Voluntary turnover in the Omani public sector: an Islamic values perspective

Following four decades of economic growth the public sector in Oman is experiencing an emerging problem of labour turnover to the private sector. We examine this phenomenon through semi-structured interviews with 26 current and former public employees. The rate of turnover is low but this masks the impact of losses to key technical and management roles. The main reasons for turnover are dissatisfaction with management style, reward practices and promotion opportunities. Findings are interpreted in the context of Islamic work values and implications for public management reform in Oman are given.