Exploring Human Resource management practise through the Qatar HR Forum; framing the influence of 'Tharaba' culture and the development of Qatar-centric competencies for HR professionals practising in Qatar

Qatarisation policy has emerged from the Qatar National Vision 2030 and has become embedded into organisations’ core strategic visions. Qatarisation aims to place knowledgeable local Qataris into senior professional roles to lead their country. Human Development is a core pillar of the National Vision and is an expected responsibility of each organisation and its employees. This responsibility directly impacts the Human Resource Management (HRM) function and HRM professionals developing talent in Qatar. This is a challenge due to a lack of Qatar-centric frameworks available to HR Professionals practising in Qatar and a lack of understanding of influences on HRM Practises. The research focused on overcoming this challenge and contributing to a sustainable framework solution for HR professionals in Qatar.

There were three main aims; to review HR literature while exploring the fundamental principles and context of the HR professional practise in Qatar; to explore ways HR practitioners in the Qatar HR Forum could drive and support a change in HRM practise, and to contribute to professionalising HRM Practise in Qatar. A qualitative interpretivistic approach explored the experiences and perceptions of HR professionals practising in Qatar, who are members of the Qatar HR Forum, through surveys, interviews, and focus groups, to understand the complexities of HRM in Qatar.

The findings show that distinctive expatriate and Qatari influences need to be considered with a new framing of how Qatari culture might influence and impact current and future HRM practises. This has been conceptualised as ‘Tharaba Culture’ – ذرابه , which encompasses behaviours, customs, and unwritten expectations that locals acknowledge as their culture. It is based on influences such as family ties, leadership status, expected norms and non-negotiable behaviours, engulfed in the wisdom of the respected elders formulated from tribal descent. The research further impacts practise, with a significant outcome being the development of a Qatar-centric HR competency framework, which will provide a foundation for HR professionals to meet the unique challenges and complexities of HRM practise in Qatar.