People & Organization

Employers often assume that increasing employee's pay leads to higher employee performance. However, in practice, motivation is far more complex and influenced by a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. While financial rewards are important, employees are also driven by psychological needs, workplace environment, and perceived fairness. Maslow (1943) highlights that human motivation is structured around a hierarchy of needs, where individuals seek to satisfy psychological and self fulfilment needs beyond basic financial security. Figure 01: Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation Motivation theories provide a useful framework for understanding employee behaviour in organisations. Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory distinguishes between hygiene factors and motivators. Hygiene factors such as salary, working conditions, and policies do not necessarily create satisfaction but can lead to dissatisfaction if absent. In contrast, motivators such as achievement, recognition, and responsib...

Emotional labour is a central aspect of service work in hospitality and other customer facing industries. Hochschild (1983) defines it as the process through which employees manage their emotions to align with organisational expectations, regardless of their genuine feelings. While organisations prioritise customer satisfaction and service quality, the emotional effort required from employees is often invisible. According to Conservation of Resources theory, emotional energy is a limited resource that must be replenished, otherwise leading to stress, burnout, and turnover (Hobfoll, 1989). This is particularly evident in hospitality, where employees are expected to maintain positivity and deliver service with a smile even under personal or workplace pressure. Figure 01: Emotional labour  HRM identifies two key strategies of emotional labour: surface acting and deep acting (Grandey, 2000). Surface acting involves faking emotions, which often results in emotional exhaustion. Deep acti...

Figure 01 :   Brain Drain and Skilled Labour Migration in Sri Lanka Emigration of skilled and educated employees has become a critical issue in many developing countries. Sri Lanka has experienced this challenge intensely in recent years, as workers migrate due to financial pressures, economic instability, better career opportunities, and improved living standards abroad. This trend is particularly evident in sectors such as healthcare and hospitality. While migration may enhance individual outcomes, it creates significant challenges for organizations in retaining skilled talent. Causes of Skilled Migration  From an HR perspective, employee migration is influenced by both economic and employment related factors. A key determinant is the imbalance between income levels and the cost of living. Additionally, underemployment where individuals are unable to secure roles aligned with their qualifications contributes significantly to migration intentions. Atigala et al. (2023) e...

Figure 01 : Work place digital  surveillance Workplace surveillance, which refers to the monitoring of employees by employers, has existed even in the past. However, it has evolved in different forms alongside technological advancements. In the present context, the development of technology has significantly increased the ability to track employee performance, security, and daily operations through various tools and methods. This has created both positive and negative implications for employers and employees. Fingerprint systems (for attendance), CCTV cameras, digital SOPs, and performance tracking systems are some commonly used tools in modern workplace surveillance. From an organizational perspective, such practices are considered essential for improving overall performance. However, from an HR perspective, the key concern remains whether surveillance enhances efficiency or weakens employer employee trust. From an organizational viewpoint, workplace surveillance supports quality ...

Source: Google (2026) In today’s digital world, perfect job advertisements are everywhere, from attractive social media posts to polished professional platforms. While recruitment is a vital HRM function intended to select the best candidates, it often leads hiring managers to avoid transparency. Many managers fear that being honest about a role’s challenges will scare away potential talent. However, this is a short-sighted practice that frequently results in a "new hire crisis" and long-term organizational damage.  When a role is misrepresented, the initial enthusiasm of a new employee quickly turns into resentment as the day-to-day job demands clash with the promises made during the interview. This violation of the psychological contract (Rousseau, 1995) shatters the unwritten trust between the employer and the employee. For a small business, the cost of a "bad hire" who leaves within months can be double their annual salary when factoring in wasted training time ...

Training and development are essential components of Human Resource Management (HRM). However, for many small scale organizations, implementing formal training programs can be difficult due to cost and time constraints. Formal training often involves professional trainers, structured sessions, and workshops, which may not be feasible for businesses with limited resources. As a result, small organizations tend to rely more on informal approaches to employee development.                                                                      Figure 01:  Formal vs Informal learning (Source: Edly, 2024) Informal learning plays a key role in employee development, often supported by informal training practices in the workplace. It occurs through observation, interaction, and hands on experience...

Is work-life balance achievable in a labour-intensive industry such as hospitality, or is it merely an ideal promoted by Human Resource Management (HRM)? While work-life balance is widely recognized as essential for employee wellbeing, the nature of hospitality work characterized by long hours, continuous operations, and peak demand periods makes it difficult to implement in practice. This challenge is particularly evident in small-scale hotels, where limited staffing intensifies operational pressures and employee workload.      Figure 01 : Work-life balance From an HR perspective, work-life balance involves managing the relationship between job demands and employee wellbeing. The Job Demands Resources (JD-R) Model suggests that when job demands such as extended working hours, emotional strain, and excessive workload exceed available resources, employees are more likely to experience burnout (Bakker & Demerouti, 2007). In the hospitality industry, these demands are no...

                                                                     Figure 01 : Gen Z manager with Millenial and Gen Z team members In the contemporary corporate landscape, Gen Z is increasingly assuming leadership roles, marking a significant shift in organizational dynamics. As the first "digital natives" to exercise authority over both peers and older cohorts specifically Millennials, Gen Z leaders are redefining traditional paradigms of attire, communication, and work ethics. In Human Resource Management (HRM), navigating this generational diversity is critical for success, particularly within labor-intensive and service-driven sectors such as hospitality. Figure 02:  Gen Z in the Workplace (Source: Greenhouse Coaching, 2023) Theoretical Frameworks Research indicates that Gen...

The Psychological Contract and Theoretical Framework The relationship between employer and employee is fundamentally governed by the psychological contract, a set of unwritten mutual expectations (Rousseau, 1995). When organizations demand "100% effort" without providing foundational requirements like fair pay, rest, and recognition, they breach this contract, leading to diminished morale and performance. Figure 1 : Maslow's hierarchy of needs This necessity is supported by Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (1943) , which posits that basic physiological and safety requirements must be met before employees can achieve high-level performance. Similarly, Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory (1959) suggests that while "hygiene factors" (like working conditions) prevent dissatisfaction, true motivation stems from recognition and growth. High performance is unsustainable if these fundamental needs are ignored. Evolution of Employee Advocacy In today’s complex environment, the trad...