Research Topics: Middle-Eastern Organizations' Challenges Analysis

This assignment identifies and explores two research topics relevant to Middle-Eastern organizations. The first topic investigates the capability gap within these organizations, examining the inadequacy of human capital, and the impact on organizational performance. It proposes a theory linking capability gaps to learning and development and human capital, with associated constructs and variables. The second topic focuses on the impact of organizational culture on employee engagement. It examines the relationship between shared values, employee commitment, and productivity. The research aims to analyze cultural factors influencing engagement levels and proposes methodologies for operationalizing constructs and testing hypotheses related to both topics. The assignment provides detailed constructs, variables, and hypotheses for each research area, offering a comprehensive framework for further investigation.

Identifying the research topics
Research topic 1: An assessment of the capability gap in the Middle-Eastern organizations
My theory: One of the most important challenges that the organizations face is the talent related
challenge of the human resources in the companies of the Middle-East. It has been observed that
the people who are employed in these organizations do not have adequate and required skills to
carry on the work in a proper manner. They also lack the basic education skills to function in an
effective manner. They have been employed just because the demand of the workforce was more
than the supply in Middle-eastern companies. Thus, the human capital in these organizations is
inappropriate. Human capital is the skills, knowledge, and experience possessed by an individual
or population, viewed in terms of their value or cost to an organization or country. Basically,
when the human resources of the companies are viewed as a source of generating more revenue
when their skills and knowledge is invested, it is called human capital. If this human capital is
not adequate or is of poor quality, the organizations cannot function properly due to the presence
of capability gap. A Capability Gap is an inability to perform a task because of a lack of
equipment, training, doctrine, or support. Thus, in this research, I want to asses this capability
gap in the middle-eastern organizations and the way in which the gap leads to downfall of the
organizations. I also want to determine that what factors or steps the organizations have taken to
fill this gap and to what extent these steps have been successful or unsuccessful. This research
and the theory will help the organizations in improving this present situation with the help of the
recommendations that will be provided in the study.
Constructs associated with my theory:
1. Capability gap
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2. Learning and development
3. Human capital
Operationalizing the constructs
1. Capability gap will be operationalized by comparing the actual performance with
expected results. The data will be taken from the companies under study.
2. Learning and development will be operationalized by analyzing the training outputs and
the ROI on trainings calculated by the companies under study.
3. Human capital will be operationalized by dividing the total profits of the organization by
the investments on the human capital.
Variables: Factors affecting learning and development like trainings, experience etc., human
capital
Articulation of theory in terms of constructs and variables: Q= α*Sβ1*Aβ2
The capability gap will be computed in terms of learning and development and the human capital
Hypothesis
Ho: There is no significant capability gap in the Middle-Eastern organizations
Ha: There is a significant capability gap in the Middle-Eastern organizations
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Research topic 2: Impact of the Culture of the Middle-Eastern organizations on the
employee engagement
My theory: Organizational culture is a system of shared assumptions, values, and beliefs, which
governs how people behave in organizations. These shared values have a strong influence on the
people in the organization and dictate how they dress, act, and perform their jobs. Employee
engagement is the extent to which employees feel passionate about their jobs, are committed to
the organization, and put discretionary effort into their work. The association between culture
and the employee engagement is of paramount importance for the organizations in the Middle-
East. If the culture does not suit the requirements of the people, then it becomes very difficult for
the managers to keep the employees engaged and if engagement is not there, then productivity
declines. This is due to the reason that when people will not fit in one place, they will not be
able to work properly. Thus, in my research, I would like to examine the impact of ‘Culture of
the Middle-Eastern organizations on the employee engagement’. I also want to determine that
what factors or steps the organizations have taken to improve their culture so that employee
engagement increases and to what extent these steps have been successful or unsuccessful. This
research and the theory will help the organizations in improving this present situation with the
help of the recommendations that will be provided in the study.
Constructs associated with my theory:
1. Culture of Middle-Eastern organizations
2. Employee engagement levels and programs
Operationalizing the constructs
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1. Culture of Middle-Eastern organizations will be operationalized by the OCTAPCAE
analysis
2. Employee engagement levels and programs will be operationalized by the formation of a
questionnaire to be filled by the employees of the company.
Variables: independent variable- culture, dependent variable- employee engagement
Articulation of theory in terms of constructs and variables: Q= α*Sβ1*Aβ2
The employee engagement level will be determined in terms of the culture of the organization.
Hypothesis
Ho: There is no impact of the Culture of the Middle-Eastern organizations on the employee
engagement
Ha: There is an impact of the Culture of the Middle-Eastern organizations on the employee
engagement
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