@article{chaaya2019skills,
  title = {Skills Gap and Upskilling: Isolating and Reducing the Gap in MENA e-Businesses},
  author = {Lara CHAAYA and Jennifer ABOU HAMAD and Ghassan BEYROUTHY},
  year = 2019,
  url = {https://ibimapublishing.com/articles/JHRMR/2019/519819/},
  journal = {Journal of Human Resources Management Research},
  volume = 2019,
  pages = 9,
  doi = 10.5171/2019.519819,
  abstract = {The twenty-first century brought with it technological advancements, increasing business demands, and massive economic crises that have forced many professions to be reinvented over and over again. Employers all around the world are demanding greater levels of skills from their employees, and this trend appears to be applicable to the Middle East and North African region as well. This paper uses a quantitative research method to identify the critical skills required for senior-level employees to perform successfully in e-businesses and to explore the gap between the industry’s expectation and satisfaction with the skills of their employees. The study was based on survey responses from 147 people working in e-businesses in Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and United Arab Emirates. One sample t-tests were performed to identify the importance that the industry placed on 20 skills relevant to e-business and to explore the satisfaction of the industry with the performance of its senior-level employees in these specific skills. The findings showed that senior-level employees exhibit a more significant skills gap in soft skills than in digital skills, especially in decision making, leadership, and problem-solving skills. The results highlight the need to develop soft skills among candidates before they enter the workforce and offer educational institutions guidance for redesigning coursework to prioritize soft skills that are most relevant to the workplace. The findings also suggest that firms invest in the continuous learning of their employees to avoid the need to look for new people whenever the market changes.},
  keywords = {Skills gap, senior-level employees, e-business, MENA Region},
  note = Article ID: 519819
}