Graduate recruitment in Oman's private construction industry

Al-nabhani, S

Abstract

Traditionally, the Sultanate of Oman has relied heavily on expatriate labour to build its
economy, but with the expansion of the Higher Education (HE) sector and increasing
numbers of Omani nationals graduating from HE, there has been a call for the
Omanisation of labour, both to find jobs for young educated Omanis, and to place the
development of the Sultanate in the hands of its citizens rather than in expatriate workers.
Additionally, with the expansion of the private sector, there is a need for Omani
graduates to accept work in that sector, since the public sector that has traditionally
provided employment for educated Omanis is unable to absorb the vastly increasing
numbers of HE graduates.
Unfortunately, however, in some sectors of the economy there is a mismatch between
university output and employer needs, and that tension is particularly severe in the
construction sector. Here, it can be seen that some employers are unwilling to hire Omani
graduates, preferring to appoint expatriates, and that some Omani graduates are unwilling
to accept jobs in that sector. Essentially, each party believes the other has expectations
that are too high. The outcome is that many Omani graduates prefer to remain
unemployed rather than work in the construction industry, with the consequence that the
construction sector fails to achieve Omanisation targets.
This study examines the prevailing attitudes among graduates employed within the
construction industry, construction graduates who are employed outside the construction
industry, construction graduates who prefer to remain unemployed, and Human
Resources managers from eight construction companies. Additionally, it investigates the
governmental perspective by involving members of the Ministry of Manpower which is
responsible for the placement of HE graduates. A qualitative approach in which
interviews with a sample of individuals from each of the categories mentioned is adopted.
The study finds that the full range of skills demanded by construction employers, and
especially positive work orientations, are lacking among Omani graduates, and that
expatriates are preferred because of their greater experience and all-round skill. It also
finds that deeply-rooted cultural attitudes are influential in causing a tension between Omani graduates, especially females, and the construction industry. In making its
recommendations, the study suggests that the substantial similarities between Oman and
the other Gulf countries, offer strong potential for generalisation of the findings to that
wider GCC population.

Citation

Al-nabhani, S. Graduate recruitment in Oman's private construction industry. (Thesis). University of Salford

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Aug 12, 2021
• Additional Information: Funders : Ministry of Higher Education in Oman
• Award Date: Jan 1, 2012