ABSTRACT
The chapters in this volume explored human resource management (HRM) systems, practices and challenges in a number of Middle Eastern countries. The contributors identified the key factors that have shaped the HRM function in the Middle East and highlighted the key characteristics of the different HRM systems in the region. It is not the intention of this closing chapter to summarize the chapters of this volume or to rehearse all the issues raised in each chapter but its intention is to extract common themes and specific characteristics of HRM in the Middle East. As indicated in the first chapter, the authors of all the country-specific chapters adopted a unified framework to highlight the pattern of HRM in their respective countries. This has enabled us to identify the emerging common HRM themes and draw cross-national comparisons. The framework (see Chapter 1) provides a comprehensive list of important factors that one must examine when analysing the nature of HRM systems in national and cross-national settings. Such an approach has enabled us to draw useful conclusions such as whether HRM in the different Middle Eastern countries is similar, to identify the distinct characteristics of HRM in the region, and to speculate about the future of the HRM scenario in the Middle East. The first section of this chapter provides an overview of HRM in the Middle East. The second section explores whether there is a Middle Eastern HRM model, or a mosaic of country-specific HRM models. The third and final section discusses futures challenges and expected scenario for HRM in the Middle East.
