Articles

Strategic Talent Management in UAE Industries: Comparative Insights into Attraction and Retention Across Aviation, Oil & Gas, Banking, and Retail Sectors

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Talent management has emerged as a critical strategic imperative for organizations operating in the competitive landscape of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This comprehensive study examines the strategic talent management practices employed by leading corporations across four key economic sectors: aviation, oil & gas, banking & finance, and retail & e-commerce. Through a multi-theoretical lens incorporating Resource-Based View (RBV), Human Capital Theory, and Social Exchange Theory, this research analyzes how organizations attract, develop, and retain talent in alignment with UAE’s Vision 2031 and Emiratization objectives. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative analysis of talent management effectiveness with qualitative insights from corporate case studies of Emirates Airlines, ADNOC, Emirates NBD, and Noon.com. Findings reveal that while compensation and career development remain fundamental retention drivers, contemporary talent strategies increasingly emphasize employer branding, diversity and inclusion (D&I), sustainability initiatives, and technology-driven HR analytics. The research demonstrates significant sector-specific variations: aviation prioritizes global branding and service excellence, oil & gas focuses on Emiratization and technical skill development, banking emphasizes digital innovation and ESG-driven practices, while retail leverages flexibility and customer-centric cultures. The study contributes to strategic human resource management literature by providing empirical evidence of talent management effectiveness in a rapidly developing economy and offers practical insights for HR practitioners navigating the complexities of multicultural workforce management in the Gulf region.

Strategy Development for Survival & Growth of MRO Company during & Post Covid-19 Pandemic (Case Study: GMF Aeroasia)

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Indonesian Aviation Market 2020 was predicted to grow around 7.0% compared to 2019. It gave Indonesian MRO industry an optimism at first, at least in the beginning of the year, before WHO declared COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has a dire impact on the aviation & MRO industry. As of July 2021, flights still haven’t reached 50% compared to pre-COVID era. Many MRO companies, including GMF AeroAsia, must face an unprecedented situation that caused the market to shrink significantly, and enter the financial distress zone. Several initiatives have been taken by the company. However, with the protracted pandemic conditions and the uncertainty of Indonesian Aviation Market recovery, further strategies are needed to survive and growth. This study aims to analyze the company and develop a strategy based on 2 stages, namely the retrenchment phase and the recovery phase. The retrenchment phase will focus on the survival strategy, while the recovery phase will focus on the growth strategy using scenario planning because the future is still uncertain. From the analysis and interviews, several initiatives and strategies for survival and growth were developed. Several initiatives for survival include headcount cuts, operational efficiency, product elimination, liquidation & divestment, equity for debt swaps, and renegotiate with lenders. While the growth strategy was developed based on 4 scenarios, namely Flying Through Thunderstorm, Flying with Engine Failure, Flying with Broken Wings, and Flying Zig-Zag.