Symposia & Conferences
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Item INVESTIGATING THE MODERATING ROLE OF HR PRACTICES IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EMPLOYEE CREATIVITY AND READINESS DURING THE PRE-OPENING PHASE IN SRI LANKA’S HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY(Department of Human Resource Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2025) Maheshika M.G.H.; De Silva G.H.B.A.This study examines the moderating effect of human resource (HR) practices on the relationship between employee creativity and readiness during the pre-opening phase of Sri Lanka’s hospitality sector. The research addresses a critical gap by analyzing how HR practices - specifically training, communication, feedback, and role clarity - enhance employee creativity and facilitate readiness in the high-pressure pre-opening context. A quantitative research design was employed, utilizing a structured questionnaire distributed among employees with prior pre-opening experience at leading hotels, including Cinnamon Life Integrated Resort, Shangri-La, and ITC Ratnadipa. A total of 346 valid responses were subjected to descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and moderation analysis using SPSS. The findings reveal a significant positive correlation between employee creativity and readiness, further strengthened by HR practices. Training and communication emerged as the primary enablers of creativity, whereas feedback and role clarity were the strongest determinants of employee readiness. These insights underscore the strategic importance of HR interventions in fostering a workforce capable of navigating the complexities of hotel pre-openings. The study contributes to the broader literature on HR management in hospitality and offers empirical evidence to inform HR strategies aimed at enhancing employee adaptability and performance. Future research should explore industry-specific best practices and the longitudinal effects of HR policies on workforce preparedness.Item IMPACT OF ORGANIZATIONAL CLIMATE ON JOB SATISFACTION OF PRODUCTION EMPLOYEES IN ABC PVT LTD(Department of Human Resource Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2025) Wedagedara, W.B.M.L.; De Silva, G.H.B.A.This study investigates the relationship between organizational climate and job satisfaction among production employees at ABC Pvt Ltd, a key player in Sri Lanka’s manufacturing sector. Addressing a gap in existing research, this study examines how leadership style, rewards and recognition, and the physical work environment influence job satisfaction in a Sri Lankan context—an area that has been widely studied in Western settings but remains underexplored in local manufacturing industries. A quantitative, cross-sectional research design was employed, with data collected through self-administered questionnaires distributed to 108 production employees. The collected data were analyzed using correlation and regression analysis via SPSS. The findings indicate a significant positive relationship between organizational climate factors and job satisfaction. Specifically, leadership style accounted for 14.5% of the variance in job satisfaction, rewards and recognition contributed 21.4%, and the physical work environment explained 27.7%. These findings highlight the importance of fostering a supportive organizational climate through effective leadership practices, structured reward systems, and improvements in the physical work environment. This study contributes to the understanding of organizational behavior in Sri Lankan manufacturing firms and offers practical insights for human resource management to enhance employee satisfaction, retention, and overall organizational performance.Item IMPACT OF WORK INTERFERENCE WITH FAMILY ON EMPLOYEE WELLBEING: A STUDY OF REMOTE WORKERS IN THE IT BASED ORGANIZATIONS - MODERATING EFFECT SOCIAL ISOLATION(Department of Human Resource Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2025) Randika, L.B.Y.; Wijewantha, P.The aim of this research will revolve around analyzing the impact of work interference with family (WIF) on the wellbeing of employees and the moderation of social isolation among remote workers in IT-based organizations in Sri Lanka. Based on Work-Family Conflict Theory and Conservation of Resources Theory, the approach used in this study was quantitative. Accordingly, data collection was from 182 executive-level employees who responded to a self-administered questionnaire. These results showed that there was a significant negative relation between work interfering with family and the employee well-being, (β = -.751, p 0.90.) These findings extend the extant literature by demonstrating heightened effects of work – family conflict in remote settings and identifying social isolation as a critical boundary condition. The present research has several implications for organizations managing remote employees, in particular in extending considerable policies for boundary management and creating ways for encouraging social connectivity.Item IMPACT OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE ON EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE WITH THE MEDIATING EFFECT OF CREATIVITY: A STUDY OF EXECUTIVE LEVEL EMPLOYEES IN ABC (PVT) LTD IN TIRE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY IN SRI LANKA(Department of Human Resource Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2025) Gunarathne, R.B.I.R.; Jayasinghe, C.This research aims to examines the impact of emotional intelligence on employee performance in executive level employee category in ABC Pvt Ltd, a tire manufacturing company in Sri Lanka, emphasizing the mediation role of creativity. Emotional intelligence, which comprises empathy as well as self-awareness, is increasingly taken to be one of the key determinants of performance, not least in fast-changing organizational environments that are now common. Such relationship can further be empowered toward innovation and problem-solving with creativity. For this using a quantitative cross sectional survey design, 300 executive staff members were the population and a sample of 169 employees were taken. A structured questionnaire measuring emotional intelligence, creativity, and employee performance using a 5-point Likert scale was used to collect data. Statistical analysis performed included correlation and regression through SPSS for establishing relationship and hypotheses testing. Findings of the research demonstrated that emotional intelligence is a significant positive contributor to employee performance levels. This also favors creativity, which influences employee performance. Creativity served as a key mediator in strengthening the relationship between emotional intelligence and its performance outcomes. These results underline the importance of emotional intelligence and creativity in enhancing organizational efficiencies and innovations. This study has identified as crucial emotional intelligence and creativity in enhancing employee performance in the manufacturing sector. Organizations should then consider the necessity of emotional intelligence and creativity development through training and leadership development programs for better productivity and innovation.Item THE IMPACT OF TRAINING ON EXECUTIVE EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE AT XYZ TECHNOLOGIES PRIVATE LIMITED(Department of Human Resource Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2025) Sudasinghe, S. P. S.; Wanigasekara, W.M.S.K.This study investigates the impact of training on executive employee performance at XYZ Technologies Private Limited, a renowned organization in the Information Technology industry of Sri Lanka. This study addresses the significant knowledge gap in how training impacts the executive employee performance at XYZ Technologies Private Limited. A quantitative research approach was employed, utilizing a structured questionnaire to collect data from 300 executive employees selected based on stratified systematic sampling. On-the-Job Training and Off the Job Training was identified as the dimensions of the independent variable and the results revealed a weak positive correlation between on-the-job training and performance whilst a negative relationship between off the job training and performance. The findings underscore how important it is to maintain a balanced approach with both on the job and off the job training and also to consider the impact of other factors such as leadership and culture on the employee performance. Moreover, this study recommends further research to explore with a sample with more demographic differences and explore the other factors that can affect executive employee performance.Item EMPLOYEE RIGHTS AND LEGAL RECOURSE AWARENESS IN THE CORPORATE SECTOR IN COLOMBO(Department of Human Resource Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2025) Fernando, K. S. V.; Devadas, U. M.This study examines the awareness of employee rights and legal recourse mechanisms in the corporate sector of Colombo, addressing the issue of limited knowledge among employees and challenges in accessing justice. The research aimed to assess awareness levels, identify influencing factors, and explore barriers to legal remedies, contributing to improved labor practices. A qualitative research approach was employed, guided by the critical research paradigm, which explores power dynamics and structural inequalities. Purposive sampling was used to select nine participants from diverse sectors, including banking, logistics, technology, and apparel, to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the issue. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis, with a structured coding process to identify key themes and patterns. The research followed the case study protocol outlined by Dul and Hak (2008) to ensure rigorous analysis and consistency across interviews. The findings reveal substantial gaps in awareness of statutory protections and legal mechanisms, varying significantly across sectors and organizational contexts. Employees in highly regulated industries demonstrated higher awareness due to union influence and compliance requirements, while those in less structured environments faced challenges such as inadequate training and poor internal communication. The study concludes that improving labor law dissemination and strengthening grievance mechanisms are crucial for fostering equitable workplaces. Key recommendations include implementing mandatory rights-awareness training, simplifying access to legal recourse, and enhancing institutional frameworks to improve accessibility. This research contributes to policy by advocating effective labor regulations, assists organizations in promoting compliant and inclusive cultures, and enriches academic discourse on employee rights in developing economies.Item CHALLENGES IN THE ADOPTION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR EMPLOYEE TRAINING WITHIN ORGANIZATIONS IN COLOMBO, SRI LANKA(Department of Human Resource Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2025) Weerasuriya N.S.; Weerakkody, W.A.S.The adoption is artificial intelligence (AI) in the training methods in human resource management (HRM) is changing the way in which business organizations operate presenting multiple innovative solutions to develop the workforce. However, even though the adoption of AI in training would generate a multitude of benefits, organizations face many challenges when integrating AI in employee training modules. Through this research the challenges related to the adoption of AI in employee training will be explored within companies based in Colombo, Sri Lanka. This study mainly focused in a qualitative data collection approach where data was gathered through a mixed methods questionnaire which was distributed to five companies which constituted three large scale and two small-scale companies spanning across multiple industries. Further a quantitative approach was also used in order to gather data which was generated using the Linkert scales from the mixed-methods questionnaire. The findings if this study focus upon four critical challenges organizations encounter when adopting AI in training namely, cost constraints, infrastructure limitations, employee resistance, and knowledge gaps. Smaller companies displayed higher significance with the challenges related costs and infrastructure, whilst larger companies reported moderate significance to issued related to infrastructure and employee resistance. Further differences were also observed regarding the significance of these challenges across different industries. Through generating valuable insights of these critical challenges, the study provides logical and practical data for organizations when adopting AI in their employee training systems. Through this study organizations would be able to understand the various challenges related to the adoption of AI in employee training therefore can use the findings in order to ensure a smoother and successful transition towards AI-driven training methods.Item THE IMPACT OF CHATGPT ADAPTATION ON CREATIVE THINKING AMONG UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATES IN SRI LANKA(Department of Human Resource Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2025) Dilnuwani, W.H.H.; Weerakkody, W.A.S.ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, is a groundbreaking language model that gained one million users within just five days a milestone that took platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter much longer to reach 300, 75, and 720 days, respectively. In today’s world, education focuses on skills like creativity and encourages collaborative learning through solving real-life problems. University students are a unique group because of their diverse educational experiences and future career opportunities. This study explores how using ChatGPT affects the creative thinking of university students in Sri Lanka. The results show that ChatGPT positively impacts their creative thinking. Key factors influencing creativity include how often ChatGPT is used and the purpose behind its use. This research provides important insights for schools, universities, students, and policymakers to effectively incorporate ChatGPT into the academic setting.Item EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EMPLOYER BRANDING AND EMPLOYEE RETENTION OF STAFF LEVEL EMPLOYEES: THE MEDIATION EFFECT OF EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT IN THE APPAREL SECTOR COMPANIES AT KATUNAYAKE EXPORT PROCESSING ZONE, SRI LANKA(Department of Human Resource Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2025) Karunathilaka M.G.M.U.; Rebecca, E.Employee retention remains a critical task in Sri Lankan apparel sector, particularly in the Katunayake Export Processing Zone (EPZ). Using employee engagement as a mediator, this study uses a quantitative research design to investigate the link between employer branding and employee retention.126 staff-level employees from three apparel companies in the Katunayake Export Processing Zone (EPZ), Sri Lanka were asked to complete a structured questionnaire with a 5-point Likert scale. Representativeness across subgroups was guaranteed by the stratified random sampling technique.Using SPSS, statistical analyses were conducted to assess the hypotheses, including correlation, regression and mediation analysis. To improve engagement and retention, those findings highlight the necessity of a strong brand and a positive work environment.The examine gives actionable insights for groups to cope with retention challenges, emphasizing the importance of strategic employer branding and fostering engagement. However, the studies are restrained via its attention at the Katunayake EPZ, go-sectional layout, and reliance on self-suggested information.Future studies must explore longitudinal research, extra variables along with management and repayment, and tailor interventions to organizational contexts. The findings function a realistic framework for enhancing employee retention in competitive industries.Item EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVES AND ABSENTEEISM IN MANUFACTURING FIRMS IN COLOMBO DISTRICT, SRI LANKA(Department of Human Resource Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2025) Sudharshan, G.; De Alwis, A.C.Employee absenteeism remains a significant challenge in the Sri Lankan manufacturing sector, with mental health playing a crucial role in workforce stability and productivity. This study examines the relationship between mental health initiatives and absenteeism in manufacturing firms in the Colombo District. A quantitative research approach was adopted, utilizing structured questionnaires to collect data from 400 employees. The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of mental health programs in reducing absenteeism and enhancing employee well-being. The findings indicate a positive correlation between mental health initiatives and reduced absenteeism, particularly among younger employees (18–25 years) and those with less than one year of job experience. Operational staff and supervisors exhibited higher absenteeism and stress levels compared to managerial employees, highlighting the need for targeted interventions. Family responsibilities and health challenges were identified as primary causes of absenteeism, while mental health programs had limited impact on addressing broader workplace stressors. Despite improving attendance, the effectiveness of these initiatives in reducing stress was constrained by systemic challenges such as heavy workloads and work-life imbalance. The study concludes that a holistic approach integrating tailored mental health initiatives, improved program accessibility, peer support networks, and flexible work arrangements is essential for minimizing absenteeism and fostering employee well-being. These findings contribute to the discourse on workplace mental health and offer actionable recommendations for improving workforce stability in the Sri Lankan manufacturing sector.