Political Contingency and the Implementation of Localisation Policies : A Case Study of the Oil and Gas Sector in Qatar

This thesis is an exploratory study that examines the political contingency and the implementation of workforce localisation policy through an intensive case study on the oil-and gas-based industries (OGBI), the most significant economic sector in Qatar. In particular, the thesis identifies the strategies and mechanisms that the government utilises in its efforts to gain commitment from public enterprises to replace its expatriate workforce with nationals. The empirical analysis focuses on three main themes: the state influence on public organisations, obstacles to localisation, and the HR practices used to enhance workforce localisation. The findings reveal that the government has adopted some innovative control strategies that are not widely acknowledged within the literature. These include its continuously reshuffling and replacement of decision-makers and key personnel in state enterprises. Moreover, the government is dominating an active role in forming OGBI strategies through appointing the Minister of Energy in the highest hierarchical positions, such as chairman and managing director, in the industries. However, state enterprises' reaction to the state-led localisation policy varies considerably. The study provides new evidence that public organisations do not always comply with politically-determined policies. The evaluation of the implementation of localisation strategy shows that there are three approaches toward what may be called 'Qatarisation', namely, strategic engagement; pragmatic acceptance and implicit avoidance. The approaches are strongly associated with understanding of the policy aims and linking of the policy to HR practices. According to the findings of this study, several policy implications have been suggested as strategies to enhance the implementation process of workforce localisation.