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Human Resources Committee
Human resources in the new economy AmCham Egypt's Human Resources Committee held a meeting on October 4 to discuss "Human resources in the new economy: Special challenges for Egypt." The guest speaker was Mr. Abdel Aziz El Aguizy, a board member of El Aguizy International Co. for Economic Development, who focused on competition within the global economic system and its implications in the field of human resources. "The winner is the one who can get the market first and keep it," El Aguizy stated, adding that and the value of people and human resources is mounting daily as society advances. What is becoming clear, he said, is that business success depends mainly on human talent and dedication. Since Egypt is still in the process of transformation into a market economy, the challenges it faces are distinct from those of developed countries, he said. Egypt must concentrate on searching for personnel with suitable talents and developing their skills to meet international standards. The speaker also noted the importance of group effort and how individuals fit within a team. To compete effectively, El Aguizy added, any corporation must "have a well-defined strategic goal, strong values and ethics, and an awareness of the external conditions of the market." In the past, he continued, many corporations have been unsuccessful due to a lack of employee involvement with company strategy or goals, as well as deficiencies in outward enterprises. The speaker used a chronological presentation to illustrate the historical evolution of business in Egypt. An interactive question and answer session followed El Aguizy's presentation. Compensation It was also noted that for companies to set employee compensation policies they must consider crucial elements like hiring rates, annual salary increases, promotions and demotions, overtime and meals, bonuses and incentive schemes, particularly in comparison to other companies. Other aspects of the employer-employee relationship must also be cultivated. Employers must look closely at salary surveys, job evaluations, job classifications and salary ranges and structures. Korraa described how companies must work on attracting qualified employees and keeping them interested. The speaker elaborated on effective strategies for companies to stay competitive in terms of employee satisfaction. Distance learning Even though this medium of education is not yet in common use in the Middle East, Dr. Miller stated that it has become increasingly popular in the United States. There are many reasons why distance learning should be utilized, he noted, the first and most important of which is the time factor. Dr. Miller defined distance learning as "when instruction and learners are separated by physical distance and technology is used to bridge the instructional gap." The major elements of distance learning include hardware capabilities, program evaluations, response time, language of instruction and cost. The speaker discussed how these elements control the level, quality and type of long-distance education. Ultimately, with ever-advancing World Wide Web and Internet services, distance learning will become an element of the international education system. The following statistics were mentioned by Dr. Miller: by 2002, 2.2 million people will be enrolled in distance learning courses, and 85 percent of two-year colleges will be offering distance learning classes. By this time, it is also expected that the number of students taking these classes will represent 15 percent of all higher education students, and 84 percent of all four-year colleges will be offering distance learning courses. These figures apply mostly to the United States, yet great changes have also been noted in the Egyptian education system, which is always looking for new ways to improve and update its methods. The role of strategic management in organizational development. The Human Resources Committee met May 23 to discuss "The role of strategic management in organizational development." Guest speaker Dr. Tarek Hatim, associate professor at the Department of Management at the American University in Cairo, defined strategic management as a set of managerial decisions and actions that determine the long-term performance of a corporation. Initially, the speaker discussed the benefits of strategic management, which include: improving understanding of the rapidly changing environment, achieving a clearer sense of strategic vision and improving the effectiveness of the organization. Hatim stressed that a company must focus its objectives on profitability, efficiency, growth, shareholder wealth, reputation and market leadership, among other factors. He emphasized that a strategy must include a comprehensive master plan stating how the corporation will achieve its mission and objectives. Finally, Hatim discussed strategic management in Egypt. He stressed that crucial points necessary for achieving success are: awareness of strategic management, setting up a board of directors, working with corporate governors and building strong top management. Chairman and speaker of the Human Resources Committee Laurie Tapozada of HR First discussed "psychometric testing" in the meeting held on April 19, 2000. The tests are concerned with identifying the mental characteristics (psycho) and putting a measurement (metric) on such characteristics. These tests can measure intelligence, as well as ability, personality, interests and achievement. These are the more popular aptitude tests and I.Q. tests. They can also measure techniques such as graphology and self-report. It was noted that these tests have become increasingly popular in the United States. Established companies use the tests to screen all potential job candidates. Tapozada believes that the tests are beneficial to both companies and employees. She argues that even though people may believe that they are well suited for certain positions, in reality they may very well not be. In this case, the result is a loss for both the company and the employee. Companies invest in testing to save money, time and distress. Several industries rely heavily on these tests for selection, placement and development. The psychometric tests do not yield right or wrong answers. In fact, the results are comparative rather than absolute. The tests are also useful to academia and are used by high schools and universities. For the tests to be effective they must be reliable, valid and easy to use by companies. The easiest way to determine the reliability and validity of a test is to reuse it frequently. One must also be ethical about issues such as confidentiality and how the outcome of the test will affect job application. On choosing the appropriate test, the tester must be clear on his or her needs and follow the directions precisely. It is important to study the costs of purchasing and conducting the tests. The speaker believes there is a great opportunity for psychometric testing in Egypt and eventually the tests will become more widely used. The meeting ended after Mr. Hisham Fahmy, the executive director of AmCham, took a sample creativity test. A free sample psychometric test will be available soon on the AmCham Egypt website. At the March 8 meeting, guest speaker Nadia Haridi, managing partner, HR First, led a discussion on Training 2000. Training 2000 is a transformational process to empower and sustain, Haridi told the committee. It is designed to create an environment for people in order to transfer knowledge and develop skills to change behavior and beliefs. The process involves a model to increase understanding of people through identity and mission since individuals are a reflection of their beliefs, values and motivation, she said.
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