Doing business in Pakistan: Management challenges

As a review of the current political and economic situation in Pakistan, this paper aims to discuss the contextual issues which have affected the human resources management (HRM) practices of Pakistani organizations. Firstly, it outlines some historical backgrounds that have influenced management practices in Pakistan. Secondly, it analyzes the current turbulent political and economic conditions within the country. Thirdly, it discusses specific cultural and social values, in which the management practices in Pakistan are likely to be embedded. Moreover, this study discovers the implication of these contextual factors to HRM among Pakistani organizations. It concludes that Pakistani organizations can only be managed effectively to some extent through the crossbreed management style due to the uncertain domestic environment, as has been exhibited in other developing countries in the context of global business and foreign investment. Keywords:Human Resource Management (HRM); Contextual factors; Pakistani businesses; Cultural values