Practice of workforce flexibility - internal, external, numerical and functional flexibility

Vathsala Wickramasinghe (), G.L.D. Wickramasinghe, C. de Silva, R. Chandrasekara and S. Jayabandu
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Vathsala Wickramasinghe: University of Moratuwa
G.L.D. Wickramasinghe: University of Moratuwa
C. de Silva: University of Moratuwa
R. Chandrasekara: University of Moratuwa
S. Jayabandu: University of Moratuwa

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Abstract: There is a considerable absence of research literature that evaluated ways in which people management practices such as workforce flexibility operate in different contexts. The purpose of the study is to investigate four workforce flexibility strategies used in export-based firms. These four strategies are external flexibility, internal flexibility, functional flexibility and numerical flexibility. To fulfil the objectives of the study, the paper presents results of four surveys conducted to investigate each of the flexibility strategy in Sri Lanka. Two of these surveys were conducted in the service sector of off-shore IT outsourcing while the other two were conducted in the export-based manufacturing sectors of coir product manufacture and apparel manufacture. In another dimension, two studies were on executive and above level employees while the other two were on shop-floor employees.

Keywords: Temporary and contract employment; Internal labour flexibility; External labour flexibility; Numerical flexibility; Functional flexibility; Labour utilization efficiency; Workforce agility; Flexible workforce practices; Flexible staffing models; Workforce restructuring; Organizational workforce adaptability; Labour market flexibility; Flexible work arrangements; Employment flexibility strategies; Human resource flexibility; horizontal and vertical skill integration (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-05588899v1
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Published in Performance Improvement Quarterly, 2019, 31, pp.355 - 379. ⟨10.1002/piq.21270⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05588899

DOI: 10.1002/piq.21270

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