Title: Mr. Expat, you are fired! Employees' replacement case study from the Middle East

Authors: Nawaf Alshanbri; Tayyab Maqsood; Malik M.A. Khalfan

Addresses: School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University, Melbourne VIC 3001, Australia ' School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University, Melbourne VIC 3001, Australia ' School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University, Melbourne VIC 3001, Australia

Abstract: This paper aims to explore the relationship and the links between knowledge management (KM) and human resources management (HRM) and their role in assisting employees' replacement process as part of localisation program, called Nitaqat in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Qualitative research approach was employed using review of literature, semi-structured interviews and direct observation as data collection tools. Thirty nine interviews were conducted with employees in the Saudi Arabia's private sector organisations including human recourses managers, Saudi national employees and non-Saudis employees. The four main activities of human resources management department were identified including selection of new employees, periodic performance appraisal, identifying training requirements and recognition of efforts in the form of rewards. Furthermore, these four activities were linked with KM and the analysis of interviews resulted into 15 strategies that would assist in facilitating knowledge transfer between the leaving employee and the new joiner.

Keywords: knowledge management; KM; human resource management; HRM; Nitaqat programme; employee replacement; Saudi Arabia; localisation; private sector; employee selection; performance appraisal; training; rewards; knowledge transfer; foreign employees; local workers.

DOI: 10.1504/MEJM.2016.077143

Middle East Journal of Management, 2016 Vol.3 No.1, pp.49 - 71

Received: 19 Jan 2016
Accepted: 26 Jan 2016

Published online: 21 Jun 2016 *

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