Institute of Management Studies

University of Peshawar

Comparative Management
Comparison between the management of Attock Cement Private
Limited and Ambuja Cement Limited
Assignment No. 1
Submitted To: Dr. Mehnaz Gul
Submitted By
Sajid Khan (41)
Waqas Khan (62)
MBA 1.5 (Afternoon)

Date: 12 December, 2019

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Contents
Attock Cement Private Limited .................................................................................................................... 3
1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 4
2. Organizational Structure .................................................................................................................. 5
3. Recruitment and Selection............................................................................................................... 6
Criteria .................................................................................................................................................. 6
Recruitment and Selections Process.................................................................................................... 7
4. Leadership and Decision Making ..................................................................................................... 9
Ambuja Cement Limited ............................................................................................................................ 10
1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 11
2. Organizational Structure ................................................................................................................ 12
3. Recruitment and selection ............................................................................................................. 14
Criteria ................................................................................................................................................ 14
Recruitment and Selections Process.................................................................................................. 14
4. Leadership and Decision Making ................................................................................................... 15
Comparison............................................................................................................................................. 16
Differences.......................................................................................................................................... 16
Similarities .......................................................................................................................................... 16
Sources....................................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

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Attock Cement Private Limited

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 1. Introduction
Founder: Ghaith Pharaon
Headquarters: Karachi, Pakistan
Parent Company: Pharaon Investment Group Limited Holding S.A.L.

Attock Cement Pakistan Limited (ACPL) was established in 1981 with an initial capital outlay of
Rs 1.5 billion including a foreign exchange component of $45 million. It was founded in 1981 by
Ghaith Pharaon and is listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange having HQ in Karachi, Pakistan. It
started its commercial production on June 1, 1988The company started commercial production in
1988 with a plant capacity of 2,000 tons per day of clinker (approx. 0.6 million tons annually).
Through a series of expansions, with the latest line added in FY18, the company boasts a
production capacity of 3 million tons per annum. With the Factory located in Hub, Balochistan,
the Company is currently running three manufacturing plants at its facilities.
ACPL has also made investment in a cement grinding unit in Iraq through a joint venture with
the Iraq-based Al Geetan Commercial Agencies to form a subsidiary, a limited liability
company. Attock Cement holds 60 percent share of the company. The mill has a capacity of 0.9
million tons at a cost of $24 million.
ACPL is the first and only company that has Quality Control Lab that has been accredited ISO
17025 by Pakistan National Accreditation Council. Moreover, we are also QMS ISO 9001:2015,
EMS ISO 14001:2015 and OHSAS 18001-2007 certified.
For ACPL, the choice of Falcon as Trademark is anything but random. Taking our cue from the
fastest bird in the skies known for its versatility, perseverance, strength and endurance, we seek
to deliver a product that ensures our position as the indisputable market leader in the cement
industry.

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 2. Organizational Structure
ACPL has a flat organizational structure because of very limited number of levels of hierarchy
and more employee autonomy in the decision making process. It is a bottom-up organization that
takes advantage of all the skills, talents, and creative imaginations that low-level employees can
bring to a company. The workers aren't obligated to obtain prior approval to make decisions that
affect productivity, and they are encouraged to submit ideas and changes that can improve
workplace efficiency.
ACPL make decentralized decision hence every employee can participate in decision making.
The Company is committed to provide an environment free from discrimination for its people.
Open communication, participative decision making approach and nurturing of the leadership
qualities are the values followed by the Company. An employee reward system has been
developed guided by a transparent system of recognition. ACPL encourage and respect team
spirit among our human resource.
There are 7 BODs in the Top level management of ACPL. 5 of these BODs also act as the
head/senior managers of the main departments like Finance, Audit and Work etc. The
chairman/CEO is a democratic leader and believe on participation and collective decision
making.

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 3. Recruitment and Selection

The Company, as part of its HR policies, is proactive in providing employment opportunities in one of the
least developed areas of Pakistan, where the manufacturing facilities of the Company are located i.e. Hub,
Balochistan. ACPL takes pride in the fact that a large part of the workforce comprises of people employed
from the villages surrounding the plant. Moreover, ACPL believe in hiring quality manpower to run our
technical and commercial operations in the utmost professional manner. Therefore, when it comes to
recruitment of people, ACPL makes no distinction on the basis of cast, color, creed, gender or religion
etc.
ACPL are a people company. People are its greatest strength, and nothing can be achieved without their
commitment and energy. ACPL put strong emphasis on growing our internal talent and most
opportunities are first offered to internal candidates through internal profiles selection. Regular
performance reviews are conducted to identify and retain key talent. While ACPL seek talented
individuals who can produce results in a challenging environment, it offers internal and external
development opportunities; such as rotations, trainings, workshops etc to help them excel at their current
jobs and prepare for their next roles while keeping in view their long-term career aspirations.

Criteria
Management Trainee Program is offered to the fresh graduates and Internships are offered to students
studying in their final years of their graduation. Medium level and top level positions are either offered to
internally or experienced of atleast 5 to 10 years is required. Basic criteria includes:

 Graduation
 Fresh graduate for MTP or Internships
 GPA of 3.00 or 60% marks
 5 to 10 years of experience for managerial position
 Age limit is from 18 to 28 for fresh candidates and 30+ for experienced depends on position
offered.
 IT knowledge
 Good communication skills

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Recruitment and Selections Process
 Job Openings:
When a specific position that needs to be filled within an organization then the organization
advertise about that job opening in either newspaper or online, ACPL do the same.

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 Advertisement:
ACPL advertise their job opening either in national newspaper or online. They do the recruitment
internally so there is no need of testing agencies to be outsourced.

 Sourcing:
The HR department is responsible for sourcing of applications after it is received and those
candidates that comes under the required criteria are either called for screening test or telephonic
interview is taken in case of few candidates.

 Screening Tests:
ACPL conduct either online screening test or aptitude test are taken manually. Online test are
taken through emails where a link of that online test is sent to the candidate for attempting it
online. Aptitude test is taken manually by calling the sourced candidates to the test centers.

 Selection of Best Candidates:

After screening test is taken either online or manually then the candidates are selected according
to the passing criteria which is atleast 50 marks and the merit list is made according to highest
marks taken by the candidates in the screening test. The candidates coming under the merit are
called for interviews.

 Interviews:
ACPL conducts its interviews either on telephones or face to face. All the top level management
is present in the interview along with HR manager. Usually the interview consists of situational
and behavioral questions.

 Background Check:
The background of the applicant is checked when the candidate have passed the interview. This
check includes the documents verification, reference verification and character verification.

 Offer Letter:
After all the background check the candidates is given an offer letter that includes job description,
job title, reporting structure, starting date of employment, salary and benefits and acceptance of
offer with acknowledgment.

 Onboarding:
After all the processes are complete then the selected candidates are called either by call or by
post. The new employee is then introduced to the new colleagues and appropriate training is
started.

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 4. Leadership and Decision Making
The leadership of ACPL is participative, consultative and democratic. ACPL believes on team work and
collective decision making so everyone is consulted while making decision. The Management believes in
open communication with its employees and gives opportunities to them to express their opinions, ideas
and thoughts with their supervisors so that they may be heard and valued accordingly.
CEO and top management believes in democratic style of leadership and collective decision making.
CEO listen to others’ opinions but make the final decision itself. So ACPL management follows a
consultative leadership style.

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Ambuja Cement Limited

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 1. Introduction
Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Founder: Suresh Kumar Neotia
Co-Founder and Chairman: Narotam Sekhsaria
Managing Director and CEO: Bimlendra Jha
Ambuja Cements Ltd, a part of the global conglomerate LafargeHolcim, is among the leading cement
companies in India. Ambuja Cement Limited is India’s one of the major Company in the cement industry.
Its first plant “Ambuja Cement” was begun in 1986 & is located near the coastal town of Kodinar in the
Saurashtra region of Gujarat. The area has huge deposits of limestone, a key of ingredient in the
manufacturing of high quality of cement.
The plant with an installed capacity of 0.7MTPA (million tons per year) was a huge success with some
equipment changing and optimizing the existing plant company had produced 1MTPA from the plant.
Then another plant “Gujarat Line-1” again with an installed capacity of 1MTPA was erected in the same
area and commissioned in 1992. Then a new unit “Gujarat Line-2” with an installed capacity of 1 MTPA
was erected in the same area and commissioned in 1996. Then through continues improvement Ambuja
unit and Gajambuja line -1 have upgraded by 0.5 MTPA each. In addition to these plants Ambuja Cement
Ltd. has packing units at Surat (Gujarat) and Panvel (Maharashtra). Loose cement is dispatched to these
locations by sea-route.
Ambuja has large port facility at Muldwarka, near Kodinar. Ambuja Cement Ltd. has seven ships to carry
the bulk cement to the packing units. This has brought substantial saving by bringing down the
transportation costs, which plays a major role in deciding prices. Bulk cement is also exported to Srilanka,
the island Mauritius and gulf Country. Ambuja Cement Ltd. has captive power plant comprising of
58bmw DG sets and is self-sufficient.

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 2. Organizational Structure

Ambuja cement limited has a Tall organizational structure with alots of layers of hierarchy. Employees
are only consulted but the decision making is not based on the employee’s suggestions or ideas. It is
solely taken by the top management. Decision making authority is in the hand of top level management
and responsibility rests with medium and low level management.
ACL has line and staff organizational structure where authorities (e.g., managers) establish goals and
directives that are then fulfilled by staff and other workers. It is a more centralized organizational
structure where decision making is responsibility of top level management. In ACL the information and
approvals come from top to bottom which is then followed by the mid and low level management.

Ambuja Cement follows a unique homegrown philosophy that gives people the authority to set
their own targets and the freedom to achieve their goals. Its focus has been consistent on two major
building blocks that has resonated through its daily operations – Quality (of products) and Safety (of all
those involved in the creation of its products).
ACL have 15 BODs in its top level management. The CEO of ACL is leader of consultative type who
consult its low and medium level management for decisions but solely takes decision.

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Page 13 of 17
 3. Recruitment and selection

ACL recruitment and selection is sole responsibility of the HR department. ACL gives equal
opportunities to both internal and external candidates. When it comes to recruitment of people, ACL
makes no distinction on the basis of cast, color, creed, gender or religion etc.
ACL job openings can be in any level of the management, from manager to executives or laborer level.
ACL also believes in promotion of its internal employees but on the basis of skill, performance and
achievement level.

Criteria
Basic criteria includes:

 Inter/Graduation/Post Graduate
 GPA of 3.00 or 60% marks
 Fresh graduate for MTP or Internships
 5 to 10 years of experience for managerial position
 Age limit is from 18 to 28 for fresh candidates and 30+ for experienced depends on position
offered.
 IT knowledge
 Good communication skills

Recruitment and Selections Process

Job opening along with job description and specification.

Advertisement

Aptitude Test either online or manual

Interview by HR

Selection

Offer

Onboarding

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 4. Leadership and Decision Making
The leadership of ACL is autocratic and no participation of mid or lower management is involved. The
decision making centralized but also consultative. The CEO is the sole decision maker. The mid and
lower management is consulted and opinions are taken but the decision making is done in the top
management.
The top management believes in consultative decision making. They consult the other management for
opinions regarding an issue or step but the decision is taken solely by the top management.

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 Comparison
Differences
Attock Cement Pvt Ltd Ambuja Cement Ltd
 Organizational structure is flatter and  Organizational structure is tall and
decentralized decision making. centralized decision making.
 Democratic and participative leadership  Autocratic leadership
 Collective and consultative decision  Consultative but centralized decision
making making
 Job opening is offered internally first then  Job opening is offered both internally and
external candidates are considered externally.

Similarities
Attock Cement Pvt Ltd Ambuja Cement Ltd
 Consultative decision making
 Recruitment process is almost same
 Criteria is also same for both fresh and experienced candidates.

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 References

Wikipedia. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. [Online]. Available from: [Link]

Attock Cement Private Limited. ACPL: Concrete Commitment to Quality. [Online]. Available from:
[Link]
Ambuja Cement Limited. ACL: India’s Leading Cement Company. [Online]. Available from:
[Link]
Attock Cement Private Limited. Annual Report. [Online] 2019. Available from:
[Link]
Ambuja Cement Limited. Annual Report. [Online] 2018. Available from:
[Link]

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