A change towards better management

How can Chambers of Commerce ask their member companies to commit to export, invest more in new markets or adopt new processes if the CCIs themselves generally display an acute resistance to any organisational change? This is a question that was asked by CCI representatives participating in a workshop on good governance during the 6th World Chambers Congress in Kuala Lumpur, in June this year. Debaters departed from the principle that too often, the Chamber boards are regarded as out of date, and are even ignored by member companies.
To make up for these failings, CCIs have attempted to introduce good – or at least better – governance. For example: previously, the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) in Pakistan was controlled by the President singlehandedly. Driven by members conscious of the need for change, the ICCI then committed to modernising its board. A small revolution that has divided the institution’s missions between the President and a Secretary General, better distributed the use of resources (financial and human), and established the adoption of strategies and action plans. According to the Vice-President of the ICCI, Shaban Khalid: “we note that the commitment of young people is expanding in our organisation, as well as flexibility and transparency in functioning. More concerted efforts have also been made to reach the public of MBA students and young entrepreneurs. Our advice to the young is simple: if you wish for change, you have to get involved.”
More and more new-generation company heads are involved in Chambers. This was also the desire of the Philippine CCI. “Good governance introduces better democratic values and brings new blood to organisations,” explains Crisanto S. Frianeza, Secretary General of the Philippine Chamber. On the national level, the CCI has carried out a diagnostic to evaluate the pivots of its organisation. Standardisation and harmonisation of procedures, new internal legislation and training programmes in human resources have yielded the first positive results, notably fewer disputes during elections and a boost to dynamism in the country’s local Chambers.