Vathsala Wickramasinghe

Graduates', University Lecturers' and Employers' Perceptions towards Employability Skills.

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explore employability skills that employers, university lecturers and graduates value to bring to the workplace, when graduates are applying for entry‐level graduate jobs in the field of computer science in Sri Lanka.Design/methodology/approach – A total of three samples were selected for this exploratory study, namely, graduates, employers, and university lecturers. Three self‐administered survey questionnaires were developed targeting the three groups. In addition to descriptive statistics, paired sample t‐test, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and correlation analysis were used for the data analysis.Findings – The findings suggested that there are differences in the priorities given for employability skills by the four groups – male graduates, female graduates, employers, and university lecturers. Further, the findings suggest that employability skills are influenced by the gender of the graduates. Overall, the findings of the study could be used to assist universi...

Effects of interpersonal trust, team leader support, rewards, and knowledge sharing mechanisms on knowledge sharing in project teams

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of interpersonal trust, team leader support, rewards, and knowledge sharing mechanisms on voluntary knowledge sharing in software development project teams in Sri Lanka.Design/methodology/approach – Survey methodology was used and 150 software developers who were directly involved in developing and maintaining a software product from project teams responded. Regression analysis was used for data analysis.Findings – Interpersonal trust and rewards have significant positive effects on knowledge sharing. Although it was anticipated that the team leader support would be a significant predictor of knowledge sharing, the results did not provide evidence for a positive and significant relationship. “Work‐group communications” and “Personal interactions” had significant positive effects on knowledge sharing.Originality/value – It is expected that the findings of this study will provide useful information to better understand the predictors of the ex...

Predictors of job satisfaction among IT graduates in offshore outsourced IT firms

Purpose – This study aims to investigate the level of job satisfaction experienced by IT graduates employed full time in offshore outsourced IT firms (OOITF) in Sri Lanka, the demographic characteristics that predict job satisfaction, perceptions towards IT jobs in OOITF, and turnover and job search intentions.Design/methodology/approach – The sample consisted of 122 randomly selected individuals who graduated in the information technology field and were employed full‐time in OOITF in Sri Lanka. A survey questionnaire was chosen as the mode for data collection.Findings – The results indicate that gender and tenure are significant in job satisfaction measurement. Females are less satisfied with their jobs and feel a loss of interest in IT jobs in OOITF but wish to remain in their present workplace. IT graduates with a longer tenure in their present workplace are less satisfied with their jobs, feel a loss of interest in IT jobs in OOITF and intend to leave their present workplace.Originality/value – The ma...

Critical elements that discriminate between successful and unsuccessful ERP implementations in Sri Lanka

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation project performance of successful and unsuccessful implementations; critical elements (CEs) that are conducive to success; and whether implementation project performance and CEs vary across the number of modules implemented, product type, and number of employees affected by the ERP.Design/methodology/approach – Survey research methodology was used and data collected from 74 ERP implementation projects in Sri Lanka. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, independent sample t‐test, one‐way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and logistic regression.Findings – ERP implementation project performance significantly differs between successful and unsuccessful implementations. The importance given to CEs of training and education, user involvement, managing user expectations, interdepartmental cooperation, ERP teamwork and team composition, software development, testing and troubleshooting, project management, ...

Training Objectives, Transfer, Validation and Evaluation: A Sri Lankan Study

Using a stratified random sample, this paper examines the training practices of setting objectives, transfer, validation and evaluation in Sri Lanka. The paper further sets out to compare those practices across local, foreign and joint-venture companies based on the assumption that there may be significant differences across companies of different ownership. The findings reveal evidence of the awareness and practice of setting objectives, transfer, validation and evaluation. Overall, the results of the analysis of variance do not confirm the hypotheses that foreign-owned companies exhibit more training practices of setting objectives, transfer, validation and evaluation than local and joint-venture companies. The paper addresses existing practice and implications.

Effects of perceived organisational support on participation in decision making, affective commitment and job satisfaction in lean production in Sri Lanka

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the moderating effect of perceived organisational support (POS) on the relationship between participation in decision making (PDM) and affective commitment, and PDM and job satisfaction in lean production in Sri Lanka.Design/methodology/approach – A random sample of 616 shop‐floor employees engaged full‐time in export‐apparel manufacturing firms, which have implemented a formal lean production system in the whole manufacturing function and where lean production has become the standard of operation for at least one year in Sri Lanka, responded. Regression analysis was used to test hypotheses.Findings – It was found that POS moderates the relationship between PDM and affective commitment, and PDM and job satisfaction.Originality/value – The literature suggests that the bottom‐line changes often cited in lean implementation success stories, such as reduced inventories and faster flow times, are not the only results that should be considered. The potential det...

A comparative analysis of managerial competency needs across areas of functional specialization

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether there is a set of management competencies that should be possessed by managers irrespective of their areas of functional specialization using quantitative methodology.Design/methodology/approach – For the study, 31 individual competencies were analyzed. The study was confined to a fully integrated telecommunication service provider; 198 managerial employees participated in the survey.Findings – The findings reveal broad level competencies that are important for managers working in one of the seven functional areas. The findings suggest the importance of competencies from value and skill clusters than knowledge cluster across all functional areas. Further, there was hardly any congruence with the perceptions on current expertise and current importance across all the functional areas.Practical implications – While the findings of the study have a specific relevance to the managers in the telecommunication industry, they could have a rather broade...

Towards workplace flexibility: flexitime arrangements in Sri Lanka

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to present and discuss the findings of a study on flexitime as a novel people management practice emerging in Sri Lanka. Specifically, the paper presents and discusses factors that predict the level of satisfaction with flexitime, differences in attitudes towards flexitime, the effectiveness of flexitime as a strategy to attract and retain employees, and barriers that hinder its use.Design/methodology/approach – A total of 108 employees involved in producing IT‐related output as their primary job function, from 30 software development companies, responded to the self‐administered survey questionnaire. In analysis, univariate, bivariate and multivariate techniques were adopted.Findings – Flexitime allowed autonomy to employees to harmonize work and non‐work demands on their time, resulting in better workplace relations. Overall, the findings support a non‐traditional approach to people management. However, the findings also have important implications for the design or...

Effects of people-centred factors on enterprise resource planning implementation project success: empirical evidence from Sri Lanka

Extant literature suggests people-centred factors as one of the major areas influencing enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation project success. Yet, to date, few empirical studies attempted to validate the link between people-centred factors and ERP implementation project success. The purpose of this study is to empirically identify people-centred factors that are critical to ERP implementation projects in Sri Lanka. The study develops and empirically validates a framework for people-centred factors that influence the success of ERP implementation projects. Survey research methodology was used and collected data from 74 ERP implementation projects in Sri Lanka. The people-centred factors of ‘project team competence’, ‘rewards’ and ‘communication and change’ were found to predict significantly the ERP implementation project success.

An assessment of managerial competency needs: empirical evidence from a Sri Lankan telecommunication service provider

From the management development viewpoint, it is important to know whether managers possess the required competencies to achieve successful job performance. This could be identified by exploring the competency needs. The aim of the paper is to present and discuss results of an empirical investigation on managerial competency needs using quantitative methodology. The study is confined to a fully integrated telecommunication service provider; 198 managerial employees participated in the survey. The findings led to identification of: perceived levels of current competency expertise; current and future competency gaps; and competencies that managers wish to improve. Managerial implications, limitations and directions for future research are discussed.