Managing HR in the Middle East: Challenges in the Public Sector

Abstract

Management in the Arab world, and in particular HRM, received very little attention in the literature. HRM in the Middle East (ME) is greatly influenced by culture, Islam, and the role of “wasta”/”piston” (connections/pull), as well as by national and global politics. We focus on the management of HR in the public sector in the Middle East, showing similarities with and differences from the ruling managerial models that prevail in the West. We use conceptualising of the case for uniqueness of the Middle East and how managerial processes are influenced by the prevailing culture. We apply a case study to support our arguments. We believe that there are significant implications that this paper brings, in particular, practical implications at both organizational and national levels. The value of the paper is in providing an open view of management in the Middle East (ME), and its implications for decision making at organizational and national levels.