PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore employability skills that employers, university lecturers and graduates value to bring to the workplace, when graduates are applying for entry‐level graduate jobs in the field of computer science in Sri Lanka.Design/methodology/approachA total of three samples were selected for this exploratory study, namely, graduates, employers, and university lecturers. Three self‐administered survey questionnaires were developed targeting the three groups. In addition to descriptive statistics, paired sample t‐test, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and correlation analysis were used for the data analysis.FindingsThe findings suggested that there are differences in the priorities given for employability skills by the four groups – male graduates, female graduates, employers, and university lecturers. Further, the findings suggest that employability skills are influenced by the gender of the graduates. Overall, the findings of the study could be used to assist universities, graduates, employers, and career advisers in applying strategic decisions in managing graduates' careers.Originality/valueAlthough a considerable amount of the literature addresses employability skills, much of the information is theoretical in nature and offers policy recommendations and prescriptive advice. Further, a majority of the research studies has primarily examined the experiences of a particular higher educational institute where remedial actions were taken to impart employability skills. The paper presents findings of a survey that investigated and compared employability skills that employers, university lecturers and graduates value to bring to the workplace when graduates are applying for entry‐level graduate jobs.

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of interpersonal trust, team leader support, rewards, and knowledge sharing mechanisms on voluntary knowledge sharing in software development project teams in Sri Lanka. Design/methodology/approach -Survey methodology was used and 150 software developers who were directly involved in developing and maintaining a software product from project teams responded. Regression analysis was used for data analysis. Findings -Interpersonal trust and rewards have significant positive effects on knowledge sharing. Although it was anticipated that the team leader support would be a significant predictor of knowledge sharing, the results did not provide evidence for a positive and significant relationship. "Work-group communications" and "Personal interactions" had significant positive effects on knowledge sharing. Originality/value -It is expected that the findings of this study will provide useful information to better understand the predictors of the extent of knowledge sharing at the individual level in the context of project teams. By doing so, this exploratory study will be able to establish baseline data and would be a source of general guidance in stimulating future research in this area.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of lean production practices and lean duration (the duration for which lean production is in operation) on manufacturing performance. Design/methodology/approach The survey was used as the main method of data collection. In addition to survey data collected from 1,189 respondents from export-based textile and apparel firms operating in Sri Lanka, longitudinal data were collected over a period of seven months from a firm in the study sample to corroborate the survey findings. Findings The findings revealed that lean production practices significantly enhance manufacturing performance. Further findings revealed the importance of the duration of lean production in operation in achieving higher levels of manufacturing performance. This provides empirical support for the contention that the adoption of lean production can only be achieved through time. Practical implications Findings have implications for practices of export-based textile and apparel producing countries from Asia, Latin and Central America, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, and North Africa, which are competing intensively with each other for their market share in the global export-based textile and apparel production. Originality/value Manufacturing firms are adopting production methods and management practices to become leaner and fitter to create a new labour intensive production model that generate distinctive internal capabilities for survival and growth in international markets. Academics and practitioners in the field of manufacturing technologies will be interested in better understanding how lean production practices would enhance manufacturing performance from a non-western developing country context.

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the level of job satisfaction experienced by IT graduates employed full time in offshore outsourced IT firms (OOITF) in Sri Lanka, the demographic characteristics that predict job satisfaction, perceptions towards IT jobs in OOITF, and turnover and job search intentions.Design/methodology/approachThe sample consisted of 122 randomly selected individuals who graduated in the information technology field and were employed full‐time in OOITF in Sri Lanka. A survey questionnaire was chosen as the mode for data collection.FindingsThe results indicate that gender and tenure are significant in job satisfaction measurement. Females are less satisfied with their jobs and feel a loss of interest in IT jobs in OOITF but wish to remain in their present workplace. IT graduates with a longer tenure in their present workplace are less satisfied with their jobs, feel a loss of interest in IT jobs in OOITF and intend to leave their present workplace.Originality/valueThe majority of job satisfaction studies on IT personnel have been undertaken primarily in the West. The extent to which the research findings of those studies could be generalised to the South Asian offshore outsourcing context has not been widely tested.

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