Education, Business and Society: Contemporary Middle Eastern Issues

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore, within the UAE, performance appraisal, culture and associated outcomes. It builds upon a mainly Western literature to develop the case for aligning culture with appraisal to meet stakeholder expectations.

Design/methodology/approach – A sample of managers was drawn from the Chamber of Commerce listing. Their views were sought on the extent to which they empathised with appraisal approaches. Opinions relating to organizational outcomes associated with the appraisal, combined with an exploration of culture issues, were canvassed.

Findings – Results suggest: commitment will be influenced by the extent to which an employee perceives a personal organizational “fit”; an employee's job satisfaction maybe positively linked to the extent to which they consider appraisal and culture to be aligned; and, there was an unexpected neutral effect relating to the impact of national culture.

Research limitations/implications – This Westernised approach appears to have been favourably received: the paper examines why this maybe the case and suggests further research to validate the results and to establish the true extent and nature of this Westernisation. However, the findings are based on a small sample, drawn from an affluent and outward looking socio-economic region, and as the research was explorative, qualitative analysis was limited.

Originality/value – A contribution is made to the literature as the research reinforces the view that appraisal and culture are linked and impact upon performance. More importantly the Middle East has received scant attention from researchers. By questioning the traditional view of Middle Eastern practice the research raises interesting questions concerning the current status of managerial professionalism and efficacy.