CULTURALLY COMPATIBLE

HUMAN RESOURCE
STRATEGIES

This Report Is a Collaborative Effort Of:

(MB-08-12)
Iqra Khan
(MB-08-16)
Sidra Ghazanfar
(MB-08-06)
Zoya Chaudhry
(MB-08-20)
Kokab Khalid
(MB-08-61)
(MB-08-75)
(MB-08-33)
 Mudassir Khalid
Sher Afghan
Faizan

REPORT SUBMISSION

With Due Respect We the Group Members Submit This Human

Resource Report to Our Instructor of Human Resource
Management
Madam Bushra Baig

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface…………………………………………………………………………………..…..4

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Culture…………………………………………………………………………………..…..5
Organizational structures for global business…………………………………………....…5.
Cultural compatibility & HR…………………………………………………………..…....8
Globally oriented culture………………………………………………………………..…..9
Globalization vs. cultural identity………………………………………………………..…11
Cross-cultural differences and HR…………………………………………………….……13
CASE STUDY- conflict resolution strategies of Canadian and Chinese executives ….......17.
CASE STUDY-German industrial enterprises………………………………………….….18
CASE STUDY- leading Chinese telecom corporation – Huawei………………………….21
Implementing global HR strategies……………………………………………………..….24
Cross-cultural competent HR…………………………………………………………..…..25
Effective HR strategies in globalization……………………………………………………26
References………………………………………………………………………………..…28
Report: culturally compatible HR strategies of TELENOR…………………………….….34
Company profile…………………………………………………………………………….35
Vision & core values of Telenor………………………………………………………...….36
Organizational structure……………………………………………………………….....…37
HR department of Telenor……………………………………………………………….…37
Global presence…………………………………………………………………………….38
Cultural compatibility in Telenor…………………………………………………………..40
Culturally compatible HR strategies of Telenor……………………………………………46
Challenges………………………………………………………………………………….48
Conclusions…………………………………………………………………………………49
Comments……………………………………………………………………………….….49
Recommendations…………………………………………………………………………..50
Our visit………………………………………………………………………………….…51

PREFACE

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 This report reviews the Human Resource Management (HRM) of
Telenor, the second largest telecom company in Pakistan. We give a
brief history of the company and tell about the corporate human
resource of Telenor primarily in Pakistan. It put light on the
culturally compatible HR strategies of the organization around the
globe. Telenor is a multinational company that has set up its
operations in Europe and Asia. This report puts light on the
specific Hr strategies, policies and practices of Telenor that
makes it culturally compatible in different nations. We start our
consideration with the theoretical knowledge of culturally
compatible HR strategies giving some real life case studies of
leading multinational & transnational organizations. In the end we
conclude with our recommendations for global organizations.

CULTURE
“Culture is the customs and civilization of a particular people or group”

CULTURAL COMPATIBILITY
“It is the capability of different cultures to live together harmoniously.”
When an organization goes global and sets up its operations in some other
country, it faces a totally different culture of that particular location. This
local culture is their in the attitudes, work styles, demands and perceptions
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of the local human resource. A globalizing organization thus has to make its
home culture compatible with the local culture in order to survive in the local
market. The new transnational environment requires a plethora of individuals
who can work internationally – who are ultimately flexible, accommodating,
and adaptable to different cultures and varying ways of doing things. Those
organizations who effectively pursue culturally compatible HR strategies
actually achieve success in long-run.

Studies on the success or failure of individuals in an international setting

have indicated that American expatriates experience a failure rate of 30 to
40 percent as compared to many Europeans and Japanese, whose failure rate
has been estimated as low as six percent (Tung 1988). It appears that some
countries or cultures are more effective at producing successful global
professionals than other countries.

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES FOR GLOBAL

BUSINESS
There are 4 main organizational structures for global business:

1) Domestic exporter - heavy centralized activities in one country

(financing, sales, marketing, human resources, strategic
management) while sales are dispersed using agency agreements, and
subsidiaries that are reliant on the home company. i.e. Caterpillar
Corp.

HR STRATEGY:

Domestic exporters just have to rely on the sales staff of local area;
therefore they adjust the HR policies regarding the pay scales, skills
required and evaluation for sales personnel only.

2) Multinational firm - control and management of finances out of

central home base, while production, sales and marketing operations

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 are in other countries. Products are made to fit local markets i.e.
financial firms, General Motors etc

HR STRATEGY:

Multinational firms have to set their HR strategies for the employees

of all departments according to the culture of respective firms. Here
the budget of the firms is being set in home base while the pay scales
as well as incentive plans & benefits are the core discretions of
national firms.

3) Franchisers - product is created, designed and financed in home

country, but for product-specific reasons, there is a heavy reliance
on foreign personnel for production, marketing, and human
resources. i.e. McDonald's, KFC

HR STRATEGY:

Franchisers are just like multinational firms with the only difference
that multinationals create the whole separate set up for all national
campuses while the franchisers follow the strict policies and strategies
of HR being pre-set by the home base. However franchises may carry
out specific HR plans as per the local cultural adjustments but within a
restricted provision of base.

4) Transnational firms - have no national home base, have several

regional home bases, and optimize supply and demand constraints
locally, central core for decision making, but dispersed power and
financial power to the divisions. i.e. Citicorp, Sony, Ford

HR STRATEGY:

Transnational firms retain the freedom of decision-making in

determining its own HR strategies. Such strategies follow the cultural
adjustments in the best interest of company. Such HR strategies are
fully coated with local cultural essence that gives the firm a new home
environment.

6
CULTURAL COMPATIBILITY AND HUMAN RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT

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Human resources or, as some would call it, human capital, is becoming the
most important asset for most organizations in the world. As the New
Economy pervades in the world’s communities and organizations, it becomes
necessary to study and pay close attention to the impact of Globalization and
Technology in shaping today’s strategy for managing culturally diverse
human resources.

Globalization has resulted in significant implications for HR functions as

they attempt to develop global HR strategies and design programs and
processes to manage a global workforce. The key to success is to balance
global standardization and local autonomy.

The challenge for Human Resource leaders is really to understand the role
of Human Resource Management in an organization competing in a global
business environment and effectively define the critical issues and
responses necessary in implementing a strategic Human Resource Program.

 Studies on the success or failure of individuals in an international

setting have indicated that American expatriates experience a failure
rate of 30 to 40 percent as compared to many Europeans and
Japanese, whose failure rate has been estimated as low as six percent
(Tung 1988). It appears that some countries or cultures are more
effective at producing successful global professionals than other
countries.
 Moore (2003) argues that there are 10 countries that produce the
largest number of “good” global managers: Canada, the Netherlands,
Switzerland, Belgium, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Singapore, Australia,

8
 and Finland. According to Moore, what these 10 countries have in
common is their size. While they are not dominant powers in their
geographic regions, they are considered significant players on the
international stage. These middle-economy countries face the everyday
reality that they are not the most important culture in their region and
thus they find themselves constantly negotiating between their own
culture and identity and that of surrounding dominant cultures. In
order to be successful, individuals growing up in mid-sized countries
learn to embrace multiple ways of looking at the world. They grow up
with a duality (or plurality) that obliges them to work effectively with
their neighbors. It is this ability to be “all things to all people” that
helps such individuals to be successful in a global context. “When
working on global teams or in other countries, the ability to think
outside your own culture and see an issue through the eyes of another
is critical to success” (Moore 2003)
 In the field of psychology considerable work has been conducted on
people’s sensitivity to intercultural issues and their ability to adapt to
other cultures and different ways of doing things. Some organizations
have moved to personality testing to better ascertain the likelihood of
success of individuals working in an international environment.

GLOBALLY ORIENTED CULTURE

Much has been written on the influence of culture and global orientation on
business. These “deeply ingrained assumptions, generalizations, or … images
that influence how we understand the world and how we take action.”
An ethnocentric mindset is one that basically holds one’s own values, beliefs,
and culture are intrinsically superior to those of others. Ethnocentric
individuals interpret the world through the eyes of their own culture, not
recognizing, even devaluing, cultures that are different from their own. “If
it works here, it’ll work anywhere,” exemplifies the ethnocentric individual.
Ethnocentric can play an important role in preserving standards and
uniformity across the global corporation.

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A polycentric mindset is one that adapts and assimilates to the values,
attitudes and beliefs of another culture. Because they are highly attuned to
the conditions and expectations of other cultures, polycentric individuals can
play the role of empathetic “advisors,” effective at bridging the gap and
transferring knowledge between the local environment and corporate. The
danger with the polycentric mindset is the tendency to “go native”,
sometimes to the detriment of the organization’s objectives.

A geocentric mindset is one that believes there are certain cultural

universals and commonalities in the world and that no culture is superior or
inferior to another. “The geocentric mindset accepts the premise that
bright people [do] bright things around the world” (Sullivan 2001). Also
called “cosmopolitans,” these types of individuals focus on “finding
commonalities and spreading universal ideas and juggling the requirements of
diverse places” (Kanter 1995).

GLOBALIZATION vs. CULTURAL IDENTITY

It is fair to say that the impact of globalization in the cultural sphere has,
most generally, been viewed in a pessimistic light. Typically, it has been
10
associated with the destruction of cultural identities, victims of the
accelerating encroachment of a homogenized, westernized, consumer
culture. This view, the constituency for which extends from (some)
academics to anti-globalization activists (Shepard and Hayduk 2002), tends
to interpret globalization as a seamless extension of – indeed, as a
euphemism for – western cultural imperialism.

Into this world of manifold, discrete, but to various degrees vulnerable,

cultural identities there suddenly burst (apparently around the middle of the
1980s) the corrosive power of globalization. Globalization, so the story goes,
has swept like a flood tide through the world’s diverse cultures, destroying
stable localities, displacing peoples, bringing a market-driven, ‘branded’
homogenization of cultural experience, thus obliterating the differences
between locality-defined cultures which had constituted our identities.

WEST VICTIMIZING EASTERN CULTURE

Though globalization has been judged as involving a general process of loss

of cultural diversity,
some of course did better, some worse out of this process. Whilst those
cultures in the mainstream of the flow of capitalism – those in the West and,
specifically, the United States – saw a sort of standardized version of their
cultures exported worldwide, it were the cultures of the developing world
that have been most threatened. Thus the economic vulnerability of these
non-western cultures is assumed to be matched by a cultural vulnerability.

GLOBALIZATION PROLIFERATES CULTURE

Cultural identity is at risk everywhere with the depredations of

globalization, but the developing world is particularly at risk. But another,
quite contradictory, story can be told: that globalization, far from
destroying it, has been perhaps the most significant force in creating and
proliferating cultural identity. To take just one example, Manuel Castells
devoted an entire volume of his celebrated analysis of ‘The Information Age’
to the proposition that: ‘Our world and our lives are being shaped by the

11
conflicting trends of globalization and identity.’ For Castells, the primary
opposition to the power of globalization lies in ‘the widespread surge of
powerful expressions of collective identity that challenge globalization on
behalf of cultural singularity and people’s control over their lives and
environment’ (1997: 2). Far from being the fragile flower that globalization
tramples, identity is seen here as the up surging power of local culture that
offers resistance to the centrifugal force of capitalist globalization. The
impact of globalization thus becomes, more plausibly, a matter of the
interplay of an institutional-technological impetus towards globality with
counterpoised localizing forces. The drive towards globality combines logic
of capitalist expansion with the rapid development of deterritorializing
media and communications technologies. But this drive is opposed by various
processes and practices expressing different orders of ‘locality’.
GLOBAL-LOCAL CULTURAL STRATEGY OF HR

In a global-local strategy, cultural differences amongst employees can be

seen as a strategic advantage for cross-border learning capabilities and the
flexibility of the company.
This policy can be summarized as follows:
“As much global integration as possible, as much local adaptation as
absolutely necessary.”

 Hewlett-Packard manager illustrated the direction in one sentence:

“We want one solution for the world rather than 54 country solutions. We
optimize at the company rather than the country level.”

 IBM, on the other hand, values a regional differentiation in their

human resource policy. They believe in making exceptions, in flexibility
in the area of deployment even as far as differentiated
standardization:
“This is the span needed to bridge the political and cultural gaps,
especially between westernized corporate cultures and Asian country
cultures” (Begley/Boyd
2001).

12
 CROSS-CULTURAL DIFFERENCES AND HR

A growing body of research has emerged over the past decade looking at
cross-cultural differences in negotiation style [Fisher 1980; Tung 1984].
These studies conclude that people of different cultures use significantly
different negotiation approaches. These different approaches include:
 communication styles used
 Persuasion strategies employed
 Protocols followed.

CROSS_CULTURAL CONFLICTS:

Negotiation studies all point to possible differences in the way conflict is

viewed and managed, little attention has been paid to differences in reacting
to cross-cultural conflicts in negotiations. Yet, the handling of conflict is
critical to any effective cross-cultural negotiations.

When two parties negotiate in a joint project, buyer/seller relationship or

any other business context, conflict inevitably arises [Habib 1987]. It may
arise because of differences in the perceptions of the decision making
environment, or preferences for particular actions, behavioral styles and/or
goals between the parties [Fisher 1974]. How the parties respond to conflict
also depends on a number of factors, including the nature of the conflict,
the cultural orientation of the individuals, and the affiliation of the parties.
It is clear that how the parties perceive, respond to, and choose to resolve
conflicts is critical to the success of any long-term business relationship.
Individuals from different cultures are known to adopt different conflict
resolution strategies. Ting-Toomey [1988] proposed that members of
collective cultures perceive and manage conflict differently from those in
individualistic cultures.

INTRA- VERSUS INTER-CULTURAL NEGOTIATION STRATEGY

13
There is no consensus on whether decision makers extend their domestic
negotiation styles to negotiating with cross-cultural partners. Managers may
assume different negotiation styles with parties of another culture to seek
greater cooperation [Graham 1985].

 When dealing with members of a foreign culture, a manager may try to

adopt behavioral patterns similar to the other party. The negotiators
who appear similar may be more attractive to the other party and,
thereby, enhance the bargaining outcomes (see review by Evans [1963];
Rubin and Brown [1975], and Francis [1991]). A business deal is a
business deal, and profit maximization knows no cultural boundaries.

DEVELOPMENTAL MODEL OF INTERCULTURAL SENSITIVITY

Milton Bennett’s Model of Intercultural Sensitivity provides a useful

roadmap for understanding the acquisition and maturity of individual cultural
awareness. and global orientation. Bennett (1993) postulates a development
progression that that all individuals go through as they develop into
geocentric or cosmopolitans (see Figure 13). As individuals mature globally,
they move from the “ethnocentric” stages of denial, defense, and
minimization to the “ethno relative” stages of acceptance, adaptation, and
integration. Other empirical work has demonstrated that the more
international experiences individuals have, the less ethnocentric they
become (Guy and Beaman, forthcoming). Hence, associates who have reached
the ethno relative stages of their individual development – those with
geocentric mindsets – are vital for the new chaordic, Transnational HR
organization to function effectively.

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COLLECTIVISM/INDIVIDUALISM

The differences between the Chinese and North American culture are well
documented.

COLLECTIVISM:

 The Chinese culture is collective and of "high context."

 Collectivism emphasizes group harmony and interdependence.
 Chinese negotiators dislike taking the initiative and normally pay more
attention to maintaining a harmonious relationship
 When successive efforts within the inner circle fail, the conflict is
likely to be met with resolute force by the authorities
 PRC executives were also found to be more dichotomizing (i.e.,
inclination to classify the world into extremes-black or white, evil or
good
 In their decisions, more likely to consult their superiors
 motivation for favoring certain norms over others is also driven by
cultural factors
 Societal norms are known to reward those who subscribe to them and
punish those who deviate

HR STRATEGIES
15
 In two-person, buyer-seller simulations, it is more effective to use
competitive (domineering) strategies to negotiate with Chinese.
 avoid open conflict, and when a conflict emerges, it must be resolved in
inner circles before it becomes serious enough to justify public
involvement.
 avoid potential conflicts and smooth over issues.
 use delaying tactics
 use more obliging and avoiding conflict resolution styles
 maintain relations as key motivators in their negotiation strategy

INDIVIDUALISM:
 The North American culture is individualistic and of "low context”
 Individualism emphasizes individual rights and independence.
 American negotiators tend to be authoritative, autocratic and in a
hurry to make a deal
 American executives are less dichotomizing
 less decisive
 American executives emphasize personal motivations (Self-Esteem,
Position In Company) or situational explanations as key motivators

HR STRATEGIES
 in two-person, buyer-seller simulations, it is more effective to use
problem-solving integrative strategies to negotiate with Americans
 use less obliging and avoiding conflict resolution styles
 show more concern for goal achievement
 individuals be responsible for all decisions by themselves.
 Turning to superiors for instruction on ordinary conflicts, particularly
task-related conflicts could signal incompetence at one's level of
responsibility

Here, a case study on conflict resolution concerning Chinese and Canadian

culture would more elaborately describe it.

16
CASE STUDY: CONFLICT RESOLUTION STRATEGIES OF
CANADIAN AND CHINESE EXECUTIVES
Executives from two cultures-Canadian and People's Republic of China (PRC)-
were asked to respond to conflict in the context of a joint project
negotiation scenario. They responded under two conditions-when the
potential partner firm was from their own culture and when the firm was
from the other culture. Each executive evaluated potential partner firms
that would likely cause two different types of conflicts- "person" related
and "task" related-using in-basket decision scenarios.

The study used a 2 (Country: Canadian and PRC executives) by 2 (Culture-

Intra versus Inter-cultural) by 2 (Conflict: Person-related versus Task-
related conflict) experimental design. This study differs from existing
literature by studying:
(1) How executives from collective and individualistic cultures react to
conflicts in joint projects
(2) How intra- and inter-cultural negotiations differ
(3) How person-related and task-related conflicts generate different
resolutions by executives of collective and individualistic cultures

CONCLUSION
This study confirms that home culture orientation (collectivism versus
individualism) affects executives' responses to conflicts. Executives from
countries which differ in this cultural dimension tend to adopt different
strategies to resolve conflict, develop different expectations about possible
outcomes, and be motivated by different causes.

The collectivist/individualist orientation was also found to affect social rules

used to maintain group harmony. A superior is responsible for maintaining an
effective balance between subordinate human relationships and corporate
goals, and in China the superior/subordinate relationship usually has been.
This study found that being from a different culture does not place one in a
disadvantageous position in negotiation. Executives from both PRC and

17
Canada used the same conflict resolution strategy and were motivated by
the same underlying factors regardless of the culture of the potential
partner. While this may put international negotiators somewhat at ease, by
lending support to the globalization of business norms, the finding may be
situation specific.

This study found that person-related conflicts elicit different responses

compared to task-related conflicts. Regardless of culture, person-related
conflicts seemed to invite negative, more relation-oriented (versus
information-oriented) responses, and appeared to be less satisfying, if more
controllable, than task-related conflicts, treated with caution. Executives
from different cultures may tend to assume different strategies during
such processes.

CASE STUDY: GERMAN INDUSTRIAL INTERPRISES

A few years ago it was typical to give one’s subsidiaries a free rein and send
managers overseas from headquarters only. But today a great deal depends
on overcoming this one-way street and in looking for and employing the best-
suited managers, regardless of their origins. What contributions can human
resource management make towards a company’s global orientation – an area
in which local scope and latitude are traditionally very high.

This is a study on German industrial enterprises named “DEVELOPING

GLOBAL HUMAN RESOURCE STRATEGIES” by Hans-Erich Mueller. It
shows that in recent years German industrial enterprises have re-aligned the
management of their executive staff. Cornerstones of this quiet revolution
are a policy of worldwide parity of executives in evaluation, remuneration
and development, greater participation of those with line responsibility from
product areas and regions in strategic development, as well as a re-alignment
of human resource instruments. Worldwide standards in human resource
policy are key factors in the competition for qualified managers. Not only
companies, but also executives need to adjust.

18
“Do you have worldwide HR policies, that is, policies that apply to all
employees regardless of location?”

This is one of the central questions underlying interviews with HRM

executives of the twelve largest German manufacturers, which took place
between the summer and fall of 2000. This includes the largest German
companies excluding trade, banking and insurance, as well as energy suppliers
according to the Business Week Global 1000, 12 July 1999

GLOBAL INTEGRATION :

The same worldwide standards for senior management in evaluation,

compensation and development are the milestones en route towards a global
human resource strategy, which has only caught on in recent years at
German companies like BASF, Bayer, DaimlerChrysler, Henkel, Lufthansa,
SAP, Schering, Siemens, and Volkswagen.

Henkel sees itself as a leader in human resource policy, both within and
beyond its own areas of business, one which brings about more equality of
treatment and fairness, so that qualified executives can commit themselves
to the company and participate in its success.

Deutsche Telekomand Preussag (the former steel manufacturer-turned

tourism giant), who have recently become more international in their
orientation, are just now in the process of preparing themselves for a cross-
border, integrated human resource policy. The autonomy of the newly
purchased overseas companies has been substantial so far. Bertelsmann,
where deployment has traditionally been decentralized, has just begun a
more integrated policy for senior management. Lufthansa in the Star
Alliance network, too, participated recently for the first time in creating a
sound foundation for a global executive management scheme.

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FOUR ALTERNATIVES FOR A CROSS BORDER STRATEGY

Local Adaptation:
1) International Strategy:
 Appropriate when there is little foreign business – knowledge
transfer from the center of headquarters.
 Coordination costs are low.
2) Multinational Strategy:
 Affiliates are autonomous and local adapted.
 Cross-border advantages of standardization and learning are
low.
 Coordination-costs are lowest.

Global Integration:
3) Global Strategy:
 Advantages of standardization of policies and practices.
 Strong centralism.
 Lack of local responsiveness causes disadvantages.
 National segmented markets, cultures, policies set barriers
 Coordination costs are high.
4) Transnational Strategy:
 Uses advantages form globalization, localization and cross-
border learning simultaneously.
 Coordination costs are highest.(see Bartlett /Ghoshal 1998)

Companies successful across borders with corporate headquarters in

Germany have pursued a more globally integrated human resource strategy

CONCLUSION

In recent years, many of the largest German companies have completed the
change towards a transnational strategy for senior management: Worldwide
guidelines with enough flexibility to adjust to local situations, a global “as
far as possible” with local responsiveness and interpretation of criteria, as
well as a network of systems development contributing to global integration

20
(see fig). The drivers of this transformation are adjusted company
strategies and structures, the lack of qualified senior executives for global
competition and the fact that managers have staff in many countries.
Additional impetus has come about by a change in the expectations of
executive managers and their desire for equality of treatment.
The consequences: changes in the expectations placed on senior management
– broader and greater international experience and the dissolution of
traditional centers of power, which the headquarters had offered
previously.

CASE STUDY: LEADING CHINESE TELECOM

CORPORATION – HUAWEI
Huawei was established in 1988 as an IT product trading firm in
Shenzhen. Its internationalization drove since 2001, now it is serving ¾ of
the top 50 IT operators in the world. HW has representation offices in

21
over 100 countries and over 1 billion users. It is now employing over
60,000 employees, 48% of whom working in R&D.
BUSINESS STRATEGY:
 Innovation
 High quality
 Low cost
 Excellent customer service

GLOBALIZATION STRATEGY:
 Less developed countries first, then developed countries
 Occupy market first (loss-making) then make profit through
maintenance and upgrades

MOTIVES OF OVERSEAS EXPANSION:

 Market seeking
 Asset seeking

HR STRATEGY:
 Deployment of Chinese expatriate to set up operations first
 Localization to overcome language and cultural problems, also to show
commitment to local economy and observation to local labour law –
deployment of social capital

HW’S GLOBAL HR STRATEGY AND CHALLENGES IN PEOPLE

MANAGEMENT

HR challenges:
The Hr challenges faced by HW include the retention problem due to
lower pay than western companies. Another challenge being identified was
the low competence of local employees in poor countries (low literacy and
project management skills). There were also cultural differences in work
values of other countries. HW faced many cross-cultural issues between
Chinese expatriates & local employees. And there was lack of
identification of local employees with HW’s corporate culture or HW as
their employer.

22
 HW’s adopted HR strategies:
HW promotes local employees to ranks which they will not get in western
companies. They introduce local practices to suit local employees (e.g.
bank loan guarantee letters). They carry out cross-cultural team building
through social events. They also adopt the strategy of sending key local
employees to HW’s HQ for training and development. HW does the
deployment of locals as deputy managers to look after personnel issues
because the locals know the people-related issues well. Hw believes in
learning by doing in developing HR practices to suit local needs, e.g.
borrow western companies’ good HR practices. In addition to the practical
strategies being adopted by HW, they deploy emotional intelligence in
understanding local employees needs and provide support as well.

CONCLUSIONS
HW’s HR strategy is characterised with high-performance work system
and paternalism typical of oriental culture. Creation and mobilization of
social capital of employees plays an important role in supporting HW’s
global business strategy. Mobilizing political capital is crucial for Chinese
organizations to develop international markets, esp. in emerging economies

CULTURAL MISALIGNMENT
In many cases cultural misalignments are a byproduct of major organizational
change initiatives, such as total quality management, employee involvement or
reengineering. Each of these initiatives typically requires some cultural
adjustment to be effective, even though they all seem to have similar goals,
such as treating employees as critical assets, focusing on customer
satisfaction and delegating authority broadly. Even when the optimal culture
for supporting these initiatives has been identified and agreed to, the
difficulties associated with making adjustments to the current culture must
still be dealt with.

23
 IMPLEMENTING GLOBAL HR STRATEGIES

"Top-level managers in many of today's leading corporations are losing

control of their companies. The problem is not that they have misjudged the
demands created by an increasingly complex environment and an accelerating
rate of environmental change, nor even that they have failed to develop
strategies appropriate to the new challenges. The problem is that their
companies are incapable of carrying out the sophisticated strategies they
have developed. Over the past 20 years, strategic thinking has far
outdistanced organizational capabilities.
“Today, people create national competitiveness, not, as suggested by
classical economic theory, mere access to advantageous factors of
production. Yet, human systems are also one of the major constraints in
implementing global strategies. Not surprisingly therefore, human resource
management has become "an important focus of top management attention,
particularly in multinational enterprises.
The clear issue is that strategy (the what) is internationalizing faster than
implementation (the how) and much faster than individual managers and
executives themselves (the who). "The challenges [therefore] are not the
'whats' of what-to-do, which are typically well-known. They are the 'hows'
of managing human resources in a global firm.
How prepared are executives to manage transnational companies? How
capable are firms' human resource systems of recruiting, developing,
retaining, and using globally competent managers and executives? A recent
survey of major U.S. corporations found only six percent reporting foreign
assignments to be essential for senior executive careers, with forty-nine
percent believing foreign assignments to be completely immaterial.
Which firms are leading in developing globally competent managers and
executives, and which remain in the majority and lag behind? That majority,
according to a recent survey of 1500 CEOs, will result in a lack of sufficient
senior American managers prepared to run transnational businesses, forcing
U.S. firms to confront the highest executive turn-over in history.
By contrast, it describes the approaches of some of the world's leading
firms that distinguish them from the majority. There is no question that the

24
world business is going global; the question raised in this article is how to
create human systems capable of implementing transnational business
strategies. Based on their research, the authors support the conclusion of
the recent 21st Century Report that of executives who perceive their
international operations as shelves for second-rate managers are unsuited
for the CEO Job in the year 2000, or indeed any managerial job today.

CROSS-CULTURAL COMPETENT HR
 Transnational managers must learn about many foreign cultures'
perspectives, tastes, trends, technologies, and approaches to
conducting business.
 Unlike their predecessors, they do not focus on becoming an expert on
one particular culture.
 Transnational managers must be skillful at working with people from
many cultures simultaneously. They no longer have the luxury of dealing
with each country's issues on a separate, and therefore sequential,
basis.
 Similar to prior expatriates, transnational managers must be able to
adapt to living in other cultures. Yet, unlike their predecessors,
transnational managers need cross-cultural skills on a daily basis,
throughout their career, not just during foreign assignments, but also
on regular multi country business trips and in daily interaction with
foreign colleagues and clients worldwide.
 Transnational managers interact with foreign colleagues as equals,
rather than from within clearly defined hierarchies of structural or
cultural dominance and subordination. Thus, not only do the variety and
frequency of cross-cultural interaction increase with globalization, but
also the very nature of cross-cultural interaction changes

Review a range of global business strategies along with each strategy's

requisite managerial skills.

25
 EFFECTIVE HR STRATEGIES IN
GLOBALIZATION

RECRUITING, DEVELOPING AND RETAINING QUALIFIED MANAGERS

Qualified managers have become a bottleneck factor in international
competition. Cross border
and interdisciplinary experience is expected and not always available. In
addition, loyalty to the company has depreciated. Headhunters are poaching
the best people. How do companies with international experience handle this
problem? Corporate itself is addressing the subject, human resource
instruments for executives are realigned creating a winning employee value
proposition.

26
INCORPORATING GLOBAL KNOWLEDGE

Executives should see themselves as drivers of a common corporate culture.

They travel more, send e-mails around the world, participate in tele-
conferencing, familiarize themselves with business magazines and business
schools and, in short, are part of knowledgeable and mobile elite. This is
reason enough for former barriers to disappear, allowing questions about
comparisons and equity to emerge. The new media make the flow of
information and communication around the world possible. But how and to
what extent this new media can be employed in the development of an
integrated global executive strategy also depends on the individual strategy
and corporate culture. Company networks and very decentralized structures
seem to hinder global standardization, whereas a growing international
business
Responsibility frees a substantial and powerful drive. Finally, the degree of
integrating business areas and the regions will differ.

REALIGNING PERFORMANCE AND COMPENSATION SYSTEMS

An improved integrated human resource management is the answer to

changes in the company’s strategies due to increased globalization. The
starting point includes basic values and guidelines being worked out and
formulated by international teams and the appropriate tools. The goal is to
increase the global standardization of appraisal and compensation systems
for executives and at the same time to incorporate local qualities.

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33
 REPORT

ON

CULTURALLY COMPATIBLE

HUMAN RESOURCE (HR) STRATEGIES

“We believe growth comes from truly understanding the needs of people
to drive relevant change”

34
 COMPANY PROFILE

Telenor Group

Telenor ASA is an international provider of high quality telecommunications,

data and media communication services. It ranks as world’s 7th largest
mobile operator with a total of 164 million subscribers in its mobile
operations.

Telenor Pakistan

Telenor Pakistan is 100% owned by Telenor ASA and adds on to its

operations in Asia together with Thailand, Malaysia and Bangladesh.

Telenor Pakistan launched its operations in March 2005 as the single largest
direct European investment in Pakistan, setting precedence for further
foreign investments in the telecom sector. The company has crossed many
milestones and grown in a number of directions, making Telenor Pakistan a
leading telecom operator of the country.

Telenor is the fastest growing mobile network in the country, with coverage
reaching deep into many of the remotest areas of Pakistan. In the most
difficult terrains of the country, from the hilly northern areas to the
sprawling deserts in the south, at times Telenor is the only operator
connecting the previously unconnected.

It is keeping ahead by investing heavily in infrastructure expansion. With

USD2 billion already invested, it has extended agreements with its vendors
for network expansion and services until 2009. The agreements, with a
potential to result in USD750 million worth of orders from Telenor Pakistan,
are some of the biggest of their kind in the industry.

Telenor is spread across Pakistan, creating 2,500 direct and 25,000-plus

indirect employment opportunities. It has a network of 23 company-owned
sales and service centers, more than 200 franchisees and some 100,000
retail outlets.

35
 VISION OF TELENOR

Telenor’s vision is simple: “We're here to help”

It exists to help its customers get the full benefit of communications

services in their daily lives.

CORE VALUES OF TELENOR

Make it Easy
We are practical. We don't complicate things. Everything we produce should
be easy to understand and use. Because we never forget we're trying to
make customers' lives easier.

Keep Promises
Everything we set out to do should work, or if it doesn't, we're here to help.
We're about delivery, not over promising, actions not words.

Be Inspiring
We are creative. We strive to bring energy to the things we do. Everything
we produce should look good, modern and fresh. We are passionate about our
business and customers.

Be Respectful
We acknowledge and respect local cultures. We do not impose one formula
worldwide. We want to be a part of local communities wherever we operate.
We believe loyalty has to be earned.

36
 STRUCTURE OF THE ORGANIZATION

In TELENOR the hierarchy is very lean, in general the whole setup is

centralized, all the matters are to be reported to the main company and all
the policies and targets are approved at the higher level. But at the
department level the structure is decentralized.
► TELENOR has following functional departments:-
 Technical
 Customer operations
 Finance
 Administration & Procurement
 Human Resource
 Co-ordination (Govt. relations)
 Marketing

►Current CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of TELENOR is John Eddy Abdullah

HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT

HR department of Telenor is in Islamabad head office where it controls and

handles all the HR activities of Telenor.

►Human Resource VICE PRESIDENT

department’s
hierarchy is as follows:- DIRECTOR

MANAGER

ASSISTANT
MANAGER

EXECUTIVE

►Current VC (Vice
INTERNEES
President)

37
HUMAN RESOURCE of TELENOR
is Ms. Nayab Baig

GLOBAL PRESENCE

Europe

Norway

Telenor’s wholly owned Norwegian mobile operation is the country’s leading

telecommunications operator

 Services: Broadband, Mobile, Telephone, TV

 Companies: Telenor Norway, Canal Digital, Conax, Norkring, Telenor
Satellite Broadcasting

Denmark

Sonofon is the second largest mobile operator in Denmark

 Services: Broadband, Mobile, TV

 Companies: Sonofon, Cybercity, CBB, Canal Digital

Sweden

Telenor is the third largest mobile operator in Sweden

 Services: Broadband, Mobile, Telephone, TV

 Companies: Telenor Sweden, Bredbandsbolaget, Glocalnet, Canal
Digital

Finland

Canal Digital is Finland’s leading television distributor

 Services: Broadband, TV
 Companies: Canal Digital

38
Hungary

Pannon is the second largest mobile operator in Hungary

 Services: Broadband, Mobile

 Companies: Pannon

Montenegro

Promonte has more than 450 000 mobile subscriptions in Montenegro

 Services: Mobile
 Companies: Promonte

Serbia

Telenor is the second largest mobile operator in Serbia

 Services: Broadband, Mobile

 Companies: Telenor Serbia

Ukraine

Kyivstar is the largest mobile operator in Ukraine

 Services: Mobile
 Companies: Kyivstar

Russia

VimpelCom is the second largest mobile operator in Russia

 Services: Mobile
 Companies: VimpelCom

Asia

Pakistan

Telenor is the second largest mobile operator in Pakistan

39
  Services: Mobile
 Companies: Telenor Pakistan

Bangladesh

Grameenphone is the largest mobile provider in Bangladesh

 Services: Mobile
 Companies: Grameenphone

Thailand

dtac is the second largest mobile operator in Thailand

 Services: Mobile
 Companies: dtac

Malaysia

DiGi is the fastest growing mobile operator in Malaysia

 Services: Mobile
 Companies: DiGi

CULTURAL COMPATIBILITY AROUND THE GLOBE IN TELENOR

The best way to see the cultural differences depicting in the work,
performance, perceptions, attitudes, behaviors and even statements of HR
of different nations, is to observe the views given by themselves in their
interviews. Following is such an interview that was taken by two employees of
Telenor relating to two different cultures and two different nations.

 Name: Lawrence Ooi

 Position: Head of Sales, Central
Region
 Company: DiGi
 Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
40
Q: Describe briefly a typical day at your work

I am responsible for the sales in the central region of Malaysia, which is the area around Kuala
Lumpur. This region accounts for 50 percent of the total sales in Malaysia. There are
approximately 6000 dealers nationwide. I need to make sure that all our 3000 dealers have
enough supplies, that we reach our sales targets and that our brand has a prominent position in
the sales outlets. I have weekly meetings with my sales staff to maintain the overview and keep
myself updated on new telecom product launches and promotion efforts. I also am required travel
to the other regions to get new impulses and see what our competitors are doing.

Q: Why did you join the Telenor Group?

Before, I worked for a telecom company that had a really strict hierarchy and too many rules and
regulations for my taste. So I wanted to find a new job in the telecom industry. I had heard a lot
of positive things about Telenor, so when my current position became available – I applied and got
the job

Q: What are the best parts of your work?

It is fruitful to work with many skilled people and help them to reach their goals. In addition,
when good ideas are developed into strategies, it is very interesting and challenging to execute it
and see how it progresses. Moreover, there are no barriers in DiGi as you get to voice out your
opinions and all suggestions are taken into account before plans are being formulated

Q: How would you describe Telenor’s work environment?

It is a great atmosphere here, and our facilities are open and modern. We are given the flexibility
to work where we like, and manage our own time

Q: If you should choose one word to describe Telenor, what would it be?

Dynamic! This is a very dynamic company. We find solutions quickly to problems that arise. Unlike
other companies in which policies are set, plans are derived and execution is expected. In Telenor,
we get to set our own strategies.

41
Q: Can you describe a special event that you especially enjoyed?

We had a prepaid registration drive last 2 years and my team had to patrol all dealers outlet in
Central region at the last minute before midnight to ensure we registered as many subs as
possible. The next morning, had a breakfast meeting with Johan (CEO) and committee for an
update session and planned on further action to execute. It was a truly remarkable experience as
I got to work with people of all levels to complete a simple yet important task

Q: Describe your career in Telenor so far

This is my first position in Telenor, which I have had for three and a half years now. Time passes
really fast, and I feel that my career is developing rapidly, especially due to the several
development programs I get access to through Telenor. I find that the financial workshops and
leadership sessions I have attended enables me to perform better in my job.

Q: What are your professional goals?

I like the responsibility and the challenges being a manager, so I would like to develop myself
further as a leader and take on bigger tasks in the future

Q: What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I like to spend time with my wife and children. We often go on longer trips in the weekends to go
shopping, try new food and relax on the beach. Penang Island is one of our favorite locations. 

My hobby is to collect recyclable paper bags from grocery stores. The diversity fascinates me.
They come in all shapes and colors. I have several hundreds paper bag at home, from all over the
world. My wife is not too happy about that, though…

 Name: Miljana Kijanovic

 Position: Internal Communication
Manager
 Company: Telenor Group
Headquarters and Telenor Serbia
 Location: Oslo, Norway

Q: Briefly describe your job at Telenor

I work with internal communication – in short, that means I am part of the team that provides
employees with the information they need in their daily work as well as news about the company.
Currently, I am part of the editorial team in the Group Communications department in Norway.
Previously I worked as head of the internal communications staff in Serbia. Group
Communications at Telenor ASA felt that it would be useful to get different views on internal

42
communication based on my experience of working for a Telenor operating company in another
country. So, here I am in Norway. This is an exciting opportunity for me and the recognition is
important. At the same time, I am pleased to see that people in Telenor are aware of the
differences that exist across a big international company and are ready to listen and learn more.

The job I have now does not differ much from the one I had before. Just as in Serbia, we start
the day summing up recent events and news stories. Then, we plan forthcoming activities. I still
write articles and stories for our intranet portal, which is something I enjoy doing. Besides that,
I am involved in the development of the new intranet, which will be used by tens of thousands of
employees worldwide. Being even a small piece of the puzzle in a complex project like that is
exciting.

Q: Why did you join Telenor?

I used to work for Mobtel, the Serbian telecommunications provider acquired by Telenor in 2006.
It was a change for me suddenly to be a part of an international telecommunications group. The
way we do business now is quite unlike my previous experience. But it has certainly changed for
the better. We were used to a strict – well, old-fashioned hierarchy. That is not what it is like at
Telenor. It does not matter whether you are a manager or not - everyone sits side by side in the
office. That is quite unusual for Serbian companies.

Q: What has your career at Telenor been like so far?

I have been in the telecommunications sector for over 10 years now, and tried several interesting
jobs. My first position with Telenor was also my first role as a manager and an important
opportunity for me. The job I was doing there brought me to Norway, where I now have the
chance to continue working within my profession and at the same time learn how things look and
work from a different perspective.

Q: What do you enjoy most about your work?

Internal communications is a new profession in Serbia, so I was fortunate to have the opportunity
to be one of the pioneers and set the standards. During a recent Public Relations conference in
Belgrade, I held a presentation in front of a wide audience about internal communications

Q: How would you describe the work environment at Telenor?

When I started to work with Telenor in Serbia, we had just moved into a new building, located in
the new part of Belgrade. Our Belgrade offices have a cool, modern design. Everyone enjoyed the
benefits that make it an attractive place to work, such as free refreshments and massage chairs.
Now, I know the concept is the same here, in Norway. The Telenor headquarters – just outside
Oslo - at Fornebu, has an incredible position just by the sea. The view over the fjord is different
from the grey urban landscapes I was used to. I also admire the Telenor art collection, both here
and in Belgrade.

43
Colleagues are the most important part of any work environment. I miss my colleagues in Serbia,
our discussions about work, but also the time we spent together out of the office. Still, I am
forming new friendships and getting to know new people in Norway. Although there is a similar
work culture across Telenor, there are differences in our native cultures that make working
together interesting, sometimes challenging, but certainly enriching for all of us. Working and
living in another country and a new environment, enables me to develop not only professionally, but
also as a person.

Q: If you had to choose one word to describe Telenor, what would it be?

Actually, I would choose two important words: freedom and responsibility. At Telenor, you are
given the necessary tools to do your job, but you are not told how to perform your tasks. For
instance I have flexible working hours, and can take my laptop down to the lake during the
summer to enjoy the sun while I am working. We have a lot of freedom - as long as you produce
the results. I really value this freedom.

Q: Can you describe a special event at work that you particularly enjoyed?

I was part of the committee responsible for planning and organizing our one-year anniversary in
Serbia in 2007. It was a big event with activities for both employees with families, as well as
external partners and others interested in celebrating this milestone. We had an outdoor party
with a live DJ, puppet theatre for the children, sports activities, and a lot more. It was a great
success! Everyone loved it. 

Q: What are your professional goals?

I want to develop my career with Telenor further, and strengthen my internal communications and
branding competence. I was tempted to explore international opportunities and I still am. It
really exposes you to new ideas and viewpoints and helps to open your mind to new ways of doing
things

Q: What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I like to be active and I enjoy sports. Rollerblading and skiing are my favourites, so I really look
forward to the skiing season in Norway. I also love the gym and I often go to the one at Fornebu –
as an employee here I have almost free access. The gym is located at the offices, which is very
convenient.

OBSERVED DIFFERENCES

The difference in the statements of the two is quite obvious; one is a woman
other is a man. Another difference is that they work in two different
cultures of nations. It is a fact that cultural differences make difference to

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the HR practices. It isn’t necessary that what is valuable to one culture man
is also valuable to other culture’s man.

 It is observable that the lady is answering to all the questions very

descriptively while the man is answering precisely and to the point
 Both of them switched to Telenor from another telecom company. The
lady switched it because she wanted to work in an internationally
recognized company while our Malaysian friend didn’t like the strict
environment of former company.

 The lady got promoted due to her learning and the man got promoted
through workshops.

 The lady has the professional goal to work internationally while the
man wants to move vertically upward to managerial posts.

 The typical European lady is very sporty while the man is truly Asian
and want to spend spare time with his family

 The lady loves recreational activities at work while the man enjoys
work related activities.

OBSERVED SIMILARITIES

In short the cultural differences are quite obvious through their priorities,
likings and dislikings. However the company based ideas are completely same
like

 Both joined Telenor impressed with its freedom of expression

 Both are provided the career opportunities

 Both are given the environment compatible to their cultures so that

they may not feel the odds.

 Both have described their company Telenor in the same sense of

goodness.

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  Both have described their work environment as free, respect giving as
well as responsible.

These similarities are the result of Telenor’s culturally compatible

environment being provided to its human resource.

HUMAN RESOURCE STRATEGIES

We discuss Telenor’s strategies which make it culturally compatible to the

human resource of different countries where so ever it has set up its
operations. Following are these strategies:

RECRUITMENT:

 Telenor claims “ FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION”

 The hiring criterion in Telenor is same throughout the globe. However
due to changes in the skills, knowledge and abilities of people in
different countries , Telenor has varying staff hiring priorities eg
here in Pakistan university education is quite common and cheaper as
compared to western countries. Pakistan has a pool of graduates and
post-graduates, so obviously more educated and skilled person is hired

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 whereas in western set ups Telenor has mostly graduates in job
positions.
 Telenor hires young and talented people more as compared to
experienced elderly in Asian countries. It is due to the fact that the
creativity and freshness required by service sector like Telenor is
found in only young talents in Asia. The middle aged people in Asian
countries are less enthusiastic and fresh. However people in western
countries remain enthusiastic and fresh for a relatively longer period
of time. 80% of Telenor’s staff is young blood.

GENERAL SET-UP

 There is a lot of respect given to all employees. Here the manager

shakes hand with the mop. All the employees self-serve themselves.
They are not allowed to make the service men work in their service
 There are no cabins in any Telenor centre. There is a central lobby
where the front desk men to the Regional Officer (RO) all sit
together.
 As a cultural symbol Pakistani Telenor offices have placed a big bell
with a string on the main door of offices. It is for the purpose that
any one who feels himself satisfied with Telenor can ring the bell. It is
in coincidence with the practice of Late Mughal King Jahangir who
used to listen to the petitions of his sub ordinates whoever has any
complaint.

TRAINING

 Training system is much vibrant in European Telenor set-ups. But owing

to the lesser revenues generated in Asian markets, Telenor is not
carrying out best training here. Training is always ignored in Pakistan
by all. However Telenor keeps on conducting one day training for its
employees throughout their work life.

JOB DUTIES

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  Telenor is carrying out equal and uniform strategies everywhere. Its
job duties and their requirements are same. It offers flexible work
hours to all employees in its customer’s service call centers. There is no
discrimination on gender base in Telenor.
 The reward system is same everywhere. Everyone is rewarded on good
performance in monetary units as well as recognition and applaud.
 All employees working in Telenor along with their family members are
medically insured. They can get up to 10 lakhs on medical treatment.
Owing to the more health problems among aged in Asian countries,
Telenor prefers to retain young and healthy employees. In western
countries mostly young people are medically tested for maladies.
 There are no pension plans in Telenor. There are provident funds
provided in Telenor.

CULTURAL COMPATIBILITY

 Telenor do value the culture of its transnational bases eg in Pakistan

Telenor has the policy to send its 2 employees on Hajj every year
 Telenor arranges aftar for its staff in Ramzan.
 In the last annual meeting of Telenor, They have decided sherwani as
the dress code in Pakistan.
 Even in inter-province culture differences, the example of Quetta is
interesting where employees aren’t asked to wear suits. They wear
shalwar kameez

CONFLICT RESOLUTION

 Referring to the Denmark issue created in Pakistan against Telenor, its

HR had no impact due to this controversy. Not a single employee felt
against Telenor. It was a great achievement of Telenor that it got in
the shape of loyalty and concern of its HR towards Telenor.

CHALLENGES

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 Telenor face many challenges with the ever growing need of competent
Human Resource. It is really hard to hire and retain the best people
especially around the globe. The global companies face many challenges
regarding the cultural identity of respective nations. They have to adjust
culturally to the environment of respective countries. And when even hiring
the HR staff of that very country, the organization is exposed to many
challenges to make them perform at their best.

CONCLUSION

By keenly analyzing the Human resource Management of Telenor, we the

group members agree that Telenor is carrying out satisfactory culturally
compatible strategies for its HR. Although it is not promoting the “cultural
identity” agenda that aggressively but even then it is facing much less
cultural conflicts among its HR. It may be due to the reason that it has
divided itself in just two markets: Europe & Asia. The European market
almost holds the same culture and three of its Asian market countries are
Islamic. We came through very unusual facts about managing any company’s
HR. We believe that managing a competitive and culturally compatible HR in a
competitive global market is a tough job. And Telenor is so far quite
successful in hiring and retaining exceptionally talented HR worldwide.

COMMENTS

As students of human resource management, among other things, we believe

that the globalization and the advancement of technology influences how
organizations should react and adjust to the changing times and economy.
Every company will have to find its own route – and this will depend on the
situation and will be different for executive management and specialized
staff. The decisive turnaround within today’s human resource policy appears
to be in the replacement of both local autonomy and the home country

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preference. We will not seek to deny the obvious power of globalized
capitalism to distribute and promote its cultural goods in every corner. Nor
will we take up the argument now very commonly made by critics of the
cultural imperialism thesis that a deeper cultural impact cannot be easily
inferred from the presence of such goods. What we will try to comment is
something more specific: that cultural identity, properly understood, is much
more the product of globalization than its victim.

RECOMMENDATIONS

We as students of HRM can just recommend global companies (in this case
Telenor also) within the sphere of our knowledge, exposure and literature
survey. WE recommend that:-
 A worldwide audit of IHR (International Human Resource) programs
and plans should be conducted at least every three years as a matter
of course. While guidelines and an approval process help management
navigate through obvious change, subtle changes within the company,
local market practice, legislation, and employee demographics can erode
programs’ effectiveness over time. Multinational pools are particularly
subject to degrading without continuous corporate sponsorship and
should also be re-evaluated periodically.
 Each organization must decide whether it has the right people in the
right places to make the changes, whether these people have been
adequately trained, given the necessary resources and focused on the
right objectives, and whether they believe they will be rewarded for
their contributions. HR strategy must be consistent with the needs of
the organization, and its component strategies must provide alignment
with the organization's objectives.
 Human resource strategies can be powerful tools for signaling cultural
change and reinforcing those changes once they are made. Who is
hired and retained, how people are paid, and what behaviors are
deemed desirable all send strong messages about the desired culture.
The potential of HR strategies and programs for shaping organizational

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 culture cannot be overestimated. For HR strategy to realize its full
potential, the organization must first determine what its culture is and
what it should be. Then the organization can create a plan for aligning
culture with its mission and environmental or contextual realities by
managing the culture from what it is to what it should be.

We wish a very best of luck to TELENOR. May it progress and achieve its
desired goals. (AMEEN)

OUR VISIT

ISLAMABAD HEAD OFFICE TELENOR

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