CIPM 6th Research Symposium adds value to ‘Glocal’ HRM

Dignitaries at the head table

CIPM Sri Lanka – the Nation’s leader in human resource management, held the inauguration ceremony of the 6th Annual Research Symposium ‘Glocalisation of HRM Practices for Business Resilience’ recently in hybrid mode with local and international participants, including Guest of Honor SHRM USA President and CEO Johnny C. Taylor Jr, Monash Business School Australia Professor of HRM and Asia Studies Keynote speaker Fang Lee Cooke together with local and international participants joining the Symposium hosts CIPM President Jayantha Amerasinghe, CIPM Vice President Ken Vijayakumar, CIPM CEO Chris Obeysekera, Conference Chair Prof. Prasadini Gamage, Conference secretary Dilanjani Weerathunga, Professional and Academic Affairs Director G. Weeratunga, Director Operations Himali Dassanayake and Research Manager Kamani Perera at the CIPM head office “HR House” in Colombo 5 via web technology. 

A very successful pre-symposium workshop on research methodology was conducted on the 25 May by veteran researcher Senior Lecturer/consultant Dr. Ananda Jayawardene, Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM), University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka, which is a new feature to enrich the standard of the symposium. 

The inauguration ceremony was followed by a full day of eye-opening research presentations, and technical and panel discussions on the 26 May. The CIPM Research Symposium is organised by CIPM Standing Committee on applied research and knowledge centre under the guidance of President CIPM Sri Lanka.

Following the welcome speech delivered by the Symposium Chair, addressing the Symposium, CIPM Sri Lanka President Jayantha Amerasinghe said that the amount of primary or applied research conducted in Sri Lanka is very minimal. 

“Since research is very important to get a first-hand and in-depth view of practical issues pertaining to human resource management, very early in my tenure as President, I requested that an R&D unit be set up at CIPM to add value to our understanding of HR leading to a deeper appreciation of the intricacies involved in managing and motivating people in these unprecedented times. 

“Our aim is to be the leading centre in bringing research to the forefront in this country and to be the differentiator in the market,” he said and added that CIPM would be strengthening the research unit in the coming years. 

Prof. Prasadini Gamage presented the Symposium proceedings book comprising over 60 research papers and 600 pages and the 1st copy of the June 2022 version of the bi-annual peer-reviewed open-access journal of the CIPM HRM Perspectives Research Journal published by the CIPM Standing Committee on applied research and knowledge centre to the President of CIPM Sri Lanka. 

All 60 research papers were presented at the Symposium by the respective authors during the technical sessions, which comprised nine tracks. Thereafter, the case study book comprising HR-related success stories of leading companies was presented to CIPM President by the conference secretary.  

Dr. Dilrukshi Herath and Athula Hewapathirana, members of the National Research Project on “Attracting Youth to Technical and Vocational Education: The Way Forward” based on a national survey done by the Standing Committee of applied research and knowledge centre, was handed over to the President of CIPM.    

CIPM Vice President Ken Vijayakumar moderated the panel discussion while the eminent panel who are leaders in their own fields comprised CIPM Past President Prof. Ajantha Dharmasiri, Lanka Wall tiles Managing Director Mahendra Jayasekera, Haycarb Managing Director Rajitha Kariyawasam, Virtusa HR Vice President Chandi Dharmarathne.  

The technical session of the Symposium comprised nine tracks, each track chaired by two chairpersons, while the case study session comprising five case studies were chaired by eminent business and academic personalities, namely Dhammika Fernando, C. Hewapattini, and Dr. N. Bogahalande. The Symposium Chair Prof. Prasadini Gamage chaired the valedictory session.

Awards were also presented for the best paper and best presenter. The CIPM 6th Research Symposium concluded with the vote of thanks delivered by Research Manager Kamani Perera.