Browsing by Author "Karunarathne, R. A. I. C."

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The Effect of Distance between Home and the Workplace on Employee Work Satisfaction
(5th HRM Student Research Symposium 2018, Department of Human Resource Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Piyumika, K. A. O.; Karunarathne, R. A. I. C.
Organizations recruit employees from different areas of the country. Hence, today a growing number of employees do not see their family everyday due to traveling difficulties which in turn affect their work satisfaction. Thus, the main purpose of this study is to assess the impact of distance between home and workplace on employee work satisfaction. To attain this research objective, data were collected from one hundred employees who were working in 2 apparel industry firms, which are located in Biygama Export Processing Zone. To test the hypotheses, simple linear regression was used. The findings showed that the distance between home and workplace had a significant impact on employee non-work satisfaction, i.e. when employees do not visit their family every day, this has a negative effect on their life satisfaction. However, there was no significant impact of distance between home and workplace on work satisfaction. Thus, it is recommended to provide facilities to visit their family often, including family accommodation, if possible introduce flex working shifts and organize get-together events which can participate with family members
Effectiveness of Online Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: Students’ Perspective
(Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka, 2023) Madushanka, D.; Karunarathne, R. A. I. C.
The Covid-19 pandemic brought a significant shift in higher education, leading to the rapid adoption of exclusively online learning methods in Sri Lanka’s state universities. Prior to the pandemic, E-learning was not extensively utilized in these institutions, with most bachelor’s degree programs relying on traditional face-to-face lecturing and physical interactions. However, with the emergence of quarantine measures and lockdowns to curb the virus’s spread, universities had to prioritize Elearning to continue academic activities. This research aims to explore students’ perspectives on the online learning experience in Sri Lankan state universities during the pandemic. This study seeks to understand students’ perceptions of the management of knowledge delivery, the effectiveness of learning and assimilating information, and the use of E-learning platforms in the context of exclusively online education. This study is based on the quantitative research method and data were collected using an online survey method. Further, we collected data from 386 undergraduates in seven state universities, Sri Lanka and data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. By examining students’ viewpoints, this research endeavors to provide valuable insights that can guide educational institutions in enhancing their online learning strategies and meeting the evolving needs of students.
EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT AND TURNOVER INTENTION: THE MODERATING ROLE OF GENDER
(Department of Human Resource Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2025) Nirasha, R.S.K.S.; Karunarathne, R. A. I. C.
This study aims to examine the impact of employee engagement on turnover intention exploring gender as a moderator. The purpose of this study is to understand how employee engagement affects turnover intention among executive-level employees in the apparel industry, with a particular focus on the moderating role of gender. The research is deductive research. This research was conducted using a survey research strategy and quantitative research method. Executive-level employees in a leading organization in the apparel industry were chosen as the population of the study. The sample size was 108 and data collection was done through a self-administered questionnaire. Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 23.0 and moderation analysis Hayes PROCESS Macro SPSS were used as a tool for data analysis and both descriptive and inferential statistics, namely Correlation and regression were used to analyze data. The key findings of this study are that employee engagement has a negative impact on turnover intention and that gender moderates the relationship between employee engagement and turnover intention. The implications of the study suggest that companies in the apparel industry should tailor engagement strategies for different gender groups at the executive level to enhance retention and reduce turnover intention.
Factors Affecting Internship Satisfaction of Undergraduates
(Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka, 2022) Madhushanka, D. L. P. C.; Karunarathne, R. A. I. C.
Undergraduates are valuable resources among the various resources within a university. Moreover, most of the universities encourage their undergraduates to take industry exposure as it has many advantages such as getting practical experiences and help to find a job. However, anecdotal evidence showed that all the interns are not happy with their internship programme. most of the universities encourage their undergraduates to take industry exposure as it has many adv.… Accordingly, previous research has found that factors that influence undergraduate internship satisfaction have been categorized as individual factors, university support, and contextual factors. However, most of these studies have been conducted in the Western context, thus; We know little about what factors influence undergraduate internship satisfaction. Thus, the aim of the study was to identify determinants of internship satisfaction of undergraduates of Sri Lanka. To attain this objective, we collected data from 125 undergraduates from the department of human resource management who completed their internship in the year of 2022/2023. The results of this study showed that individual factors, university support, and contextual factors are significantly influenced on undergraduates' internship satisfaction. The results of this study are highly significant and inform decision makers of the higher education sector and industry partners to design their internship programmes. However, the scope of the study is limited to undergraduates in the department of human resource management of the University of Kelaniya in Sri Lanka.
Factors Influencing on Career Choices of Undergraduate Students
(Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka, 2022) Madhusankha, Y. P.; Karunarathne, R. A. I. C.
One of the most significant stages in life is choosing a career because it will decide the type of role that person will need to perform in society in the future. The purpose of this study is to investigate the factor influencing undergraduates' career decisions. To attain this objective, we collected data from 254 management undergraduates who are studying their final year of their degree programme, at the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. Undergraduate students were chosen since they would be faced with the decision of what career to pursue as soon as they graduated. Data were analyzed using linear regression and the results showed that undergraduates career choice depends on self-efficacy, family, personal interests, and economic factors. Thus, the findings of this study are theoretically and practically significant. The main limitation of this study is that this study focused only on management undergraduates, however, the results might be varied with other disciplines. Therefore, we encourage future researchers to test our model across different samples.
Impact of Flex-Work on Employee Performance: Study of Executive-Level Employees in IT Industry of Sri Lanka
(Department of Human Resource Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2021) Nayanathara, S. W. A. W. M. D.; Karunarathne, R. A. I. C.
Employee performance plays an important role in every organization. In the modern business world, it is important to examine the effect of flex-work on employee performance as it is a widely discussed topic during the COVID-19 pandemic situation. Although, scholars have already examined the effect of flex-work practices and their outcomes, the results are inconsistent. Thus, the current study aimed to examine the lacuna in literature, which is impact of flex-work on employee performance. To attain this purpose, researchers collected data from 169 executive-level employees in three IT firms in Western Province, Sri Lanka. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation, and regression with the aid of SPSS. The findings of the study revealed that there is a significant impact of flex-work on employee performance, where employee performance will increase with the improvements in flex-work. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Impact of High-Performance Human Resource Management Practices and Employee Engagement on Role Performance: With Reference to Non-Academic Staff of State Universities in Sri Lanka
(Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka, 2023) Wijayathunga, L. A. D. H. R.; Karunarathne, R. A. I. C.
A well-established administrative system such as a High-Performance Human Resource Management Practice (HPHRMP) is needed to achieve the expected performance in handling human resources and administrative tasks. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of HPHRMP on employee role performance through employee engagement among non-academic staff in state Universities, in Sri Lanka. To achieve this purpose, data were collected using a structured questionnaire from a sample of 334 non-academic staff from the state universities in Sri Lanka. The sample was selected using the stratified random sampling method, and data collection was limited to one point in time. To test the hypotheses, the hierarchical linear regression and Sobel test were used to analyze the mediation hypothesis. Supporting our hypotheses, the results of this study showed that HPHRMP has a direct impact on role performance. In addition, the results of the mediation analysis showed that HPHRMP influences employee role performance through employee engagement. These findings are comparable with previous research, and the findings contribute to enhancing the resourced-based theory including psychological resources such as expertise, promotion and opportunities for human resources, healthy working climate, and leadership skills causing more engagement among the employees. The practical implications are discussed.
Impact of Mindfulness on Work Life Balance; Moderating Effect of Marital Status
(Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka, 2022) Kumari, Y. M. S. H.; Karunarathne, R. A. I. C.
Among the various resources in an organization, employees are a valuable asset. Moreover, employee work-life balance is an essential component of an overall healthy work environment. The purpose of this study was to identify the impact of mindfulness on work life balance. In addition to that, this study intended to contribute to address the boundary conditions of work life balance by examining the moderating effect of marital status on the relation between mindfulness and work life balance. Although prior researchers have examined the predictors of poor work life balance, still this is one of the critical issues in many organizations. Thus, this study aimed to narrow it down the extant gap. This study is based on a quantitative research approach and data were collected at one point in time. Using a structured questionnaire, we collected data from 108 management assistants. In line with the research model, we developed two hypotheses and hypotheses were tested using regression. Results of this study showed that there is a significant impact of mindfulness on work life balance. Moreover, results of moderation analysis indicated that the relationship of employee mindfulness and work life balance does not vary across employee marital status. This study suggested that managers should establish a mindfulness-based intervention in the organization. Cross validation of the findings of this study to be done in cross industry or cross organizations comparatively among the bigger sample in subsequent studies is recommended, which will add more insights to the substance of the present study.
IMPACT OF NARCISSISTIC TRAITS ON CAREER ASPIRATIONS OF UNDERGRADUATES IN STATE UNIVERSITIES IN WESTERN PROVINCE, SRI LANKA
(Department of Human Resource Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2025) Dissanayake, D. G. D. M.; Karunarathne, R. A. I. C.
Personality traits have gained significant attention in career development research, emphasizing their role in shaping individuals’ professional aspirations. This study aims to investigate the impact of narcissistic traits on the career aspirations of management undergraduates in Sri Lanka using the Five-Factor Narcissism Model and the Career Aspirations Scale. Data was collected via a structured questionnaire distributed among management undergraduates at four state universities, with a sample of 350 students analyzed using SPSS version 23. Statistical analyses, including descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and regression analysis, were conducted using SPSS. The findings showed that narcissistic traits have a significant positive impact on career aspirations, reinforcing the role of personality traits in professional goal-setting. These results contribute to existing theories on narcissism and career development, providing guidance for universities and career advisors to support students with narcissistic tendencies in effectively aligning their ambitions with career opportunities. Future research can expand on these findings by exploring diverse populations and considering moderating factors such as cultural and organizational influences.
The Impact of Non – Financial Rewards on the Attraction of Generation Y Undergraduates towards Organizations
(5th HRM Student Research Symposium 2018, Department of Human Resource Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Perera, K. E. P.; Karunarathne, R. A. I. C.
Undergraduates of generation Y have unique characteristics in terms of their expectations and views when selecting organizations to work in. The main objective of this study was to identify the extent to which non –financial rewards attracts the generation Y undergraduates towards business organizations. A quantitative research approach was followed, and data were collected using a questionnaire which contains 2 parts, i.e. part 1 measured non – financial rewarding system and part 2 measured attraction towards organizations. The data were collected from 80 management undergraduates who are currently studying in 3 main Universities in Sri Lanka for management studies. Simple linear regression was used to test the hypotheses and the coefficient of determination to assess the marginal contribution of variables in the research model. The findings of this study showed that non-financial reward have statistically significant effect on undergraduates’ attractiveness of a job offering. It is recommended based on the research that following non – financial rewards are appealing to university undergraduates irrespective of the gender. Opportunities provided, extent to an individual thinks his/her work is valued, having a manageable workload and a reasonable work place, having supportive colleagues and flexible working arrangements. It is recommended that managers in the corporate sector, to focus more on the factor mentioned will enhance the attractiveness of generation Y undergraduates towards organizations
Impact of Occupational Stress on Employee Absenteeism: Moderating Effect of Employee Engagement
(Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka, 2022) Madhuranga, D. P. A. N. S.; Karunarathne, R. A. I. C.
Occupational Stress is a major factor that affects the career of any employee. Previous researchers have attempted to examine the relationship between job stress and employee absenteeism, but there are some unsolved questions remaining to answer. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to identify the impact of occupational stress on absenteeism and study the moderating effect of job engagement. This study is based on a quantitative research approach, and it was a cross-sectional study. To test our research model, we collected data from 106 team members from an apparel industry company in Sri Lanka. Hypotheses were tested using Pearson correlation coefficient, linear regression analysis and hayes' process macro. Findings of this study revealed that occupational stress has an impact on employee engagement and employee absenteeism. Moreover, the results of moderator analysis showed that occupational stress influences employee absenteeism through employee engagement. Thus, we recommend management of this company to take a serious effort to reduce employee stress as it makes a significant impact on employee engagement and absenteeism. Theoretical implications are discussed.
Impact of Perceived Organizational Support on Turnover Intention: The Mediating Role of Employee Engagement
(Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka, 2022) Madhushanka, W. A. H.; Karunarathne, R. A. I. C.
The main objective of the study was to examine the effect of perceived organizational support on turnover intention through employee engagement. The research approach is deductive, and data were collected from 281 employees using a survey. Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression with the aid of Process for SPSS (version 4.2). The results of this study showed that there is a significant positive effect of organizational support on employee engagement, there is a significant negative effect of the employee engagement on turnover intention, there is a significant negative effect of the perceived organizational support on turnover intention and there is a negative mediating effect of the employee engagement on the relationship between turnover intention and perceived organizational support. Moreover, employee engagement partially mediated the relationship between turnover intention and perceived organizational support. Thus, all hypotheses were accepted. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. The main limitation of this study is data collection was limited to one point in time.
Impact of Perceived Organizational Values on Employee Career Satisfaction of Executive - Level Employees in a Selected Private Commercial Bank in Sri Lanka
(Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka, 2022) Madhuwanthi, S. A. C. B.; Karunarathne, R. A. I. C.
The purpose of this study is to identify the impact of perceived organizational values on career satisfaction of employees. Even though there are studies available focusing on the impact of person-organization value fit on organizational outcomes, there is a dearth of studies investigating the impact of person-organization value fit on employee attitudinal outcomes. Thus, taking this lacuna in research into consideration, this study was undertaken a quantitative deductive study. The authors deployed the survey strategy and data were collected using a questionnaire. Executive level employees of a leading commercial bank were chosen as the population of the study. Accordingly primary data were collected from a sample of 216 respondents using the nonprobability convenience sampling technique. Data collection was done using a self – administrated, structured questionnaire. Data analysis was done using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 23.0. The hypothesis of the study was tested using the simple regression analysis. The results indicated that there is a significant positive impact of perceived organizational values on career satisfaction of employees.
The Impact of Perceived Supervisor Support, Perceived Co-worker Support and Perceived Organizational Support on Organizational Citizenship Behavior: A Study at United Motors Lanka PLC
(5th HRM Student Research Symposium 2018, Department of Human Resource Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Perera, P. W. N. D.; Karunarathne, R. A. I. C.
Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) is an important and growing area of every Organization. Prior research on social support extensively have investigated the role of social support on employee success. However, we still know little about how support from distinct sources of support contributes to build OCB of operational level employees. Thus, the main purpose of this study was to assess the impact of 3 important, distinct sources of support, i.e. perceived supervisor support, perceived co-worker support and perceived organizational support on OCB in United Motors Lanka PLC. The study was quantitative and cross-sectional in nature. Using a structured questionnaire, I collected data from 80 operational level employees those who are employed in United Motors Lanka PLC. The data were analyzed using simple linear regression. The results showed that perceived organizational support significantly influence on OCB. However, our findings showed there is no significant impact of perceived supervisor support and perceived co-worker support on organizational citizenship behavior. We recommend management to create sense of OCB through increasing the support of organization by establishing fair reward system that responds to employee needs, builds an environment that will help employees to work smoothly, give training opportunities and intangible rewards to value their contribution to organization
Impact of Self-Awareness and Self-Management on Organizational Commitment to Change: A Study Based on Aviation Industry in Sri Lanka
(Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya., 2021) Warnakula, U. S.; Dhammika, K. A. S.; Karunarathne, R. A. I. C.
As organizations are operating in a turbulent environment, it is essential for them to change the existing practices and policies. Currently, the aviation sector in Sri Lanka needs to acclimatize to survive in their environment. Thus, this study aims to identify the impact of self-awareness and self-management on organizational commitment to change. Moreover, the study aims to examine the boundary conditions of the proposed relationship by examining the moderating effect of environmental dynamism, which received less attention in the extant literature. Researchers adopted post-positivism research philosophy, and the approach is deductive. Data were collected using a self-administrated questionnaire from 330 front-line employees in the aviation industry in Sri Lanka. PLS-SEM model was adopted to analyze the data, and the violating assumptions were tested. The results showed that self-awareness and self-management are positive and significant influences on organizational commitment to change, and environmental dynamism moderate these relationships. The key implication of this study is managing any critical times by inspiring their level of self-awareness and management to change the mindset of staff to cope with the organization change to enhance the commitment. The findings of the study are beneficial for potential aviation-related academies and partitioners.
The Impact of Subordinate’s Trust in Supervisor and Felt Trust on Subordinate Psychological Empowerment: A Study with Reference to Polytex Garments Limited
(5th HRM Student Research Symposium 2018, Department of Human Resource Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Perera, T. S. S.; Karunarathne, R. A. I. C.
Empowering employees and building trust in close relationships become more vigorous consideration in organizations for surviving and competing in the business context. Hence, the purpose of this study was to assess the impact of subordinate’s trust in supervisor and felt trust on subordinate overall psychological empowerment. To attain this research objective, we collected data from 56 staff employees and 38 executives who are working as subordinates in a reputed garment manufacturing company in Ja-Ela, Sri Lanka. We used survey method for data collection and used simple linear regression analysis for data analysis. The results of this study showed that the subordinate’s trust in supervisor significantly and positively influence on subordinate overall psychological empowerment. Further, the results showed that subordinate’s felt trust has significant positive effect on subordinate overall psychological empowerment. Based on these findings, we recommend to the management to ensure healthy relationships among supervisors and subordinates through effective communication and leadership practices in order to create a sense of empowerment within employees. However, this study based upon staff workers and executives in one garment manufacturing company in Sri Lanka, which hinder the generalizability of our findings
Impact of Work- Life Balance and Organizational Pride on Affective Commitment
(Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka, 2022) Lakshani, U. B. L. K. I.; Karunarathne, R. A. I. C.
Work – life balance is the priority of any employee in their career life. Prior researchers have examined the consequences of work – life balance and its relationship with other constructs such as employee commitment. However, little is known about the role of organizational pride on the relationship of employee work life balance and commitment. Hence, the main purpose of this study was to identify the impact of work life balance on affective commitment by exploring the mediating mechanism of organizational pride. The current study is a cross sectional study which comprises a sample of 108 operational level employees in ABC Company. Data were collected through an online survey, and paper and pencil surveys. The hypotheses were tested using the Pearson correlation coefficient, linear regression analysis. Finding revealed that work life balance has a significant positive impact on affective commitment as well as organizational pride. Further, it was revealed that organizational pride has significant impact on affective commitment of operational level employees in ABC Company. Apart from that, organizational pride partially mediated the relationship between work life balance and affective commitment. Thus, all hypotheses were accepted organizational pride not previously research in collaboration with other variables. Hence researchers recommended that to uplift the organizational pride would have greater impact on creating the relationship between work life balance and affective commitment.
Online Teaching and Learning in Higher Education of State Universities Sri Lanka: Student’s Perspective
(Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka, 2022) Madhushanka, L. P. D.; Karunarathne, R. A. I. C.
Online teaching and learning became popular among Sri Lankan state universities with the Covid-19 outbreak and due to various other reasons, such as convenience of traveling, lack of sanitary facilities in hostels, continuous electricity breakdowns. It has been continuing even after the pandemic due to the country’s economic crisis. Although most of the state universities have transformed their mode of teaching, learning and assessment from a typical method (student and teacher meet face to face physically) to online method, yet to know about the success of this transformation, in particular from students' end. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the success of adoption of online teaching and learning of state universities in Sri Lanka. To achieve this objective, we collected data from undergraduates of 7 state universities in Sri Lanka and we launched an online survey to collect data. This study was a descriptive study and data were analyzed through Descriptive Statistics tests and post-hoc analysis was done using independent sample T-tests and ANOVA. Results of this study showed that satisfaction, suitability, and future preferences for E-learning differ from gender, university, previous E-learning experience, residential environment, and year of study. Student’s needs, capabilities and facilities should be matched with university expectations to formulate successful E-learning experience in future. The results of this study provide a significant contribution to decision makers in teaching and learning. The main limitation of this study is the sample of this study limited to undergraduates in selected state universities in Sri Lanka.
Workplace Phubbing and Organizational Embeddedness: A Conceptual Paper
(Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka, 2023) Malalage, G. S.; Karunarathne, R. A. I. C.
Despite the increasing reliance on the internet and mobile devices while giving less attention to companions which is known as pubbing, very few studies have explored workplace phubbing and its outcomes, in particular, organizational context. The aim of this study is to develop a conceptual model to increase our understanding of workplace phubbing and organizational embeddedness. Based upon Social Exchange Theory, embeddedness literature and congruence concept, we developed a conceptual model. The model delineates how (in)congruence effect of employee (self) and supervisor (other) phubbing influence on employee embeddedness through selfefficacy. We propose that the congruence effect of supervisor and employee phubbing significantly influence employee self-efficacy. Moreover, we propose that this effect is higher when employee phubbing is higher than supervisor phubbing. In addition, we postulate that workplace phubbing influence on organizational embeddedness through self-efficacy. Thus, this study aims to contribute to the existing literature by proposing the simultaneous effect of employee and supervisor phubbing on selfefficacy and organizational embeddedness. We recommend future researchers to test this model with empirical data.