Business

A holistic approach to People Management

Published

6 years ago

2020/08/9

Business Oriented People Management by Franklyn Amerasinghe which is to be launched soon, validates that people management is about understanding that the people employed are more than a resource to earn profits and they are as valuable as the investor himself…

by Randima Attygalle

‘Thousands of students are now looking at entering the field of ‘People Management’ and one drawback for them is that usually they study Human Resource Management as part of a curriculum for certification, but they often have no exposure to a holistic analysis of how the ‘People Management’ function is integrated into the functioning of the business.’

The preface to Franklyn Amerasinghe’s latest compilation, ‘Business Oriented People Management’, which is to be launched soon, underlines the fundamental objective the author seeks through his work. The author who alludes to the Human Resource or the HR function as ‘People Management’ further qualifies: “the term ‘Human Resources’ leaves an ugly taste in the mouth. It seems to look at the human element as just another resource like money. People management is about understanding that the people employed are more than a resource to earn profits and they are as valuable as the investor himself.”

The book which deals with the evolution of human resource management, the corporate sector and its rules for governance, people management and performance management, globalization and international obligations, labour legislation, collective bargaining, leadership, dispute management and much more, enables the ‘People Manager’ insights into how decisions are taken and also indicates the benefits for Boards of Companies to have a people-centric focus in their business policies. The sustainability of the corporate and the social aspects of the business are also given attention.

The book, Amerasinghe explains, provides a basic picture of how a private sector organization complies with its multitude of obligations relative to all stakeholders. A publication by the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon (EFC), Business Oriented People Management’ , as its one time Director General/CEO, Amerasinghe notes, is “conceived as a supplementary aid to all those responsible for managing people whether they be designated as HR Personnel or not.”

Amerasinghe who was also a Senior Specialist at the ILO for Employers’ Organizations in East Asia, translates his wealth of experience in his scholarly pursuits. A prolific writer credited for many functional compilations on mediation and cooperation at workplace, conflict management and social dialogue, he has also served on many prestigious Boards and Committees in the public and private sectors.

His latest work provides insights to the executives managing people and how they should fit into the overall achievement of business plans. An unfortunate trend the author notes, is for such executives to look very exclusively at their immediate tasks and targets neglecting the larger picture of the organization. “The fact that each executive contributes to fulfill a corporate plan is sometimes forgotten in pursuit of personal goals. Moreover, many think that following blindly, and without question, policies handed down by higher management is loyalty and is sufficient. Every employee at whatever level should be encouraged to contribute to the development of the company and its policies. Some areas of activity mentioned are for the purpose of identifying the People Manager as vital in the business interests of a private sector organization which is dynamic and looking for sustainable growth,” notes the author adding that the People Manager has two distinct functions: his personal performance and to encourage others with whom he interacts to play their part in corporate performance.

Current management structures, the author observes, reflect that increased responsibility for handling people rests outside the traditional HR Department, although laying down policy and monitoring what is done at departmental level would still remain with it. “Thus the book is meant to assist all managers who participate in managing people,” he says. The advent of digitization and new forms of work arrangements have shifted the ‘circumstances’ of the HR Manager to another level thus changing gears in his/her performance role, says Amerasinghe. “The traditional role of the HR Manager, however, remains the same which is to make the employee contented and motivated to contribute to the organization.”

Paying significant attention to the skills needed on a day to day basis such as dispute handling, negotiation and communication, the book also focuses on industrial relations, an area which the author feels is now quite overlooked, as the HR function looks more and more towards isolating people at work and dealing with them individually. “This does not usually work in the Sri Lankan setting as there is a cultural desire to indulge in collective thinking, especially in rural areas.” The era when production and service centres were in Colombo has been replaced by a policy of moving to rural and suburban centres, with a large number being in Industrial Zones which attract a large number of rural workers.

“The rural worker is conditioned by peer pressure and a strong resistance to change from their traditions. The COVID pandemic which has seen mass loss of jobs especially at lower levels will probably bring back industrial relations to merit more consideration again,” observes the writer.

Amerasinghe’s latest compilation also enables a window to the past in which corporates tackled issues of their employees. Originally the intention was to have an employee who dealt with ‘fire-fighting issues’. The development of HR strategies as a means of keeping employees in line with business requirements was aided by circumstances such as the debacle of the unions in July 1980 and the disillusion which followed. “There has been a remarkable change in the culture of blue collar workers by the movement of collective power to the workplace as opposed to the earlier reality of workers being made to follow the dictates of political parties and their interests,” says Amerasinghe whose latest book balances the advantages of collective agreements against the desire of employers to make employees more focused on their individual terms and earnings which as he says is the key component in the strategy to motivate employees to be more productive.

The COVID situation as the author further observes, brings out a new dimension, which is the futility of legislation to guarantee terms and conditions of employment in the face of employers not having the capacity to meet their legal obligations “The law cannot force employees to stand up for their rights when confronted by a situation when they must either accept what is offered or starve.” The book deals with the legal situation and the need for employers to think of their social responsibility towards employees. “Moreover, in the long term they may have look for new employees when they need to think of ramping up their production or services again.”

The author in his work refers to the Personnel Managers of the past who grew into managing people by long association with the organization. “The more experience one has at the lowest levels of an organization, the more effective one could be. HR personnel should have compulsory internships. Through my book I try to focus on the need to fully comprehend what the organization is about and its responsibility which in turn devolves on the management.” He also goes onto note that there is an onus placed on the management to afford opportunities for the HR personnel to constantly upgrade themselves and be innovative.

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Business

Oil prices fall, stocks rally as US, Iran sign framework to end war

Published

10 hours ago

2026/06/18

Priyan

Vessels seen from Musandam, Oman, on June 16, 2026 [Aljazeera]

Oil prices have dropped following the United States and Iran’s signing of an interim peace agreement, resuming a slide interrupted by US President Donald Trump’s warning that he could restart his military campaign.

Brent crude fell 2.3 percent on Thursday in Asia, returning the international benchmark to near to where it was 24 hours previously

Brent futures for delivery in August stood at $77.73 as of 05:30 GMT, only about 7 percent higher than before the US and Israel launched their war on Iran on February 28.

After several days of declines, Brent briefly spiked above $81 a barrel on Wednesday after Trump warned that the US could “go right back to dropping bombs” on Iran if it doesn’t “behave”.

Shrugging off losses on Wall Street overnight, Asian stock markets rallied on renewed optimism for an end to nearly four months of disruption to global energy supply chains.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 and South Korea’s Kospi both hit all-time highs, gaining more than 2 percent and 1.7 percent, respectively.

Taiwan’s Taiex rose as much as 1.3 percent.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index bucked the trend, dropping 1.7 percent.

US stock futures, which are traded outside of regular market hours and often foreshadow the next day’s performance, climbed, with those tied to the benchmark S&P 500 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite climbing about 0.8 percent and 1.3 percent, respectively.

“Putting aside the contents of the MoU, markets are likely to be welcoming the fact that both the US and Iran signed it sooner than initially expected,” Norihiro Yamaguchi, lead economist for Japan at Oxford Economics, told Al Jazeera.

“The timing is also supportive, as the major central bank policy meetings have now passed, reducing a key source of uncertainty,” Yamaguchi said.

“For Asian markets, the renewed strength in US semiconductor stocks should provide an additional boost, given the region’s heavy exposure to tech shares.”

*A man walks next to an electronic quotation board displaying the Nikkei 225 stock prices on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Tokyo, Japan, on June 18, 2026 [Aljazeera]*

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who mediated the negotiations between Washington and Tehran, said on Wednesday that the US-Iran memorandum of understanding (MoU) had entered into force with “immediate effect”.

Sharif said Iran would “instantly reopen” the Strait of Hormuz and the US would “immediately” lift its naval blockade of Iranian ports, though it was not immediately clear if the announcement had any effect on boosting maritime traffic in the critical waterway.

Shipping in the strait has been reduced to a fraction of peacetime levels due to the threat of Iranian missiles, drones and mines, as well as the US blockade.

The blockage has resulted in an estimated daily shortfall of 14 million barrels in the global oil market, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Fabien Yip, a market analyst at IG in Sydney, said that while markets have responded to the MoU with optimism, the relief is “largely priced in” as practical issues such as the backlog of vessels in the Gulf and mine clearing operations must still be resolved.

“There is a notable divergence between sentiment and physical supply – production ramp-up and logistics normalisation will take time,” Yip told Al Jazeera.

While more than 500 vessels are estimated to be waiting to exit the Gulf through the strait, shipping companies have expressed concern about the lack of clarity on how to ensure the safety of their vessels and crews in the channel.

In a statement earlier this week, the Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO), one of the world’s largest associations for shipowners, said the US and Iran had yet to provide information about “key aspects such as timings and safe routes”.

“Due to lack of details and a history of overly optimistic reassurances, we believe the security situation for the shipping industry remains volatile, and we still consider it very risky for ships to commence transits at this point,” Jakob Larsen, chief safety and security officer at BIMCO, said in a statement on Monday, responding to the initial announcement of the MoU.

“We advise shipowners to continue doing thorough risk assessments and appeal to all parties to put the safety of seafarers first.”

[Aljazeera]

Business

Pelwatte Dairy commissions Sri Lanka’s largest dairy effluent treatment plant to advance ESG leadership and global market readiness

Published

20 hours ago

2026/06/18

Sahan Weerasooriya

Akmal Wickramanayake, Managing Director of Pelwatte Dairy Industries Limited, unveils the commemorative plaque to officially inaugurate the company’s Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) at its Buttala manufacturing facility, reaffirming Pelwatte Dairy’s commitment to environmental stewardship, ESG compliance, and sustainable dairy processing.

Pelwatte Dairy Industries Limited has successfully commissioned its state-of-the-art Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) at its Buttala manufacturing facility, marking a significant milestone in the company’s journey toward environmental stewardship, ESG compliance, and responsible dairy processing.

This facility is the largest Effluent Treatment Plant within a dairy processing operation in Sri Lanka, underscoring Pelwatte Dairy’s commitment to aligning its operations with global environmental standards and strengthening its position in international markets.

Strategic Commitment to ESG and Responsible Growth

This investment reflects a deliberate and forward-looking strategy by the Board of Directors to embed Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles into core operations. As Pelwatte Dairy continues to scale its processing capacity and expand its export footprint, environmental compliance has become a central pillar of sustainable growth.

The ETP has been designed to meet the increasingly stringent environmental expectations of Western, European, and Far Eastern markets, where compliance with wastewater discharge standards, environmental reporting, and sustainability practices are essential for market access.

Future-Proofed Design for Scalable Growth

The facility has a base treatment capacity of 250 m³ per day, with the engineered capability to handle peak volumes of up to 325 m³, representing approximately 30% additional capacity to accommodate future growth in processing volumes. [ETP Opening | Word]

This future-ready design ensures that Pelwatte Dairy can maintain consistent environmental performance even under high production scenarios, reinforcing the company’s commitment to long-term compliance, operational resilience, and responsible expansion.

Advanced Technology Supporting Global Compliance

The ETP integrates advanced treatment technologies, including:

Integrated Dissolved Air Flotation (IDAF)

Anaerobic and Enhanced Sequential Batch Reactor (AnSBR/eSBR) systems

Dedicated CIP wastewater management

Real-time automated process monitoring

Screw press sludge dewatering

These systems ensure high treatment efficiency and compliance with critical environmental parameters such as Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), and nutrient discharge limits.

The plant is fully aligned with Sri Lanka’s stringent Central Environmental Authority (CEA) discharge standards and supports adherence to ISO 14001 Environmental Management System (EMS) practices, reinforcing Pelwatte Dairy’s structured approach to environmental management and continuous improvement.

Regulatory Engagement and Endorsement

The inauguration ceremony was attended by distinguished representatives from the Board of Investment (BOI) Environmental Division and Central Environmental Authority (CEA) provincial and district offices, reflecting strong regulatory engagement and endorsement of the environmental standards achieved through this investment.

Their presence underscores Pelwatte Dairy’s proactive approach in working closely with regulatory authorities to ensure compliance with national environmental frameworks while aligning with global best practices.

Enhancing Global Credibility of Sri Lankan Dairy

With this development, Pelwatte Dairy strengthens its position as a responsible and globally competitive dairy processor, capable of meeting the environmental expectations of leading international buyers and regulatory bodies.

This initiative not only enhances the company’s ESG profile but also contributes to elevating the sustainability standards of Sri Lanka’s dairy industry.

Acknowledgements

Pelwatte Dairy extends its sincere appreciation to its project team, operational staff, consultants, regulatory authorities, and partners for their contributions. Special recognition is extended to Industrial Solutions Lanka (Pvt) Limited for their engineering expertise and successful project delivery.

Business

Port City Colombo Forum in Dubai positions Sri Lanka as South Asia’s gateway for UAE business expansion

Published

20 hours ago

2026/06/18

Sahan Weerasooriya

Prof. Arusha Cooray, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the United Arab Emirates

Exclusive invitation-only engagement at the Ritz-Carlton DIFC brought together approximately 200 senior UAE business and diplomatic leaders to explore Sri Lanka’s role as a platform for regional growth

The Embassy of Sri Lanka in the United Arab Emirates and the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, in collaboration with Colombo Port City Economic Commission and CHEC Port City Colombo Pvt. Ltd., hosted Globalisation and the Sri Lankan Opportunity – From Recovery to Relevance: Sri Lanka’s Moment in the Evolving Global and Regional Economy, an invitation-only diplomatic and investment engagement at The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai International Financial Centre.

The forum brought together approximately 200 senior leaders from across UAE corporates and business chambers alongside Sri Lanka’s most senior diplomatic and investment representatives – among them senior executives from Sobha Realty, Binghatti, Oracle, Emirates Airlines, First Abu Dhabi Bank, JLL, Cushman & Wakefield, CBRE, IFS, Danube and Samana Developers – reflecting the depth of interest from the UAE’s leading industries in Sri Lanka’s evolving economic proposition.

Opening the forum, Prof. Arusha Cooray, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the United Arab Emirates, set the tone for a morning of substantive dialogue, speaking to the depth and durability of the UAE–Sri Lanka partnership, one built on decades of trade, people, and shared economic ambition, and affirming Sri Lanka’s commitment to taking that relationship into a new chapter defined by what Sri Lanka can offer UAE businesses seeking to grow their presence across South Asia.

The keynote address was delivered by Ghanim Al Falasi, CEO of Falak Tayyeb Platinum and Senior Vice President/Director General’s Office for of Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO), who drew on over a decade of senior leadership experience in the UAE’s innovation and technology ecosystem to frame the question of what South Asia’s emerging platforms offer to forward-looking UAE businesses. He noted that while Dubai provides global access to capital and logistics, Colombo offers strategic access to South Asia, and that together the two cities can function as complementary platforms serving different but mutually reinforcing roles in the regional economy.