Introduction
Human Resource Development plays a very significant role in circumventing the social and economic predicaments that may arise in a firm. Through HRD, performance, learning, and individual capabilities are improved. Further, with the globalization of firms, emphasis on the significance of HRD has been on the increase (Fitzgerald, 2000). Adapting to the dynamics of globalization requires the organizations to look for individuals with the necessary proficiency to operate efficiently in the sophisticated business arrangements as well as the contact models within such firms (Harzing & Ruysseveldt, 2004). As such, the government of Oman has continued to emphasize HRD as the foundation for the improvement of both quantitative and qualitative aspects of the nationalized firms through education, training, health, and workforce market development.
Main body
In any organization, the human asset is considered the most dynamic and lively resource for success (Legge, 2004). Therefore, firms have the responsibility of exploiting human assets to achieve maximum efficiency and output in the production process by hiring proficient and trained human resources. Incidentally, emphasis on the development of proficiencies, planning of careers, training of personnel as well as overall organizational development is significant for the success of any firm (Zidan, 2001). In addition, due to the ever-changing paradigms of management, countries, and organizations have to undertake the development and training of their human assets to make them fit in society (Warner, 2000).
The goals of an organization must be associated with human resource development to achieve an effective and efficient allocation of resources in the firm. In other words, the HRD stresses the arrangements and systems that are capable of enhancing the organization’s personnel knowledge, capabilities as well as approaches in the production of quality services (Hearn et al., 2005). Consequently, the government of Oman has emphasized the importance of HRD in achieving quality output and enhanced performance. Based on such emphasis, the government can achieve advancements in all sectors ranging from technical training of its workforce to career development thereby enhancing their performance and output (Weir, 2003).
The government of Oman has achieved significant accomplishments in human resource development over the last decades through the adoption of several strategies. For instance, the authority has succeeded in establishing equilibrium between the population growth and the pace of economic development. The other dimension through which the government has formed the basis of human resource development has been through the provision of affordable healthcare services aimed at trimming down the cases of the safety of the human resources (Pareek et al., 2002). Further, the government has also stressed the importance of training and development of its human resource based on the requirements by the national economy for social, political, and economic growth (Edwards & Kuruvilla, 2005). Moreover, equipping human resources with the necessary training and qualifications has been vital in the enhancement of the efficiency and output in the Omani labor market (Al-Shamali & Denton, 2003).
Garavan, McGuire, and O’Donnell (2004) argue that every country or organization recognizes the imperative role played by human resources for the achievement of full and sustainable growth. Oman just like other nations stresses the integral part played by its labor force during the process of production. Therefore, human resource development forms the foundation of enhancement and mobilization of human capabilities to meet the demands of the labor market (Ashton et al., 2002). In addition, training, as well as proficiency among the labor force, is important for the lasting achievement of the economy. Through HRD, the organizational effectiveness is enhanced through the incorporation of career development and training of the personnel (Hatcher, 2003).
Further, the effectiveness and increased performance of human resources involve the incorporation of the cognitive capabilities of the personnel as the foundations for developing knowledge and understanding among the employees (Marquardt & Berger, 2003). The identification of human ability to work as well as the development of emotional intelligence among the workers is necessary for advancing the performance of human resources. The HRD has risen to prominence in Oman over the years through government intervention by encouraging the organizations to invest in initiatives aimed at improving their employees. In this regard, it is evident that HRD has been significant in solving the concerns of social and economic predicaments through the provision of the necessary tools for expanding human resource performance such as through education and training (Nafukho et al., 2004).
The development of human resources has received special attention from the government due to the outcomes that are gained from its practice. Human resource development is imperative in the growth of the workforce by augmenting their learning, capabilities, and performances in diverse work arrangements (Bierema & Cseh, 2003). For instance, the Omani government through the practice of HRD has been able to realize immense gains by relating the output of its human resource to the value of performance. In addition, the HRD aims to establish work arrangements of human activities that are inter-reliant, organized, and intended towards gaining efficient yields (Kiessling & Harvey, 2005). The organization of the work-systems is capable of optimizing the functioning of different sectors leading to efficiency in the production of the human resource. Further, HRD also aims at developing the abilities of personnel through formal learning experiences as well as training situations. Consequently, the personnel acquires the necessary competencies and cognitive skills that are vital in the development of their potentials (Lee, 2003).
Oman’s government has realized success in developing its human resource capabilities through the establishment of vocational training centers for this kind of asset. Moreover, the emphasis on HRD has seen improvements in the ways through which different sectors in the Oman economy operate to manage the social, political, and economic spheres to foster development (Ashton et al., 2002). In other words, the development of the human resource can establish an arrangement of control that is efficient in coming up with policies to push the society towards its economic prosperity (Rees et al., 2005).
The other critical goal of HRD is to foster good working relations between different players in an organization (Lynham, 2000). As such, concerns of internal wrangles and low yields are worked out amicably. Moreover, the HRD has been of immense contribution in enlightening the personnel on their strengths and weaknesses and providing avenues for the employees on how to improve on their weaknesses.
Conclusion
Assessments of the employees’ output through performance appraisals as well as potential considerations have been essential in improving the worker’s yields. Interestingly, many economies are faced with diverse predicaments ranging from social to technological advancements. On this note, embracing HRD by Oman has proved useful in the solution of such crises using the skills and knowledge acquired from HRD.
References
Al-Shamali, A. & Denton, J. (2003). Arab business: The globalisation imperative. London: Kogan Page.
Ashton, D., Green, F., Sung, J. & James, D. (2002). The evolution of education and training strategies in UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar: a development model of skill formation. Journal of Education and Work, 15(1), 5–30.
Bierema, L. L. & Cseh, M. (2003). Evaluating HRD using a feminist research framework. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 14(10), 5–26.
Edwards, T. & Kuruvilla, S. (2005). International HRM: national business systems, organizational politics and the international division of labour in MNCs. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 16(1), 1–21.
Fitzgerald, R. (2000). Asian business systems and economic development: trade, finance and industrialization. Asia Pacific Business Review, 7(2), 1–16.
Garavan, T. N., McGuire, D. & O’Donnell, D. (2004). Exploring human resource development: level of analysis approach. Human Resource Development Review, 3(4), 417–41.
Harzing, A. & Ruysseveldt, J. V. (2004). International human resource management. London: Sage.
Hatcher, T. (2003). World views that inhibit HRD’s social responsibility: HRD in a complex world. London: Routledge.
Hearn, J., Metcalfe, B. & Piekarri, R. (2005). Gender and international human resource management. London: Edward Elgar.
Kiessling, T. & Harvey, M. (2005). Strategic global human resource management research in the twenty-first century: an endorsement of the mixed-method research methodology. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 16(1), 22–45.
Lee, M. (2003). HRD in a complex world. London: Routledge.
Legge, K. (2004). HRM: rhetorics and realities. Basingstoke: Palgrave.
Lynham, S. (2000). Theory building in the HRD profession. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 11(2), 159-78.
Marquardt, M. & Berger, N. O. (2003). The future: globalisation and new roles for HRD. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 5(3), 283–96.
Nafukho, F. M., Hairston, N. R. & Brooks, K. (2004). Human capital theory: implications for human resource development. Human Resource Development International, 7(4), 545-51.
Pareek, U., Osman-Gani, A. M., Ramnarayan, S. & Rao, T. V. (2002). Human resource development in Asia: trends and challenges. New Delhi: Oxford and IBH Publishing.
Rees, C. J., Jarualt, J. & Metcalfe, B. D. (2005). Career management in transition: HRD themes from the Estonian Civil Service. Journal of European Industrial Training, 29(7), 572–92.
Warner, M. (2000). Management in emerging countries. London: Thomson Learning.
Weir, D. (2003). Management in the Arab world. London: Edward Elgar.
Zidan, S. S. (2001). The role of HRD in economic development. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 12(4), 37–43.