participants reported regular training for their Emirati employees, that is, more than five times per year. Further, 88 per cent of respondents agreed that, given further opportunity for training and career development, the participation rate of UAE nationals will increase.

5.6.8 Working Conditions

Non-nationals are reported as being generally more satisfied in their work than UAE nationals. This applies across a range of variables, with the exception of the input to the decision making process. Table 5.6 illustrate these differences.

Table 5.6: Employee Satisfaction: Non-nationals and Emiratis

Working Condition UAE Nationals Non-nationals Satisfied % Very satisfied % Total* % Satisfied % Very satisfied % Total* %

Annual leave entitlement 35 35 70 35 47 82

Sense of achievement 47 12 59 59 29 88

Contribute to decision making

47 12 59 23 36 59

Remuneration comparison with other organisations

47 6 53 41 35 76

Career plan 41 6 47 59 23 82

Satisfactory working hours 12 29 41 41 41 82

Opportunity for promotion 23 12 35 29 29 59

* Results combining ‘important’ and ‘very important’

Table 5.6 shows the greater variation in the respondents’ perceptions of the attitudes of Emiratis and their co-workers to working hours, that is, split shifts and six-day working week (41% approval for Emiratis and 82% approval for expatriates), followed by career planning (47% approval for Emiratis, 82% others). Remaining major differences lie with sense of achievement and promotional opportunities. UAE nationals and non-nationals show broadly similar patterns of overtime worked.

The following tables refer to Table 5.6 by differentiating responses between the public and private sector. There is nine per cent of employees who are Emiratis in the public sector, and one per cent in the private sector. The first, Table 5.7 shows the results for this sector.

Table 5.7: Employee Satisfaction: Non-nationals and Emiratis – Public Sector

Working Condition UAE Nationals Non-nationals Satisfied % Very satisfied % Total* % Satisfied % Very satisfied % Total* %

Annual leave entitlement 43 43 86 29 57 86

Sense of achievement 57 0 57 86 14 100

Contribute to decision making

86 0 86 14 14 28

Remuneration

comparison with other organisations 57 0 57 43 28 72 Career plan 71 0 71 72 14 86 Satisfactory working hours 14 29 43 57 43 100 Opportunity for promotion 43 14 57 43 28 71

* Results combining ‘important’ and ‘very important’

Table 5.7 illustrates greater differences between the public sector and the combined satisfaction response at Table 5.6, with an atypical response from the expatriates who are reported by the exploratory study participants as 28 per cent approval for contributing to the decision making process, whilst Emiratis are reported as 86 per cent in agreement with their contribution. ‘Satisfactory’ working hours confirms that the non-nationals are reported as considering this variable entirely satisfactory, whilst nationals are confirmed at less than half finding the hours satisfactory. The second, Table 5.8 shows these results.

Table 5.8: Employee Satisfaction: Non-nationals and Emiratis – Public Sector

Working Condition UAE Nationals Non-nationals Satisfied % Very satisfied % Total* % Satisfied % Very satisfied % Total* %

Annual leave entitlement 33 17 50 67 33 100

Sense of achievement 66 17 83 50 50 100

Contribute to decision making

33 17 50 33 67 100

Remuneration comparison with other organisations

50 17 67 50 50 100

Career plan 16 17 33 50 50 100

Satisfactory working hours 16 17 33 50 17 67

Opportunity for promotion 16 17 33 33 50 83

Table 5.8 shows that HR respondents viewed expatriates as being completely satisfied with a range of conditions in the private sector, whilst Emiratis were not responsive to all but two variables, a sense of achievement and remuneration.

5.6.9 Cultural Issues

Emiratis constitute on average one person in ten in their workplaces. Despite the number of nationalities involved with an expatriate workforce, it is expected that nationals form a minority in most private sector workplaces. Participants’ views on this diversity were that nationals were either satisfied (46%) or very satisfied (35 %) with their co-workers.

Despite this exploratory finding, there are underlying social and cultural issues that regularly lead to nationals’ resignation and this is particularly relevant for Emirati women. Cultural issues were acknowledged by the HR participants, who responded to the question of managing workplace issues. Less than half (47%) of respondents said that they offered to solve issues that arose between UAE nationals and non-nationals. The majority of respondents (78%) reported that non-national team members did not mentor nationals, ignoring their task and teamwork efforts and this was a major issue in the private sector for Emiratisation. As an example, an Emirati may report to a less well-qualified manager and be perceived as a threat, as Participant 13 explains:

there are a number of UAE nationals who are well educated, have work experience and challenge their expatriate directors, but expatriates create some problems for them in order that they should leave the company, because the expatriates fear that one day the nationals will take their post.

Respondents also reported discrimination by expatriates for nationals; nonacceptance and intimidation brought about by different world views, language issues, and thus mistrust. Participants reported that non-nationals viewed Emiratisation as a direct threat to their jobs.

Organisations dedicated to Emiratisation nevertheless had policies and practices in place for conflict resolution. HRM’s role reported in the study in team and supervisory issues included applying standing HR practices such as emphasising the importance of both individuals and their roles in the organisation, appealing for mutual understanding; and if these measures failed, transferring an Emirati to the same job in a different section. Participant 1 elaborated:

Each expatriate and UAE national should work together as a pair, both responsible for the outcome, and there is a replacement if one of them is on vacation, which will strengthen the UAE national’s ability to handle the job as an individual and widen his or her work experience and skills.