Editors-in-Chief for Vidyodaya Journal of Management (VJM), Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka, are delighted to issue the Volume 5, Issue 11 of the Journal. This issue of VJM disseminates new knowledge through selected scholarly papers that comprehensively investigate current and critical real-world scenarios while balancing the empirical value and theoretical rigor of the studies. It includes six research papers and one book review. Six research papers are related to human resource practices as a source of comparative parity, discrete negative emotions
on misuse of time and resources of employees, solid waste management practices, generic strategy and strategic management accounting, packing elements in baby care products, and environment management practices. A book titled ‘A Guide to Academic Writing and Research Reports’ is reviewed to bring more critical perspective for academic and research writing.

The first article has reviewed and analyzed the relevant iterature in order to determine whether Human Resource (HR) practices can be considered as a real source of sustainable competitive advantage. Through a Systematic Literature Review this paper suggests that HR practices, often called as High-Performance Work Practices, are more likely to be a source of competitive parity than a competitive advantage in the business world.

Secondly, influence of discrete negative emotions on misuse of time and resources in the context of manufacturing and IT firms in India is investigated with the participation of 719 employees. It discloses that not all negative emotions influence the misuse of time and resources; only discouragement, fury and perceived informal work group sanction influence misuse of time and resources of employees.

The third article focuses on the relationship among knowledge, attitude and practices of solid waste management from the perspective of managers in Sri Lanka. The paper shows that although managers possess moderate level of knowledge and attitude on solid waste management their level of practices is poor.

Investigating whether the change in generic strategy for competitive advantage leads to change in strategic management accounting practices used in a leading telecommunication company in Sri Lanka is the focus of the fourth paper. Using case study method, the paper reveals that the relationship between cost leadership strategy and strategic management accounting practices in cost perspective while showing that strategic management accounting practices from customer and competitor perspectives have more practiced with differentiation strategy.

Research focuses on the gap of identifying the importance of the different packaging elements of baby care products along with buyers’ demographic factors using a survey is the fifth paper. The paper revealed that a weak positive importance was laid on “Graphics: Color and Artwork” and on “Physical Dimensions: Design and Shape of the package, while “Information on package” was placed relatively a higher importance in the buying decision. It also shows that perceived relative importance of the packaging elements does not vary due to the demographics (gender, income and education) of the customers.

Sixth paper is for investigating the relationship between environmental management practices (EMPs) on financial performance (FP) using the data from thirty rubber manufacturing organizations by building panel models for the sample during the period of 2012-2016. The study discloses that energy reduction in terms of fossil fuel consumption, waste-water treatment has no significant impact on financial performance while only internal recycling of raw material shows significant impact on financial performance in the rubber manufacturing firms in Sri Lanka.

Finally, we extend our sincere gratitude to all the authors for their valuable contribution through research articles and for patience in the reviewing process; to reviewers for their constructive comments that bring the papers into a publishable level; and to language editors for their service rendered for the Journal.

• Prof. P. G. S. Amila Jayarathne and Dr. (Mrs) Sandamali Galdolage
  University of Sri Jayewardenepura