الملخص الإنجليزي
This study aims to identify the vision of new entrants into the job market for students about the meaning of work and its systems during the transformational period that Omani society is experiencing. This objective is divided into sub-objectives indicating the transformational period in the contemporary Omani society and its consequences on the job market framework, identifying the students' vision about the meaning of work,their vision about work systems, and identifying how suitable the students' vision about work and its systems with the requirements of modern work systems.
The Study was based on issues of Development and Modernization Theories, Social Learning Theory, and Theory of Reproduction. It is also based on the descriptive methodology. It combined the quantitative and qualitative methodologies. It was applied on a sample of Sultan Qaboos University students expected to graduate in spring and summer Y. IT. The sample consisted of Mt. male and female students and they were selected taking into account the pro rata between scientific and humanity colleges and between males and females. The tool of this Study is a questionnaire consisting of two scales and a number of qualitative questions. The field study resulted in many outcomes through the study principles, which are summarized follows:
First principle: "students' vision about meaning of work", where the results revealed an agreement among the respondents about a number of some of the elements of self-perspective dimension about the meaning of work. These elements are: self-skills development, job security and stability, financial independence, power and decision-making. The Study points out that the responses were influenced by fathers' educational level. Similarly, the social dimension of the meaning of work indicates an agreement among the respondents about a number of principles such as: sharing experiences
and skills, helping others, and social interaction. However, social status is ranked as medium in terms of importance.
The Second Principle is: "students' vision about work systems". The findings show an agreement among the participants on a number of general provisions in work systems such as: including the job title, its financial grade and job requirements in the job advertisement, devoting work systems to respecting the society's customs and traditions, providing the appropriate specialty to carry out the job's duties and oblige business owners/ employers to publish data annually regarding the employment opportunities. The results indicate an agreement on a number of principles related to the nature of work which are: training and qualifying staff in accordance with the annual training plan, allowing additional hours of work during official days or vacations, and that the promotion criteria are in accordance with the nature of work and the years of experience. The study also shows an agreement among the respondents on some of the principles of the dimension of wages, incentives and penalties which appeared clearly in: giving employee the right to an annual leave with full salary, for a period of not less than 7 days, doubling the wage of over-time work during weekends and Official holidays, no objectivity in wages because of gender, origin, language or religion.
The Third principle is: "how suitable students' vision about meaning of work and its systems with the requirements of modern work systems". The study shows that only 11,9% of respondents have knowledge about labor law, civil service law and the amendments have been made to them. Respondents show that some of these amendments are satisfactory and achieve employee's satisfaction whereas others need to be amended again. The study concludes that more than half of the respondents prefer working in the governmental sector rather than working in private sector or business sector. It also shows that there is duplication in the students' vision about work and its systems in the Omani society between the traditional trend in the meaning of work and its systems and the consequences of coping with the modern societies to make progress in the job market.
The study concluded by discussing the results in the light of above studies and theoretical frameworks and presenting the most important proposals along with mechanisms of implementing them.
