Pakistan needs good managers, say LUMS students

Pakistan is desperately in need of good managers, like in China, according to students of the Lahore University Management School (LUMS), who are on a visit here.

China, because of its booming economy and Pakisatan because of the deregulation and liberalisation happening.

These developments have increased the need for good managers who know the local language and who get along well with the country's culture.

The similarity, however, does not end here. A major chunk of the students studying in reputed B-schools in Pakistan and China are aspiring to set up their own businesses to cater to the needs of the big industry houses, LUMS students said.

Demand for good managers with work experience is also growing in these two countries.

Even local companies are now gearing up to upgrade their management system before the WTO regime is implemented.

"Like India, Pakistan is right now in a liberalisation mode and it is happening in our country very fast. Sso demand for good managers, students from reputed B-Schools is steadily increasing. As a result the salary of managers are also on the incarese as companies are fighting each othr to hire the best brains," Atif Saeed, a second year student from LUMS, told Business Standard.

Chinese students from China's best B-School, China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), also said that their country is short of good managers.

Jason Xu, a second year student of CEIBS, said, "I was working as a marketing manager with Archtel, a multinational telecom company. I joined CEIBS when I felt that there is a good opportunity to reach the top level as there are less skilled managers in China. Once I finish the course, I will get more salary than what I used to get as a marketing manager."

According to Salman Khalid, a student of LUMS, liberalisation has made the telecom industry a booming sector in Pakistan.

Till recent no multi-national companies were allowed to invest or operate in the sector.

"The petroleum sector also was earlier dominated by local companies. Shell was the only multinational around. It had 20 per cent market share in Pakistan. Now there are more MNCs, the laest being French giant Total. These companies, while having the liberty of bringing in their managers from outside Pakistan, also have been looking for good managers locally. Because of this there is increasing interest among Pakistani students to enter B-schools," said student Waleed Sadiq.

Taufiq Ali Bhai, another student, said with the WTO regime round the corner, Pakistani companies are also seeking more and more professional managers in their bid to upgrade their management and administrative systems.

So, how are students of Indian B-Schools? LUMS members feel their Indian counterparts have better intellectual capacities.