Research seminar presentation on a behaviorial study testing the applicability of decision making aids to career choices made by youth in the Gulf Arab world.

1. Human Resource Management
CAREER CHOICES OF YOUTH
IN THE GULF ARAB WORLD
A BEHAVIORIAL STUDY
KHAMAEL AL SAFI
Images courtesy of the e4e report (IFC,2011)

2. MIDDLE EAST:
HIGHEST YOUTH
UNEMPLOYMENT IN THE WORLD
(KAPSOS AND SPAREDOM, 2011)
Images courtesy of the e4e report (IFC,2011)

3. YOUTH POPULATIONS MAKE UP
THE LARGER SHARE OF THE
ARAB WORLD POPULATION
Images courtesy of the e4e report (IFC,2011)

4. THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES,
BUT..

5. ..NO QUALIFIED YOUTH FOR
THOSE OPPORTUNITIES (IFC, 2011)

6. Labour
Supply
Labour
Demand
YOUTH ARE PREPARING FOR OVER-
SUPPLIED FIELDS
..AND LABOUR OPPORTUNITIES AND
DEMANDS ARE NOT ANSWERED

7. WHAT IS CAUSING THIS
PROBLEM?

8. Images courtesy of KFU

9. Images courtesy of KFU

10. Images courtesy of KFU

12. THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS BY WHICH
CAREER CHOICES ARE MADE GOES
WRONG
Image courtesy of endeavor.org

13. LITTLE RECOGNITION OF NEED TO
SYNCHRONISE CAREER CHOICES WITH
VALUES SOUGHT AFTER IN A CAREER
(IFC, 2011)
Image courtesy of Al Yunaniya

14. Image courtesy of Al Yunaniya
OVER 50% OF YOUTH
LIVING IN THE ARAB
WORLD WOULD MAKE
A DIFFERENT CAREER
CHOICE, IF THEY
COULD GO BACK IN
TIME (IFC, 2011)
Images courtesy of the e4e report (IFC,2011)

15. WHY IS POOR DECISION MAKING
SUCH A COMMON PROBLEM?

16. PEOPLE CAN’T ALWAYS BE
PERSUADED TO CHANGE
THEIR BEHAVIOUR
HUMAN BEHAVIOUR IS VERY
DIFFICULT TO EXPLAIN,
PREDICT AND SO INFLUENCE
(FINAL MILE CONSULTING, 2011)
FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM

17. CONTEXT
BEHAVIOUR
NON-CONSCIOUS
EMOTIONS
MEMORY
HEURISTICS

18. BUT WE CAN TRY A NUDGE...

20. SOLUTIONS: TO ENCOURAGE
VALUE-FOCUSED THINKING

21. IS EXISTING CHOICE
ARCHITECTURE ENCOURAGING
BETTER DECISION MAKING
PROCESSES?

22. 6 JAMS 24 JAMS
40% 60%
30% 3%
Customers stopped
Customers purchased
MORE CHOICE IN THE SUPERMARKET...
Iyengar, S. ; Fasolo, B. (2011)

23. WE CANNOT COPE WITH LOTS
OF CHOICES AND INFORMATION
(Fasolo, B. 2011)
BRAIN
FACT

24. A B
WHICH ASSORTMENT IS MORE APPEALING
TO CHOOSE FROM?
Fasolo, B. (2011)

25. STRUCTURING CHOICES BY A CERTAIN
ATTRIBUTE LEADS TO HIGHER
SATISFACTION AND LESS CONFUSION
(Fasolo, B., 2011)
BRAIN
FACT

26. BEHAVIOURIAL INTERVENTION
INTEGRATING
VALUES

27. Current decision
making process of
youth in the Arab
world
1. Given
alternatives
available
2. Choose option
that one considers
'best'
Integrate values
into decision
making process
Desired decision
making process
1. One figures
what he/she
wants in a
career
2. Choose option
that would help
him/her get what
he/she wants
Wooler, S. (1982)

28. HOW DO THEY RECOGNISE THAT
LABOUR MARKET GAPS ARE
MORE LIKELY TO SATISFY
VALUES SOUGHT?

29. A: Football
Hooligans
CONSIDER THIS...
Dijksterhuis and Knippenberg (1998)
B: University
Professors

30. 42.6 %
...THEN GIVEN 44 TRIVIA QUESTIONS
Dijksterhuis and Knippenberg (1998)
55.6%Correct
Answers

31. HUMAN ACTIONS ARE INFLUENCED BY
SUB-CONSCIOUS CUES OR ‘PRIMING’
(Fasolo, B., 2011)
BRAIN
FACT

32. THE RESULTS

33. IN EUROPE...
Wooler, S. (1982)
Value-Focused
Thinking
Alternatives-
Based Thinking
•Higher satisfaction
•Higher confidence
•Higher fit with
preferences
•More in line with labour
demands
•Lower satisfaction
•Lower confidence
•Lower fit with
preferences
•Disintegrated from
labour demands

34. IN THE GCC...
Wooler, S. (1982)
Value-Focused
Thinking
Alternatives-
Based Thinking
•Lower satisfaction
•Lower confidence
•Lower fit with
preferences
•Less in line with labour
demands (22% chose
labour market gaps)
•Higher satisfaction
•Higher confidence
•Higher fit with
preferences
•Higher number choosing
labour demands (38%
chose labour market
gaps)

35. WHY DIDN’T THIS WORK? WHY
SHOULD RESULTS BE
DIFFERENT?

36. CULTURAL FACTORS MATTER TOO
BRAIN
FACT

37. THE ARAB WORLD SCORES 68 ON
HOFSTEDE’S UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE
(Hofstede Center, 2013)
CULTURE
FACT

38. LABOUR MARKET GAPS ARE USUALLY LESS
SOCIALLY REGARDED AND UNORTHODOX
BEHAVIOUR IS NOT ENCOURAGED (IFC, 2011)
Image courtesy of UNESCO

39. THE ARAB WORLD SCORES 62 ON
HOFSTEDE’S COLLECTIVISM (Hofstede Centre 2013)
CULTURE
FACT

40. WORD OF MOUTH SOCIAL REPUTATION
SHAPING CAREER
CHOICES AND
REPUTATION
Images courtesy of KFU

41. HUMAN ACTIONS ARE INFLUENCED BY
SUB-CONSCIOUS CUES OR ‘PRIMING’
(Fasolo, B., 2011)
BRAIN
FACTBUT APPARENTLY...

42. ...THERE IS SO
LITTLE OR NO
INFORMATION ON
LABOUR MARKET
GAPS TO THE
EXTENT THAT
PRIMING IS
INEFFECTIVE HERE!
(IFC, 2011)
WHY YOU NO EXIST?!

43. WE ESCALATE COMMITMENT TO A CHOSEN
ACTION WHEN INCREASED RESPONSIBILITY
IS INVOLVED, ESPECIALLY WHEN SOCIAL
PRESSURE PRESENT
(Staw, 1976)
BRAIN
FACT

44. SO WHAT DO WE DO FOR
BETTER CAREER CHOICES?

45. ASSESS WHAT YOU WANT
METHODOLOGICALLY
Images courtesy of KFU

46. FIND OUT WHERE YOU’RE
NEEDED MOST

47. CONSULT EXPERTS WITHOUT
PREJUDGEMENTS ON ANY FIELD
Images courtesy of KFU

48. YOU CAN ALWAYS CHANGE
YOUR FIELD
THE REST OF
YOUR LIFE
Images courtesy of KFU

49. MAJOR: ELECTIRCAL
ENGINEERING
Images courtesy of KFU

50. MAJOR: LAW Images courtesy of KFU

51. MAJOR: LAW
GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR
DECISIONS!
Images courtesy of KFU