Talent Management Practices and Perceived Employer Branding: Development of a Conceptual Model for Sri Lankan Information Technology and Software Service Sector

Abstract

The talented workforce is one of the utmost strength for Sri Lankan Information Technology (IT) and software service sector. Upholding of unsurpassed talent management practices is extremely required in enhancing the perceived employer branding. Talent management is a “blistering fresh topic” for Human Resource (HR) practitioners for their excessive involvement. The establishment of the concept titled, “employer branding” is bringing separate disciplines of Human Resource Management (HRM) and brand marketing into a single conceptual framework. The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual model between the constructs named talent management practices and perceived employer branding for Sri Lankan IT and software service sector. The archival method was adopted while having a comprehensive reviewing process. A conceptual model was developed while examining of existing literature relating to study variables. Based on the exploratory review, empirical and methodological gaps have been identified between two key constructs; talent management practices and perceived employer branding. In the developed conceptual model, the talent management practices are identified as the independent variable and perceived employer branding is identified as the dependent variable. The descriptive explanation of boundaries among key variables are vital contribution to the entire knowledge frame of HRM literature, as this study addresses both the empirical gap and the methodological gap concerning the impact of talent management practices on perceived employer branding in Sri Lankan IT and software services sector.

Keywords: human resource management, talent management practices, perceived employer branding, IT and software service sector