Implementation of HRM Practices in Higher Education Institutions of Pakistan: Investigating Rhetoric and Authenticity through a Case Study

Abstract

The objective of this study is to evaluate rhetoric and reality regarding implementation of the HRM practices in a public sector university of Pakistan. Academics and practitioners have long stressed that public sector institutions encounter inherent challenges in the adoption of HRM practices, especially the higher education institutions. In this context, the present study use purposive sampling to collect data from highly informed respondents by conducting in-depth interviews and by using an interpretive perspective to discover the implementation of HRM practices through a case study methodology. Contrary to the dominant notion of the traditional procedure, the results of the current study reveal that the university has adopted a standardized procedure for recruitment and training, and the development of its human resources. However, the issue of compensation is still ambiguous as it involves multiple procedures. An important implications of this study is that policy-making institutions, such as the HEC Pakistan can play a crucial role in adoption and promotion of all HRM practicies by devoting equal support towards the deficient areas in particular. Finally, this study identifies various directions for future research.