Abstract:
The objectives of this research paper were to investigate whether competency, education,
experience, age and hierarchical level of human resource manager of the listed firms
relate to the practice of SHRM of those firms; and to investigate whether these factors
have a significant joint impact on the practice of SHRM of listed companies in Sri Lanka.
A research framework consisting of five independent variables and one dependent
variable was developed and six hypotheses were formulated using deductive approach.
The study was conducted relating to all Sri Lankan listed firms numbering 242. Purpose
of the study, type of investigation, extent of researcher interference with the study, study
setting, unit of analysis and time horizon were hypotheses testing, noncausal, minimal,
noncontrived, individual and cross-sectional respectively. Measures of the study had
possessed sufficient validity and reliability. The structured questionnaire was
administered to cover all the firms and head of human resource department worked as
the respondents on behalf of the firms. 161 human resource heads responded making a
response rate of 66.52 per cent. Data exploration ensured the normality and linearity
assumptions being not violated. The results of the study showed significant and positive
relationships between the independent variables, i.e., competence, education, experience,
and hierarchical level of human resource managers and the dependent variable, i.e.,
practice of SHRM. However, no significant relationship was found between age of human
resource manager and practice of SHRM. Multivariate analysis revealed that combined
influence of competency, education, experience, age, and hierarchical level of human
resource manager on the perceived practice of SHRM within a firm was significant.
Findings of the study will be important on practical grounds. Important implications of
the findings of the study are that a firm should hire and retain a person as the Head of
HRM who should possess a high competence of HRM, higher formal education of HRM,
and more experience in HRM in order to establish a serious practice of SHRM, and also
the Head of HRM is to be appointed as a member of the Top Management of the firm.
