Sashini Navodya

      10.   Link between Human Capital and Human Resource Development   In the current organizational context, people bring different levels of education, skills, knowledge and abilities where organizations rely on employee knowledge, skills and abilities as a key from of value creation. McConnell, C, Brue S and Macpherson D, 2009, p.85 has asserted that a more educated, better trained person is capable of supplying a large amount of useful productive efforts than one with less education and training. The great economist, Adam Smith has defined the human resource as a production factor and the term “human capital” has been introduced by Theodore W. Schultz. Human capital theory has been initiated by Gary Backer. Human capital is the knowledge and skills that people acquire through education and training and this capital is a product of deliberate investment that yields return. (Shultz T.W, 1961) Link between Human Capital and Human Resource Development ...

9 . Future Trends and Innovations in Strategic Human Resource Management Strategic Human Resource Management is a pivotal element for organizational success where it has evolved as the linchpin which connect organizational success and the effective utilization of human capital. As organizations navigate the complexities of a globalized and technologically driven environment, Strategic Human Resource Management has witnessed a paradigm shift from a traditional administrative role to a strategic partner in achieving business objectives (Kess-Momoh et al, 2024). With the rapid transformation of current working environment, strategic human resource management also has evolved in response to the emerging challenges, technological development and other changes in workforce. The future of work will use remote work and hybrid models and strategic human resource management will need to develop strategies for managing dispersed teams, fostering collaboration, and maintaining employee engag...

  8 . How Human Resource Management can support employees with special needs. As per Protection of the  Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, No.28 of 1996, " Any person who, as a result of any deficiency in his physical or mental capabilities, whether congenital or not, is unable by himself to ensure for himself, wholly or partly, the necessities of life" is defined as a person with special needs in Sri Lanka.    According to the Census of Population and Housing (2012), 1,617,924 million (or 87 per every 1000 persons aged five and above population in the country) have either partial or full difficulties in seeing, hearing, walking, cognition, self-care or communication. Several policies and legislation to support persons with special needs have been enacted or adapted in the last 25 years. These includes, a) the ‘Rehabilitation of the Visually Handicapped Trust Fund, Act No.9 of 1992 b) Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, No.28 of 1996 ...

7. Social media in Human Resource Management Over the past 10 years, with the rapid emergence of social media platforms, social media usage in Human Resource Management has emerged as a significant area of interest. Traditional HR practices has widely undergone significant changes with the social media influences. Nordstrom (2014) has stated that, “Before internet become widely used, companies had relatively limited possibilities for drawing people’s attention; either they bought costly advertisements or tried to get third-party ink for the media.” This adoption of social media strategies in HRM is not merely a trend, but a strategic response to the evolving expectations of both employers and employees. (Gratton, 2024).   Social media usage in pre-employment life cycle stage: 1.    1.  Talent acquisition strategy: Social media usage has become the recruitment process more efficient by allowing organizations to gather more data about candidates, cost savin...

6.   6 .  The open-door policy for employee grievance handling   The open-door policy is a fundamental principle in Human Resource Management that fosters an environment of open communication, trust and transparency between employees and their employers which provides a structured avenue for employees to rise concerns, grievances or issues without fear or reprisal. This creates a direct line of communication between employees and their supervisors or managers in-order to encourage employees to express their concerns or grievances at any level of the organization. This policy outlines specific procedures for raising issues, the expected response time and the steps involved in resolving the grievance. The benefits of open-door policy are: 1.     1.  Improve employee morale and satisfaction: The open-door policy helps to create a positive work environment where employees feel empowered to express their ideas and suggestions. When employees fee...

5.   5.  The expanding role of Human Resource Management in well-being of mental          health   The link between work productivity and mental health is indisputable. Mental health is defined as a state of prosperity in which an individual is aware of his or her capabilities, can endure the stresses of day-to-day life, can work efficiently and fruitfully and is capable of making positive impact on his or her community. (World Health Organization, 2004) According to WHO, a supportive work environment can boost the well-being, while poor working conditions can harm it. HR can play a vital role in addressing mental health risks and creating an environment where mental health is a key concern. This will help not only for human well-being, but also for job satisfaction, retention and high productivity. So what are the key areas that HR needs to focus in promoting mental health? 1.     1.  Fostering a supportive work e...

1.       4.  Flexibility is no longer optional; it is a core… Why?   The landscape of work has evolved significantly over past few decades with technological advancements, changes in employee expectations and new global trends on work-life balance. One of the key revolution is flexible work arrangements and in the modern business era, flexibility has emerged to be an essential part of any organization, especially; within and after the pandemic period, world has moved towards flexible working arrangements and remote working. Flexibility can be in the form of remote working options to flexible working hours and compressed workweeks. So why is the flexibility crucial? 1.       1.  Improve the work-life balance: Flexible work arrangements allow employees to better manage their personal and professional lives and helps to reduce stress and increase job satisfaction (Davidescu et al., 2020). 2.    2.  Enhance productivity...

1.       3.  Factors to consider in upgrading HR policies of an organization From the time of great depression, when the Hawthorne experiments were conducted till date, various studies has conducted by scholars to identify the employee behaviors; basically to understand the human capital factors that affect productivity and other environmental abbreviates that influence the workforce. They have developed different policies, strategies related to human resource management. These policies have implemented by organizations to perform smoothly without any hassles and these policies may happen to change in-order to align the government or industrial rules, improve employee well-being etc. The purpose of HR policies goes beyond the legal compliance, where they foster a culture of trust, fairness, sense of inclusion and a clear and comprehensive HR policies provide legal protection, transparent communication of employee conditions, employee expectations on career growth, ...