Arab Educational Information Network

The aim of this study was to investigate the organizational loyalty of administrative and academic-support staff at the Colleges of Applied Sciences in the Sultanate of Oman. Thirty academic and support staff members from five colleges (6 per college) were randomly selected for interviews. The study used a semi-structured interview, consisting of 9 questions, to obtain the required data for this study. The results of the study showed that administrators and academic-support staff demonstrated reasonable level of loyalty to their colleges with varying degrees. This was reflected in their willingness to remain in the colleges, their willingness to work after-hours and their active involvement in the accomplishment of the aims and objectives of the colleges. In addition, it was found that there are two sets of factors affecting staff's loyalty to their colleges. The first is related to the colleges themselves including provision of professional development courses, involving staff in the decision-taking processes, developing an incentive system and paying staff for overtime work, and maintaining good relationships among staff. The second set of factors are related to the staff themselves, such as work experience, family stability and religious motives. Based on these results, the study recommended that more involvement of the college in assisting the employees to achieve their ambition, increasing their involvement in policy and decision making, and responding to their suggestions.(Published abstract)