Challenges of indigenous employment in the private logistics sector in developing economies: an in-depth study of the Sultanate of Oman.
type: CreativeWork
description: Oman is actively developing its logistics sector to diversify the economy and create jobs for its citizens, which aligns with the government's Vision 2040. However, the country faces a growing number of indigenous job seekers. This research explores the challenges of increasing indigenous employment (Omanisation) in Oman's private logistics sector across five themes: employment and Omanisation data, government policies, businesses' employment practices, Learning and Development (L&D), and economic and technological influences. The themes emerged from the literature review. This investigation was grounded on the stakeholder theory and adopted a mixed-methods approach. Study One was qualitative and included ten interviews, a case study in a third-party logistics company, and document analysis. NVivo was used for data analysis. Findings indicated: (i) Employment and Omanisation data inconsistencies, hindering a clear view of job opportunities. (ii) Government policies were found to be supportive yet inconsistent and occasionally contradictory. (iii) Employment practices - logistics companies struggle to attract Omanis due to low pay and the physical nature of the work. (iv) Learning and Development - Academic programmes require reform, with more emphasis on vocational training. (v) Economic and Technology - Technology could reduce costs and support greater Omanisation. Given intense regional competition, maritime logistics should be prioritised to leverage Oman's strategic location. Study Two involved a survey, with revised themes and framework, excluding employment and Omanisation data because of sufficient findings in Study One. The survey was sent to 100 companies, with 42 responses. Using a Factorial ANOVA in SPSS, the study analysed the impact of 20 variables (identified in Study One) relating to Omanisation across operational, middle, and senior management levels. The results showed that government policies and Human Resources (HR) strategies significantly influe…
abstract: Oman is actively developing its logistics sector to diversify the economy and create jobs for its citizens, which aligns with the government's Vision 2040. However, the country faces a growing number of indigenous job seekers. This research explores the challenges of increasing indigenous employment (Omanisation) in Oman's private logistics sector across five themes: employment and Omanisation data, government policies, businesses' employment practices, Learning and Development (L&D), and economic and technological influences. The themes emerged from the literature review. This investigation was grounded on the stakeholder theory and adopted a mixed-methods approach. Study One was qualitative and included ten interviews, a case study in a third-party logistics company, and document analysis. NVivo was used for data analysis. Findings indicated: (i) Employment and Omanisation data inconsistencies, hindering a clear view of job opportunities. (ii) Government policies were found to be supportive yet inconsistent and occasionally contradictory. (iii) Employment practices - logistics companies struggle to attract Omanis due to low pay and the physical nature of the work. (iv) Learning and Development - Academic programmes require reform, with more emphasis on vocational training. (v) Economic and Technology - Technology could reduce costs and support greater Omanisation. Given intense regional competition, maritime logistics should be prioritised to leverage Oman's strategic location. Study Two involved a survey, with revised themes and framework, excluding employment and Omanisation data because of sufficient findings in Study One. The survey was sent to 100 companies, with 42 responses. Using a Factorial ANOVA in SPSS, the study analysed the impact of 20 variables (identified in Study One) relating to Omanisation across operational, middle, and senior management levels. The results showed that government policies and Human Resources (HR) strategies significantly influe…
author: Al Abri, Hamad Zahar Hamad
language: en
keywords: Human resources management, Indigenisation, Omanisation, Oman, Employment, Logistics, Developing economies
date published: 2026
date modified: 2026-07-24T04:10:14Z
provider: Robert Gordon University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Robert Gordon University

PropertyValue
property ID: DOI
value: 10.48526/rgu-wt-3308918