Rhetorics and realities of management practices in Pakistan: Colonial, post-colonial and post-9/11 influences

Abstract

This study explores how colonial laws and administrative practices shaped the evolution of employment management in Pakistan. It identifies important mechanisms used by the British Raj (the period of British rule of the subcontinent) to institutionalise legal and administrative frameworks: the legacies of these structures continue to influence contemporary management practices in government sector organisations. This article investigates the legacy of the Raj's ‘quota system’ in the civil services and the doctrine of the ‘martial race’ in military services, both of which offered enduring structural advantages in the labour market to designated groups. It further considers the implications of the study's findings for international HRM in particular, but also management theory, comparative HRM and comparative management in post-colonial societies.

Keywords:

• employment policies and practices
• colonialism
• post-colonialism
• discriminatory practices, governance
• Pakistan, international HRM, socio-business elites, praetorianism

Notes

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^5. Kanugo, Jaeger and Srinivas, “A Review of Human Resource Management”; Kamoche, “Towards a Model of HRM in Africa”; Dowling, Festing, and Engle, “International Human Resource Management”; Khilji, “To Adapt or Not to Adapt?”

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^8.Alavi, “Authoritarianism and Legitimation”; Khilji, “To Adapt or Not to Adapt?”; Kennedy, Bureaucracy in Pakistan; Mushtaq, “Managing Ethnic Diversity”; Waseem, “Affirmative Action Policies”; Yong, The Garrison State.

^9. Khilji, “To Adapt or Not to Adapt?”; Waseem, “Affirmative Action Policies”; Yong, The Garrison State; Aycan et al., “Impact of Culture.”

^10. Khilji, “To Adapt or Not to Adapt?,” 113.

^11.Siddiqa, Military Inc.; Abbasi, “The Men in Uniform.”

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^14.Namazie and Tayeb, “HRM in Iran.”

^15.Al–Hamadi, Budhwar, and Shipton, “Management of Human Resources in Oman.”

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^19. Aycan et al., “Impact of Culture”; Budhwar and Debrah, Human Resource Management; Budhwar and Sparrow, “An Integrative Framework”.

^20. Budhwar and Debrah, “Future Research of HRM,” 207.

^21. Ibid., 208.

^22. Budhwar and Sparrow, “An Integrative Framework.”

^23.Gardiner, “Managing in Different Cultures.”

^24.Alavi, “The Post-Colonial Societies”; Saul, “The State in Postcolonial Societies”; Haque, “Incongruity between Bureaucracy”; Arora, Corporate Colonialism.

^25. Khilji, “To Adapt or Not to Adapt?”, 116; Jamil, “Human Resource Management.”

^26. Khilji, “To Adapt or Not to Adapt?”; Islam, “Sifarish, Sycophants”; Abbasi, “The Men in Uniform”; Siddiqa, Military Inc.

^27.Gardezi, “Making of the Neo-Colonial State in South Asia”; Hussain, “Institutions of Restraint.”

^28.Hussain, “The Crisis of State Power in Pakistan”; Islam, “Sifarish, Sycophants”; Ismail, “Impediments to Social Development in Pakistan”; Khilji, “To Adapt or Not to Adapt?”; Kennedy, “Policies of Ethnic Preferences”; Waseem, “Affirmative Action Policies.”

^29.Silverman, Doing Qualitative Research, 160.

^30.Atkinson and Coffey “Analysing Documentary Realities,” 73.

^31.Bowen, “Document Analysis”; Thomas, Research Skills, 97; Berger, Media Analysis; Bryman, Social Research Methods.

^32.Altheide, Qualitative Media Analysis.

^33.Krippendorf, Content Analysis.

^34. Altheide, Qualitative Media Analysis, 29.

^35.Mason, Qualitative Researching, 110.

^36.Strauss and Corbin, Basics of Qualitative Research.

^37.Wiersma, Research Methods.

^38.ICG, “Building Judicial Independence in Pakistan”; Jalal, Democracy and Authoritarianism in South Asia.

^39.Khan and Ahmed, “Quota System for Civil Service.”

^40.Maheswari, Public Administration in India.

^41.Moon, The British Conquest.

^42. Khan and Ahmed, “Quota System for Civil Service.”

^43.Potter, “Manpower Shortage and the End of Colonialism.”

^44. Khan and Ahmed, “Quota System for Civil Service.”

^45.Potter, Indian Political Administration.

^46.Samujh, Reservation Policy.

^47.Jones, “Pakistan: A Civil Service in an Obsolescing Imperial Tradition.”

^48. Kennedy, Bureaucracy in Pakistan; Waseem, “Affirmative Action Policies.”

^49.ICG, “Reforming Pakistan's Civil Service.”

^50. Khan and Ahmed, “Quota System for Civil Service.”

^51. Waseem, “Affirmative Action Policies.”

^52. Khan and Ahmed, “Quota System for Civil Service.”

^53. ICG, “Reforming Pakistan's Civil Service.”

^54. FPSC Rules, 2007.

^55. Kennedy, Bureaucracy in Pakistan.

^56.MacMunn, The Martial Races of India; Khan, Politics of Identity; Kennedy, Bureaucracy in Pakistan; Jalal, Democracy and authoritarianism in South Asia; Waseem, “Affirmative Action Policies.”

^57.Alavi, “Nationhood”; Misra, “Intra-State Imperialism: The Case of Pakistan,” 30; Galvani, “Introduction to Pakistan,” 3; Khan, “Economy, Society and the State in Pakistan,” 182.

^58. Khan, Politics of Identity, 101; Haleem, “Ethnic and Sectarian Violence,” 468; Rashid, “Islam and Nationalism in Pakistan.”

^59.Wilke, “State-formation and the Military in Pakistan”; Siddiqa, Military Inc.; Yong, The Garrison State.

^60. Misra, “Intra-State Imperialism: The Case of Pakistan,” 30; Talbot, “The Punjabisation of Pakistan”; Kennedy, Bureaucracy in Pakistan, 181–208; and Waseem, “Affirmative Action Policies.”

^61. Khan and Ahmad, “Quota System for Civil Service.”

^62.Adeney, “The Limitations of Non-consociational Federalism”; Alavi, “The Post-Colonial Societies”; Haque and Khan, “The Economics Profession in Pakistan”; Jalal, The State of Martial Rule; Kennedy, Bureaucracy in Pakistan; Mushtaq, “Managing Ethnic Diversity”; Waseem, “Affirmative Action Policies.”

^63. Alavi, “The Post-Colonial Societies”; Haque, “Incongruity between Bureaucracy”; Kennedy, Bureaucracy in Pakistan, 181–208; Yong, The Garrison State, 57–89.

^64. Saul, “The State in Postcolonial Societies,” 353.

^65. Arora, Corporate Colonialism; Saul, “The State in Postcolonial Societies.”

^66.Bourdieu, Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgment of Taste.

^67.Maclean, “Privatisation in France 1993–94”; Maclean, Economic Management; Maclean, “New Rules – Old Games?”

^68.Kadushin, “Friendship among the French Financial Elite”; Giddens and Stanworth, “Elites and Privilege”; Stanworth and Giddens, Elites and Power in British Society; Hartmann, “Bank Lawyers”; Maclean, Harvey, and Press, Business Elites and Corporate Governance; Maclean, Harvey, and Press, “Managerialism and the Post-war”, Suleiman, Politics, Power and Bureaucracy in France; Suleiman, Elites in French Society; Mills, The Power Elite; Morin, “Transformation in the French Model”; Oh, Chung, and Labianca, “Group Social Capital.”

^69.Schaffer, “Administrative Legacies”; Braibanti, “Concluding Observation”; Dwevidi and Neff, “Crises and Continuities.”

^70. Haque, “Incongruity between Bureaucracy,” 433.

^71. Alavi, “The Post-Colonial Societies”; Haque, “Incongruity between Bureaucracy.”

^72.The Times, “The System is to Blame for the 22 Wealthy Families.”

^73.Rizvi, Military, State and Society in Pakistan, 152.

^74.Yoganandan, “Globalisation of Pakistan.”

^75. Jalal, The State of Martial Rule; Siddiqa, Military Inc., 79.

^76. Jalal, Democracy and Authoritarianism in South Asia; Yoganandan, “Globalisation of Pakistan,” 134.

^77.Noman, The Political Economy of Pakistan.

^78.Kemal, “Retrenchment Policies.”

^79.Khan, “Bureaucratic and Political Corruption in Pakistan,” 6; Islam, “Sifarish, Sycophants,” 322; Hussain, “Institutions of Restraint.”

^80. ADB Report, “Private Sector Assessment.”

^81. Khan, “Bureaucratic and Political Corruption in Pakistan.”

^82.Khan, Pakistan: A Dream Gone Sour.

^83. Khan, “Bureaucratic and Political Corruption in Pakistan,” 6.

^84.ADB, “Private Sector Assessment,” 38.

^85.Anti-corruption Resource Centre, “Overview”; Samad, “Combating Corruption.”

^86.New York Times, “Pakistani Party's Leader Chooses a Prime Minister.”

^87. Khan, “Bureaucratic and Political Corruption in Pakistan,” 12.

^88.Dawn, “Zardari Signs Employees' Reinstatement Bill into Law.”

^89.Daily Times, “Cabinet Approves Rehiring of 7,000 Sacked Employees.”

^90. Rizvi, Military, State and Society in Pakistan.

^91.Candland, “The Cost of Incorporation.” 70; Shaheed, The Labour Movement in Pakistan, 83.

^92.Amjad and Mahmood, “Industrial Relations and Political Process in Pakistan,” 34.

^93. Candland, “The Cost of Incorporation.”

^94. Ibid., 71.

^95. Shaheed, The Labour Movement in Pakistan.

^96.Siddique, Ansari, and Qazi, “Governing the Labour Market,” 992.

^97.Ghayur, “Evolution of Industrial Relations Systems in Pakistan.”

^98. Ibid.

^99. E.g. Siddiqa, Military Inc.; Cohen, The Idea of Pakistan; and Yong, The Garrison State.

^100.Behuria, “How Military Dominates the Political Space in Pakistan.”

^101.Talbot, Pakistan: A Modern History; The Punjabisation of Pakistan.

^102. Siddiqa, Military Inc.

^103.Siddiqa-Agha, Pakistan's Arms Procurement; Siddiqa, Military Inc.

^104. Siddiqa, Military Inc.

^105. Jalal, The State of Martial Rule.

^106. Siddiqa, Military Inc.

^107. Maclean, “New Rules – Old Games?,” 796.

^108. Behuria, “How Military Dominates the Political Space in Pakistan”; Chengappa, “Pakistan: Military Role in Civil Administration.”

^109. Siddiqa, Military Inc.

^110. Khilji, “To Adapt or Not to Adapt?”; Waseem, “Affirmative Action Policies.”

^111.Alavi, “Pakistan: Women,” 1328; Ahmed, “Pakistan: Ethnic Fragmentation or National Integration?,” 632; Behuria, “How Military Dominates the Political Space in Pakistan”; Waseem, “Affirmative Action Policies.”

^112. Mushtaq, “Managing Ethnic Diversity”; Siddiqa, Military Inc.; Yong, The Garrison State.

^113. Abbasi, “The Men in Uniform”; Behuria, “How Military Dominates the Political Space in Pakistan.”

^114. Abbasi, “The Men in Uniform”; Siddiqa, Military Inc.; ICG, “Reforming Pakistan's Civil Service.”

^115. Abbasi, “The Men in Uniform”; Siddiqa, Military Inc.

^116.Cohen and Chollet, “When $10 Billion Is Not Enough.”

^117. Abbasi, “The Men in Uniform”; Behuria, “How Military Dominates the Political Space in Pakistan”; Huntington, Political Order in Changing Societies; Siddiqa, Military Inc; Nordlinger, Soldiers in Politics.

^118. Abbasi, “The Men in Uniform”; Siddiqa, Military Inc.

^119.Kakihara, “The Post-9/11 Paradigm Shift.”

^120. Cohen and Chollet, “When $10 Billion Is Not Enough.”

^121. Behuria, “How Military Dominates the Political Space in Pakistan”; Siddiqa, Military Inc.

^122. Haleem, “Ethnic and Sectarian Violence,” 468; Mushtaq, “Managing Ethnic Diversity.”

^123.Rashid, “Islam and Nationalism in Pakistan.”

^124.Abbasi, “Punjabi Officers Dominate.”

^125.Abbasi, “Outgoing PAF Chief.”

^126. Alavi, “The Post-Colonial Societies”; Khilji, “To Adapt or Not to Adapt?”

^127. Siddiqa, Military Inc.

^128. Haque, “Incongruity between Bureaucracy,” 432.

^129. Alavi, “The Post-Colonial Societies.”

^130.Naqvi and Kemal, “Privatisation, Efficiency, and Employment in Pakistan”; ICG, “Reforming Pakistan's Civil Service.”

^131. Budhwar and Debrah, “Future Research on Human Resource Management.”

^132. Budhwar and Sparrow, “An Integrative Framework”; Gardiner, “Managing in Different Cultures.”

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ashique Ali Jhatial

Ashique Ali Jhatial is Associate Professor in Institute of Commerce, University of Sindh, Jamshoro Pakistan. He completed his PhD in Human Resource Management from Bradford University School of Management, England. Dr. Jhatial was also awarded Postdoc on his extensive research on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Role of Social Enterprises in Development and Sustainability of local communities. His co-authored research has been presented at the British Academy of Management (BAM) Conferences, UK, The renowned Satter Conference on Social Entrepreneurship at Stern Business School, New York University, Skoll Colloquium Fuqua Business School, Duke University and Said Business School, Oxford University.

Nelarine Cornelius

Dr. Nelarine Cornelius is Professor of Human Resource Management and Organisational Studies and Associate Dean Research at the School of Management, University of Bradford, UK. Professor Cornelius' current research is in the area of business and society, in particular social justice, social organisations and the historical development of management practice in emerging and fragile economies. She has published many book chapters and books and her work has appeared in many international journals that include Business History, British Journal of Management, Journal of Business Ethics, Organization and Urban Studies. She is currently Visiting Professor at the University of Paris (Ouest) and University of Lagos). She is co-editor of Personnel Review and Chair of the Research, Development and Publications Committee of the British Academy of Management.

James Wallace

Dr. James Wallace is Senior Lecturer in Research Methods, Enterprise and Ethics and a Director of the PhD Programme at the School of Management, University of Bradford, UK. Dr. Wallace's current research is in the area of entrepreneurship, business ethics, information and management, and the use of advanced statistical methods for social science-based business research. His research has been published in journals including Business History, European Journal of Marketing, Information and Management and Journal of Business Ethics and he has published a number of book chapters also. Dr. Wallace is a Visiting Fellow at the University of Paris (Ouest) and Head of Research Methods for PRIMAL (Paris Research in Norms, Management and Law) a virtual research centre supported by the University of Paris. He is a Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society.