Obstacles to Localization from an Expatriate and National Perspective in the Emirate of Qatar

Amidst burgeoning expansion plans and double digit GDP growth, the challenge of employing nationals in a country dominated by expatriates raises serious challenges to the social, cultural and political landscape in Qatar. The purpose of this paper was to explore the localization dimensions in the State of Qatar. Using a sample of 204 expatriates and 200 nationals, principal-components factor analysis was employed, which uncovered five main dimensions for expatriates and three for nationals. These dimensions were then correlated with demographic and organizational variables using structural equation modelling and then regression analysis. The results showed that the dimensions of localization have a significant effect on demographic variables such as age, education level, length of stay in the host country and attitude of expatriate and national managers. Managerial and theoretical implications arising from the findings were discussed.