The case describes the efforts of Emirates Bank’s HR team to build a performance-oriented culture in order to facilitate growth. To introduce basic HR processes, resistance to change from the established management hierarchy must be overcome. More recently, business segmentation of the bank and an impending merger raise new challenges for the direction of HR.

The case focuses on the recruitment and retention challenges of Emirates Bank and its HR team as the organisation expands from 900 staff to more than 5500. It highlights the challenges of managing expatriates and locals in the context of nationalisation, and those of changing a culture of traditionally managing retention through salary rises alone.