BM4101 : Research Methods, (2023-2024, Semester 2)

Students should add this coversheet to the start of their assessment before submission through Turnitin.

Academic Misconduct / Plagiarism Declaration

By attaching this front cover sheet to my assessment I confirm and declare that I am the sole author of this work, except where otherwise acknowledged by appropriate referencing and citation, and that I have taken all reasonable skill and care to ensure that no other person has been able, or allowed, to copy this work in either paper or electronic form, and that prior to submission I have read, understood and followed the University regulations as outlined in the Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure for Academic Misconduct available at the following link: https://www.uclan.ac.uk/study_here/assets/assessment_handbook_2122.pdf

WELLBEING

The Readiness of Government Sector Employees in the UAE to Keep Pace with Future Job Skills

1.        Introduction and Research Context

The emergence of automated and digitalised processes after the advent of the industrial revolution has necessitated the adoption of advanced skills in both government and private sectors. The process of industrialisation brought a higher division of labour between enterprises which is simultaneously accompanied with the automation of manual work.

In addition to this, the study by Morrar, Arman and Mousa (2017) maintained that industrialisation also resulted in an increasing social and welfare security. In this regard, it was identified by Kolade and Owoseni (2022) that the pursuit of a post-industrial, knowledge-based and information society has also caused displacement of workers and unemployment. This led to labour market imbalances that cause prevalence of long-term unemployment.

Simultaneously, the emergence of newer and flexible forms of work has also resulted in risks of social costs and social exclusion. Across the world, these transformations have compelled employees to cope with the skills that will be deemed mandatory in the future. In a similar vein, the livelihood of over 300 million people will be determined by the progression of work in the Middle East (Leopold, Ratcheva and Zahidi, 2017).

Specifically in the UAE government sector, employees are required to upgrade their skills, understanding and competencies so that it is ensured that they keep up with technological and societal change. This implies that it is necessary to learn the usage of new digital tools, making use of diverse sets of data and monitoring the national and international development.

1.1. Problem Statement

A significant shift has been brought about by the changing global job market and the rapid advancements in technology in the required job skills. The government of the UAE has to stay prepared and adapt to these changes for ensuring the sustainable growth of the country. However, there is a need to determine the readiness of the government sector in the UAE so that employees can keep pace with future job skills. This shall also assist in the identification of potential gaps or areas that require improvement.

1.2. Research Aim, Questions and Objectives

1.2.1.      Research Aim

This research aims to evaluate the readiness of the governmental sector in the UAE to align with future job skills.

1.2.2.      Research Questions

• What are the future job skills that are expected to be in demand globally?
• What is the readiness of government sector employees in the UAE to keep pace with future job skills?
• How effective are the current training and development programs in the government sector in enhancing employees’ future job skills?

1.2.3.      Research Objectives

• To identify the future skills that are expected to be in demand globally
• To analyse the readiness of government sector employees in the UAE to keep pace with future job skills
• To describe the current effective training and development programs in the government in enhancing employees’ future job skills

1.3.   Significance of the Research

This study is crucial because it will reveal the talents that are expected to be in high demand in the future globally. This will help individuals, educational institutions, and businesses prepare for the demands of the future workforce.

Furthermore, it will evaluate how well-prepared UAE government sector employees are to adjust to these changing job needs, assisting organisations and policymakers in developing focused plans for upskilling and reskilling programmes.

The study will also elaborate on the success of the government’s current training and development initiatives in enhancing workers’ proficiency in future job skills, providing useful advice for strengthening and customising such initiatives to meet the changing requirements of the job market. However, this research will help encourage skilled and forward-thinking decision-making within the UAE government sector’s personnel.

2.             Literature Review

2.1.       Skill Development Theory

According to Dong et al. (2017), the Skill Development Theory suggests that individuals can develop and enhance their skill with the help of experiences and different learning processes. This theory also highlights the significance of continuous learning and adopting to the learning environments to meet the market demands regarding jobs.

Additionally, this theory can be related with the subject matter as the economic process and obstacles in the UAE emerge with the time. For this purpose, the government employees plays a key role in overcoming the economic challenges through their services and skills.  Nonetheless, the government agencies may guarantee its staff is prepared for future difficulties by instituting skill development programmes.

Dachner et al. (2021) stated that these may including training, feedback, and a culture of self-directed learning. Thus it can be implied that the government sector in the UAE can create a workforce prepared for the future and ready.

2.2.       Human Capital Theory

The theory of human capital emphasises the importance of people’s knowledge, skills, and experiences to their production and the economy as a whole. The human capital theory holds that when businesses invest in their workers’ tutoring, training, and development, it pays off in increased output, creativity and economic well-being.

In addition, Kolomiiets and Petrushenko (2017) studied that human capital theory is especially pertinent to the public sector in the UAE since it highlights the need to provide public servants with the training they need to adapt to a dynamic labour market. The human capital theory is intrinsically tied to the ability of government workers in the UAE to acquire the necessary skills for future jobs.

There is a rising demand for a trained and flexible workforce as the UAE seeks to diversify its economy and embrace technological innovations (Abu-Shawish, Romanowski and Amatullah, 2021). Human capital theory agrees with investing in training and development for government workers since it recognises that doing so would increase worker productivity and boost the economy as a whole.

The UAE government can help its economy remain robust and competitive by encouraging a culture of lifelong learning and providing opportunities to acquire the skills. Thus, the public sector may become more responsive to the changing demands of the economy and society by adopting human capital theory.

2.3.       The Future Skills that are expected to be in Demand Globally

 Future skill sets will likely be in high demand due to the dynamic nature of the global economy. As per the study by Bakhshi et al. (2017), industries are changing due to the development of new technologies, the increase of automation and artificial intelligence, and the necessity for workers to adapt to these new conditions.

Digital literacy and competency will be among the most in-demand talents of the future. However, employees need to be comfortable with and proficient with digital technologies as more and more work is digitised (Fajaryati et al., 2020). This necessitates familiarity with software, data analytics, and the cloud. Strong digital communication and cooperation abilities are also required due to the rising popularity of remote work.

Those who can learn new technologies and use them effectively will have a leg up in the competitive job market of the future (Grzybowska and Łupicka, 2017). At the same time, Patacsil and Tablatin (2017) also stated that creativity and flexibility are equally important in today’s fast-paced, ever-evolving workplace. In addition, employers will continue to highly value the ability to recognise problems, assess relevant information and provide workable solutions. Individuals can better prepare themselves for the global job market and contribute significantly to their chosen fields by developing these future talents.

2.4.       The Readiness of the Government Sector Employees in the UAE to keep Pace with Future Job Skills

The nature of labour is changing drastically due to both technological progress and the dynamic nature of the global economy (Li, 2022). Government workers must adjust quickly and efficiently to new circumstances to maintain their competitive edge and maximise efficiency.

The current workforce may need more skills to adopt new technology and meet evolving employer needs effectively. The government of the UAE has to put money into training programmes, re-skilling initiatives and chances for ongoing education if it wants to create an innovative and flexible workforce.

The government must work with educational institutions and industry leaders to identify and prioritise the future job skills required (Low, Gao and Ng, 2021). It ensures that workers have the knowledge and experience to contribute meaningfully to the country’s progress and development. The UAE’s growth and international competitiveness might be improved if this problem is resolved. It could lead to inefficiencies, lower productivity, and a wider skills gap.

2.5.       The Current Effective Training and Development Programs in the Government in Enhancing Employees’ Future Job Skills

The department’s present, high-quality training and development programmes greatly aid government personnel’s future employability. As per the research by Ukaegbu (2017), these courses aim to help government workers develop the skills they need to do their jobs well and face new problems head-on. The emphasis placed on recognising knowledge gaps and providing training that addresses those needs is an important facet of such programmes.

The government can better understand the unique training needs of its employees by performing comprehensive skill evaluations. Since technology and the nature of work are always changing, these training can help individuals adapt to the most recent developments in their field (Majid, 2020). Ultimately, the government can cultivate a talented and adaptive workforce that contributes considerably to the success and development of the nation by investing in effective training and development.

Nonetheless, despite the benefits, significant parts of the government’s present training and development programmes need adjustment. Constantly assessing and bettering performance is one possible obstacle (Kotsou et al., 2019). The government is responsible for updating its training programmes per the changing nature of the labour market. For this purpose, they must be regularly evaluated, participant feedback collected, and new trends included to ensure that the programmes continue to adapt to the workforce’s needs.

3.             Methodology

3.1.       Research Philosophy

The researcher will be able to comprehend and interpret people’s subjective meanings and viewpoints concerning future work skills and training in the UAE government sector with the help of interpretivism. This method acknowledges that social construction and environmental influences shape human behaviour and ideas (Mardiana, 2020). The study will explore the subtleties and complexity of people’s opinions on future talents, providing a thorough grasp of their viewpoints by adopting interpretivism.

3.2.       Research Approach

The deductive research methodology will be used to construct and evaluate hypotheses about future job skills and training programmes based on ideas and concepts now in use. The research will assess the efficacy of existing training programmes in boosting employees’ skill sets by starting with proven theories and conducting a systematic analysis of the preparedness of government employees in the UAE to keep up with future skill needs. This strategy provides a logical and well-structured inquiry into the research objectives (Melnikovas, 2018).

3.3.       Research Strategy

Surveys will be employed as the research approach to gather information from a sizable and varied sample of UAE government sector personnel. The researcher will be able to easily collect data using this technique on the identified future job skills, employee preparedness, and perceptions of training programmes. As per Assadpour, Ghalehnoee and Bahramian
(2023), surveys offer a standardised process that simplifies comparing and analysing replies, providing insightful information about the study’s goals.

3.4.       Research Choice

The research will take a survey-only approach, avoiding blending other data-gathering techniques. This choice will ensure consistency and dependability in data collecting and analysis. The research will acquire a structured and extensive dataset by relying solely on surveys, enabling a thorough assessment of future work abilities, preparation, and training efficacy among UAE government sector employees.

3.5.       Data Collection Methods

Key stakeholders will be interviewed to gather primary data, including government officials and training programme administrators. Meanwhile, the number of respondents will be 15 for this study. These interviews will give detailed information on identifying future skills in demand, determining preparedness, and assessing training programmes. According to (Al-Ababneh, 2020), a thorough knowledge of the context and particular elements impacting the creation and implementation of training programmes is facilitated by conducting interviews.

3.6.       Data Analysis Methods

Thematic analysis will analyse interview data and find significant themes and patterns relating to upcoming job skills and training in the UAE government sector. This approach will entail recognising recurrent themes, ideas, and attitudes in the interviews and classifying them into informative groups. A clearer understanding of the study objectives will result from thematic analysis, which will aid in deriving meaningful conclusions from the qualitative data.

3.7.       Ethical Considerations

Future work skills, government employee preparedness, and training initiatives are all areas that will be investigated as part of this study. The researcher will ensure ethical behaviour. It is because research requires the researcher to put participant safety, privacy and secrecy first. In addition, the respondent’s rights and confidentiality will be protected, and all hazards must be minimised. Ethical concerns will also involve things like following local customs, getting the necessary permits and ensuring the study’s benefits exceed the risks. It is essential to the study’s validity and the participants’ safety that ethical considerations will be given constant attention throughout the research process.

References

Abu-Shawish, R.K., Romanowski, M.H. and Amatullah, T., 2021. Policy borrowing and developing knowledge economies in GCC countries: A critique from a Human Capital Theory perspective. Asia Pacific Education Review, 22, pp.77–88.

Al-Ababneh, M.M., 2020. Linking ontology, epistemology and research methodology. Science & Philosophy, 8(1), pp.75–91.

Assadpour, H., Ghalehnoee, M. and Bahramian, A., 2023. Developing the model of research method in urban landscape studies emphasizing the Saunders’ research onion. Motaleate Shahri, 12(45), pp.3–18.

Bakhshi, H., Downing, J., Osborne, M. and Schneider, P., 2017. The future of skills: Employment in 2030. Pearson.

Dachner, A.M., Ellingson, J.E., Noe, R.A. and Saxton, B.M., 2021. The future of employee development. Human Resource Management Review, 31(2), p.100732.

Dong, Y., Bartol, K.M., Zhang, Z.-X. and Li, C., 2017. Enhancing employee creativity via individual skill development and team knowledge sharing: Influences of dual‐focused transformational leadership. Journal of organizational behavior, 38(3), pp.439–458.

Fajaryati, N., Budiyono, Akhyar, M. and Wiranto, 2020. The employability skills needed to face the demands of work in the future: Systematic literature reviews. Open Engineering, 10(1), pp.595–603.

Grzybowska, K. and Łupicka, A., 2017. Key competencies for Industry 4.0. Economics & Management Innovations, 1(1), pp.250–253.

Kolade, O. and Owoseni, A., 2022. Employment 5.0: The work of the future and the future of work. Technology in Society, p.102086.

Kolomiiets, U. and Petrushenko, Y., 2017. The human capital theory. Encouragement and criticism. SocioEconomic Challenges, (1, Iss. 1), pp.77–80.

Kotsou, I., Mikolajczak, M., Heeren, A., Grégoire, J. and Leys, C., 2019. Improving emotional intelligence: A systematic review of existing work and future challenges. Emotion Review, 11(2), pp.151–165.

Leopold, T.A., Ratcheva, V. and Zahidi, S., 2017. The future of jobs and skills in Middle East and North Africa: Preparing the region for fourth industrial revolution. In World Economic Forum.

Li, L., 2022. Reskilling and upskilling the future-ready workforce for industry 4.0 and beyond. Information Systems Frontiers, pp.1–16.

Low, S.P., Gao, S. and Ng, E.W.L., 2021. Future-ready project and facility management graduates in Singapore for industry 4.0: Transforming mindsets and competencies. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 28(1), pp.270–290.

Majid, M.A., 2020. Renewable energy for sustainable development in India: current status, future prospects, challenges, employment, and investment opportunities. Energy, Sustainability and Society, 10(1), pp.1–36.

Mardiana, S., 2020. Modifying Research Onion for Information Systems Research. Solid State Technology, 63(4), pp.5304–5313.

Melnikovas, A., 2018. Towards an Explicit Research Methodology: Adapting Research Onion Model for Futures Studies. Journal of futures Studies, 23(2).

Morrar, R., Arman, H. and Mousa, S., 2017. The fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0): A social innovation perspective. Technology innovation management review, 7(11), pp.12-20.

Patacsil, F.F. and Tablatin, C.L.S., 2017. Exploring the importance of soft and hard skills as perceived by IT internship students and industry: A gap analysis. Journal of Technology and Science education, 7(3), pp.347–368.

Ukaegbu, B.C., 2017. Impact of poor implementation of welfare policies on training and development on the performance of academic staff in selected federal universities in south-south Nigeria. International Journal of Scientific Research and Management (IJSRM), 5(12), pp.7718–7729.