Abstract:
WhilethereisnodoubtabouttheimportanceofHumanResourceManagement(HR)
for businesses around the world, the debate continues as to whether HR is a
profession similarto medicine, engineering,accountancy, and law. Theaim of this
paperistocompare andcontrasttheattributesofaprofessionidentifiedby
Greenwood(1957)withHRMdiscipline,toidentifywhetherHRMisaprofessionora
skilledoccupationinSriLanka.Employingqualitative researchmethodology,indepthinterviewswereconducted
with16topHR professionals,andsecondary
informationwas gatheredfromwebsitesand documentsrelatedtoInstituteof
PersonnelManagementSriLankaas wellas AssociationofHRprofessionals,which are the
knownprofessionalbodies relatedtoHR inSri Lanka. The findingsindicated
howtheHRinSri Lankadoesnotappeartopossessmanycriteriaofa profession,
indicatingtheneedforHRMdisciplineinSri Lankatoacquireanddemonstrate systematic
theory,authority,community sanction,ethicalcodesandaprofessional
culture.Accordingtotheinterviewinformation,HRcanbeidentifiedasmoreofa skillbased
occupationinSriLanka,where thesuccessofanHR personnelissaidto dependmore
onhisorherinherentskillsandabilities(visavisthesystematic
knowledge).Hence,itisclearthat,atthemoment,HRinSriLankaappearstobe more
ofanoccupationwithspecializedskillsanddistinctcompetenciesratherthana profession
withattributesof a profession.
