The article examines the evolution of the Etisalat Telecommunications Company and the challenges it has faced in the United Arab Emirates. This company has managed to succeed in an emerging economy against all the challenges. Apparently, the telecommunication companies are usually the first to infiltrate this market just like Emirates Telecommunication Company (Etisalat).
The article correctly analyses the hurdles the telecommunications company has faced and the strategies it has employed to deal with these hurdles. According to most companies, it is almost impossible to infiltrate and succeed in frontier markets. The examples of frontier markets given here include; Brazil, China, India and Russia. The article offers a clear insight into Etisalat’s experiences through an interview with the Chief Executive Officer. According to the article, human capital is more important than technology. It is a challenge to get the best manpower for the attainment of the company’s goals. I am in agreement with this allegation since human capital is an indispensable asset in any company. It is this kind of capital that is applicable in the creation of new products that ensures customer loyalty. The Chief Executive Officer claims that it is difficult to maintain this kind of capital. This is also true keeping in mind that in an emerging market, opportunities for talented and experienced employees are quite vast. Therefore, the company must have a few strategies to ensure that employee turnover is minimised.
In the interview, the Chief Executive Officer of Etisalat also claims that compensation, giving opportunities for professional development and creation of a long term relationship have been some of the ways of ensuring that the company protects its talents. Here, the company utilises tenets it denotes as the three E’s in achieving this. Personally, I think this is quite effective. The exposure part has proven to be successful in most companies. I believe this is one aspect that will go a long way in ensuring employee loyalty. The extra advantage of offering education is also an effective way in ensuring that the talents are protected. The article further unearths the fact that the strategies are employed differently in every individual. This is true as every individual is unique in their own way.
The article cites Afghanistan as one of the countries that has experienced the loss of human capital. To prevent this Etisalat has employed a graduate trainee program to ensure that such an exodus does not occur. Furthermore, the Chief Executive Officer of Etisalat cites Nigeria as another country with assertive expertise who comes in handy in this kind of market. The company deploys such employees in fast track markets like those in Europe. It should be noted that assertiveness is an important aspect when it comes to the telecommunication industry. I believe that these strategies are quite effective in maintaining their human capital. The use of real life examples indicates that the company has done a lot of research. As such, I believe the strategies have been tested, and are therefore applicable in this context.
Personally, I believe that the arguments expressed in this article are viable. Human capital is one of the most important assets of any company. They are mostly innate but they can be developed through further training and experience. Education and exposure will go a long way in ensuring that employee loyalty is maintained. The success of these strategies provides enough evidence to convince me.
