People and Organisations

Introduction The ability of businesses to handle and respond to crises is now a key factor in their long-term success. During times of economic instability and worldwide disruptions like the COVID-19 pandemic, the telecommunications industry in Sri Lanka has shown amazing strength. Companies such Dialog Axiata and Mobitel have been very important in keeping people connected and helping the economy. This resilience can be mostly linked to good Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) methods. Organisational resilience is the ability of an organization to see problems coming, get ready for them, deal with them, and get back on track. From an HRM point of view, resilience has a lot to do with how people are managed, the culture of the organization, and leadership. The Resource-Based View (RBV) is a helpful way to think about this relationship since it focuses on how important, uncommon, and hard-to-copy resources, such experienced workers, can help a business go ahead of its compe...

Introduction Performance management has been a key part of Human Resource Management (HRM) for a long time. It gives HRM a way to rate and improve employee performance. In high-tech fields like telecommunications, though, people are starting to doubt standard yearly appraisal processes more and more. Companies in Sri Lanka, like Dialog Axiata and Mobitel, are looking into new ways to manage performance that are more suited to a fast-paced and innovative environment.   Annual reviews, uniform evaluation standards, and input from the top down are all common parts of traditional performance appraisals. These systems offer structure and responsibility, but they might not work well in businesses where roles and goals change quickly. Goal-Setting Theory, which says that specific, timely, and demanding goals are important for performance (Locke and Latham, 2022), can help us understand this restriction. Annual reviews might not give you the feedback you need to keep getting better o...

Introduction Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) have emerged as essential issues in modern Human Resource Management (HRM), signifying the increasing acknowledgement of workforce diversity as a catalyst for innovation and organisational effectiveness. Companies like Dialog Axiata and Mobitel in Sri Lanka's telecommunications industry are putting more and more effort into D&I programs. But the issue still stands: are these efforts going beyond just showing different genders to really including everyone? Diversity includes variances in gender, race, age, talents, and socio-economic background. Inclusion, on the other hand, is how much people feel valued and included in the organization. The Diversity Management Theory posits that businesses may utilise diversity to improve innovation and decision-making (Cox, 2023). In the telecom industry, where new ideas are very important, different points of view might help create solutions that are good for customers. Historically, D...

Introduction The rapid evolution of technologies such as automation, artificial intelligence (AI), and 5G is reshaping the global telecommunication industry. In Sri Lanka, leading firms such as Dialog Axiata and Mobitel are at the forefront of this transformation. As traditional job roles become obsolete and new skill demands emerge, reskilling the workforce has become a strategic priority for Human Resource Management (HRM). Reskilling is when people are trained to learn new skills that let them do other jobs in the company. This concept is grounded in Human Capital Theory, which posits that investments in employee skills and knowledge enhance productivity and organisational performance (Becker, 1964). In the telecom industry, where technology is always changing, it's important to keep developing human capital in order to stay competitive. The switch to 5G technology shows how important it is to learn new skills. 5G is different from earlier generations because it needs mo...

Introduction The COVID-19 epidemic increased the transition to remote work positions in a variety of businesses around the world, including the telecoms profession. Mobitel and Dialog Axiata are two examples of companies in Sri Lanka that have developed remote and hybrid work arrangements in order to guarantee the continuity of their company operations. The immediate crisis, on the other hand, is beginning to lessen, and a crucial question is beginning to emerge: is working remotely a viable human resource strategy for the telecom industry, or is it only a temporary response? From a theoretical standpoint, Contingency Theory posits that a singular approach to organisational design is insufficient; rather, HR practices must be congruent with environmental factors and organisational requirements (Donaldson, 2021). In Sri Lanka's telecom industry, remote work might work for some jobs, such IT development and administrative tasks, but not for those that need to be done in person, l...

Introduction Employer branding has become an important way to attract and keep top talent in a job market that is becoming more and more competitive. This is especially true in Sri Lanka's telecommunications business, as companies like Dialog Axiata and Mobitel not only fight with each other but also with global tech companies for skilled digital workers. Because of this, HRM has changed to focus on making a strong employer value proposition (EVP) that appeals to both existing and future employees. Employer Branding Theory, which says that it's important to make an organization look like a great place to work, can help us understand employer branding (Backhaus and Tikoo, 2024). In the telecom industry, this means talking about chances for career growth, new ideas, and a good work-life balance. For instance, to get tech-savvy workers to join their company, they may talk about how they are involved in new technologies like 5G and digital services. In addition to enriching...

Introduction The incorporation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into talent management has emerged as a hallmark of modern Human Resource Management (HRM). In Sri Lanka's telecommunications sector, companies including Dialog Axiata and Mobitel are progressively utilising AI-driven tools to improve recruitment, performance management, and workforce analytics. Although these technologies offer enhanced efficiency and decision-making capabilities, they also present substantial ethical dilemmas that HR professionals must rigorously confront. From a functional point of view, AI has changed the way people are hired by automating CV screening, using predictive analytics, and letting candidates talk to chatbots. These new ideas are in line with the principles of Strategic HRM (SHRM), which says that HR practices should help the organization reach its goals and gain a competitive edge (Boxall and Purcell, 2026). AI enables telecommunications firms to more effectively identify workers w...

Introduction The telecommunications sector is always changing because of how quickly technology is changing, especially with the introduction of 5G, AI, and digital services. Companies like Dialog Axiata and Mobitel in Sri Lanka are using Agile HRM methods to deal with this changing environment. Agile HR is a change from old-fashioned, strict HR methods to more flexible, repeatable, and employee-focused ones. The Agile Manifesto's ideas about being flexible, working together, and always becoming better are what Agile HR is based on (Beck et al., 2001). In HRM, this means things like giving feedback all the time, working in teams with people from different departments, and making decisions quickly. Telecom firms that are often dealing with new technologies might use Agile HR to help them adapt to changing business needs. Agile HR is in line with Dynamic Capabilities Theory, which says that an organization may integrate, grow, and reconfigure its own and others' skills in...

Introduction The telecommunications sector works all the time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Employees have to handle a lot of work, work shifts that change all the time, and talk to customers all the time. Dialog Axiata and Mobitel are two firms in Sri Lanka that show how this is true: they have to find a balance between keeping their employees happy and running their businesses efficiently. This brings up an important question: can telecom companies keep their employees highly engaged without causing them to burn out? The Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) Model is a helpful way to look at this problem (Demerouti et al., 2001). This model says that when workplace demands like workload, time pressure, and emotional labour aren't matched with enough job resources like support, autonomy, and chances to grow, they can lead to burnout. In Sri Lanka's telecommunications industry, customer service representatives and network engineers frequently encounter significant employment...

  Introduction Over the past ten years, the telecommunications business in Sri Lanka has changed a lot. It used to run on traditional contact centers, but now it runs on digitally connected workplaces. Companies like Dialog Axiata and Mobitel have been leading the way in this change by using cutting-edge technology like cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and data analytics. This change has completely changed Human Resource Management (HRM), which now requires a transition from managing people in an administrative way to managing them in a strategic digital way. Sociotechnical Systems Theory, which focuses on how social systems (such employees and culture) and technical systems (like digital infrastructure) work together, might help us understand this change from a theoretical point of view (Trist, 1981). The integration of digital platforms in Sri Lanka's telecom sector has changed the duties of workers, making it necessary for them to have a mix of technical and ...