Ethical Dilemmas in the Public Administration of

Pakistan

Submitted To:
Dr. AamirSaeed

Submitted By:
AamirWaheed MPA-51

MPA- Sec B- Semester 3

Session 2017-19
Evening
 Ethical Dilemmas in the Public Administration of Pakistan

Introduction

Ethical dilemmas, also known as moral dilemmas, it occurs when two or more ethical standards apply to
a situation but are in conflict with each other. However there are some complicated situations that
require a decision but may also involve conflicts between values laws, and policies.

Emerging and developing countries like Pakistan, where administration developed with passage of time
which based majorly on the western concepts and practices. Adoption of imported policies and
practices have created different severe kind of problems. All these imported values were not the best
match of our country dynamics and nature. Moving forward with new emerged ideas when new public
administration was introduced and was portrayed the best solution for the upliftment and progress of
the country were not exactly the right depiction. In current circumstances npm is still not the favorable
of solution considering the local context and dynamics, that is why positive result are still awaited.
Conflicting and contradicting values and practices were introduced with the help of npm and that kind of
practices eventually led towards dilemmas and ethical problems.

Ethical Dilemmas in the Public Administration

For the purpose of this assignment, a public sector that I am proposing to focus on identity providing
organization i.e. NADRA(National Database and Registration Authority), is an independent and
autonomous authority under Ministry of Interior, Government of the Pakistan, with the motto
“Empowerment through Identity” It is responsible to issuing identity documents to the citizens of the
Pakistan and also to the non Nationals(POC, Pakistan Origin Card). It is one of the largest government
institution and is one of the Largest citizens database(both bio-matic and text) of the world.
Governments are run to provide all the facilities to their citizens with a social contract. But after the
introduction of the concept Globalization western countries have propogated different concepts in
order to reduce the Government expenditures and to promote the private sector. Developing countries
who are dependent of the western/developed countries have to adopt the policies suggested to them.
Pakistan is also one of the developed country where different functions of the government are being
dictated by the bratten wood organization (world bank/International monitory fund), in such
environment government has changed it policies accordingly. It is an imposed policy and Its outcomes
are ethical dilemmas. This organization has partially outsourced its security department. (“The concept
of outsourcing is not defined in Pakistan statutory labour law. Instead, the concepts of ‘external
manpower’ ‘indirect labour’ and ‘subcontracting’ are also used instead of outsourcing.”). Outsourcing
(BPO, Business Process Outsourcing) occurs when two different business entities create a vertical
integration; this integration could be a substitution for mergers and acquisitions.Currently NADRA
National database and registration authority has subcontracted it’s security department partially (as
they have their own security Directorate).If we compare the job description and responsibilities of these
guards we will find no such difference but the obligations and rights are different.As a result the
outsource employee is deprive of his rights and the standard of life is being effected. Hence, the
purpose of this study would be to study the ethical dilemmas that why organization is not hiring the
employees directly on their payrole instead of outsourcing them.
Transcription:

In order to know the perception of the employees regarding the concept of Outsourcing, three different
officers from different directorates were selected which were encoded as Assistant Director Operations
as Respondent A, Assistant Director HR as Respondent B and Assistant Director Admin as respondent C.
their responses are as follows.

Q: Which function has your organization completely outsourced/third-party hiring?

A: All the respondents says that our organization has outsourced the Physical Security(security guards)

Q: To what extent your company has outsourced the Functions?

A: All the respondents says It has partially outsourced its function. We have both the regular security
guards as well as outsourced security guards.

Q: Name of the office within you organization that is responsible for the planni0ng, design, for the
said activity (in case of more than one office please name them)?

A: Respondent “A” and “C” says that HR department and Admin department is responsible while
respondent B says that HR and Operations departments does the planning and admin department is
responsible for the deployment and execution.

Q: What are the reasons your organization for outsourcing/third-party hiring?

A: Respondent A says that for security we need weapons which is not an easy task, it need time and
money, when we outsourced this activity the outsource company which has been registered as a private
security company has their own license,
Respondent B says that our core activity is to provide the identity documents to the citizen throughout
the country and for this purpose we have a very large number of employees and to manage these
employees record not an easy task so why not get people through third party and the responsibility of
these people will be not on their shoulders. Which is also a cost effective.
Respondent C says that these private security companies are specialist in their area of providing security
services so why not avail this facility which will provide them trained people and it will also decrease the
legal issues.

Q: What benefits has your organization gained from outsourcing?

A: All the respondents says that It helps in reduction in HR cost, It helps in increase in employee
productivity, It allows organization to focus on core business functions, it has helped in decrease of legal
issues. Respondent B says that sometimes they need to hire people on urgent basis but being a
government sector organization they have to follow the rules and regulations, there is a complete hiring
SOP, and have to follow this SOP, but it is time consuming activity, but when we outsource any function
it is very helpful in this regards.

Q: What are the negative outcomes of outsourcing your organization has?

A: Respondent A says that for now a days there are so many different companies working as security
providing security we need weapons which is not an easy task, it need time and money, when we
outsourced this activity the outsource company which has been registered as a private security
company has their own license,
Respondent B says that our core activity is to provide the identity documents to the citizens throughout
the country and for this purpose we have a very large number of employees and to manage these
employees record not an easy task so why not get people through third party and the responsibility of
these people will be not on their shoulders. Which is also a cost effective.
Respondent C says that these private security companies are specialist in their area of providing security
services so why not avail this facility which will provide them trained people and it will also decrease the
legal issues.

Q: Do you think that outsourcing/third-party hiring has decrease employee morale in your
organization?
A: all the respondents were agreed that it has decreased the morale of the employees as there are clear
differences in the benefits and perks which is very much discouraging.

Q: Do you think that outsourcing/third-party hiring has effected the life of the outsource employee?

A: certainly it has effected the life of the outsource employee but not in positive way, but in negative
way, as one of the respondent says that “most of these security guards are part timers/un professional
and un train people which are working with under pay when ever they get any other chance they does
not hesitate to quit”

Q:Do you think that the benefits a regular employee and an outsource employee working are getting
equal?
A: Respondent A says that these employees are mostly part timers and are not interested to work for
the longer term.
Respondent B & C says that the hiring process of both the directly hired and third party are not same.
Regular employees have to follow a complete process
the benefits a regular employee and outsource employee are very different, the outsource employee
has no paid leaves, has to work seven days a week and twelve hours shift without any overtime, he has
no legal rights etc.

Q:Do you recommend the outsourcing of any function of the organization.

A: Respondent B says that outsourcing is a very good and effective concept it helps the organizations to
focus on their core activities and other supporting activities are being outsource it is very much cost
effective. Respondent A says that sometimes it is little difficult as the outsource employee has two
managements one his parent company and the organization where he is supposed to work, sometimes
we have some communication issues. While respondent C says that it is a good concept if the benefits
are reasonable, I feel sad whenever we are making their salaries, there is very much difference between
the regular and the outsource employee. This is a very unequal system which is not recommended.
Analysis:

Analysis on the basis of these interviews is as follows.

 Our organization has outsourced the Physical Security(security guards).

 It has partially outsourced its function. We have both the regular security guards as well as
outsourced security guards.
 HR department and Admin department is responsible for the planning and designee and
implementation of the activity.
 To save money/reduce operating costs, To improve compliance with standards (Legal), To make
up for reduction in HRM staff, To get security services which this organization cannot have
otherwise, To have access to expertise of this field.
 It helps in reduction in HR cost, It helps in increase in employee productivity, It allows
organization to focus on core business functions, it has helped in decrease of legal issues.
 Difficulty in finding the right outsource company, Resistance from employees in general,
Decrease in employee morale, Decreasing quality level
 Strongly agree that outsourcing has decreased employee morale few reasons are job security,
Payroll/Compensation Administration, Employee Training etc.
 certainly it has effected the life of the outsource employee but not in possitive way, but in
negative way, as one of the respondent says that “most of these security guards are part
timers/un professional and un train people which are working with under pay when ever they
get any other chance they does not hasistate of quit”
 the benefits a regular employee and outsource employee are very different, the outsource
employee has no paid leaves, has to work seven days a week and twelve hours shift with out any
overtime, he has no legal rights etc.
 the terms and conditions on which these pleople working are pathatic and are unfair and un
human, these employees are also human being and have equal problems and needs, but this is a
very unequal system which is not recommended.

Summary:

In a democratic country like Pakistan where governments are being selected via votes, this concept says
that the citizens can not give all facilities to themselves which are essential of better life. To provide
these facilities they make a social contract and select their representatives who do legislation on their
behalf in order to facilitate them. But under developed country like Pakistan follows the policies made
by their sponsors, the main concept of their policies is that government reduces its expenditures even
on the necessities. In this study we are studding the concept of outsourcing, providing the better and
equal employment opportunity environment is one of the government responsibility but The concept of
outsourcing is not defined in Pakistan statutory labour law. Instead, the concepts of ‘external
manpower’ ‘indirect labour’ and ‘subcontracting’ are also used instead of outsourcing. The need for
legislation is required as all the citizens of a country are equal and have equal needs to live.