RIFKA ZIYARD
COLOMBO : In recent times, due to significant changes in work environments, new work arrangements, health issues, retrenchments etc ‘Human Resource Management’ beyond doubt plays a significant role in organizational decision making. In this context, Colombo Times approached an esteemed personality Dr. Pavithra Kailasapathy, Professor, Department of HRM, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka to discuss certain key areas related to work- family conflicts, effect of the pandemic, challenges faced by women etc.
Dr. Pavithra Kailasapathy is a Professor in Human Resources Management at the Faculty of Management & Finance, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. She graduated from the University of Colombo with a BBA degree and has Master’s degrees from the New School for Social Research, New York and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA. She completed her PhD from the University of Melbourne, Australia. From 2013, Pavithra was an Associate Editor of the South Asian Journal of Human Resources Management and in 2021 has been promoted as the Editor of this journal. Her research interests are in the areas of work-family conflict and gender issues in organisations. Pavithra lectures in areas such as HRM, Research Methodology, and Gender Issues in Organisations. She is a reviewer of papers for many local and international journals and conferences. She has been and is on the Board of research and non-governmental organisations.
Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic on family relationships
Dr Kailasapathy providing her insights on the effect of the COVID 19 pandemic on family relationships says “Lockdown due to COVID-19 has had both positive and negative effects on individuals and families. The positive effects were: there were families that started to spend quality time with each other and children, doing household work together or sharing the work, started doing activities like gardening etc. together. We got to know our neighbours, interacted with them, shared food, grocery and information. We started to help each other out more. But lockdown had negative effects too. There were media reports of increased domestic violence especially against women and children. I read a news item where in one hospital the burns ward was full of burnt women due to domestic violence.
Colombo Times sought Dr Kailasapathy’s views on how the concept of work life balance is impacted under the new normal of ‘working from home’. Dr Kailasapathy said “Just because one works from home does not mean work-life balance can be achieved or work-family conflict can be reduced. Remember, during lockdown/curfew and even post-lockdown, children are at home too. So, managing the home front is quite difficult. It is difficult to explain to kids that although you are at home, you are working. They want attention, they want parents to come play with them, or help them with their online classes etc. By WFH, you do save on travel time, no stress of traffic, less tiredness due to travel etc., but many of us are working longer hours than before. In order to reduce WFH and be able to manage the different roles we play, organizational support is needed”.
She further added, “Organizations cannot expect staff just because they are WFH to be on-call 24×7. There should be boundary between work and home time. A lot of support from family especially spouse is also required. I always tell my students and colleagues, rather than looking if horoscopes match, you need to see if values and beliefs regarding gender roles match before deciding on a life partner!”
Eliminating Gender based disparity in Organizations
Discussing on gender based differential treatment, Dr. Kailasapathy concurs that such differential treatment still exists in organizations. She elaborates, “You notice it during recruitment (see some of the advertisements for vacancies where equal opportunity is not provided and gender is specified), selection (the questions asked from women and men applicants), placements, promotions etc. It is consciously and unconsciously done”.
On steps that should be taken to minimize or eliminate such disparity, she explains “A lot of awareness/sensitizing should be done to all in organisations and in society in general. Some aspects in culture change fast (like clothes, fashion) but not others. It takes time to internalize these equity and equality beliefs. We still do not have enough girls going into maths, engineering and IT (STEMs area) which are thought to be suitable to men! I strongly believe gender equality should be part of education. In text books for example, the pictures of families are stereotyped where father going to work and mother (in saree) cooking. Educators need to be mindful of the values and beliefs and socialization that is happening in schools and in homes. Only then a true change will take place”. Until then, corporates need to take this issue seriously and from top to bottom, raise awareness and ensure there is equity and equality. If having KPIs in this area will help, then so be it. Corporates can also have a gender equality group to monitor and to address gender issues in organizations”.
Redefining Leadership
Dr Kailasapathy believes that “women can and women should redefine leadership and who a leader is. Earlier and even now, it is believed by many that men and masculinity are suitable for leaders and leadership. But now research show androgynous leadership is better. So, again, this is something that needs to be worked on in terms on our values, evaluations, as criteria in promotion and selection decisions”.
Overcoming challenges
There are many women who struggle to reach heights in the Corporate Ladder due to various reasons. Dr. Kailasapathy explains “Being a ‘super woman’ is very hard still in our culture. We have to make many sacrifices in life to reach the top. Not all are understanding and supportive of us. But don’t lose hope. First, believe in yourself. You need to be in a ‘what may come, I can do it’ mode. There are many sayings (my father used to tell me and my sister when we were kids) that you need to tell yourself as mantras in life: ‘this will also pass’, ‘life is like a wheel, what goes up comes down and what is down goes up’, ‘do whatever you do, well/perfectly’. Also, my school motto ‘dare to do right’ is also beneficial”.
She further explains the importance of organization culture for a success of an individual “We also need to work in an organization that values and believes in us. Otherwise, reaching your potential will not be possible. In HRM, we call this person-organisation fit. Networking, have mentors, role models and a group of friends and family who will always be there for you is also important”.
The support system
In response to a query on key support factors for women to succeed, Dr Kailsapathy explains,
“As I mentioned earlier, for both genders and especially for women in our type of culture, social support from family and especially the spouse is important. Empathy, understanding, a shoulder to lean on, advise, and encouragement are all part of this social support that one needs. I also benefited from having a few real friends with whom I can confide, get advice and support. After marriage, my husband also joined my support group!”
Dr Kailasapathy reminiscing her childhood days shared her thoughts on the importance of a strong foundation, “In my life, my parents and their values and beliefs were my foundation to who I am now. In school in Jaffna, I remember my sister and me were different in terms of our values and beliefs. My father was an educationist and Marxist. We were brought up to believe in equality (I still believe that all are humans despite all these human created castes, ethnicity, religious differences). I am an atheist. When my father died it was my sister and I who lit the pyre. This was in 1982 when we were teenagers. I think it was the first time in Sri Lanka at an age when Hindu/Tamil women did not go to the cemetery. My mother also had a major influence on me. After my father died at an early age, my mother started working and brought us up. She used to tell us that we need to be educated and should be financially independent unlike what happened to her as a relatively young widow. She was a social activist which inculcated in us the value of not being selfish and only focusing on ourselves and our family but be involved with our community. My maternal grandfather also had an influence on me. He was an ex-civil servant. He taught us to be systematic, prompt, punctual, and organized. Growing up, as we didn’t have brothers, I did work like irrigation, washing the car, climbing trees, painting our house, doing small electrical repairs (and I still do!). This is what society calls as a ‘tom boy’. But that didn’t deter me”.
Education is key regardless of gender
Dr Kailasapathy strongly believes that education should be accessible to all, she explains “Education should be for all and no one should be deprived of it. Sri Lanka’s free and compulsory education has had beneficial effects. We should continue with that and keep ensuring girls and boys do not drop out of school at early age. They are the human capital of the future. But it is important to give the right education”.
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Interview compiled by Rifka Ziyard MBA, FCMA, CGMA, FTII, B Com
Rifka is the Director – Tax and Regulatory at KPMG.
