Collective action involving public and private actors (e.g. public institutions, foreign and domestic investors) faces difficulties even in developed economies, let alone in economies that are still developing their institutions. Especially for the latter this lack of collective action in bringing public and private actors together in order to enhance policy making processes for viable and better policymaking performance is paramount. Oman is one such economy which, like many other economies endowed with naturalresources, is trying to grow its non-hydrocarbon (non-oil-gas) sectors. Although there is a growing literature concerning the use of systems approaches in enhancing public and private sector governance there is a gap concerning the availability of such approaches in their simultaneous policymaking process; especially in developing economies and Oman in particular. Accordingly, the aim and objectives for this thesis were laid down to develop a methodological framework, based on a systems approach (viz. the viable system model -VSM) that could aid policymaking processes in Oman, respective institutional developments (ID), and ultimately growth in the non-hydrocarbon sectors. Developing in particular the kind of institutions required to foster collective action between the relevant public institution representatives (PIRs), foreign, and domestic investors. To investigate the above empirically 30 face-to-face interviews were held with foreign and domestic investors; whereas two focus groups were held with a 14 government institutional representatives. Their results are used to demonstrate the operation of the aforementioned methodological framework. This thesis is thus making an original and substantial contribution to the body of knowledge concerned with ID, collective public-private action, through the successful use of VSM. Filling thus the aforementioned gap identified in the literature, within the Omani context.

Collective action involving public and private actors (e.g. public institutions, foreign and domestic investors) faces difficulties even in developed economies, let alone in economies that are still developing their institutions. Especially for the latter this lack of collective action in bringin...