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Dr. Tharindu Gunathilake

Senior Lecturer

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Profile

Dr. Tharindu Gunathilake is a Chartered HR Professional and academic with over 17 years of combined corporate and academic experience. He is a proud alumnus of Mahinda College, Galle, and obtained his B.Sc. in Biological Sciences from the University of Colombo, followed by his MBA in Business Administration from the University of Colombo. He also holds the Professional Qualification in Human Resource Management (PQHRM) from the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM), Sri Lanka, where he is now a Chartered Member. He earned his PhD in Business Management from Girne American University, Turkey, with research focused on Employee Work Focus: Conceptualization, Scale Development, and Validation.

Currently, Dr. Gunathilake serves as a Senior Lecturer (Grade II) at NSBM Green University, specializing in Human Resource Management, Principles of Management, and Corporate Strategy. His corporate career includes serving as Head of HR at MG Group of Companies and a decade of leadership at the International Construction Consortium (Pvt) Ltd. (ICC), in HR, Administration, and International Business where he was involved in setting up and overseeing international business ventures in the Maldives, Myanmar, and Rwanda. He served as a Visiting Lecturer at Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, Uva Wellassa University, and CIPM Sri Lanka. He also served as a reviewer for the Journal of HRM Perspectives (JHRMP) and the International Research Conference, General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University and the Conference Secretary for 7th CIPM International Research Symposium (2023).

Research Interest

  • Employee Work Focus and High-Performance Culture
  • Competency frameworks and performance management
  • HR Accounting and barriers for HR professionals to become CEOs
  • Strategic HRM and Business–HR Alignment
  • Spiritual Tourism and Rural Development
  • Emotional Labour and Psychological Safety
  • Coaching in sports and Management Implications
  • Buddhist Philosophy and Management Thought

Journal Publications

  1. Gunathilake, G. G. T. Y., & Jayasooriya, S. D. (2022). Employee work focus: Conceptualizing and developing a multidimensional scale. Journal of Management Matters, 9(1), 101–134.
  2. Gunathilake, G. G. T. Y., & Jayasooriya, S. D. (2022). Development of a theoretical model of high-performance culture. Journal of HRM Perspectives, 7(1), 28–39.
  3. Gunathilake, G. G. T. Y., & Jayasooriya, S. D. (2021). Development of a competency framework for site administrative officers in a Sri Lankan construction company. Journal of HRM Perspectives, 6(2), 85–110.
  4. Gunathilake, G. G. T. Y. (2021). Extrinsic factors influencing job performance of engineering staff of a leading construction company in Sri Lanka. Journal of HRM Perspectives, 5(1), 27–35.

Conference (Full Paper) Publications

  1. Gunathilake, G. G. T. Y., & Jayasooriya, S. D. (2021). Competency framework developed for site administration officers in a Sri Lankan construction company. 18th International Conference on Business Management, University of Sri Jayewardenepura.
  2. Gunathilake, G. G. T. Y., & Jayasooriya, S. D. (2021). Constructing an effective performance management system for the highest-graded construction companies in Sri Lanka. 12th International Conference on Business & Information, University of Kelaniya. (Best Paper Presentation – HRM Track).
  3. Gunathilake, G. G. T. Y. (2021). Conceptualizing individual work performance construct in three different industries in Sri Lanka. 14th International Research Conference, General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University.
  4. Gunathilake, G. G. T. Y. (2020). Practices and expectations of performance appraisals in five selected industries in Sri Lanka. 4th Research Symposium of CIPM.

Case Study

  1. Gunathilake, G. G. T. Y. (2021). Battling the COVID-19 pandemic at ICC: A Sri Lankan construction company case. 5th Research Symposium of CIPM.

Newspaper & Magazine Articles

  1. Gunathilake, T. (2023, March 9). A good education for a better future. The Morning.
  2. Gunathilake, T. (2025, September 7). Buddha as a scientific inquirer. Sunday Observer – Research & Innovations.
  3. Contributor to People’s Power Magazine (CIPM Sri Lanka).

Ongoing Research

  1. Operationalizing a Relationship-Centric Model of High-Performance Culture
  2. Spiritual Tourism and Rural Development in Sri Lanka: Potentials, Current Utilization, and Lessons from Global Experiences
  3. Assessing the Quality of Vision, Mission, and Values of Listed Companies in Sri Lanka: A Content Analysis Approach
  4. From Work to Home: A Spillover–Crossover Model of Parental Emotional Labour and Child Development in South Asia
  5. The Impact of Pay Reliability on Non-Financial Rewards and Turnover Intentions: The Mediating Role of Subjective Well-Being in Financially Distressed Companies

Industry & National Contributions

  1. National Research Leadership: Served as Team Leader for national-level research conducted by CIPM and the Department of Agrarian Development (2020–2023) on “Attraction & Retention of Youth in Paddy Farming: Strategic Perspectives and Policy Guidelines for Sri Lanka”.
  2. Expert Contributor: Represented the HR profession and construction industry on the Industry Consultative Board for initiating the B.Sc. (Hons) in Industrial Quality Management at Kotelawala Defence University.
  3. Industrial Mentor: for HRD undergraduates of Uva Wellassa University.
  4. CIPM Engagements: Contributed to the design and revision of the Chartered Qualification in HRM (CQHRM) and other HRM courses for Sri Lankan professionals; served on the Applied Research and Academic & Professional Affairs Committees.