PurposeThis paper aims to explore the relationship between organizational learning (OL) and work engagement (WE) in the Middle East region amid the COVID-19 pandemic and to test the mediating role of employee resilience (ER) and psychological empowerment (PE) on this relationship.Design/methodology/approachThe sample size was 208 respondents working in the Middle East area during COVID-19. Hypotheses were tested using regression analysis with bootstrapping.FindingsThe findings indicate a significant positive impact of OL on WE. Moreover, both constructs – ER and WE – were identified as mediators for this relationship.Practical implicationsPractical implications within this study call for organizations to focus on promoting a learning culture in order to adapt and respond effectively to unprecedented external challenges.Originality/valueThe current study extends previous research and strengthens the antecedents of WE, namely, OL, ER and PE in the Middle East region while controlling for COVID-19 perceptions.

PurposeThis purpose of this study was to examine the impact of social and organisational capital on service innovation capability among service firms in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during the COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approachTo test the proposed research model, data were collected using a cross-sectional questionnaire. The study sample consisted of 188 private and public service sector managers in the UAE. Partial least square-based structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to examine the research model's validity and reliability and to test the research hypothesis.FindingsThe empirical evidence indicates that during this pandemic the relationship between social capital and service innovation capability was fully mediated by strategic environmental scanning, while partially mediating the relationship between organisational capital and service innovation capability.Practical implicationsManagers in service organisations must be proactive during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, they should emphasise effective environmental scanning and the tracking of customer preferences to provide customised services that are valued and meet the emerging requirements of their customers. Prioritising investment in organisational capital to enhance innovation capacity is also recommended.Originality/valueThis study is the first to examine strategic environmental scanning as a mediator between social and organisational capital and service innovation capacity during a pandemic. There were significant differences between the findings of our study and previous studies: the authors found that, during crises, management priorities change, and businesses become more reliant on organisational capital to develop service innovation capability.

PurposeDespite an evident increase in the number of women joining Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) majors at universities, the recruitment and retainment of women in STEM occupations continue to be a substantial challenge. The aim of this research is to investigate several individual and contextual factors that could increase the representation of women in STEM fields.Design/methodology/approachThe authors report the results of a questionnaire survey of women (n = 375) working in STEM industries in the Middle East and North Africa region who have or had a mentor during their careers. Structural equation modelling is used to examine the proposed hypotheses.FindingsThe results indicate that both mentoring and coping self-efficacy positively influence affective occupational commitment. Coping self-efficacy is also found to partially mediate the relationship between mentoring and affective occupational commitment.Practical implicationsThe authors recommend that researchers and practitioners give more attention to the contextual factors such as mentoring and its contribution to the coping self-efficacy and affective occupational commitment of employees in STEM occupations.Originality/valueIn this study, the authors investigate individual and contextual factors that have potential to enhance women's occupational commitment in STEM industries based on the Career Self-Management Model.

The under‐representation of women employed in Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) industries is a long‐term problem for human resource management. We report the results of a qualitative research study designed to investigate the factors that positively influence women's retention and occupational commitment within the MENA region. The data are based on 40 semi‐structured interviews of women employed in SET occupations. The results reveal that self‐directed attitudes (coping self‐efficacy, protean attitude and professional identity) and contextual support (mentoring and the quality of the mentoring relationship) positively influence women's occupational commitment in jobs in SET. Our contributions to academic research on HRM and HRD include the important role that the psychological functions of mentoring play in OCC. In terms of the contribution to practice, we propose that professional HRM institutes and associations could contribute by launching campaigns to promote greater organisational awareness of the potential of mentoring for retaining women in SET.

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