The Significance of the Study
This study is the first comprehensive study of employee retention problems in public
organisations of the UAE, with an emphasis on Dubai and Sharjah. It has both practical and
theoretical significance: It advances knowledge and understanding of how key retention
variables which may affect employee retention in public organisations in the UAE; and it
may also be used to assist public organisations in formulating strategies to increase
retention rates, job satisfaction and organisational commitment among employees.
The employee retention problem and its relationship to HRM in UAE is an area that is
currently under‐researched. This research will provide new data to test Western theories
and assumptions found in HRM studies about employee retention. This research differs
from other studies in that it undertakes to develop a theoretical framework on employee
retention with reference to the Emiratisation policy. This framework requires a study of
both public and private UAE organisations to ensure that national employees are
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adequately represented. Outcomes of this research are intended to better inform policy on
staff recruitment, selection processes and organisational development in UAE
organisations. Evidence from official staff on turnover is limited; however, people working
in UAE generally agree there is a problem in retaining employees.
1.10 Limitations of the Study
The present study has a number of limitations. One is that the research focuses on
governmental workplaces, focusing on a small number of no more than six volunteering
organisations in both Sharjah and Dubai. Access to these organisations was gained via the
researcher’s personal networks; the findings of the study may therefore have some
limitations.
The study is limited to exploring the factors that affect employee retention within the
context of the UAE national and organisational culture, and does not look at expatriate
employees in government organisations in either Sharjah or Dubai.
This study has a number of limitations:
1. All findings are based on the information provided by the respondents, and are
subject to the potential bias and prejudice of the people involved.
2. The scope of the study is restricted to the study of employees in UAE, and places
particular focus on workers within the Emirate of Sharjah. As such, the findings may
change if the study were to be applied to a different area, demographic landscape
or economy.
3. The extent to which the objectives of the study could be reached were affected by
time limitations. Findings reflect the labour market within a period of global crisis.