http://drr.vau.ac.lk/handle/123456789/246 2026-08-12T22:09:14Z 2026-08-12T22:09:14Z Mathushan, P. http://drr.vau.ac.lk/handle/123456789/2181 2026-08-10T03:41:20Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Knowledge Domains and Research Frontiersin Employer Branding: A Bibliometric investigation Mathushan, P. The overriding aim of this study is to explore the patterns of thematicevolution, research gap, and the intellectual structure of employer brandingusing bibliometric techniques. The study utilises journal articles indexed inthe Scopus database. The study employs publication metadata andanalyses it using keyword co-occurrence and network analysis to determinethe dominant themes in the employer branding literature and the variousknowledge clusters. The results show that employer branding has emergedas a significant, central cross-field concept for integrating human resourcemanagement, marketing, organisational behaviour, and strategicmanagement. However, it further illustrates persistent theoreticalfragmentation and excessive focus on the recruitment and attractionoutcomes. The four main thematic clusters are: employer branding andorganisational attractiveness; HRM and talent management; employee-centric outcomes and organisational profile; and digital platforms and co-creation of the employer brand. The research also shows a plethora ofunderdeveloped areas in sustainability, employee experience, ethics, andcontextual diversity. This study shows that there is a need for multi-leveltheoretical integration and longitudinal, contextual research. The rediscoveryof employer branding as a dynamic, multi-level, and holistically relevantconcept in the study of sustainable and meaningful employmentrelationships is the value-add to the current literature on the human resourcemanagement employer branding phenomenon.

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z Mathushan, P. Kengatharan, N. http://drr.vau.ac.lk/handle/123456789/2180 2026-08-10T03:37:28Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

The nexus between knowledge management practices and firm innovation Mathushan, P.; Kengatharan, N. While firms operate in an extremely hyper-competitive environment, innovation becomes the invader of the competitive game. Over the past two decades, knowledge management practices have gained considerable attention among researchers and practitioners as a salient enabler of firm innovation. Notably, the extant literature on knowledge management practices and firm innovation is sparse and evidences contradicting findings. Therefore, the study was designed to examine the effect of knowledge management practices on firm innovation. Data were garnered using a self-reported questionnaire from 118 managers and owners of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Sri Lanka. The model’s validity and hypotheses were tested using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The study found that knowledge acquisition, knowledge application, and knowledge sharing have a significant positive effect on SMEs innovation. The findings shed new light on the importance of knowledge management practices and its interventions on firm innovation in SMEs from the perspective of a developing country.

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z Vivek, R. Ithrees, A.G.I.M. http://drr.vau.ac.lk/handle/123456789/2050 2026-07-28T06:34:53Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Suspending disbelief at work: theoretical foundations and implications for human resource management Vivek, R.; Ithrees, A.G.I.M. The concept of suspension of disbelief, originally rooted in literary and aesthetic theory, has increasingly gained relevance across psychology, education, philosophy, and organizational studies. In organizational contexts, employees are frequently required to engage with abstract systems, symbolic practices, narratives, and technologically mediated experiences that demand a temporary acceptance of uncertainty, incompleteness, or constructed realities. Human Resource Management (HRM), as a function deeply involved in shaping employee experiences, learning, and meaning-making, implicitly relies on this mechanism. This review paper synthesizes the theoretical foundations of suspension of disbelief and critically examines its implications for HRM. Drawing on literature from literary theory, cognitive psychology, learning sciences, and organizational studies, the paper conceptualizes suspension of disbelief as a cognitive–emotional mechanism that enables participation, engagement, trust, and learning in HR practices. Implications for recruitment, training and development, digital HRM, and organizational change are discussed, and directions for future HRM research are proposed.

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z Mathushan, P. Shantha, A. http://drr.vau.ac.lk/handle/123456789/2046 2026-04-27T03:33:53Z 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z

Human Resource Management Practices and Firm Innovation: An Empirical Study in Sri Lankan SMEs Mathushan, P.; Shantha, A. In the modern business world, organisations are confronting a severe competitive and unceasingly changing condition. In this context, innovation has gained significant popularity in management and entrepreneurship literature as vital in reaping competitive advantage. Thus, organisational practitioners are in the quest to better encourage and organise innovation within their firms to warrant sustainable competitive advantage. However, how to promote innovation within organisations remains obscure and paradoxical. The past literature shows that human resource management practices are the antecedents of firm innovation. Therefore, studies are investigating the role of human resource management in facilitating firm innovation. Nevertheless, empirical evidence remains inconsistent, and theory is fragmented. Notably, the link between human resource management and innovation in Sri Lanka echoes several unresolved aspects. Since scant empirical research has addressed those relationships in developing country contexts, this study explicitly investigates the relationship between human resource management practices and firm innovation in Sri Lankan SMEs. Data were marshalled through a self-reported questionnaire with 214 Sri Lankan SMEs. As a caveat, the reliability and validity of the variables were confirmed. The hypotheses were tested with statistical software, PLS-SEM (Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling). The study revealed that recruitment and selection, training and development, and performance appraisal significantly impact firm innovation. However, compensation and reward systems positively impact product innovation, not process innovation, and this study found a negative impact of compensation and reward systems on administrative innovation. The study contributed to the extant human resource management and innovation literature in many ways discussed at the end of the paper. On an equal footing, practical implications for HR managers, practitioners and employees were lucidly discussed. The present becomes a springboard for future scholarly works.

2024-01-01T00:00:00Z