PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to test the relationship between high‐involvement human resource management practices and organizational performance in the Sultanate of Oman, an Arabian Gulf country.Design/methodology/approachCompanies listed in the Muscat Securities Market in the Sultanate of Oman were surveyed. The final sample consisted of 87 companies. Survey responses were subjected to statistical analysis. Financial measures of organizational performance were also used in the analysis for a subset of the sample for which these data were available.FindingsResults of the statistical analysis indicated that, after controlling for size, type of firm (publicly traded or closely held) and average industry price‐earnings ratio, high involvement human resource management practices were positively related to subjective organizational performance and an objective measure of performance, ratio of market value to book value.Research limitations/implicationsResearch limitations include measuring high‐involvement HRM practices and subjective organizational performance from the same source, assuming that HRM practices are uniform across organizational levels and using a composite measure of high‐involvement HRM practices. Future research should address these limitations.Practical implicationsThe results of the study suggest that organizations in the Arabian Gulf can enhance their performance by implementing high‐involvement HRM practices in spite of the unique national culture and special features of the labour market in the region.Originality/valueTo the best of one's knowledge, this is the first study of high‐involvement HRM practices and organizational performance in the Arabian Gulf using both subjective and objective measures of organizational performance. Unlike other studies on HRM in Oman, this study was based on data collected from private‐sector organizations.

Cet article examine le roà le que joue la perception du support organisationnel en tant que me diateur de la relation entre les facteurs situationnels et l'engagement affectif; les facteurs situationnels conside re s e taient: la justice proce durale, une distribution e quitable des taà ches, le degre de satisfaction concernant les rapports avec le supe rieur et le plus ou moins favorable climat des relations de travail. L'analyse des donne es, sur un e chantillon de 185 repre sentants de produits pharmaceutiques, en Inde, indique pleinement que la perception du support organisationnel est effecetivement un me diateur entre chacune de ces variables situationnelles et l'engagement affectif envers l'organisation.This paper examines the role of perceived organisational support as a mediator of the relationship between perceived situational factors and affective organisational commitment. Perceived situational factors examined were: procedural justice, distributive justice, communication satisfaction with supervisor, and labor±management relationship climate. Analysis of data from a sample of 185 pharmaceutical sales representatives from India indicated that perceived organisational support fully mediates the relationship between each of these perceived situational variables and affective commitment to the organisation.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between localization (Omanization) practices and financial performance in Oman. Design/methodology/approach Firms listed in the Muscat Securities Market were surveyed. Data were obtained from 73 firms. Financial performance data (average ratio of market value to book value) were obtained from published records. Findings Results indicated that localization practices were related to financial performance after controlling for size, type of firm, average price earnings ratio of the industry and Omanization levels. Research limitations/implications The measure of localization did not specify the level at which Omanization practices are focused on. This is a limitation of this study, and future research must measure localization practices for different levels in the organization. Practical implications From a practical perspective, the results of this study suggest that organizations in the Arabian Gulf can enhance their performance by implementing systematic localization human resource management practices. The authors believe that this study makes a significant preliminary contribution to the understanding of localization practices and financial performance in the Arabian Gulf region. Social implications These results are encouraging for managers who argue for integrating locals into the workforce rather than engaging in localization practices for public relations purposes. Sincere localization efforts develop local human capital. Originality/value Study was conducted in the Sultanate of Oman, an Arabian Gulf country. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study of localization practices and financial performance in the Arabian Gulf. This study therefore contributes to and extends the growing literature on localization practices in the Arabian Gulf in general and Oman in particular.

Using a sample of 103 Indian supervisor-pharmaceutical sales representative dyads, this study hypothesized that procedural justice, distributive justice, perceived organizational support, and communication satisfaction with supervisor would have a stronger positive relationship to organizational citizenship behavior than to in-role behavior. Supportive result was found for one variable, i.e., communication satisfaction with supervisor had a stronger relationship to organizational citizenship behavior.

Purpose -The purpose of this study is to test for the distinctiveness of organizational versus occupational sportsmanship behavior, and then to investigate the relationship of leader-member exchange (LMX) to each. Design/methodology/approach -A sample of 223 matched nurse-supervisor dyads working for a hospital in Oman was surveyed. Analytic methods included factor analysis and regression. Findings -Organizational sportsmanship behavior was distinguishable from occupational sportsmanship behavior. LMX or the quality of relationship with the supervisor was a significant positive correlate to both types of sportsmanship. Hierarchical regression results showed that LMX significantly contributed to explaining both types of sportsmanship behavior beyond the controlled-for correlates. Research limitations/implications -Sportsmanship, or the willingness to tolerate the minor inconveniences of organizational and occupational life without complaint, is important for the effective functioning of any healthcare institution. Only one dimension of citizenship behavior, i.e. sportsmanship, was distinguished, so it remains to be seen whether other citizenship behavior dimensions can show distinct organization versus occupation referents. How well will LMX correlate to these additional citizenship referents? The sample of nurses from an Omani hospital is also unique, so the generalizability of these results to other samples awaits testing. Originality/value -To the authors' knowledge, the study is the first to explore different work foci, organization versus occupation, for citizenship behavior, and test for the impact of LMX on both.