Are human resource development practices transferrable from profitable organizations to nongovernmental organizations? An empirical evidence from a voluntary organization in Kingdom of Bahrain

• Published date: 01 May 2022
• Author: Sayed Haytham Alawi,Mahmood A.H. Akbar,Mohd H. Ali
• Date: 01 May 2022
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/pa.2351

ACADEMIC PAPER

Are human resource development practices transferrable

from profitable organizations to nongovernmental

organizations? An empirical evidence from a voluntary

organization in Kingdom of Bahrain

Sayed Haytham Alawi

1

| Mahmood A.H. Akbar

2

| Mohd H. Ali

3

1

AMA International University of Bahrain,

Salmabad, Bahrain

2

Graduate school of business, Universiti

Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia

3

Faculty of Economics and Management,

Universiti Kebangsaan, Malaysia

Correspondence

Mahmood A.H. Akbar, Graduate school of

business, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia,

Malaysia.

Email: mahmooda.hussain@hotmail.com

This study is based on a voluntary organization in the Kingdom of Bahrain (subse-

quently referred to as Bahrain) and explores the human resource development (HRD)

practices adopted by not-for-profit organizations and their transferability. Gaps are

identified in the existing literature about HRD for voluntary organizations in scruti-

nizing HRD processes and practices. In-depth interviews were carried out with volun-

teers working for a voluntary organization in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Verbatim

transcripts of the interviews were then analyzed using interpretative phenomenologi-

cal analysis and thematic analysis. The results of this study found that HRD practices

in for-profit organizations are transferable and compatible with the HRD practices

for not-for-profit organizations nongovernmental organizations in Bahrain.

1|INTRODUCTION

Management in the Arab world—in particular, Human Resource Man-

agement (HRM)—is given little attention in the literature (Iles,

Almhedie, & Baruch, 2012). Thus, this represents a fundamental and

critical knowledge gap. In addition, the reality is that there is a lack of

studies in the developing economies that study voluntary organiza-

tions, in association with HRD as a paradigm and its practices. Most—

if not all—organizations are likely to be affected by the globalized

environment, with the work of such organizations being subject to

profound—and uneven—effects due to the different challenges

brought about by globalization (Metcalfe, 2010). On a similar note, Iles

et al. (2012) note that within Arab countries, globalization means that

managers face continued and increasing challenges to keep up with

management in developed countries. In keeping abreast of such

changes, HRD is seen as a fundamental element that helps the organi-

zation to attain its strategic objectives. According to McLean and

McLean (2001) and Bates and Bates (2003), HRD as a discipline must

tackle—and be committed to—the political, social, environmental, cul-

tural, and spiritual development of people, and it must not be only

focusing on economic growth and learning at the workplace. These

changes in the dynamics of global markets, technology, and labor

structures have led the workplace to become more complex, challeng-

ing, and knowledge-based. As a result, this has led to the need for

higher levels of skills such as reading, maths, problem-solving, and

other workplace skills (Bates & Bates, 2003). Therefore, understanding

the factors that contribute to knowledge enhancement and promotion

in the workplace is essential for every organization to maximize the

effectiveness and acquire a competitive edge. Moreover, it is interest-

ing that the literature highlights how organizations suffer in their per-

formance because of the lack of HRD systems and procedures and

how such deficiencies impact the organizational outcomes.

In Bahrain, there are 455 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs),

among which 91 are charitable and social societies, which comprise

21% of the total NGOs (MLSD, 2017). These charitable and social

societies seek to develop in their operational capabilities and enhance

the quality of their services. There is an array of different HRD models

available, all of which were designed to reflect Western management

practices. However, such a model might not fit the context of the

Middle East—and Bahrain specifically—due to the differences in back-

ground and the fact that convergence seems complex. Therefore, hav-

ing a model that is fit for purpose would help voluntary organizations

in Bahrain to increase their competence and enhance their operations.

Such changes would hopefully lead to the enhancement of the

Received: 21 July 2020 Revised: 29 July 2020 Accepted: 2 August 2020

DOI: 10.1002/pa.2351

J Public Affairs. 2022;22:e2351. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/pa © 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd 1of8

https://doi.org/10.1002/pa.2351