Practice of Workforce Flexibility-Internal, External, Numerical and Functional Flexibility

Abstract

There is a considerable absence of research literature that evaluates 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 strategies in Sri Lanka. Two of these surveys were conducted in the service sector of offshore 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 employees at executive level and above, while the other two were on shop-floor employees. The findings present the employees' interpretation of their experience of each flexibility strategy, and discuss theoretical and practical implications.