Book Corner

Vade mecum for HR professionals

Reviewed by Dr. Bhadra J.H. Arachchige

HR Challenge: Dynamics of
Value Creation and Competitiveness
Through People
Edited by Sudatta Ranasinghe and Ajantha Dharmasiri
Published by the Institute of
Personnel Management

As one grows older there is often the tendency to reflect upon our life and its contribution to people and situations near and dear to us, especially to the legacy we hope to leave for the succeeding generations. In the case of the late Prof. Sudatta Ranasinghe, despite a lifetime of distinguished service in many spheres including 25 years in the university system of Sri Lanka, he was still actively pursuing the completion of his final achievement in the days leading up to his death in May this year.

HR Challenge: Dynamics of Value Creation and Competition Through People which Prof. Ranasinghe compiled and edited in conjunction with Dr. Ajantha Dharmasiri, is indeed a fitting tribute that will endure through its valuable contribution to the academic and professional development in the field of human resource management both in Sri Lanka and overseas.

Those actively involved in Human Resource Management (HRM), and newcomers to the field, will find the first three chapters of great benefit in enlightening the reader on the current situation and the significant challenges facing HR professionals today. The editors themselves have made a valuable contribution with Prof. Ranasinghe setting the scene with a challenge to HRM practice to be more diverse in the role that it should play in a competitive business environment, especially in Sri Lanka, while Dr. Dharmasiri explores the importance of strategic HRM in developing economies focusing specifically on the broader South Asian context.

These challenges can, of course, only be met if effective and appropriate training and development are in place, therefore a review of current practices by Prof. Vathsala Wickremasinghe presents her findings based on empirical research together with timely recommendations for a more formalised and structured human resource development strategy in Sri Lankan organisations.

Strategy

A recurrent theme in all three papers is the requirement for improvement in the development of HRM in practice and status in the Sri Lankan business context in the light of the strong need for the greater involvement of HR professionals in strategy making and implementation in contemporary organisations.

While academics will be particularly interested in these macro level discussions, HRM practitioners will find many valuable guidelines for working towards the achievement of the goals espoused in the introductory chapters.

The remaining nine chapters provide not only well researched analytical studies of a carefully selected range of topics, but also provide pathways for practitioners to consider in terms of growing and improving HRM practices in Sri Lanka.

Each is written by an experienced academic, researcher, consultant or practitioner.

In terms of core HR practice, topics such as performance appraisal systems, industrial relations, leadership and employee commitment are examined with a particular emphasis on what is and what can be within the Sri Lankan business environment.

If change is to be brought about then innovative practices have to be developed and fostered. Very appropriately two chapters are, therefore, devoted to the role of innovation as it relates to HR strategy.

The formulation of framework for innovative HR practices leading to a great competitive capacity will no doubt be of interest to Chief Executive Officers, senior management and their HR divisions from a business perspective, as well as providing a set of theoretical propositions that can provide future academic research.

At the same time such innovation is much needed in the huge public sector, and a further chapter explores a variety of possibilities in this area.

Human relations

As HR by definition is very much about people, it is pleasing to see a range of current human relations issues addressed, particularly as there has been little previously published on the extent to which they impact upon the Sri Lankan work environment.

Chapters are devoted to HR within the family business, work-family conflict, sexual harassment in the workplace and development of a positive employee emotional environment.

Collectively, HR Challenge lives up to its title in that it leaves us with the ingredients and the ideas for HRM in Sri Lanka to seek new directions and greater heights in the corporate and public sectors.

The contributors, Dr. Ajanthi Dharmasiri and the Institute of Personnel Management (IPM), which has played a major role in bringing this publication to fruition, are to be congratulated on their efforts to not only provide a much needed and valuable resource in the field of HR, but also to honour the legacy of the late Prof. Sudatta Ranasinghe.

The writer is a Senior Lecturer, Department of Human Resource Management, Faculty of Management Studies, University of Sri Jayewardenepura.

Readable amazing stories

Reviewed By Deepal Sooriyaarachchi

Vishva Shakthiya Saha
Chitta Shakthiye Haskam
Author: Dr. Nimal Sedera
A Sarasavi Publication

Dr. Nimal Sedara's latest publication Vishva Shakthiye Saha Chitta Shakthiye Haskam is a collection of stories mostly from the western world. He has retold 42 amazing incidents that make us stop and question, what is happening out there. It is a kind of book that compels you to read without stopping.

The author says he was inspired to write it when he picked up a book that was about to be taken away by the garbage collectors. He had not given the name of the book but it is about coincidences. In a church the wall plaster comes off owing to the rain the previous night. The priest thinks of a way to cover it. He goes to a garage sale and sees a large table cloth with a beautiful floral design.

He buys it as no one else was interested in it as it was too large. As he was reaching the church with the table cloth he sees an old woman waiting for a bus in the cold. He invites her to come with him to the church until the rain ceases.

He fixes the table cloth over the patch on the wall while the old woman was waiting in the church. Having seen the table cloth she discovers that it is the one her husband had gifted to her many years ago during World War II. She was from a rich family. As a result of the war she lost her husband and eventually came to America.

Hearing the strange story the priest asks why she came to that town and she says she came for an interview. She was looking for a job as a baby sitter and told the details of the house she came to saying that she did not get the job because of her age.

After the evening service a very old member of the congregation came up to the priest and said he used to live in Vienna in Austria during World War II and lost his wife. After all the efforts to find her he had found that all of them had died. He had migrated to America and never married again. He said that he gifted a table cloth just like that. The shocked priest related what happened in the morning and eventually the old couple met, thanks to the table cloth.

This was my favourite story out of all the stories in the book. However, the stories in the book have many sub-themes. Some are coincidences with some reason as to why they have happened.

There was another series of stories related to incidents with the dead who seem to have communicated with the living. Some stories show how love brought people together after many years of separation. Some depict how dreams have foretold future events.

It is easy to pooh-pooh them as coincidences. One would attribute them to the power of mind and cosmic consciousness while others would attribute them to a superior being. According to a Buddhist perspective some of them can be explained though the Karmic forces.

New arrivals 

Loveena

Mohan Raj Madawala's latest Sinhala novel Loveena was launched as a Biso publication recently. It revolves around the hidden love story of Mount Lavinia.

Vanacharin Samaga Vasarak

Yasawardane Rodrigo's latest adolescent novel Vanacharin Samaga Vasarak was launched as a Sarasavi publication recently.

Koti Pattiya

Evelyn Vandhana's Koti Pattiya (Tiger Cub) was launched as an author publication recently. It is an anthology of short stories.

Bodlyrie Daruvo

Chandrani Amarakone's Bodlyrie Daruvo was launched as a Sarasavi publication recently. It is the Sinhala translation of Lemony Snicket's The Bad Beginning.