Human Resource Management and Technology Advancement in Education inPakistan

Uzma Rana Shamsi (1st Author)Department of Management Sciences,

COMSATS Institute of Information Technology,Lahore, Pakistan

uzmaranaa@yahoo.com

Umera Imtinan (2nd Author)School of Information Systems,

Curtin University of Technology,Perth, Australia

umera_imtinan@yahoo.com

Amna Imtinan (3rd Author)Department of Electrical Engineering,

University of the Punjab,Lahore, Pakistan

amna.rana16@yahoo.com

Abstract—Human resource management and development ineducation involves building professional skills in all thestakeholders such as students, teachers and administrators onregular basis. This paper focuses on main areas of humanresource management in Education for a developing countrylike Pakistan. Firstly, it will discuss the human resourcemanagement in the process of change in an educationalinstitution. Second area is management of conflict among thepeople working in an institution. Third area of focus is themanagement of human resource by distributive leadership.The role of educational ICTs in management and developmentof human resource in education has been identified as anothersubstantially important factor. Finally, the importance ofpractice based educational environment has been discussed.All of the above discussed themes are interconnected. Hence,all of them provide a sound basis for good governance, foreducation providers, human resource management anddevelopment in the right direction.

Keywords-education; leadership; HRM in education; technologyin education, educational ICTs, practical

I. INTRODUCTION

Human resource development and management is pivotalfor the development and progress of any institution ingeneral and for an educational institution in particular. Inother words, it can be said that human resource managementhas got the same importance for any enterprise includingenterprise of education which has been highlighted in today’sknowledge economy. This area has not been fully exploredfor developing countries such as Pakistan.

This paper discusses the process of human resourcedevelopment and management with certain definite policiesat an institutional level in Pakistan. These policies andprocedures enhance performance of human resource whichconsequently leads to the desired outcome. Proper humanresource management can lead towards the creation of amodern and vibrating institution. Furthermore, it is veryimportant for educators to keep up to date with theadvancement of technology. In education sector,

management of human resource is not a smooth sailing. It isan uphill task full of unseen challenges.Typically, human resources in education include students,teachers and administrators. However, good human resourcemanagement requires leaders of exceptional potential whocan manage change and conflict for the benefit of the peoplein their institution. Human resource development is also along term process which can neither be managed with asingle strategy nor in a single day. Technology endorsementplays a key role in human resource development in educationindustry. In addition, putting students in a practice-orientedenvironment builds their professional skills and leads them tobe successful in careers. Long term policies and authenticstrategies are required for Pakistani education sector tomanage and develop human resource in education sector. Asfar as educational institutions are concerned, leaders mayneed to develop and manage human resource with thefollowing strategies proposed in this research:

1. HR management in the process of change2. HR management in the times of conflict3. HR management with the help of

distributive/participative leadership4. HR development through technology

advancement5. HR development through practical environment

II. HR MANAGEMENT IN THE PROCESS OF CHANGE

There is no shortcut to change. It is a long term processreplete with ‘tiny pushings’ (Hassan, 2008) which pave away for a change to prevail. Leaders of educationalinstitutions shape the institutional culture in ‘the way a pottershapes clay-patiently, with skill, and with an emerging ideaof what the pot will eventually look like’ (Deal & Peterson,1999, p.92). Institutions cannot be changed overnight.Gersick (cited in Parsons & Fidler, 2005, p.449) describesthat ‘small incremental changes’ can lead to a big‘transformational change’. Fullan (cited in Parsons & Fidler,

2005, p.449) mentions three stages of organizational change:‘initiation, implementation and institutionalization.

The process of educational change in this world ofwidening horizons is getting more and more complex. InPakistan, the heightened effect of this complexity can be feltin educational institutions where teachers have to work in an‘increasingly controlled and increasingly fragmented’environment (Bottery, 2006, p.43). In an age of informationexplosion, change is the only phenomenon that is permanent.Hence, Pakistani educational institutions have to embracenew strategies to keep pace with this ever changing world.

According to David Miller (2001, p.366), most of thesuccessful change leaders take the change on as ‘personalcrusade or mission’. Leaders of educational institutions leadthe process of change in a planned way because ‘whether atsystem or institutional level, change may need to bemanaged’ (Parsons & Fidler, 2005, p.447).

There are many subtle ways to manage change in aneducational institution in Pakistan. In the beginning, whenleaders start managing and developing human resource, theycan feel ‘echoes of past crises, challenges and successesreverberate in the present’ (Deal & Peterson, 1999, p.88).For Pakistan, in this scenario, a ‘planned intervention’(Owens, 1998, p.161) is needed so that people involved maynot feel threatened and the process of change may bemanaged for the benefit of the institution. Creation andarticulation of vision for any kind of change is vital in humanresource management as Beare et al (cited in Bush & Glover,2003, p.5) describe vision as a form of ‘mental picture of apreferred future’.

Formal and informal meetings can be a vehicle ofconveying a powerful message. Linkert (cited in Owens,1998, p.187) believes that ‘the systematic orderly problemsolving that small groups can use does not and cannot occurin large meetings’. Actions of institutional leaders areinterpreted in different ways because they are consideredsymbolic. ‘Routine tasks take on symbolic meaning whenleaders show sincere personal concern for the core valuesand purposes’ (Deal & Peterson, 1999, p.90).

III. HR MANAGEMENT IN THE TIMES OF CONFLICT

Conflict is an integral part of every organization. Pondyargues that ‘conflict is not functional for the organization; itis essential to its very existence’ (Dipaola & Hoy, 2001,p.243). Conflict tends to be more serious in educationalinstitutions because people are involved at all levels whetherthey are students, teachers or administrative staff. Leaders ofeducational institutions can turn conflict at all levels intopositive energy because successful leaders ‘do not shunconflict; they confront it, exploit it and ultimately embody it’(Dipaola & Hoy, 2001, p.240).

For human resource management in Pakistanieducational institutions, a culture of celebrating differencesshould be introduced. People should realize that ‘differencecan be as important as consensus in unpredictable changesituations’ (Katzenmeyer & Moller, 2001, p.71). So, it canbe concluded that difference of opinion is one of theimportant channels of learning and it should be well

acknowledged at institutional level. It will provide waythrough conflicts resolution.

IV. HR MANAGEMENT WITH THE HELP OFDISTRIBUTIVE/PARTICIPATIVE LEADERSHIP

The best management of human resource can be donewith the help of distributive/participative leadership.Pakistani educational environments, including K-12 andhigher education, lack distributive/participative leadership.All the people should be given importance and their voiceshould be heard by authorities. Their combined or shareddecision making process is beneficial for the institution.According to McShane and Travaglione (2007, p.267),‘teams make better decisions, develop better products andservices, and create a more energized workforce comparedwith employees working alone.’ If people in an institutionare empowered, they feel elated and as a result theirperformance is enhanced as Savery et al (cited in Bush &Glover, 2003, p.18) rightly point out that ‘people are morelikely to accept and implement decisions in which they haveparticipated.’

As far as Pakistani educational institutions are concerned,human resource can be managed for the benefit of aninstitution if teachers are given leadership responsibilities.Katzenmeyer &Moller (2001, p.2) have called a teacher a‘sleeping giant’ and a ‘catalyst for change’ who can workwonders if given opportunities. Heaney (2001, p.202) alsonotes that ‘it is often a sound management strategy todelegate to others a project or a piece of work to be carriedthrough’ because this dispersed or distributed leadershipdevelops skills or expertise if teachers.

V. HR DEVELOPMENT THROUGH TECHNOLOGYADVANCEMENT

Gulati has discussed technology options for developingcountries specifically poor and underprivileged communitiesof the world. She argues that in spite of challenges forprovision of technology in educating underprivileged people,there is an ongoing effort in most of developing countries toupgrade their educational ICTs to advanced computers,mobile and telecom services, training teachers and studentsfor techno-centric skill set.

Pakistan is a developing country with population of 174.5million. Computing facilities, internet access and telecomservices constitute a substantial part of educational ICTs.Pakistani educational institutions are endorsing teachers andstudents with these facilities in order to develop humanresource up to international standards. According to Worldbank (see Figure 1) in year 2000, only 2% of the populationwas cellular subscribers and 1% was internet subscribers.Whereas in year 2009, a number of mobile phone users havecrossed 95.5 million and that covers more than 50% of thepopulation and 17.5 million internet users which is almost10% of the population. (PTA 2009; InernetWorldStat 2009;WorldBank 2009).

Figure 1: Mobile phone and internet usage in Pakistan (Source:World bank)

Thus, like all other developing countries, Pakistan isprogressing well in upgrading educational institutions withadvanced ICTs. However, development of human resource ineducation sector is not entertained properly. There are veryfew training programs, professional workshops and coursesfor teachers and administrators to improve their techno-centric skill set, therefore, they fail to inject technologicaladvancement in students who are ultimate products ofeducation sector. It is significant to reshape the way ICTs arebeing used in education in Pakistan. Technologyendorsement can only be fruitful in terms of qualitystandards of education in Pakistan if human resourcedevelopment would be entertained through technologyadvancement.

VI. HR DEVELOPMENT THROUGH PRACTICALENVIRONMENT

Practical education starts very early, even in mother’s lap(Edgeworth, 1935). A child starts learning with toys. Aperson who is put in a practical environment proves to be abetter human resource than the person who relies only ontheories. An engineering student cannot be proven a usefulhuman resource if he doesn’t work properly in labs. Tynjälä,(1999) discusses that the students who learn in constructiveand practical learning are more efficient learners than thestudents who learn in traditional theory based environment.Furthermore, the practical environment outside yourinstitution is imperative to experience for students to becomemore useful product for the industry. Commonly, inPakistan, a few subjects or disciplines are considered aspractical fields e.g. medical & engineering. For medicine andengineering, a practice based learning approach is generallyprovided, however, a number of other educational fields areignored which are supposed to be taught as practice-basedapproach. These fields include business, journalism, politicalsciences and environmental sciences. Students in these fieldsneed to be put in practical environment too so that they maybe able to reflect their training in respective professions. Abetter human resource can be produced if practical labs andproblem solving environments are provided for theserelatively ignored fields too. It will result in a better societyultimately.

A positive effort regarding practical education in Pakistan isthe establishment of TEVTA (Technical Education andVocational Training Authority) institutes by Government ofPakistan. These institutes are providing practical education.More importantly, TEVTA institutions accept the studentswith basic level of education i.e. matriculation orintermediate as freshmen. Students get professional diplomain variety of technical subjects and prove themselves veryuseful for their families and for the society as well. The map(see Figure 2) shows the number of TEVTA institutes allover Pakistan. They are making the youth of Pakistan moreuseful on practical basis.

Figure 2: Number of TEVTA institutes in Pakistan (sourceTEVTA Lahore)

The need of the day is to introduce new techniques andother essential education strategies in these valuable practicaleducational institutes.

VII. CONCLUSION

For Pakistani education sector, it is imperative for aninstitution to progress to manage human resource in the bestpossible way and human resource needs to be developed andmanaged by employing sound strategy of participative/distributed leadership in general and in the times of changeand conflict in particular. And the most important of all, it isdire need of the day for Pakistani educational institutions totrain and develop human resource with state-of-the-artadvanced educational ICTs so that Pakistani graduates maybe able to compete with international students. Practicalenvironment is very important to produce a better product.Problem solving technique should be used to make thegraduates think more practically.

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