Does Ownership of Higher Education Institute Influence Its HRM Patterns? The Case of Pakistan

This paper compares HRM patterns - variables pertaining to HR department, HR strategy, integration,devolvement and organizational policies about long-term recruitment targets, monitoring of trainingeffectiveness and means of communications - in public and private higher education institutes (HEIs) of Pakistan.Results of the survey from fifty-two HEIs show that public and private sector institutes are similar in most oftheir patterns of HRM. The significant difference of age and size has made no impact at all on structure, strategyand other characteristics of HRM. The centralized structure inherited from colonial period is prevailingespecially in the public owned institutes. The presence of elite classes created during colonial period is resistingto any change. Private sector has shown a tremendous growth. Individuals or group of individuals representingthe elite classes owns most of the private institutes. Therefore, the private institutes are not much different fromthe public one. There is resistance to HRM convergence in Pakistan and the high power distance culture isshaping many HRM policies and practices.