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Alzaabi, Sultan (2018) An exploratory study of succession planning in a non-Western context: a case study of Abu Dhabi police. Masters thesis, London Metropolitan University.
The significance of succession planning (SP) is increasingly acknowledged in the existing context. Rising competitiveness in external environments emphasises the need for continuity of leadership competence within organisations and is a key factor driving SP in addition to increasing focus on diversity in senior leadership, a highly competitive talent acquisition context and unexpected changes in leadership. In the police sector loss of knowledge and skills represent major risks emphasising effective SP to ensure transfer to developing leaders. This research focused on examining the usefulness of SP theories developed in a largely Western context, aiding Abu Dhabi Police (ADP) to identify and address gaps in SP. A qualitative and explorative approach was employed based on a case study strategy utilising semi-structured interviews with key actors in ADP. Findings revealed that SP within the ADP is characterised by a traditional management-oriented, reactive approach focused on top-level leaders as opposed to a technical, proactive and participative approach that is consistent with key principles. A strong strategic commitment to SP was identified that did not translate into specific mechanisms and processes. A closed circle approach to identifying future successors was adopted reliant on trust and personal relations that excluded a broader pool of talent available organisation-wide. SP processes indicated a dominant focus on leadership development however there was limited linkage between development processes and succession planning principles. A gap analysis indicated a less mature implementation of SP within the ADP that was periodic and standalone. The findings indicated that Western succession planning needed to be contextualised to address cultural factors in ADP relating to trust, knowledge sharing, transparency, identity, social relations and gender.
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