a working parent’s survival guide
TRANSCRIPT
1
HBR July-August 2019
Vol.9, Issue 8, August 2019
If you’re passionate about your career—and about being a great mom or dad—you’re facing an
ongoing struggle for at least 18 years. But you can learn techniques to reduce the stress and
successfully balance your professional and family roles.
The author Daisy Wademan Dowling an executive coach, who specializes in helping working
parents, suggests that you start by identifying the kinds of challenges you’re confronting. There are
five core types: those involving transitions (such as returning to work after parental leave, or hiring
a new caregiver); practical challenges (dealing with errands, appointments, and all your other
responsibilities); communication issues (conversations and negotiations about working-parent
matters); feelings of loss (fear that you’re missing out at work or at home); and identity concerns
(uncertainty about your priorities and how you define yourself).
To mitigate these challenges, the author recommends five powerful strategies: Rehearse to prepare
for transitions; audit your commitments and plan your calendar so that practicalities don’t
overwhelm you; frame your working-parent messages effectively; use “today plus 20 years”
thinking to put losses into perspective; and revisit and recast your professional identity and brand.
A Working Parent’s Survival Guide The five big challenges and how to deal with them
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INSIDE THE ISSUE
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Vol.9, Issue 8, August 2019
3
PIM conducts International Management program
Participants at the PT. Taman Wisata Candi (TWC)
and PT Bank BRI Corporate University, Indonesia The Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM)
conducted its eighth international management
programme in Indonesia with its number one ranked
university, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM). The
focus of the programme revolved around ‘Strategic
Management’. The participants while learning the conceptual aspects of strategic management in the classroom sessions were
also brought into contact with public and private sector management experts in Indonesia. The participants
were addressed by senior officials at the Jakarta Smart City, Department of Industry and Trade in Sleman
Government, PT.
Taman Wisata Candi (TWC) and PT Bank BRI Corporate University, Indonesia. The exposure to the PT.
Taman Wisata Candi (TWC), Indonesia was unique, where they discussed how the organization was planning
to increase tourism for their historic sites, namely, Borobudur, Prambanan and Ratu Boko. The programme
was in line with the PIM’s strategic partnership building, initiated by Prof. Ajantha S. Dharmasiri, Director,
PIM. ……………….
August 01, 2019
Vol.9, Issue 6, June 2019 Vol.9, Issue 8, August 2019
PIM holds inaugural memorial oration for
marketing guru Prof. Uditha Liyanage
The Oration Operational Committee standing from left: PIMA
President Jayala Hewawasam, SLIM President Suranjith Swaris,
PIMA Vice President Denzil Perera, Sanjika Perera, Manthika
Ranasinghe, PIMA Past President Dinesh Hamangoda, Dr.
Jayatilleke, Dr. Rathnayaka. Oration Guidance Committee seated
from left: Deepal Sooriyarachchi, Eardley Perera, Dr. Mahesh
Amalean (Orator), PIM Director Prof. Ajantha Dharmasiri, Dr.
Lloyd Fernando, Dehan Senevirathne
The Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM)
recently held the inaugural memorial oration for late Sri Lanka’s finest marketing guru Prof. Uditha Liyanage,
who played a key role as a senior faculty member in Marketing at PIM for over 20 years and had served as the
Director of PIM and Chairman of the Institute’s Board of Management. Prof. Liyanage was also the Chairman
and President of CIM and SLIM respectively. The event was graced by the mother of Prof Liyanage, wife Shriyani Liyanage and daughter Chathuri
Liyanage.
The event commenced with Chathuri Liyanage garlanding of the photograph of the late Prof. Liyanage,
followed by a video presentation that walled the audience through Prof. Liyanage’s life, showcasing his
vibrant personality, his achievements and the immense contribution he had made to Sri Lanka’s marketing
landscape. …………….
August 26, 2019
4
Dr. Trevor Mendis, Non-Executive Director at
SLIC
The AAA rated, State-owned Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation (SLIC), has
announced the appointment of Dr. Trevor Mendis (Ph.D) as a Non-Executive
Director with effect from July 30, 2019.
Dr. Trevor is the Head of Academic Affairs and a Member of the Board of Study of Postgraduate Institute of
Management (PIM), Sri Jayawardenepura University and also heads the AACSB Accreditation Committee at
PIM. He is a Strategist, Management Consultant, Banker and and an Academic. He served as an External
Consultant for the United Nations on International Trade in 2018, having been head hunted for the role from
Geneva. He was a former banker with immense corporate exposure, having worked in various top
management capacities such as Assistant General Manager and Chief Executive Officer in Sri Lanka, as well
as overseas exposure at the ANZ Bank, a Fortune 500 company, in Auckland, New Zealand.
Dr. Trevor who is a product of the Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM), is a strategist possessing
many distinctive competences, while his expertise expands in to six unique arenas, Strategic Affairs,
Corporate Governance, Banking, Corporate Re-engineering, International Business and Tertiary Education
and he also possesses a wealth of hands on exposure in Strategic Planning, Business Development, Financial
Analysis, Value-Chain Analysis and Market Research. Dr. Trevor maintains an unblemished track record on
ethics and corporate governance. …………..
August 23, 2019
PIM initiates Glo-Bus strategy simulation for BOC
chief managers
The Postgraduate Institute of Management, the nation’s
management mentor, further strengthened its continued relationship with the Bank of Ceylon, the bankers to
the nation, by initiating an advanced course in strategic management through Glo-Bus simulation for the
bank’s chief managers. The objective of the course was to enable the bank’s senior managers to get hands-on
experience on a structured approach to run a sustainable business venture. The five-month program was designed to help participants gain a competitive advantage by enhancing their
strategic thinking ability. The rigorous course structure includes regular lectures and classroom discussions on
strategy concepts, multiple case-studies on strategic applications and Global Business Simulation (Glo-Bus)
Strategy game, a world-renowned business simulation program. This is the only program delivered in the
whole of South East Asia. In a similar program last year, a team of BOC’s senior managers set a new global
standard in the world championship round………………
August 29, 2019
PIM Director Prof. Ajantha S. Dharmasiri, PIM Faculty
Member/EDP Coordinator Dr. Samantha Rathnayake,
senior officials and participants of the BOC, at the program
initiation
5
President confers
‘National Honours’ on
70 distinguished
personalities
Dr.Lloyd Receiving the Presidential Award
The inaugural ceremony of donating water tanks for the
reforestation project in Wilpattu “Thuruliya Wenuwen
Api” jointly led by Manusath Derana and Sri Lanka
Army was held on 16th of August at the PIM premises.
This CSR initiative was organized by the PIM Welfare
Society
The consumer is emerging
Market Research Society of Sri Lanka presents a reflective measurement Market Research Society of Sri Lanka (MRSSL) introduced the
proposed classification to a captive audience of business leaders,
marketers, and market researchers to whom the consumer behaviour
becomes a foundation of planning. Given the need to set up a
classification more relevant to feature the emerging consumer, this
initiative becomes pertinent and timely.
The social, economic, and cultural fabric has changed, the consumer
today has evolved from her counterpart 15 years ago. Marketers have
got used to classifying the consumers using the traditional two
dimensional method, which takes into account the education and the
occupation of the Chief Wage Earner. Although this has been
prevalent for a long time the inadequacies of this measurement to reflect the true situation is becoming
apparent. With the evolving trends across SECs, we observe complex changes which can no longer be clearly
articulated using the limited two dimensional parameters……
The insightful presentations were followed by an interactive panel discussion with, Deepal Sooriarachchi,
Ravi Bamunusinghe, Prashanth Supramaniam, and Tilan Wijesinghe who shared their thoughts on the need,
importance and the relevance of a revised classification to suit the market context moderated by Nisthar
Cassim…….
August 27,2019
Postgraduate Institute of
Management, Management
Consultant Ravi Bamunusinghe
6
PIM Alumni Association holds 18th AGM
Seated from left: Shiranthi Theverapperuma (Treasurer),
Dinesh Hamangoda (Immediate Past President), Jayalal Hewawasam (President), Prof. Ajantha Dharmasiri (Director PIM & Patron PIMA), Dr.
Samantha Ratnayake (Faculty Coordinator), Denzil Perera (Vice President), and Shermi Fernando (Secretary). Standing from left: Janaka Nonis,
Nilam Hallaldeen, Dishan Shaminda, Lalinda Ariyaratne, Ramesh Dasanayake, Naveendra Rajapakshe, Chandana Ekanayake, D. Viruli De Silva,
Thimira Manamendra, Nilufa Nizam, and Indiaka Premathunga
The 18th AGM of PIM Alumni Association of the Postgraduate Institute of Management was held recently.
The leadership of the Alumni Association changed hands from Dinesh Hamangoda to Jayalal Hewawasam for
the year 2019/20. Hewawasam who received his Master’s Degree in 2009 from PIM, holds an MBA from
PIM as well, and is a Fellow member (FCII) of the Chartered Insurance Institute (UK) and Fellow member of
the Chartered Institute of Marketing (UK). Hewawasam is also a council member of the Association of the
Chartered Insurance Professionals (ACIP) of Sri Lanka. He is a Chartered Marketer and Chartered Insurer and
has diverse business experience, having worked at Caltex Lubricants Lanka Ltd., Sri Lanka Insurance Ltd.,
AIG Insurance and Union Assurance Insurance PLC for over 22 years. Currently, he is the Managing
Director of Assetline Insurance Brokers Ltd. ……………..
August 05, 2019
August 30, 2019
7
CILT conducts successful roadshow at Dart Global
The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Sri Lanka held their fifth roadshow to drive
membership on 24 July at the Dart Global office in Colombo 15. CILT Sri Lanka Chairperson Gayani de
Alwis, CMILT, HA Premarathna FCILT and Cumar Rodrigo, FCILT attended the event. The roadshow was
organised by Indika Salgado, CMILT, Director/General Manager Logicentrix Ltd. of Dart Global. In his
welcome address, he gave a brief overview of the objectives of the roadshow and encouraged the team to
join a professional body to gain knowledge. commitment to promote professionalism in the industry.
Around forty employees of Dart Global took part in the roadshow.
CILT Sri Lanka Chairperson Gayani de Alwis in her welcome address
mentioned that CILT is the only chartered professional body in the
country for professionals engaged in transport, logistics and supply
chain and its main aim is to promote continuing professional
education in the sector to uplift the professionalism and create
value to the economy. She further emphasised that CILT’s role is both
passenger and goods transport in all modes of transport land transport,
maritime, aviation and invited all those who were present to come forward and work together with CILT SL
to develop professionalism in the industry.
August 05,2019
Women Top 50 ‘Being a Corporate Athlete at
Work’ by WIM at Sapphire Residences
Sapphire Residences proudly hosted the dynamic panel of speakers of
the highly anticipated conference by Women in Management (WIM),
titled Women Top 50 ‘Being a Corporate Athlete at Work’. This
delightful evening, conducted alongside the WIM team, took place at
the Sapphire Residences Experience Centre on 19 July.
Sapphire Residences takes pride of place at a prime seafront location at the heart of Colombo. Situated at
Galle Face in Colombo 1, offering convenient access to the city’s business, cultural and residential areas, the
development is truly at the epicentre of Colombo life. The development is in close proximity to the Port
City/Financial Centre Colombo and the multi-billion dollar man-made extension of the Central Business
District that is currently under development.
The eminent team of women professionals who graced the event were given an exclusive private tour of the
show apartment at Sapphire Residences Experience Centre, unveiling to them the splendour of gracious living
at Sri Lanka’s most preferred luxury property.
August 01, 2019
8
Vol.9, Issue 8, August 2019
Remembering a management sage, four years later
Time has passed by. Four years have gone after the sad
demise of my mentor. A lot has been said by now about
this legendary marketing sage, since his untimely departure
in August 2015.
The Postgraduate Institute of Management
has posthumously published his final contribution,
‘Consumer Strategy,’ in 2016. We renamed the PIM library as
‘Prof. Uditha Liyanage Memorial Library’ last year. This
month we launch the ‘Prof. Uditha Liyanage Memorial
Oration’ as a biennial event. My attempt is not to repeat his
accolades but to share my experiences in being influenced by this wonderful human being.
Professor Uditha Liyanage was an invaluable instructor, inspirer and an influencer for me.
Let me share some such reminiscent memories.
As an Instructor
He was my marketing teacher at the Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM). As an engineer who had
never done marketing, I developed a flavour for marketing during my MBA studies, thanks to him. The way
he generated interest in us not only for the concepts but also for the applications was indeed remarkable. He
often advocated us to “be brilliant in basics”.
The way he delivered a session was much interactive and informative, as he firmly believed in “chalk and
talk”. This was the case with numerous topics in strategic marketing, marketing communication, consumer
behaviour, research, business strategy and policy. Of course, he had PowerPoint slides but not with just points
but with powerful points. He always challenged us in asking “what is THE point? We had to be clear about the
central theme or the main argument. Once he became the Director he recommended us to use four modes of
teaching, namely, tell, ask, do and show. His view was that in a three-hour lecture, the telling should not be
more than one-third. The rest should be asking questions, doing activities such as case studies and showing
videos followed by a discussion. We felt the variety and the versatility of his such endeavours.
Prof. Liyanage insisted on understanding and application of managerial topics. He gave us a challenge. Be
confident in sharing a key learning in your own words with your teenage son or daughter, in a manner that
they understand. That requires clarity and commitment. He suggested us to have “switch on” and “switch off”
approach. Switch on is when you are in complete focus with attentive concentration. Switch off means to relax
and unwind. A healthy blend of both is necessary in effectively grasping knowledge.
As an Inspirer
Prof. Liyanage inspired me on many fronts. He was standing tall in front of all of us. As a sought-after
marketing scholar, a strategic management thinker, an exceptional academic, a thought-provoking teacher and
a visionary leader, he was a guiding light for us. I saw him rendering yeoman service in multiple ways in
raising the PIM flag higher………………
August 09, 2019
Prof. Ajantha S. Dharmasiri
handing over a book co-edited by
him to Prof. Uditha Liyanage
9
Vibrancy of ‘Vijayaba Kollaya’: Lucid lessons for
Lankans By Prof.Ajantha Dharmasiri
I enjoyed watching the first 3D Sinhala movie last week. It is ‘Vijayaba Kollaya’ directed by Emeritus
Professor Sunil Ariyarathne. It happened to be the last screenplay written by late Dr. Tissa Abeysekara. The
story is based on a classical novel by a veteran author W.A. de Silva. This column is not entirely a cinematic
review of the movie but a reflection of the relevance to current realities from a keen viewer’s point of view.
Overview
The British film pioneer William Friese-Greene heralded a new era in the late 1890s with his patent for a
three-dimensional (3D) film process. It is essentially adding a depth to the already existing length and width.
Despite high cost and more advanced technological requirements, the 3D movies increasingly became popular
thanks to Disney and other high-end global film producers. Now, it has entered the Sinhala cinema with
‘Vijayaba Kollaya’.
Hemal Ranasinghe, Senali Fonseka, Ashan Dias and Chulakshi Ranasinghe act in the main roles, of Vijayaba
Kollaya. The rest of the cast include Prithi Randeniya, Buddhika Jayaratne, Eardly Wedamini, Prof.
Ariyaratne Kaluarachchi, Hans Billimoria, Gavin Ludewyke, Ryan van Rooyen, Gayana Sudarshani, Mariyon
Weththasinghe, Sunil Costa, Anuradha Mallawarachchi, Sachithra Weerasinghe, Dhanushka Dias, Methin
Jayasuriya and Ajith Shantha.
The plot in essence
The term ‘Vijayaba Kollaya’ can be interpreted as ‘dethroning’ of King Vijabahu by his angry sons, namely
Bhuvanekabahu (later Bhuvanekabahu VII of Kotte), Pararajasingha (later Raigam Bandara) and Mayadunne
(later Mayadunne of Sitawaka). When they were released after a long imprisonment by their own father
(influenced by his later-found young wife, Queen Kiravella, who virtually gave all orders), a strange series of
events started to occur.
Instead of mending fences, she planned a conspiracy to kill
the three sons to ensure the kingship to her own son, Deva
Rajasinghe. Having discovered the sinister move from Deva
Rajasinghe himself, the three angry sons go berserk in
destroying the palace after killing their own father. This
reverberates the dire consequences of a violent emotional
reaction.
In such a backdrop, a love triangle involving three fictional
characters created by the author W.A. Silva occupies the
centre stage. As observed by Professor Ariyarathne, ‘way
back in 1938, W.A. Silva has beautifully combined the
history and fiction in creating his most successful novel’.
Neelamani, Nayanananda and Asanga show us the beauty of
sacrificial love in a memorable and meaningful manner.
In my view, the unfolding of the impactful story of this three-
dimensional movie, can be viewed from three distinct
dimensions. I would call them, intimate relationships
dimension, invasive expansion dimension and inspiring
leadership dimension. Let’s discuss the details. …………..
August 19, 2019
10
Shanta Devarajan: Economist who cannot get
disconnected from his motherland
Conversations with Sri Lanka’s Top Economists 1
We begin a new series on conversations with Sri Lanka’s top economists, penned by
our columnist W.A. Wijewardena. These conversations will bring out how these
economists were made, what beliefs they hold for life, why they have chosen the
‘dismal science’ as their career and what main contributions they have made and
so on. We believe that Wijewardena is best suited to write this series, going by the
twisted proverb ‘Set an economist to catch an economist’.
An economist with academic training and practical training
For me, Shanta Devarajan, formerly the Acting Chief Economist of the World Bank Group succeeding the
Nobel Laureate Paul Romer and presently Professor at Georgetown University, USA, was a legend by himself.
When I met him in early part of the new millennium in Colombo, he was the Chief Economist of the World
Bank Group overlooking the affairs in the South Asian region. He came to the Central Bank for a conference
and I instantly got impressed by his ability to articulate his wisdom convincingly to a disbelieving audience.
Since then, I met him many times in Washington DC when I attended the Joint Annual Meetings of the WB
and IMF and in Colombo when he came over here to deliver lectures or negotiate aid assistance to Sri Lanka.
After retirement from the World Bank Group in late 2018, he has now returned to his most preferred
profession, the academia. He is now a professor of economics at the Georgetown University in Washington
DC.
Man with a smile
To pick this man’s brain, I met him in Colombo recently. Dressed in a casual tee-shirt and a matching pair of
trousers and wearing a pair of sandals, he presented himself to me with his signature smile spanning from one
cheek to the other. Except a few strands of grey hair on his head, he was the very same man I had met
previously exuding cheerfulness and enthusiasm at all times.
Both local and international education
I asked him about his childhood. Where did he school? What was his father? “I was born in Sri Lanka,” he
started the conversation. “My father was B.R. Devarajan, a former CCS officer in Sri Lanka Government
service. Till Grade 3, I studied in Sri Lanka. Then, our family had to move to New York City after my father
was attached to the UN System. In New York, I started schooling at the UN International School, a facility
maintained for the benefit of UN officers. I completed till Grade 11 there. Then, my father got a placement in
the UN system in Geneva and we all had to follow him. I got enrolled in Geneva International School and
completed my high school there.”
A mathematician developing a liking to economics
Throughout, Shanta had had a good school education. Then, what about his university career? I asked him.
“For my first degree, I joined Princeton University. ……………..
August 19, 2019
11
Business 2 People (B2P) and coming closer to you!
Imagine an 18-wheel big truck meandering its way through the rural countryside
with expert personnel on board with an economic mission. The environment may be
classified as rural but this rural countryside belongs to the world’s first economy – the United States. The
reason for the vehicle movement is to empower the local folks in entrepreneurship. The program is dedicated
and is valued from the centre and institutions back it.
Entrepreneurship is vital and such efforts should emerge from all corners of the land. If not the economic
performance would be skewed and many may feel and understand that particular developments can only
happen in selected locations and certainly not everywhere. In this era of super connectivity the opportunities
are much more but the knowledge still has to be moved across and individuals empowered. Finally the action
only will deliver results.
How one can be moved into action is after many an interaction and interplay and involves the build-up of a
relationship based on trust.
Can you expect the knowledge to be gained just by listening to the FOX news channel or by reading the odd
copy of the New Yorker? Or through data streaming to your mobile?
It appears still that the same old ways of meet and discuss approach is still pursued by considering the
importance of a person-to-person meeting in their own backyard.
However, the vehicle will have much more technology embedded and is much more strongly equipped to
serve as a result.
The example here is the Mobile Business Incubator of Louisiana Business & Technology Center (LBTC) with
the Louisiana State University.
The mobile business incubator on wheels program has brought business support, technical knowledge and
assistance and entrepreneurship to over 120 rural communities in rural Louisiana. This also serves as a mobile
classroom.
This is not an isolated example. Kauffman Institute in USA manages travelling entrepreneurship initiatives,
which is basically spread across USA.
Even in this age of high-technology based connectivity simple mobile platforms are used to connect people
with ideas and enterprise. Can we also take lessons from this type of activity? ………….
August 01, 2019
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Culture of research: so important yet so difficult to
foster By Prof.Ajith de Alwis
Sri Lanka is in need of an active generation that is curious and ready to plunge into exploration. It is an
activity that we have missed inculcating in our youngsters starting from a very young age. We are very much
not ready to venture out, but ever so ready to wait welcoming those who venture out! Well, I am sure someone
can say that is something you do not inculcate but encourage, as the young are always inquisitive and look at
the world with a wide-eyed expression, always willing to explore and experience.
Why I say inculcate is when we see that expression, it is more likely that we do not encourage that, but quickly
close the search with an answer, or work on an alternate path of expression. Mobiles, game boxes, and TVs
have become excellent alternatives for explorations. We try to develop more the art of keeping children in a
subdued mode, for the rest to continue doing whatever they want. We hear ‘No’ and ‘Don’t’ so much in our
surroundings, and we fail to realise that these responses are directly suppressing a key attribute for growth. We
buy the answers to their projects from bookshops, and later on, the grownups have not been sharpened on the
skills of meeting challenges, and the negative consequences manifest. We do not understand how the process
of education is amply benefitted by having an active curious population, rather than a population that await
with the curiosity of only knowing what questions are coming – hints and all possible answers. The process of
tuition has wreaked havoc in our system, and the sooner we realise the long-term ill effects of this parallel
process, better it would be for all of us.
It was an extremely important gesture and support when MAS Holdings Co-founder and Chairman
Deshamanya Dr. Mahesh Amalean gave a personal donation to both the Department of Chemical and Process
Engineering of University of Moratuwa and the Chemical Engineering Student Society to realise two
important objectives. This was a very personal commitment and gesture, and as such very much valued. He
personally attended and handed over both awards to University of Moratuwa Vice Chancellor Prof Kapila
Perera, in a simple ceremony held at the Senate Board Room of the university on 5 August. Faculty of
Engineering Dean Prof Nalin Wickramarachchi, Chemical and Process Engineering (CPE) Department Head
Prof Shantha Walpolage, and Chemical Engineering Student Society President Sineru Dinalankara were all
present at this important occasion.
The first objective was the departmental objective of instituting an award for excellence in undergraduate
research. The first donation went thus to establish the Deshamanya Mahesh Amalean Award for
Undergraduate Research Excellence in Chemical and Process Engineering. The undergraduate research project
is a recent addition to the CPE curriculum, with a view to promote research, and all students have this
mandatory module to work through. At the end, there is also the undergraduate research symposium,
showcasing the students’ findings, and performance at both these stages are taken into account for the final
marks. Note that the research is not all doing, but communicating findings as well, and this event is open to
anyone who is interested, as we usually take on practical industrial problems. The second donation was to
institute a 24/7 student laboratory. I understand that Chemical and Process Engineering has quite an extensive
system of laboratories at University of Moratuwa, and perhaps that is the degree program with the most
number of labs under their belt. Then why another lab one may ask!
Where innovation is needed, we have instead a rigid set of rules and procedures, and the end result is
limited advances. One may say some information technology-related advances have taken place. The
issue is that the sector is not really challenged by these rules and procedures, and there is no need for
custom procedures either! It is a pity that those who should know better, and those who have witnessed
a lot outside, do not realise this and implement remedial measures to change these archaic procedures.
This lab would be different. It is a lab that will be managed by students, and should be available on a
24 hour on all 7 days basis – open and accessible to the research student. This actually breaks new
August 15, 2019
13
‘This is me, and here is what I need’
Today, 9 August, the first-ever Biannual Professor
Uditha Liyanage Memorial Speech will be delivered
by Deshamanya Dr. Mahesh Amalean at the PIM.
The event is organised by the PIM, SLIM
and CIM.
On his fifth death anniversary, it is opportune to
reflect on the unique contributions he made to
the advancement of marketing and
management thinking by referring
to his publication ‘Consumer Strategy’.
The book contains 20 articles personally selected by Professor
Liyanage himself. Providing an apt preface, his successor Prof.
Ajantha Dharmasiri captures the core of the book by saying, “As it
has always been, Prof. Uditha Liyanage invites us not just to read the
book, but to recognise the key themes, reflect on the main ideas,
relate the concepts covered to the current challenges. It should
reinforce the way how one professionally applies the key lessons, in
playing a managerial and leadership role in one’s workplace. In
essence, knowing should lead to doing and in turn will deliver
results.”
Going through these articles at one go is challenging because of the
intellectual richness of them and the academic rigor with he argues
his points. But certainly this is good companion to any serious student
of management.
Tangibility as a mental construct
His contribution towards the discussion of tangibility as a mental construct is a case in point. The paper
‘Goods-Services Dichotomy: The place of the Tangibility Construct’ examines the tangibility construct and
provides a basis for product classification and the development of strategies for both goods and services alike.
The classification of products, based on tangibility as a mental construct, rather than on their physical
evidence, helps to classify products which have varying degrees of tangibility in the minds of consumers.
Some so-called services may be highly-tangible in consumers’ minds while some physically-evident goods are
of low tangibility. Tangibility viewed as a mental construct does not form the basis for the traditional goods
and services dichotomous classification. Instead, it helps to classify all market entities on a continuum of
high low tangibility. ………….
August 09, 2019
When go through we can not only read but hear the eloquent speaker Uditha, his mastery of language needs
separate consideration and evaluation. His choice of words and the organising of thoughts has his signature
style throughout the book. One cannot help but visualise how he makes a point when delivering a lecture
while reading the book.
As Ajantha has mentioned, Uditha is one of the most conceptually rich professionals that you can come
across. In these articles it comes out over and over again how he synthesises conceptual models and
frameworks to articulate his observations, theories and concepts. As a marketer I can see how he explores the
battle of the market place within the arena of the mind!
14
Gift of his legacy
By K. A. I. Kalyanaratne
Title: The Buddhist Master the Great: Most Venerable Balangoda Ananda Maithrea Thero Author: Maithri Rathnayake
My instant urge no sooner this unique publication caught my eye was to partake actively to publicize it so that
all fortunate readers would read through it, and accrue the desired benefits.
I would compare the act of the writer, journalist-explorer Maithri Rathnayaka as
that of a fountain-creator, for the readers to quench the thirst to their hearts’
content. It is such a rare piece of literature that has been woven around a
personality whose actions and utterances provide distinct proof that
through a virtuous life and focused mindfulness one could acquire
unfathomable inner purity.
Author and his task
“Buddhist Master the Great” is a biographical sketch (biosketch) of Most Balangoda Ananda Maitreya Thera
who passed away at the age of 103 years. The mission of the author Maithri Rathnayaka, tagged aptly as an
explorer, is to highlight and project some specific and salient virtues and characteristics of this rare
personality, and not to write a complete biography. His mission, abilities, character, aspirations and
achievements were so deep and varied that only intensive research would be able to accomplish a
comprehensive biography. Nevertheless, he was no mean task, as he had to be in acquaintance with this great
sage for long periods, get involved in a series of meaningful and focused dialogues, record them and provide a
verbatim interpretation in English, selecting appropriately the ones that suit the objectives of the publication.
Prime Objective
Amongst other subjects the main thrust of the publication is to compile the great sage’s interpretations on
Naadi Waakya, Ancient Indian Astrology, based on a series of TV discussions the author had with him. The
author had also based his writings on the newspaper articles, letters etc., that had been published by the great
sage himself. NaadiWaakya has remained a controversial topic for many a person. But the great sage has
emphatically convinced the reader the different interpretations and the authenticity of the basis of this
particular Ancient Indian Astrological Tradition.
The Life of the Buddha as recorded in the Naadi Waakya
So fascinated by the Naadi Waakya revelations Ven. Thera had gone to the extent of inquiring into Lord
Buddha’s life. Interpreting what has been recorded in the Naadi Waakya the Venerable Thera says that
“According to the Kumara Naadi Pratheyya section Lord Buddha’s life span was 80 years, 10 months and 15
days. Passing away of the Buddha would take place on a Sunday at mid-day of the month of Wesak (May).
Those were predicted by ancient Rishis who lived 3000 to 4000 years prior to Lord Buddha’s birth as Prince
Siddhartha. …………………..
August 07, 2019
Vol.9, Issue 8, August 2019
BOOK REVIEW
15
August 15, 2019
Resilient to change: Building a legacy brand
The following is the Professor Uditha Liyanage Memorial Oration delivered by MAS Holdings
Chairman Deshmanya Dr. Mahesh Amalean, on 9 August It is a pleasure to be here today. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Professor Uditha’s family, the
oration guidance committee and the oration operations committee for inviting me to speak at the inaugural
oration to celebrate his work and more importantly the individual.
My first interactions with Uditha were many years ago during our formative years as students of Royal
College. But it wasn’t till much later that we interacted on a more formal capacity having followed our own
career paths.
In the late 2000s we were invited by then Minister of Science and Technology Professor Tissa Vitharana to
establish the Sri Lanka Institute of Nano Technology (SLINTEC) which is a public-private partnership and
one of a kind research facility in Sri Lanka. We needed to create a strategy for SLINTEC and I approached
Uditha to assist us.
During these engagements I had the opportunity to work closely with Uditha, who was a thought leader in
Strategy, Communication and Branding. Uditha brought in a wealth of expertise to any engagement he was a
part of and was valued by his peers and all his students, some of who are here today.
So, when I was asked to speak here today, I was reflecting on my engagements with Uditha and his
contributions to the national and corporate sectors in Sri Lanka. Uditha often emphasised the need to establish
a strong brand and the necessity to lay the strategic foundation for a brand to be resilient to change. Therefore,
I believe it is an apt topic to cover for the next hour.
I would like to start by asking all of you the question,
How do you build a global brand and ensure its success over time?
Let me answer this question with my experience in founding and leading MAS for the past three decades.
I come from a family that has been in the textile and apparel industry for many years, from way back as 1926.
With the sudden loss of my father at a very young age, my grandfather and uncles ran the family business.
I completed my degree in Chemical Engineering with the clear intention of not joining the family run
business. Yet, my grandfather had other plans and before I knew what was happening, I was on the shop floor
of a textile plant. …………………
16
Analysing the dynamics of mental models using causal loop diagrams
Substantial evidence suggests that managerial mental models play an important role in firm
performance. Yet managerial mental models are not static but dynamic. This research
investigates the creation and evolution of mental models over time and how this dynamic process
influences strategic choice and firm performance. We adopt the causal loop diagramming
method, with in-depth case analysis over a period of 12 years, as the primary investigatory
approach. Our research contributes to knowledge by identifying the shared mental model of the
top management team, represented in the causal loop diagrams, for each stage of the company’s
development. Our findings suggest that the dynamics of managerial mental models explains the
changes in firm performance over time.
Proactive personality enhances change in employees’ job satisfaction: The
moderating role of psychological safety
Research has suggested that employees who possess a proactive personality have greater job
satisfaction. However, contextual factors that may serve as boundary conditions have received
insufficient attention in the research. Accordingly, this study proposed psychological safety as a
moderator in the positive relationship between proactive personality and job satisfaction. We
recruited 207 employees to complete a two-wave panel survey that was conducted over
3 months. When job satisfaction was controlled for at Time 1, this study found that having a
proactive personality was positively associated with changes in job satisfaction over time.
Furthermore, the relationship between proactive personality and changes in job satisfaction was
strengthened when psychological safety was low. The implications and applications are
discussed.
Vol.9, Issue 8, August 2019
Yang M Miles, Yang Feifei, Cui Tingru, Cheng Ying-Chu; Analysing the dynamics of mental models
using causal loop diagrams; Australian Journal of Management. August 2019, Vol.44 Number. 03,
p.495
Kuo Che-Chun, Ye Yun-Ci, Chen Mei-Yen, Chen lung hung; Proactive personality enhances change in
employees’ job satisfaction: The moderating role of psychological safety; Australian Journal of
Management. August 2019, Vol.44 Number. 03, p.482
17
Inclusive leadership and employees’ learning from errors: A moderated
mediation model
Despite burgeoning interest in employees’ learning from errors in recent decades, the current
understanding of the impact of leadership on employees’ learning from errors is still very
limited. To fill this void, by integrating the role identity theory into the cost–benefit analysis
framework, this study developed a moderated mediation model to investigate the effects of
inclusive leadership on employees’ learning from errors and tested this model using data
collected at two points in time from 206 employees in China. Consistent with our hypotheses, the
results show that inclusive leadership was positively related to employees’ learning from errors
and that this relationship was mediated by employees’ psychological safety. The results further
demonstrated that employees’ power distance moderated the direct relationship between
inclusive leadership and employees’ psychological safety and the indirect relationship between
inclusive leadership and employees’ learning from errors through psychological safety in such a
way that the relationships were stronger when the power distance was lower. These findings
extend the relevant literature and have important implications for cross-cultural and diversity
management.
Building creative self-efficacy via learning goal orientation, creativity job
requirement, and team learning behavior: The key to employee creativity
This study examined the antecedents of an individual’s creative self-efficacy (CSE) using a
sample of 41 semiconductor design teams. Drawing from social cognitive theory, we expected
that a dynamic interaction of an individual’s learning goal orientation, creativity as a job
requirement, and team learning behavior would build CSE. In addition, employing the
combinational perspective, we conjectured that consistency among the three antecedents would
enhance CSE, and subsequently, creative performance. As predicted, results showed that effects
of learning goal orientation and job requirement on CSE were subject to other members’ learning
behavior. A significant three-way interaction supported the position that individual–contextual
congruence facilitates the development of CSE, while incongruence of these factors impedes
such development. Implications for theory and human resource practices are discussed in light of
these findings.
Ye Qingyan, Wang Duanxu, Li Xi; Inclusive leadership and employees’ learning from errors: A
moderated mediation model; Australian Journal of Management. August 2019, Vol.44 Number. 03,
p.462
Kong Hao, Chiu Warren CK, Leung Humphrey KW; Building creative self-efficacy via learning goal
orientation, creativity job requirement, and team learning behavior: The key to employee creativity;
Australian Journal of Management. August 2019, Vol.44 Number. 03, p.443
18
Effectiveness of gender equality initiatives in project-based organizations in
Australia
Little is known about the impact of workplace gender equality initiatives in improving women’s
representation. We assess their effectiveness on levels of women’s representation in Australian
property and mining organizations. Derived from signaling theory, we propose and test a positive
relationship between gender equality initiatives and women’s representation at management and
non-management levels. Derived from contingency theory, we propose and test the moderating
effect of women in top management teams on the abovementioned relationships. The hypotheses
were tested using archival data from 358 organizations with a 2-year time lag. The findings
partially support the main and moderating effect hypotheses. We discuss theoretical, research,
and practical implications.
Misery wants control: The roles of helplessness and choice in the sadness–
consumption relationship
Sadness has an appraisal theme of loss and helplessness and prior research has shown that
sadness leads to increased (vs neutral or happy) hedonic food consumption (e.g. M&M’s). In this
research, we test the robustness of sadness’ effect on consumption and further argue that it is the
innate helplessness associated with sadness (situational helplessness) that links sadness and
hedonic consumption. Specifically, we find that an opportunity to make a choice (increased
sense of control) attenuates sadness’ effect on hedonic consumption (study 1) and that making a
choice attenuates the helplessness experienced by sad individuals at that moment (general
helplessness), thereby reducing hedonic consumption (study 2). Moreover, we show that this
effect extends to choice for both self and others (study 2). Implications for research and practice
are discussed.
Looking beyond national differences: Cultural consensus between Confucian
and Anglo societies
National cultural research in management primarily examines cultural differences between
countries. Theory and practice recommendations relating to the conduct of international business
are then commonly derived from these cultural differences. We propose that attention should
also be paid to the ways in which nations are culturally similar. Applying data from the GLOBE
national culture model, we reveal cultural similarities across two cultural groups that are usually
considered to be representative of important cultural differences. We show six Confucian
societies are remarkably similar to seven Anglo societies in respect to their GLOBE culture
dimensions scores. We offer support for a so far largely ignored “universal culture” approach in
international management that recognizes cultural similarities and balances it with the
predominant cultural differences perspective. Implications for management theory and practice
are drawn.
Baker Marzena, Ali Muhammad, French Erica; Effectiveness of gender equality initiatives in project-
based organizations in Australia; Australian Journal of Management. August 2019, Vol.44 Number.
03, p.425
Garg Nitika; Misery wants control: The roles of helplessness and choice in the sadness–consumption
relationship; Australian Journal of Management. August 2019, Vol.44 Number. 03, p.407
Venaik Sunil, Brewer Paul; Looking beyond national differences: Cultural consensus between
Confucian and Anglo societies; Australian Journal of Management. August 2019, Vol.44 Number. 03,
p.388
19
Vol.9, Issue 8, August 2019
20
Economic Research Guardian
Vol. 8 Issue 2
Poverty Reduction, Financial Development and Economic Growth in Algeria: A Gregory
Hansen Co-Integration Regime Shift Analysis. Hicham, Ayad
Banking Capitalization and Financial Development in Chad: The Comparative Effects of The Banking Process
Djekonbe, Djimoudjiel
On the Measurement of the Government Spending Multiplier in the United States: an ARDL Cointegration Approach
Ebadi, Esmaeil
How Does the Policy Rate Respond to Output and Prices in Thailand? Jiranyakul, Komain
Human Resources Magazine Vol. 24 Issue 1
All hands on deck: Why 'involvement' is every HR professionals new favourite word O'reilly, Chris
Lessons from FGH v RST: The challenges of managing performance when the employee has health issues Scarrott, Chris
Neuro-diversity: The Human Resources Team - both the problem and the solution? Style, Mike
Transforming leadership development: Using Adult Development Theory as a guide Tanner, Aenslee
Marketing Education Review
Vol. 29 Issue 2
Mproving Information Literacy Through Gamification: Fantasy Brand Leagues Ashley, Christy
Preparing Workplace-Ready Students With Digital Marketing Skills Key, Thomas M.; Czaplewski, Andrew J.; Ferguson, Jeffery M.
Shining In The Classroom With Teaching Moments Coker, Kesha K.; Whalen, D. Joel
The Not So Passé MBA: Podcasts As Marketing Cases VanMeter, Rebecca A.; Schetzsle, Stacey; Howie, Katharine
Vol.9, Issue 8, August 2019