Paper Title
Assessing a Human Resource Development Framework for Gulfization

Abstract
To examine the practice of strategies within nationalization strategies ( gulfization) in the private sector in the Gulf Corporation Countries ( GCC ) it is necessary to examine the human resource development concept in organizations. To examine gulfization within an HRD framework, one GCC country ( Kingdom of Bahrain) was studied to examine the framework developed by the researcher. The researcher developed a framework through literature review representing ‘gulfization’ which was applied within the context of Bahrain. Questionnaires were distributed to nationals working in the private sector structured around HRD themes of ‘Training and Development’, ‘Career Development and Performance Management’ and ‘Organizational Management and Organizational culture’ structured in the framework developed. Interviews with private sector managers and government officials were also based on HRD activities to examine the actual practice of HRD within Bahrainization. The paper explores the importance of HRD practice in the private sector by mapping the results of the questionnaires completed by nationals with respect to their private sector employers’ practice of human resource development activities. A comparison of this with theinterviewees’ view of resistance towards nationalization provides a fair view with regard to HRD implementation in organizations by the two main executors (employee and employer) of nationalization strategies. Research Methodology - Mixed method research strategy was applied in the study. Questionnaires were distributed to seven private organizations with a return of 476 responses.Five to eight managerial level interviews were conducted in each of the seven private organizations where questionnaires were distributed, totaling 38 interviewees. The interviews were conducted with managerial level employees, and together with the questionnaire analyses from employees in private sector the aim was to capture both the employee and employer side. Findings - The paper findings provide strong evidence that companies with various Bahrainization percentages practise the HRD concept. Organizations with high Bahrainization percentages have their own HRD planning strategies. Other organizations that do not have resources to practise HRD activities confirm they receive support through the government Bahrainization development scheme. The findings present HRD activities practised in organizations reflect the HRD activities identified in the literature review and the researcher’s development framework.The framework implemented in the research forms implications for further studies in other GCC countries and contexts that require to assess HRD practice within strategies at a national level. Keywords - Human Resource Development, Nationalization Strategies