Most of the respondents however mentioned that the work place environment was not satisfactory. ".... the work place environment is weak because the capacity of the building is not based on a future plan but on the current situation" (Focus group - 1) while a similar but more specific statement was expressed by the second focus group participant, “In order to work productively the office space must be pleasant and comfortable for a person to love working there,. Unfortunately, some organizations place staff offices in the corridors, causing inconvenience and a lack of focus for employees which leads to low or poor productivity” (Focus group - 2).
The importance of future vision and strategic plans when structuring a work environment was stressed by the participants. " the lack of vision and a long-term plan leads to a poor work environment, planning based on the organizational structures can help organizations attract UAE nationals, which is a crucial role of human resources team” (Focus Group – 3). In some organizations amenities such as the cafeteria and corridors are converted into office space where employees are working in a cramped space under adverse condition which in turn may lead to attrition “... based on my experience, one of the organization has cancelled the cafeteria and converted it to the office; the corridors have also been converted to staff offices by placing glass partitions in between"
(Focus Group – 4). Table 2. Themes that emerged from Focus Group Discussion (FGD) regarding factors that influence and affect employee retention