Political Science

In this proposed study, we seek to examine issues in the workplace that are having a negative impact on the employees and the organization as a whole.  The first case would examine change management, while the second would consider the impact of inadequate training.  The organization at the heart of this study is Abu Dhabi Customs Administration.

The Abu Dhabi Customs Administration is located in the Al Ain International Airport, and it employs 150 people.  The Administration plays a vital role in promoting the economy and ensuring the safety of the State.  Customs Administration is the first line of defense and has been established in order to protect society and the people.  The Customs Administration also helps to facilitate export and trade.  Well organized and regulated border crossings are essential to the continued prosperity of the State.  In recent years, the Administration has expanded in order to accommodate growth in the airport as well as increased tourism and trade.

Literature Review
The role of customs and its importance is well established in existing literature related to airport management.  Research has noted that customs agencies are playing an increasingly important role, as the volume of world trade conducted by air continues to grow, particularly by companies such as Fedex and UPS (Kadza  Caves, 2007, p. 216).  Boeing, one of the leaders in the field of aviation, predicts that air cargo will continue to increase at 6.1  yearly worldwide (Kadza  Caves, 2007, p. 217).  Recent events, most notably increased terror activity worldwide, have ensured that customs agencies play a leading role in the providing greater security, both at a local and national level (Wells  Young, 2004, p. 219).   

The researcher notes that there is a lack of current research that addresses contemporary issues in the field of customs administration.  This lack may be tied specifically to issues around management and human resources.  Early research conducted by Appeals  Struye de Swielande (1998) helped to define current issues in the field of customs administration.  This research also marks a turning point in the popular image of customs administrators.  Appeals  Struye de Swielande suggest that technological advances as well as an increase in time-sensitive trade have helped to push the role forward into a more modern context.  Another area of existing research is the field of supply chain management and logistics.  Industry has long recognized the importance of customs administration to ensuring efficient trade practices (Haughton  Desmeules, 2001 Heaver, 1992).  While these issues are important, the researcher recognizes that there is a need to examine both managerial practices and working culture within customs administration.  Serious problems can and do arise in this workplace, and it is important to address these issues using established management techniques.

Identification of Knowledge
As indicated in the previous section, there are important gaps in knowledge in the field of study.  While considerable attention has been paid to the logistical aspects of customs administration, comparatively little has been paid to the actual functioning of these office environments.  This study proposes that the working culture within these organizations would benefit from the application of best practices in human resources development and management.

Statement of Problems
This research proposes to address two problems.  These case studies are based on issues observed by the research in his workplace.  The first scenario concerns change management, and the second training and development.  A brief overview of each case follows.

In the first case, the situation is as follows.  Both the external and internal environment within Abu Dhabi Customs Administration are constantly changing.  It is frequently necessary for either the Director or his Deputy to issue new directions.  Unfortunately, there is not a great deal of consultation with staff before these directions are made.  There seems to be little investigation on the impact of these changes or consideration of how they will be implemented.  As a result, these changes create considerable unrest within the workplace.  Therefore, this case will consider how the organization might adopt a different strategy for change.

In the second case, the circumstances are related to the existing staff training systems.  At present, the organization is not able to provide all of its employees with access to training.  Priority is being given to upper level and administrative staff.  The problem is further exacerbated by the fact that the budget allocation is very small.  As a result of these circumstances, the annual staff evaluations are very poor, thus affecting morale and the overall standards within the organization.  Consequently, this case will investigate ways to address the training issue by proposing new approaches.

Objectives and Limitation
In this project, the researcher hopes to incorporate best practices in business management to the context of customs administration.  Many of the theories and techniques are highly transferable, and it is believed that this application will help ensure the more efficient running of the organization.

Hypotheses
It is believed that there has been a tendency within the organization to either overlook or underestimate the importance of adhering to best business practices, i.e. change management, training and development.  Accordingly, it is believed that if some of these theories are applied to this environment there will be a substantial improvement in performance and job satisfaction.

Research Methods
This research will be based primarily on participant observation.  The researcher has first-hand knowledge of the organization and will use his observations to develop the case study.  This approach will be augmented by readings in the field of change management and human resource management, as well as motivational theories.

Significance
This research will make an important contribution to the field of knowledge by applying existing theories and techniques to a business setting where they have been overlooked.  In addition, the findings will likely be transferable to a range of different settings.