Work-life balance, family-friendly policies and quality of work life issues: studying employers' perspectives of working women in Oman

Family-Friendly Policies (FFPs) aim to help employees manage their family responsibilities, create flexible-work conditions and enable women to perform better on both domestic and work fronts. In comparison to other countries in the Gulf, women in Oman are joining the workforce in large numbers. This trend continues as educational and vocational institutions within the country consistently enroll a higher proportion of women. Currently, women comprise 55% of the total workforce in Oman and contribute significantly in education, health, media, banking and other business sectors. Challenges such as work-life balance (WLB) constrain their Quality of Work Life (QWL). Omani Labor Law (OLL) grants some privileges to working women; however, there is an overgrowing need to address specific issues that women encounter while managing their work and family life. By resorting to in-depth interviews of selected top-level managers from government, public, and private sector organizations, this study aims to secure managers' perception of WLB and QWL-related issues and also their opinion about offering certain FFP-related benefits to the working women in Oman. The research informs that despite some provisions in the OLL, Oman lacks a clear-cut policy on FFPs. Most of the concessions to women exist with a tacit understanding of 'give and take' or sympathy. Notwithstanding, all the employers confirm their adherence to the OLL and are enthusiastic over granting additional benefits, albeit with individual differences in perception. The research recommends some collective efforts on three major fronts. Governmental interventions are needed to direct organizations to classify some jobs as 'Family Friendly'. Organizations need to observe healthy workplace practices. Families and societies need to exhibit a supportive outlook towards working women in Oman

"Jnking” atherosclerosis

Abstract.: Numerous studies in animal models established a key role of the C-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) family (JNK1, JNK2 and JNK3) in numerous pathological conditions, including cancer, cardiac hypertrophy and failure, neurodegenerative disorders, diabetes, arthritis and asthma. A possible function of JNK in atherosclerosis remained uncertain since conclusions have mainly been based on in vitro studies investigating endothelial cell activation, T-effector cell differentiation and proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells, all of which represent crucial cellular processes involved in atherosclerosis. However, recent experiments demonstrated that macrophage-restricted deletion of JNK2 was sufficient to efficiently reduce atherosclerosis in mice. Furthermore, it has been shown that JNK2 specifically promotes scavenger receptor A-mediated foam cell formation, an essential step during early atherogenesis, which occurs when vascular macrophages internalize modified lipoproteins. Thus, specific inhibition of JNK2 activity may emerge as a novel and promising therapeutic approach to attenuate atheroma formation in the future. In this review, we discuss JNK-dependent cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying atherosclerosi

Statistical investigation through stratified random sampling for apple production in Himachal Pradesh

The present study focuses on standardization of sampling technique and comparison of different types of sample allocation methods in combination with various stratification tools (optimum strata boundaries, number of strata and optimum sample size etc.) for obtaining efficient estimators of area and production of apple in Himachal Pradesh. Forth is purpose, various aspects involved in optimum stratification with reference todata collected from the selected or chardists in district Shimla, during the year 2011-12 have been analyzed. The variable "Area under Apple" was chosen as the stratification variable as it had high correlation(r=0.96) with the estimation variable "Production of Apple". Four methods of construction of strata viz., equalization of strata total, equalization of cumulative of ?f(y) , equalization of cumulative of ½{r(y)+f(y)} and equalization of cumulative of were used and their relative efficiencies for estimating total production of apple in the study district of the state have been analyzed. The critical examination of the result revealed that with the increase in number of strata from 2 to 4 and sample size from 10 to 40, equalization of cumulative of method along with Neyman allocation resulted in least variance (0.89) and maximum percentage gain in efficiency (20418.16). Thus, equalization of cumulative of method with L>2 can profitably be applied for the estimation of apple production in the study district of the state Himachal Pradesh, India

Woman Entrepreneurship in the Al-Batinah Region of Oman: An identification of the Barriers

Recognizing the presence of some self-motivated women entrepreneurs in Oman, this study identifies the barriers that they confront and highlights the challenges that are needed to boost entrepreneurship. This study aims to find the factors inhibiting women entrepreneurship in the Al-Batinah region of Oman, focusing on women entrepreneurs especially from the small and medium scale enterprises. This study illustrates and focuses on women entrepreneurship in Oman how it is developing; it observes and reports the hindrances; and it suggests some measures for improvement in the role of women entrepreneurs. Overall, it adds to the literature on entrepreneurship, especially in the context of socio-cultural aspects and the Islamic Arab world, where the literature is still scant

What influences women\u27s participation in the private sector workforce in Oman?

Purpose: Women’s employment has been a contentious issue in the Arab world. However, in today’s changing work conditions, workplaces, and the growth in education, women have increasingly occupied higher-level roles, and their presence in diverse industries has expanded. The study takes a holistic approach to female labor force participation (FLFP) in Oman, encompassing various theories and factors influencing women’s engagement in private sector jobs. Design/methodology/approach: The research employed an exploratory design followed by a qualitative analysis based on a constructivist grounded theory approach. The study involved 170 semi-structured face-to-face interviews with women workers in Oman’s private sector. It explored work–family conflict (WFC), work–life balance (WLB), organizational and family support, and societal bias impacting female labor force participation. Findings: The low FLFP in Oman’s private sector is a complex issue shaped by various interconnected challenges. Our qualitative analysis synthesizes a conceptual framework that highlights WFC and WLB as pivotal factors behind low FLFP, as women in the private sector face long work hours, low salaries, and high responsibilities. Our study confirms that these women receive substantial familial support in dealing with WFC but lack organizational support and family-friendly policies (FFPs). Practical implications: Addressing the low participation of women in Oman’s private sector labor force necessitates comprehensive strategies encompassing legislative measures, cultural shifts, and organizational reforms. Implementing these strategies creates an environment where women feel empowered to participate and actively thrive in the private sector workforce. Social implications: This study indicates the presence of some serious social issues, such as society’s bias, lack of support for working women, and the gender gap in the private sector workforce, which has broad implications and significance for Oman. The study indicates the positive role of support women receive from their families, organizations, and Oman labor law and what could improve their participation further. Originality/value: This study addresses the limited research on challenges encountered by women in Oman’s private-sector workforce. Our research addresses this gap by answering key questions, collecting and interpreting data, and developing a comprehensive conceptual framework. This framework aims to elucidate the factors contributing to women’s reluctance to pursue private-sector employment, considering the diverse issues they confront

Understanding the needs of Mena public transport customers: culture of service and gender responsive recommendations

Fast population growth, urban sprawl and the raise in households’ motorization observed in all major cities of the Middle-East and North-Africa (MENA) region, are constantly challenging public transport providers who seek to handle efficiently the continuously rising travel demand. Most of the MENA cities suffer from traffic congestion that not only impacts the quality of life of MENA citizens, but also their access to job opportunities, health services, and social and political participation. Alongside the development of public transport network, it is crucial to encourage urban dwellers to reduce their dependence on personal cars, use public transport, and develop soft mobility skills. Therefore, operators and service providers need to define customer-centric strategy and build a culture of service excellence in line with their customers’expectations. In cooperation with academic partners, the UITP MENA Centre for Transport Excellence launched the User-Oriented Public Transport research project with the aim to understand the perceptions of female and male users and non-users about public transport services in five MENA cities: Algiers, Amman, Beirut, Casablanca and Muscat. The methodological framework was built around the five dimensions of the user’s needs pyramid: safety, security, ease-to-use, comfort and experience. Based on the quantitative analysis of data collected from 984 respondents and the qualitative analysis of 49 women’s testimonies collected during the focus groups, recommendations were made to encourage culture of service and gender mainstreaming in public transport development in the region

Disentangling Work-Family Conflict, Support, and Turnover Intentions – Quanti-Quali Mixed Method Approach

The turnover rate of Omani women in the private sector is high and employers face difficulties in retaining women productively in jobs. By assessing work–family conflict (WFC), this study probes the challenges and associated issues facing women in private-sector jobs in Oman. This research took a mixed form of exploratory and descriptive research techniques. A structured questionnaire was administered face to face to secure direct responses from the 466 Omani women in the private sector organizations using quota sampling. The study found that time-based and strain-based work conditions affect the families of women significantly. Married women, particularly those having infants or school-age children, face significantly higher work–family conflict in the private sector, exhibiting, in certain cases, high turnover intentions. Almost half of the women workers lack organizational support, whilst the vast majority of female employees receive assistance from their families. Almost half of them either think about quitting or switching to a better job. The research suggests organizations and the government make appropriate policies to address WFC spillover and the workforce\u27s unfavorable perception of organizational support. The study reveals how Oman\u27s social structure aids in extending familial support to female employees and how Oman has overcome some of the primary sociocultural barriers that are faced by women in the rest of the Islamic world

Genetic divergence evaluation of apple germplasm by D2 multivariate analysis

Genetic divergence was worked out in the new germplasm of apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.) including 42 genotypes. Mahalanobis's D2 statistics was applied for identifying the potential parents to be involved in the hybridization programme for trait specific improvement or selecting better segregants. On the basis of performance for various traits, genotypes were grouped into three clusters and maximum numbers of genotypes i.e. 28 were accommodated in cluster I , while 10 and 4 genotypes were arranged in cluster II and III respectively. The average intra cluster distance was maximum in cluster II (2.214) and minimum in cluster III (1.212). Inter cluster distance was maximum between cluster II and III (5.077) indicating that hybridization between genotypes from cluster II and III can be utilized for getting the superior recombinants in segregating generations. On the basis of cluster means for various characters , cluster II was found superior for shoot thickness (0.34cm), inter - nodal length (2.38cm), number of lenticels (62.10) and leaf blade length (8.79cm) whereas cluster III was found superior for leaf blade width (5.10cm), petiole length (2.64cm) and leaf blade ratio (3.62). Hence, hybridization between parents from cluster II and cluster III for these characters can produce better recombinants in segregating generations

Dietary anthocyanins and insulin resistance: When food becomes a medicine

Insulin resistance is an abnormal physiological state that occurs when insulin from pancreatic β-cells is unable to trigger a signal transduction pathway in target organs such as the liver, muscles and adipose tissues. The loss of insulin sensitivity is generally associated with persistent hyperglycemia (diabetes), hyperinsulinemia, fatty acids and/or lipid dysregulation which are often prevalent under obesity conditions. Hence, insulin sensitizers are one class of drugs currently employed to treat diabetes and associated metabolic disorders. A number of natural products that act through multiple mechanisms have also been identified to enhance insulin sensitivity in target organs. One group of such compounds that gained interest in recent years are the dietary anthocyanins. Data from their in vitro, in vivo and clinical studies are scrutinized in this communication to show their potential health benefit through ameliorating insulin resistance. Specific mechanism of action ranging from targeting specific signal transduction receptors/enzymes to the general antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms of insulin resistance are presente