Human resource education in the Middle East region

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of human resource development (HRD) education in Middle Eastern countries. In particular, the authors discuss the current state of HRD education, country readiness and challenges that hinder HRD progress in Middle Eastern countries. They argue that HRD programs need to prepare young employees for leadership roles through adapting constructivist pedagogy, including problem-solving, critical thinking and creativity. Design/methodology/approach The design of this paper followed a qualitative approach. The authors conducted in-depth interviews with five HRD experts in Middle Eastern countries and conducted integrative literature review and secondary data analysis. Findings Data analysis provided an overview of HRD education, looked at options individuals interested in HRD education might have, provided views on constructivism vs instructivism as education pedagogies and discussed cultural factors that impede critical reflection in the workplace. Research limitations/implications To understand how to introduce constructivist elements to instructivist learning cultures, and to sustain it, HRD scholars in the Middle Eastern countries need to diminish the misalignment between instructional philosophies of trainers, trainees and national or institutional systems. Practical implications Understanding how policy, resources, infrastructure and culture influence learning expectations is vital to introducing innovative training activities or scaling them up to other workshops and systems. Originality/value This research sheds light on HRD education in the Middle Eastern countries; provides an overview of employment challenges and opportunities to improve workplace learning; and provides scholars, practitioners and other stakeholders interested in HRD with suggestions to develop successful workforce education.

The state of HRM in the Middle East: Challenges and future research agenda

“…Apart from gender, another theme which our analysis highlights (see Tables 4, 5 and 6) is that of the influence of Arab culture and values on its management systems (e.g., Ali, 2010;Dirani & Hamie, 2017;Mellahi, 2003). A related focus of research has been to examine the impact of Islamic values, Islamic work ethics and Islamic principles on the management of human resources in the region (see Branine & Pollard, 2010;Budhwar & Mellahi, 2010).…”

“…Cultural/institutional norms/practices influencing HRM Dirani and Hamie (2017) • Cultural factors impede employees' critical reflection in the workplace in the Middle East.…”

Impact of Training and Development Practices on Job Satisfaction: A Study on Faculty Members of Technical Education Institutes

“…As per the study carried out in HRD on education institutions in Middle Eastern countries, it was concluded that educational institutions should equip the students as per the requirements of the modern work places. It is the responsibility of these institutions to equip the students with required skills in order to reduce the skill gap (Dirani & Hamie, 2017).…”

Linkages of organizational commitment and leadership styles: a systematic review

“…Several leadership development strategies such as leadership training workshops, leadership muscle exercises and external quality supervision and assessment of leadership standards have been previously recommended for enhancing outcomes (Preston-Dayne, 2013; Dirani and Hamie, 2017; Borde et al , 2022). Specifically, training and development activities based on the theme of self-development (Table 4) as a leadership development strategy can be adopted by HRD practitioners.…”