Indigenous HR policy development in the Arab Middle East: Putting gender on the agenda

Recent focus on the Arab Middle East in research and on the news often highlights the multitude of challenges faced by individuals, groups, companies and governments aiming to revive economic growth in the region after the onset of the current uprising and institutional changes taking place (de Soto, 2011; Witts 2010). Two symposia on women at work in the Arab MENA organized during the last two years of the AOM annual meetings included papers arguing that integrating women into the formal economy by removing barriers to entry, as well as, facilitating ascension in organizations are key to economic development in this part of the world. This year, we focus the discussion on the organization and more specifically on the human resource policies and practices that exist in the Arab Middle East. Our goal in this 2013 AOM Symposium is to stimulate reflections on the type and content of organizational and Human Resource Management (HRM) policies that could: (1) support women’s access to employment and facilitate...