There is a universal consensus that improving employee performance is a cornerstone for any organization’s path to success and prosperity. However, when it comes to identifying what factors trigger such an improvement, there is anything but consensus among researchers. In this paper, a sample of government employees in the Sultanate of Oman is studied to discern the factors that affect employee performance. A factor analysis is applied to validate the constructs used to measure the various variables. A correlation analysis and a corresponding multiple linear regression is carried out to test the hypotheses. In contrast to many research findings, the results indicate that the only significant factor is technology; whereas leadership and organizational structure are neutral. The results are analyzed and discussed in view of the socio-cultural context of the Sultanate of Oman and the GCC region.

This paper examines the impact of economic and financial factors on tax revenue of Bahrain and Oman from 1990 to 2010. For this purpose, panel regression analysis is performed by considering economic and financial factors including growth domestic product (GDP), Deposit Interest Rate, Lending Interest Rate, Interest Rate Spread, Real Interest Rate, Bank Capital to Asset Ratio, Bank nonperforming loans to total gross loans, Risk premium on lending, Foreign direct investment net inflow and Cash surplus deficit. A conceptual model is developed for this purpose and the key findings are explained. The outcomes of the study explain that there was a significant relationship between Tax revenue and both economic and financial factors i.e. GDP growth, Bank capital to asset ratio, the Risk premium on lending, Foreign direct investment net inflow and Cash surplus/deficit over the period of study. The findings of the study are very much useful for the policymakers to consider which factors are affecting the tax revenues and in which direction. However, the findings of the study can be more meaningful with the addition of more economic and financial factors as well. Besides, the consideration of other Asian states will provide more evidence for the generalization of the findings. Meanwhile, this study will be a policy note on on-going tax reforms in selected Middle East countries and will be helpful for policymakers and researchers in conceptualizing the tax revenue model for them.

Every nation in the globe endeavours to achieve sustainable growth in its various industries. The construction industry has an enormous contribution to the economy primarily for the developed nations experiencing urgent demands to develop and expand their infrastructure. While this expansion is taking place through projects, it is essential to find the factors affecting completion of project premium. This paper investigates the main time delay and cost overrun causes in construction projects within Oman related to clients, contractors, and consultants. Through a comprehensive literature review, reasons for delays and cost overrun are determined and a survey targeting 100 project managers was conducted to indicate top causes among them. The findings may help the government develop better policy and construction firms to modify criteria procedures to avoid such drawbacks.