{"id":{"repo_id":"salford","oai_identifier":"oai:salford-repository.worktribe.com:1337568"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/salford/oai:salford-repository.worktribe.com:1337568","repository":{"repo_id":"salford","name":"U. of Salford","base_url":"https://salford-repository.worktribe.com/oaiprovider"},"display":{"title":"Graduate recruitment in Oman's private construction industry","abstract":"Traditionally, the Sultanate of Oman has relied heavily on expatriate labour to build itseconomy, but with the expansion of the Higher Education (HE) sector and increasingnumbers of Omani nationals graduating from HE, there has been a call for theOmanisation of labour, both to find jobs for young educated Omanis, and to place thedevelopment 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 Omanigraduates to accept work in that sector, since the public sector that has traditionallyprovided employment for educated Omanis is unable to absorb the vastly increasingnumbers of HE graduates.Unfortunately, however, in some sectors of the economy there is a mismatch betweenuniversity output and employer needs, and that tension is particularly severe in theconstruction sector. Here, it can be seen that some employers are unwilling to hire Omanigraduates, preferring to appoint expatriates, and that some Omani graduates are unwillingto accept jobs in that sector. Essentially, each party believes the other has expectationsthat are too high. The outcome is that many Omani graduates prefer to remainunemployed rather than work in the construction industry, with the consequence that theconstruction sector fails to achieve Omanisation targets.This study examines the prevailing attitudes among graduates employed within theconstruction industry, construction graduates who are employed outside the constructionindustry, construction graduates who prefer to remain unemployed, and HumanResources managers from eight construction companies. Additionally, it investigates thegovernmental perspective by involving members of the Ministry of Manpower which isresponsible for the placement of HE graduates. A qualitative approach in whichinterviews 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, andespecially positive work orientations, are lacking among Omani graduates, and thatexpatriates are preferred because of their greater experience and all-round skill. It alsofinds that deeply-rooted cultural attitudes are influential in causing a tension between Omani graduates, especially females, and the construction industry. In making itsrecommendations, the study suggests that the substantial similarities between Oman andthe other Gulf countries, offer strong potential for generalisation of the findings to thatwider GCC population.","abstract_html":"Traditionally, the Sultanate of Oman has relied heavily on expatriate labour to build itseconomy, but with the expansion of the Higher Education (HE) sector and increasingnumbers of Omani nationals graduating from HE, there has been a call for theOmanisation of labour, both to find jobs for young educated Omanis, and to place thedevelopment 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 Omanigraduates to accept work in that sector, since the public sector that has traditionallyprovided employment for educated Omanis is unable to absorb the vastly increasingnumbers of HE graduates.Unfortunately, however, in some sectors of the economy there is a mismatch betweenuniversity output and employer needs, and that tension is particularly severe in theconstruction sector. Here, it can be seen that some employers are unwilling to hire Omanigraduates, preferring to appoint expatriates, and that some Omani graduates are unwillingto accept jobs in that sector. Essentially, each party believes the other has expectationsthat are too high. The outcome is that many Omani graduates prefer to remainunemployed rather than work in the construction industry, with the consequence that theconstruction sector fails to achieve Omanisation targets.This study examines the prevailing attitudes among graduates employed within theconstruction industry, construction graduates who are employed outside the constructionindustry, construction graduates who prefer to remain unemployed, and HumanResources managers from eight construction companies. Additionally, it investigates thegovernmental perspective by involving members of the Ministry of Manpower which isresponsible for the placement of HE graduates. A qualitative approach in whichinterviews 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, andespecially positive work orientations, are lacking among Omani graduates, and thatexpatriates are preferred because of their greater experience and all-round skill. It alsofinds that deeply-rooted cultural attitudes are influential in causing a tension between Omani graduates, especially females, and the construction industry. In making itsrecommendations, the study suggests that the substantial similarities between Oman andthe other Gulf countries, offer strong potential for generalisation of the findings to thatwider GCC population.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Al-nabhani, S"],"institution":null,"degree_name":null,"degree_level":"Doctoral (Level 8)","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2012,"date_issued":"2012","date_published":"2012","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:26:09Z","subjects":[],"languages":["en"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["oai:salford-repository.worktribe.com:1337568"],"render_values":[{"text":"oai:salford-repository.worktribe.com:1337568","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":null,"outbound_label":null,"outbound_source":null},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.sponsor","label":"Sponsor","values":["#1 FUNDER NOT LISTED"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Al-nabhani, S"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2012-01-01"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2012"]},{"key":"dc:relation.isreferencedby","label":"Dc Relation Isreferencedby","values":["https://salford-repository.worktribe.com/output/1337568"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationlevel","label":"Dc Type Qualificationlevel","values":["Doctoral (Level 8)"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["en"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["oai:salford-repository.worktribe.com:1337568"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://salford-repository.worktribe.com/file/1337568/1/S.%20Al-Nabhani%20-%202012.pdf"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Traditionally, the Sultanate of Oman has relied heavily on expatriate labour to build itseconomy, but with the expansion of the Higher Education (HE) sector and increasingnumbers of Omani nationals graduating from HE, there has been a call for theOmanisation of labour, both to find jobs for young educated Omanis, and to place thedevelopment 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 Omanigraduates to accept work in that sector, since the public sector that has traditionallyprovided employment for educated Omanis is unable to absorb the vastly increasingnumbers of HE graduates.Unfortunately, however, in some sectors of the economy there is a mismatch betweenuniversity output and employer needs, and that tension is particularly severe in theconstruction sector. Here, it can be seen that some employers are unwilling to hire Omanigraduates, preferring to appoint expatriates, and that some Omani graduates are unwillingto accept jobs in that sector. Essentially, each party believes the other has expectationsthat are too high. The outcome is that many Omani graduates prefer to remainunemployed rather than work in the construction industry, with the consequence that theconstruction sector fails to achieve Omanisation targets.This study examines the prevailing attitudes among graduates employed within theconstruction industry, construction graduates who are employed outside the constructionindustry, construction graduates who prefer to remain unemployed, and HumanResources managers from eight construction companies. Additionally, it investigates thegovernmental perspective by involving members of the Ministry of Manpower which isresponsible for the placement of HE graduates. A qualitative approach in whichinterviews 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, andespecially positive work orientations, are lacking among Omani graduates, and thatexpatriates are preferred because of their greater experience and all-round skill. It alsofinds that deeply-rooted cultural attitudes are influential in causing a tension between Omani graduates, especially females, and the construction industry. In making itsrecommendations, the study suggests that the substantial similarities between Oman andthe other Gulf countries, offer strong potential for generalisation of the findings to thatwider GCC population."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Graduate recruitment in Oman's private construction industry"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.sponsor":["#1 FUNDER NOT LISTED"],"dc:creator":["Al-nabhani, S"],"dc:date":["2012-01-01"],"dc:date.issued":["2012"],"dc:description.abstract":["Traditionally, the Sultanate of Oman has relied heavily on expatriate labour to build itseconomy, but with the expansion of the Higher Education (HE) sector and increasingnumbers of Omani nationals graduating from HE, there has been a call for theOmanisation of labour, both to find jobs for young educated Omanis, and to place thedevelopment 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 Omanigraduates to accept work in that sector, since the public sector that has traditionallyprovided employment for educated Omanis is unable to absorb the vastly increasingnumbers of HE graduates.Unfortunately, however, in some sectors of the economy there is a mismatch betweenuniversity output and employer needs, and that tension is particularly severe in theconstruction sector. Here, it can be seen that some employers are unwilling to hire Omanigraduates, preferring to appoint expatriates, and that some Omani graduates are unwillingto accept jobs in that sector. Essentially, each party believes the other has expectationsthat are too high. The outcome is that many Omani graduates prefer to remainunemployed rather than work in the construction industry, with the consequence that theconstruction sector fails to achieve Omanisation targets.This study examines the prevailing attitudes among graduates employed within theconstruction industry, construction graduates who are employed outside the constructionindustry, construction graduates who prefer to remain unemployed, and HumanResources managers from eight construction companies. Additionally, it investigates thegovernmental perspective by involving members of the Ministry of Manpower which isresponsible for the placement of HE graduates. A qualitative approach in whichinterviews 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, andespecially positive work orientations, are lacking among Omani graduates, and thatexpatriates are preferred because of their greater experience and all-round skill. It alsofinds that deeply-rooted cultural attitudes are influential in causing a tension between Omani graduates, especially females, and the construction industry. In making itsrecommendations, the study suggests that the substantial similarities between Oman andthe other Gulf countries, offer strong potential for generalisation of the findings to thatwider GCC population."],"dc:identifier":["oai:salford-repository.worktribe.com:1337568"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://salford-repository.worktribe.com/file/1337568/1/S.%20Al-Nabhani%20-%202012.pdf"],"dc:language":["en"],"dc:relation.isreferencedby":["https://salford-repository.worktribe.com/output/1337568"],"dc:title":["Graduate recruitment in Oman's private construction industry"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"dc:type.qualificationlevel":["Doctoral (Level 8)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:26:09Z"}