In spite of its rapid economic development there has been little research on human resource practices in Oman. This study aims to fill this gap. It examines the human resource management (HRM) and human resource development (HRD) practices; explores their implementation; and identifies obstacles that affect such practice. Specifically, it focuses on an attempt to introduce a generic model of HRM - IIP - and attempts to determine whether this model can succeed in a context very different from its origins in the UK.