Employment and Career Motivation in the Arab Gulf States

The Rentier Mentality Revisited

Edited by Annika Kropf Edited by Mohamed Ramady

Book cover: Employment and Career Motivation in the Arab Gulf States

Extent: 315 pages

Publisher: Gerlach Press

Subjects: Business & Economics, Islamic & Middle Eastern Studies

Language: English

Hardback (Published)

(September 2015)

ISBN: 9783940924605

Price: $117.00

In stock

The eleven studies of the Gulf States in this book reveal what nationals expect from their workplace and what hinders them from a personal, meaningful contribution: an initially high work motivation is often annihilated by structural impediments, and many nationals fail to understand the urgent requirements of the GCC labour markets.


The notion of “rentier mentality” has haunted the literature on the Gulf States for almost 40 years now. However, few studies have actually provided insight into how the nationals themselves perceive their career motivators, employability and productivity. The eleven studies of this book present both empirical findings and case studies that reveal what nationals expect from their workplace and what hinders them from a personal, meaningful contribution. While it seems that an initially high work motivation is often annihilated by structural impediments such as a strong hierarchy or widespread wasta, it also seems that many nationals fail to understand the urgent requirements of the GCC labour markets.

  • Edited by Annika Kropf
  • Edited by Mohamed Ramady