bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Performance and Configuration of Artificial Intelligence in Business Education Learning Analytics Applications. A Content Analysis-Based Approach.
Authors: Berding Florian , Riebenbauer Elisabeth , Stütz Simone , Jahncke Heike , Slopinski Andreas , Rebmann Karin
Published: March 2022

Learning analytics represent a promising approach for fostering personalized learning processes. Most applications of this technology currently do not use textual data for providing information on learning, or for deriving recommendations for further development. This paper presents the results of three studies aiming to make textual information usable. In the first study, the iota concept is introduced as a new content analysis measure to evaluate inter-coder reliability. The main advantage of this new concept is that it provides a reliability estimation for every single category, allowing deeper insight into the quality of textual analysis. The second study simulates the process of content analysis, comparing the new iota concept with well-established measures (e.g., Krippendorff’s alpha, percentage agreement). The results show that the new concept covers the true reliability of a coding scheme, and is not affected by the number of coders or categories, the sample size, or the distribution of data. Furthermore, cut-off values are derived for judging the quality of the analysis. The third study uses the new concept, analyzing the performance of different artificial intelligence (AI) approaches for interpreting textual data based on 90 different constructs. The texts used here were either created by apprentices, students, and pupils, or were taken from vocational textbooks. The paper shows that AI can reliably interpret textual information for learning purposes, and also provides recommendations for optimal AI configuration.
Metodologi Penelitian Kualitatif
Authors: Pahleviannur Muhammad Rizal , De Grave Anita , Saputra Dani Nur , Mardianto Dedi , Sinthania Debby , Hafrida Lis , Bano Vidriana Oktoviana , Susanto Eko Edy , Mahardhani Ardhana Januar , Amruddin  , Alam Mochamad Doddy Syahirul , Lisya Mutia , Ahyar Dasep Bayu
Published: March 2022

Penelitian merupakan suatu proses penyelidikan yang dilakukan secara aktif, tekun, dan sistematis yang bertujuan untuk menemukan, menginterpretasikan, dan menemukan fakta-fakta yang baru, serta mengembangkan kesimpulan dan menghasilkan teori baru yang sesuai dengan keadaan yang berlaku. Buku dengan judul "Metodologi Penelitian Kualitatif" merupakan buku ajar yang disusun sebagai media pembelajaran, sumber referensi dan pedoman belajar bagi mahasiswa. Buku ini juga akan memberikan informasi secara lengkap mengenai materi apa saja yang akan mereka pelajari. Pokok-pokok bahasan dalam buku ini mencakup: 1) Paradigma Penelitian Kualitatif; 2) Penelitian Kuantitatif vs Kualitatif; 3) Pendekatan Etnografi; 4) Pendekatan Naratif; 5) Pendekatan Studi Kasus; 6) Perumusan Masalah Penelitian Kualitatif; 7) Instrumen Penelitian; 8) Teknik Pengumpulan Data; 9) Analisis Data Penelitian Kualitatif; 10) Keabsahan Data Penelitian Kualitatif; 11) Desain Penelitian; 12) Variabel dan Cara Pengukurannya; dan 13) Menyusun Proposal Penelitian Kualitatif.
Potent Medicinal value of Flavonoids and its mechanism
Authors:   Doon College of Engineering and Technology, Uttar Pradesh-247662, Hafeez  , Ahamad Sarferaj ,   Doon College of Engineering and Technology, Uttar Pradesh-247662, Verma Sanjeev ,   Doon College of Engineering and Technology, Uttar Pradesh-247662
Published: March 2022

The term flavonoid is used to include all of the pigments that possess structure based upon C6-C3-C6 carbon skelton found in flavones, chalcones, anthocyanins, etc. Flavonoids have shown potential health benefits arising from the Antioxidative effects of these phytochemicals whose properties are attributed to phenol ic hydroxyl group attatched to the flavonoid structure. Scavenging of free radical seems to play a considerable part in the antioxidant activity of flavonoid compounds. In very rescent years flavonoids as potent radical scavengers have attracted a tremendous interest as possible therapeutic against free radical mediated disease.
Taxonomy, phytochemical composition and pharmacological prospectus of Ficus religiosa linn. (Moraceae)- A review
Authors:   Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, M.J.P. Rohilkhand University, Bareilly, india243006, Gupta Chitra , Singh Shipra ,   Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, M.J.P. Rohilkhand University, Bareilly, india243006
Published: March 2022

Ficus religiosa Linn is a large perennial tree found throughout India. It is used traditionally in the treatment of asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, cancer, hyperlipidemia, inflammatory disorders, and infectious disorders. The present work is an attempt to compile an up-to-date and comprehensive review of F. religiosa that covers its Taxonomy, phytochemistry and pharmacological study.
Future needs and thrust areas of research in natural product studies
Authors:   Indira Gandhi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, IRC Village, Bhubaneswar - 751015, Singh Ruchi
Published: March 2022

During the past few years, as a result of the intense concern with all aspects of ecology, there has been a renewed interest in so called “natural” food and drugs. Scientific strategies for the study of natural products from plants have changed substantially in the past few years for number of reasons including advances in technology, new molecule of substantial interest, changing ethical principles for organism collection and heightened awareness of the chemical and biological potential of the natural resources.
Early Childhood Caries: Scenario in Nepal
Authors: Sundas Sunanda
Published: March 2022

Early childhood caries (ECC) is a virulent form of dental caries present in primary dentition and is the most common infection related disease in young children worldwide.1 It’s been on the rise in many countries, and has become a significant health problem especially in socially disadvantaged populations. ECC does not only affect teeth but it also leads to other health consequences like pain, infection, altered eating habits, sleep disturbances, altered childhood development and psychological outcomes
A Rare Case Report on Sewing Needle as an Interdental Aid: Ignorance or Paucity of Oral Health Education
Authors: Shakya Royasa , Koirala Bandana , Birajee Gajendra , Pasvan Chandrakant
Published: March 2022

The regular use of interdental aids for maintenance of oral hygiene is relatively sparse especially in the developing countries like Nepal. Rather, use of home-based alternatives is more popular among people, which may cause injury to both the hard and soft tissues of oral cavity. This case reports a 14-year-old-female patient who used sewing needle for removing lodged food which broke and got embedded in the buccal mucosa. Exploration of the site of injury revealed the broken needle which was retrieved under topical anaesthesia. Lack of awareness is still a major hindrance causing poor oral hygiene practices among people. Promotion of effective oral health at all levels is the need of hour for achieving holistic health care of especially the dependent population. It is thus high time that we, as dentists evaluate our role in the society and ponder upon the oral health education provided to patients regarding oral health.
Soil sampling depth and phosphorus extraction method for phosphorus in leguminous pastures
Authors: Cuadro Robin , Cadenazzi Mónica , Quincke Juan Andrés
Published: March 2022

The current guidelines and recommendations for P fertilization in Uruguay can be improved by adjusting the sampling depth and analytical methods of testing soil P in pastures with different fertilization history. A set of field trials was conducted between 2008 and 2012 on 14 sites of Uruguay for the purpose of comparing two sampling depths and three methods for assessing P availability by their correlation with annual dry matter yield response. The trials had a randomized complete block design and were sown with Trifolium repens or Lotus corniculatus. Soil P availability was determined by sampling 0-7.5 and 0-15 cm depth using three analytical methods: Bray I, cationic resins, and citric acid. Rock phosphate and triple superphosphate were applied at five P rates. (0-240 kg kg P2O5 ha-1). Annual forage yield was recorded. Relative yield was calculated as measured yield/maximum yield observed within a block. The correlation between relative yield and soil P availability was studied using the modified arcsine-logarithm calibration curve (ALCC) and analyzing the resulting correlation coefficient, root-mean-square error (RMSE) of the soil P test, and RMSE of the relative yield. The 0-7.5 cm soil sampling depth did not show a better fit than the deeper sampling (0-15 cm), with the latter having less variation in soil P test values. When rock phosphate was used, the correlation coefficients were 0.50 for cationic resins, 0.53 for citric acid, and 0.38 for Bray I. When triple superphosphate was used, the correlation coefficients were 0.37 for cationic resins, 0.44 for citric acid and 0.43 for Bray I. For both P sources, the citric acid method with the sampling of 0-15 cm soil depth is the preferred soil P test method for management of P in leguminous pastures for the soils studied.
Implication of Green Balanced Scorecard on Sustainable Performance in the Hospitality Industry
Authors: De Silva P.O. , Herath H.M.J.P. , Udawaththa U.D.I.C.
Published: March 2022

The environmental oriented decision-making process under the umbrella of sustainability has gained significant attention across the globe. However, many entities yet have not implemented sustainable measures that require to be viewed through a strategic lens to evaluate their performance although such a measure influences the entities' image, competitiveness, profitability, market share, and survival at large. Therefore, the conventional Balanced scorecard that provides the holistic picture of organizational performance in a need for articulating environmental-sustainable measures.
Accordingly, the hospitality industry as a vital industry in the Sri Lankan economy intensely in need of an acculturating environmental-sustainable model with a great emphasis on energy, waste, and resource usage that directly acute environmental responsibility along with the financial benefits. Nevertheless, diversified utilization of Green Balanced Scorecard Practices in the hotel industry shows a lack in the Sri Lankan Context. Therefore, the study overviewed the implication of greening the balanced scorecard that articulates financial and nonfinancial environmental measures on achieving the environmental pillar within the Hospitality Industry.
The study design followed a quantitative approach in attempting the aims of the study, employing 188 self-administered questionnaires to observe the perception of managerial level employees in classified Hotels within Colombo District, Sri Lanka. Data were analyzed using the Structural Equation Model approach in Smart PLS. The reliability and validity of the model were approached with strong path-coefficients and the model ascertained a significant relationship between the implementation of green balanced scorecard and sustainable performance. Furthermore, the environmental dynamism that reflects the organizational ability to respond to the demand for environmental changes mediated the relationship between the green balanced scorecard and environmental performance. Thereby, the study witnessed that environmental measures aligned with sustainable performance would drive the organization towards environmental sustainability.
Keywords: Green Balanced scorecard, Sustainable Performance, Environmental Dynamism
Demographic Factors and Saving Behaviour: It’s Relevance in Financial Planning for Retirement
Authors: Hiremath K. , Afza N.
Published: March 2022

Life expectancy, in India, was 41 years in 1960, which stands 69.4 years in the year 2018, (World Bank, 2020). This improvement in the life expectancy is due to enhanced standard of living and improved healthcare system in India.

India is a young nation with 28.34 years as a median age and more than 60 per cent of the population is in the working age group. Favourable saving and investment practices followed by this young population would lead to personal wealth creation and there would not be financial strain after retirement. RBI report on household finance revealed that 77 per cent of the population did not save for retirement. It is important to understand the saving and investment practices followed by this young population. The saving and investment practices are influenced by many demographic variables (May & Sterne, 2018). Demographic variables such as age, gender, income, education, family size to name a few, influence the earning capability, amount available for saving, understanding of various financial products available for investment and making financial plan for life after retirement. The present study has probed into relevance of demographic factors in financial planning for retirement. The study has considered predictor variables, namely age, gender, education, profession, size of the family, total earning members in the family, frequency of saving and advice for saving. The study is conducted in the Quilon City, Kerala. For the study primary data is collected using structured questionnaire. Google form was the medium to collect the data. Binary logistic regression is used to analyse influence of afore mentioned variables on individual’s act to take decision to make financial plan for retirement. The study revealed that age, profession, number of earning members in the family, frequency of saving and advice for saving has significant impact on individual’s initiative to plan for retirement.

Keywords: Financial Plan, Demography, Retirement
Women Empowerment Through Microfinance: An Empirical Study on Ampara District of Sri Lanka
Authors: Perera V.
Published: March 2022

The prime objective of this study is to identify the association between microfinance and women empowerment by giving opportunity for self-employment, rural women and the impact of micro-credit, savings, skill training and education on women empowerment as well. This study focuses on women empowerment through micro finance under post-war development in Ampara District selecting five rural areas which are Uhana, Padiyathalawa, Weeragoda, Damana, and Ampara in Ampara District. The information has been gathered by primary data from the rural women in the above selected areas and 105 responded out of 50. From the results, it is concluded that the micro-finance has significant relationship and positively correlated (0.852) with empowerment at 0.01 significant levels and its impact is crucial as well. It is suggested that the micro- finance facilities are essential in empowering rural women and developing the women entrepreneurs under post-war development in Ampara District.

Keywords: Micro-Finance, post-war development, women empowerment, Rural Development
Limitations and Hypothesis Underlying the Application of CIDA Price Fluctuation Formula in Sri Lanka
Authors: Jayalath C. , Wickramasinghe W.M.U.
Published: March 2022

The CIDA price fluctuation formula has been recommended in construction projects of more than three months’ duration. The aim is to recover unforeseen costs due to open market escalation, at least to some extent. The industrial perception has not however been researched in detail for further improvements. This research is to gauge the industrial enthusiasm towards the CIDA price fluctuation formula as a means of recovery of loss. The objectives are to disclose the limitations and hypothesis underlying its application, reveal the context in which it operates, measure the perception and key concerns of the users with regard to its reliability. At the outset, a desk review was carried out to identify the logic behind the formula. Existing pre-published information was tracked down in this review. A literature survey was carried to understand the context in which it operates. A series of interview was conducted to gauge the individual perception of practitioners who have been dealing with the formula application. A Maximum Variation Sampling method was adopted to ensure collecting a wide range of participants with different viewpoints and, a narrative analysis method was used to identify shared comprehension among the practitioners. It was found that many of the criticisms entail a valid basis. Hence, it is recommended to publish the indices regularly and calculate the input proportions jointly. It is also recommended to calculate cost adjustment factors for individual contracts and publish the price indices in district basis or introduce price adjustment procedure specific to each administrative district.

Keywords: CIDA formula; Compensation; Open market vacillations; Price escalation
Appraisal of the Competency Gap between UOM Quantity Surveying Degree Programme and IQSSL Competency Standards
Authors: Padmasiri N.A.K.A.S. , Rathnasinghe A.P. , Seneviratne L.D.I.P.
Published: March 2022

Quantity Surveying is one of the prominent professions in the construction industry which fulfils varied and comprehensive duties to support cost-effective construction and property development. Thus, Quantity Surveyors (QSs) should adorn with competencies to deal with complex situations in the construction industry. The Quantity Surveying profession has become an emerging profession due to the increasing number of Quantity Surveying degree programmes offered by many Sri Lankan institutions. However, many construction professionals claim that Quantity Surveying education in Sri Lanka has not distinguished the actual needs of the profession, thus the graduates are presumed to not being up to the standards expected by the industry. Institute of Quantity Surveyors Sri Lanka (IQSSL) is the local professional organization that has set out competency standards for QSs under the Act of parliament. Assessment of Professional Competency (APC) is being evaluated by the IQSSL. IQSSL will only accredit any degree programmes which comply with specified competencies. On the other hand, the University of Moratuwa (UOM) is one of the government institutions that conduct the Quantity Surveying education in Sri Lanka and IQSSL has accredited its degree programme. Thus, this study intends to ascertain to which extent the IQSSL competency standards are being satisfied by the UOM Quantity Surveying degree programme to address the above claim of industry practitioners. To attain the aim, an extensive literature synthesis was piloted to develop a theoretical competency mapping framework upon the key findings of the literature. This research outlines a 'competency' as the ability of an individual to follow a set of professionally agreed standards. Due to the rapid evolvement and complexity in the construction industry, it is much required to enhance QSs' competencies. The literature synthesis identified that the UOM's competencies are slightly different from IQSSL competency standards. Hence, the research outcome has successfully argued that there is a competency gap between the UOM Quantity Surveying degree programme and IQSSL standards through competency mapping techniques. Thus, identifying such a competency gap would enhance any knowledge requirement of the UOM graduates in line with the construction industry.

Keywords: Competency, Quantity Surveyor (QS), Institute of Quantity Surveyors Sri Lanka (IQSSL), University of Moratuwa (UOM), education
role of Social Capital in Education Literature: A Critical Synthesis
Authors: Rv. Fr. Perera K. , Gunawardena K. D. , Banda Weerakoon
Published: March 2022

This critical synthesis incorporates both theoretical and empirical literature on social capital. A primary role of social capital is to enable a child to gain access to human, cultural, and economic capital, as well as to school resources and support. The focus of the review is on educational literature that studies social capital and educational equity. After outlining the approach, next, the study undertakes a critical review of the literature by first examining emphatical literature, trends in conceptualization, theoretical base, method and then assessing empirical support for claims that social capital is positively linked to education equity. Finally, discuss gaps in the conceptualization, measurement, and analysis of social cultural, economic and human capital in educational literature.

Keywords: educational equity, literature reviews, social, economic, cultural and human capital
Impact of Corporate Governance on Corporate Sustainability: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Dissanayake D.H.S.W. , Dissabandara D.B.P.H. , Ajward A.R. , Perera K.L.W.
Published: March 2022

The COVID-19 impact has caused rethinking about Corporate Sustainability in the world. During the last decade, the relationship between Corporate Governance (CG) and Corporate Sustainability (CS) has been discussed by various scholars in the world, but with inconclusive evidence. This study systematically reviews the literature to understand the relationship between compliance with corporate governance principles and its impact on CS in order to understand the trend, country-wise publications, journals of publications, methods applied, and the relationship in the past and to discuss the possible relationship, and finally to provide a future agenda. For this systematic review, the SCOPUS database was utilized due to having comprehensive coverage of sources in the selected area. This study reviewed related articles from the year 1998 to 2020. There were 1,205 articles at the first screening and finally 70 qualified articles were selected for final review after assessing each article based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The findings of this study suggest that CG and CS area is an emerging field and the published journal articles and citations during the period 1998 to 2020 have increased drastically. Further, according to the review, only 30% of studies have been published in the Asian context. Moreover, approximately 80% of the articles considered the theoretical underpinnings of this relationship using Agency theory, Legitimacy theory, and Stakeholder theory. Further, the systematic literature review indicated that only very few studies used primary data, and most of the studies used listed firms as a sample of the study. Besides, the majority (94%) of the studies used regression analysis as the data analysis method. Finally, most of the research (78%) articles found a positive relationship between CG and CS and only a few (16%) articles found a negative, mixed, and no relationship. This paper contributes the research knowledge on CG and CS literature via shedding theoretical and empirical insights. Further, as this paper highlights predominantly the positive relationship between CG and CS, and thus managers and policymakers could focus more on CG to improve CS.

Keywords: Corporate Governance, Corporate Sustainability, Systematic Review
Challenges Faced in the Implementation of Sustainability Reporting: Empirical Evidence from Listed Companies in Sri Lanka
Authors: Sandali W.A.P.L. , Gunathilake W.K.N.C. , Deshapriya M.G.C.D. , Nirman M.A.C. , Lokeshwara A.A. , Weerarathna R.S.
Published: March 2022

Sustainability reporting is a voluntary endeavor that involves publishing reports for reflecting the economic, social and environmental performance of an organization (Isenmann and Kim, 2006). When reporting sustainability practices, corporations encounter many challenges. The objective of the study was to discover the challenges faced by public listed companies in the implementation of sustainability reporting practices. Qualitative approach has been applied in gathering data and structured interviews were conducted among public listed companies who make sustainability disclosures aligning with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) framework. The study has been undertaken selected sectors in Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) who reports sustainability against GRI framework. Researchers have conducted twelve (12) interviews with the responsible personal for sustainability reporting in each company. The data were analyzed utilizing Word Cloud software named as ‘Word It Out’. The findings revealed that gathering information on sustainability practices is a key challenge for most of the companies. Mainly, it was identified that additional resources and costs have to incur in facilitating the reporting purposes. Furthermore, identifying material topics, data accuracy, setting the optimal sustainability goals and measuring sustainability disclosures were also recognized as challenges faced by companies with regard to sustainability reporting. An independent assurance for sustainable reporting by an external auditor is the key overcoming method identified by the researchers as per the interviews. The main limitation was that we were unable to conduct interviews with all the sectors, which would not be adequate for giving an overall representation of sectors in the CSE. Therefore, it is recommended for the future researchers to take a bigger sample who make sustainability reporting according to the existing frameworks.

Keywords: Sustainability Reporting, Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), Challenges
Awareness of Sustainability and its Impact on Gaining Sustainable Competitive Advantage in the Sri Lankan Food Industry
Authors: Perera K.D.I.M. , Fazana S.F.
Published: March 2022

Awareness of sustainability and compliance with the sustainability requirements in volatile business environments are important with the increasing concern of customers and legislations when considered about the current business arena. Being one of the most competitive yet the most pollutant contributing industries in Sri Lanka, gaining a sustainable competitive advantage with an accountable awareness of sustainability in the food industry remains questionable. This study aims to identify the impact of awareness of economic, environmental, and social sustainability on gaining sustainable competitive advantage for an organization. The study focuses on the top management of hotels, restaurants and fast - food chains in Western Province. The research sample includes 150 respondents which were extracted through stratified and convenience sampling techniques while mixed - method technique was adopted for data analysis. The first study follows the quantitative method in which data were collected by using a self-administered questionnaire, while qualitative data were collected via interviewing participants in the second study to validate the findings of the first study. The results revealed that awareness of environmental, economic and social sustainability create a significant impact in gaining sustainable competitive advantage. Particularly awareness of social sustainability highly impacts on gaining competitive advantage compared to the other two variables (R2 = 0.85). These findings were validated via qualitative analysis and findings revealed that having awareness about the three pillars of sustainability will have a significant impact on gaining sustainable competitive advantage. The researcher was able to contribute to the existing literature of relevant constructs and the study contributes as a strategic tool for policy makers in the sustainable strategy formulation process in order to gain sustainable competitive advantage by adopting the latest market trends within the industry. This exposed to number of future research areas on different influential factors relevant to gaining sustainable competitive advantage in addition to the elements discussed within the study.

Keywords: Environmental sustainability, Social sustainability, Economic sustainability, Sustainable competitive advantage
Barriers in Implementing Total Quality Management in Organizations: A Literature Review
Authors: Pussella H.D.M.M. , Yapa S.T.W.S.
Published: March 2022

Present-day customers are very conscious of the quality of products and services. They are ready to pay a higher price for a quality product or service. A company that meets such demands gains a competitive advantage in the market over its competitors. One of the best approaches to address this challenge is the implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM). TQM, a systematic management approach and a journey to meet competitive and technological challenges, has been accepted by both service and manufacturing organizations globally. It is commonly agreed that by adopting TQM, the overall effectiveness and performance of organizations can be improved. Despite TQM offers numerous benefits, it is not an easy task to implement it. It is generally experienced that implementation of TQM is hard and painful due to certain barriers that inhibit the successful implementation of TQM. Understanding the factors that are likely to obstruct TQM implementation enables managers to develop more effective strategies for achieving business excellence. Therefore, the purpose of this literature-based paper is to identify the barriers in implementing TQM in business organizations. An extensive literature review was carried out to achieve this objective. The barriers in implementing TQM were identified under three main thematic areas namely: managerial issues, people-oriented issues and organizational issues. Under managerial issues, there are five barriers which hinder the successful implementation of TQM; lack of communication, lack of top-management commitment, lack of coordination between departments, no benchmarking and poor planning. There are four barriers under the category of the people-oriented issue namely, employee resistance to change, lack of proper training and education, inadequate use of empowerment and teamwork, and human resource barrier. Moreover, three barriers were identified under organizational issues, i.e. lack of continuous improvement culture, the attitude of employees towards quality, and high turnover at management level. Among these three categories, managerial issues were the most vital category followed by people-oriented issues and organizational issues. However, an in-depth empirical investigation is needed to explore the barriers in implementing TQM in the context of Sri Lankan organizations.

Keywords: Total Quality Management, Barriers, Implementation
Role of Employer Green Commitment and Employee Green Awareness in Predicting Employee Green Behaviour: An Empirical Study of Apparel Manufacturing Firms in Sri Lanka
Authors: Wickramaratne W.P.R. , Perera H. A. J. C. L. , Senarathna U. G. N. A.
Published: March 2022

Nowadays, Green Human Resources Management (GHRM) has become a trend among many countries and organizations worldwide that care about their carbon footprint. According to the existing literature, one of the significant aspects of GHRM is the employee green behavior (EGB) which is deemed to make a positive change towards sustainable development goals. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether employer green commitment and employee green awareness are determinants of the employee green behaviour. In this research, a cross-sectional study was conducted to achieve the purpose of the study. The primary data were collected through 50 randomly selected supervisory level employees of five Apparel Manufacturing Organizations in Katunayaka Industrial Zone, Sri Lanka by using a Questionnaire-based survey method. The results of the regression analysis revealed the employee green awareness and employer green commitment are determinants of the employee green behaviours. Therefore, Employers have a huge responsibility to be committed on the green practices and to transform their green awareness towards their employee so that the employees involve in green behaviour. The policy makers should consider the green practices and green policies in the design of training and development programs as well as they should provide an example to their employees by being committed to green practices. Limitations of the study and implications for future research are also discussed.

Keywords: Employee Green Behaviour, Employee Green Awareness, Green HRM, Sustainable Development.
Women Entrepreneurial Characteristics in Developing Successful Brands in Sri Lanka
Authors: Sumanasekara K.P.
Published: March 2022

Expansion of women in higher positions of the organizations and emerging trend of women entrepreneurs has enhanced the scholarly interest in the field of women entrepreneurship and their characteristics. Nevertheless, the contribution of them is still invisible in emerging economies. Developed and established economies have been the focus of many researchers whereas the author has focused on Sri Lanka, an emerging economy to understand the contribution of women entrepreneurs. Main objective of this research is to understand the how women entrepreneurs have developed successful brands in Sri Lanka and how they have used their innate femininity in developing their businesses. Industries focused by the researcher in order to obtain an understanding of the women entrepreneurial characteristics were fashion, bakery and cosmetics in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Seminal literature for the research was focused on ten women entrepreneur characteristics. This research was conducted as a qualitative research. Primary data collection has been done using in- depth interviews with three women entrepreneurs selected by purposive sampling method and participant and non-participant observations with data triangulation. Based on the literature an interview guide was prepared and the data was collected. The richer interpretations have been derived from the in-depth interviews and narratives were built using the stories narrated. Data has been analysed using thematic analysis. Practical implication of this research is to identify the unique entrepreneurial characteristics and use them to enhance the women led businesses in emerging economies.

Keywords: Women Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurial Characteristics, Brand Development, Emerging Economies
Mediating Effects of Entrepreneurship Intention on the Relationship between Perceived Behavior Control and Start-up preparation
Authors: Thevanes N.
Published: March 2022

Recent days, entrepreneurial development has become an extremely vital factor and it is considered as a key feature of economic development through contributing to reduce the unemployment rate, inequality, and poverty. In Sri Lankan context, entrepreneurs have become the seeds of development to provide greater opportunities, increase per capita income and revenue to the Government by the way of taxes and other levies. Despite its importance, Sri Lankan Government employs several entrepreneurial development programmes to enhance the entrepreneurship intention and behaviors among the university students. In this context universities focus more on delivering the entrepreneurial education programmes to the undergraduate and postgraduate students to transform them as the entrepreneurs who can contribute the economic prosperity of the country. However, reviewed literature reveals that how entrepreneurship intention mediates the relationship between perceived behavioral control and start-up preparation has not been empirically tested in Sri Lankan context. Hence, this paper aims to examine the relationships among perceived behavioral control, entrepreneurship intention and start-up preparation and the mediating effect of entrepreneurship intention on the relationship between perceived behavioral control and start-up preparation. In order to achieve the study objectives, primary data were collected from 60 postgraduates from a selected state university in Sri Lanka. The simple mediation analysis was used to test the research model. Findings of the study revealed that, there are positive and significant relationships exist among the study variables. Moreover, empirical finding of the study indicated that entrepreneurship intention mediates the relationship between perceived behavioral control and start-up preparation. The current study is considered to be vital in understanding the empirical knowledge regarding the relationships among perceived behavioral control, entrepreneurship intention and start-up preparation.

Keywords: Perceived behavioral control, Entrepreneurship intention, Start-up preparation, Theory of planned behavior, Sri Lanka
Business Startup Motives and Growth Expectations of MSEs: The Mediating Role of Entrepreneurial Orientation
Authors: Sriyani G.T.W. , Fairoz F. M. , Silva M.W.S.S. , Jayampathi E.K.
Published: March 2022

New venture creations have been considered as importance for the economic growth of any country because of its contribution to the Gross Domestic Production, diversification of local economy, employment generation, creation of innovations and value additions. Though a large number of new venture creations occur every year in Sri Lanka, recent research findings highlighted that a smaller percentage from those were able to grow and survive. Hence, number of business establishments cannot be considered as a meaningful indicator of economic growth of the country and why such a high failure rate was reported has become a crucial issue. Past studies revealed that business startup motives of the entrepreneur effect on the growth and survival of the SMEs. However, concentration on the impact of business startup motives on the success and survival of newly established ventures is lacking. Further, Entrepreneurial Orientation plays a crucial role in directing the business towards success. However, still there is a gap in the literature relating to the mediating role of the entrepreneurial orientation in the link between start-up motives and new venture success. Therefore, present study attempted to answer the research questions as; is there a significant relationship between the business startup motives and growth expectations; is there a significant difference exists in growth expectations between the necessity driven and opportunity driven entrepreneurs; and whether Entrepreneurial Orientation plays a mediating role. Independent Sample T test and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were applied to test the hypotheses based on a sample of 120 micro and small-scale entrepreneurs from Southern province of Sri Lanka. Findings revealed that there is a significant difference between the necessity driven entrepreneurs and opportunity driven entrepreneurs in terms of proactiveness, competitive aggressiveness, and autonomy. Results show that there is no any significant difference exist in growth expectations between the necessity driven entrepreneurs and opportunity driven entrepreneurs and Entrepreneurial Orientation partially mediates the relationship between business startup motives and growth expectations.

Keywords: Business startup motives; Entrepreneurial orientation; Growth expectations; Necessity driven and Opportunity driven entrepreneurs; Micro and Small Enterprises.
Economic Impact of Developing Value-Added Products from Sri Lankan Eppawala Rock Phosphate Deposit
Authors: Hapuhinna K. D. , Gunaratne R. D. , Pitawala J. C.
Published: March 2022

Many countries rich in natural resources lack sustainable resource management under economic utilization has become a common global issue. However, obtaining the right compensation for natural resources and long-term benefits from resource-related wealth has become a timely requirement. Therefore, the current paper aims to discuss both the economic importance and impact of value addition to Sri Lankan Eppawala rock phosphate (non-renewable resource) via innovative commercial products with a variety of economic benefits to Sri Lanka.

For that, Eppawala High Grade Rock Phosphate was successfully converted into Eppawala Hydroxyapatite ceramic types with several properties and applications using chemical processes including; solid - state sintering, sol-gel acidified and alcoholic routes, products were analyzed using several characterization techniques to obtain their chemical and physical properties. Next, it was incorporated with Methyl Methacrylate (MMA) and 2- hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) liquid monomers to obtain their composites. Processed composites were analyzed to find out their applicability on biomedical applications, compared and contrasted their properties with currently using commercial bone cement and dental filling material in clinicals. Furthermore, novel product manufacturing costs were compared and contrasted with the raw material costs and commercial product costs to find out Economic impact.

Results show that Synthesized Eppawala Hydroxyapatite product types can be applied directly as bioceramic material due to its similar characteristics to human hard tissues and its manufacturing cost is lower compared to synthetic Hydroxyapatite commercial product in the market. Processed Eppawala Hydroxyapatite composites are also low cost, can be applied to biomedical applications in the fields of orthopedics, dentistry, profitable than manufacturing fertilizers, and can be exported into the global market and local high-cost imports can be reduced. Considering better performance, low cost and eco-friendliness, novel composites can be applied clinically, export to global market and get much better foreign income into the country and by doing, improve living standards in Sri Lankan citizens.

Keywords: Sri Lankan Economy, Rock phosphate, Orthopedics, Dentistry, Biomedical applications
Informative role of Mass Media during Covid-19 period: A study from Northern Province at Sri Lanka
Authors: Jesuthasan S. , Thevananth J.
Published: March 2022

Presently COVID-19 affects the world people’s lifestyle and health. Most of the people are isolated from their family, friends and relatives. And they follow social distance procedure to protect themselves from the diseases. Due to the pandemic entire world move from in person conversation to web-based communication. So, during this period media spread more information regarding COVID-19 issues. Ultimate purpose of this study is to identify the informative role of media during this pandemic period. Data was collected through the questionnaire and quantitative study conducted to finalize the variables. Descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) used to found solution for the research question and finally we found how people believe and react to media information and according to the finding of the research conclusion and recommendations.

Keywords: Media, COVID-19, Information, Northern Province
Sacred Groves or Profitable Commodities? Interreligious Dialogue on Environmental Degradation with Martin Buber, Black Elk, Pope Francis, and Lynn White Jr.
Authors: Stoeber Michael
Published: March 2022

This article analyzes human orientations related to current environmental issues and proposes positive creative responses, in dialogue especially with Martin Buber, Nick Black Elk, Pope Francis, and Lynn White Jr. It illustrates the problems in relation to Indigenous peoples and coloniality contexts, highlighting both distorted and reverential approaches to trees through consideration of a concrete historical case—the radical depletion and degradation of the white pine forest ecosystem of Ontario and other areas of eastern North America, from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century. The article (i) compares this Canadian/USA context with current conditions in the Amazon rainforest of South America; (ii) analyzes core traditional distorted human attitudes that contribute to such environmental destruction and sociocultural repression, in which trees are solely objectified, hypercommodified, and radically exploited; (iii) points to supportive and personally transforming attitudes toward trees—especially through Jewish-philosophical and Indigenous models—that highlight their intrinsic value and our potential relationship with them, in respectful, appreciative, nonintentional, and deeply spiritual ways; and (iv) relates the dialogue to contemporary socioeconomic concerns and interests.
DIGITAL BANKING AND ITS ESSENCE. THE AZERBAIJANI MODEL
Authors: RUSTAMOV TAMERLAN H.
Published: March 2022

Topicality. The article describes the current transition period of replacing traditional banking with remote banking at a time of deepening the digital transformation of the banking system and the characteristics of this period, as well as the ecosystem changes of this period. Joseph Schumpeter's concept of "Creative Destruction" on the application of innovations in economic processes and its application to the banking system were explained.Aim and tasks. By defining the concept of digital banking, three main approaches to the formation of a digital banking platform were distinguished, including the characteristics of these approaches.Research results. The analysis explains a number of features that characterize digital banking and shape its unique business model, including a horizontally integrated product and service chain based on a fully digital platform, minimization and zero physical contact, and an open platform based on the “Spider web” principle. The characteristics of the legal framework for the creation of digital banking from scratch in Singapore and Hong Kong, which have advanced financial market infrastructure, were analyzed. The main factors of the Australian approach were touched upon. The different approaches to the digital banking model (no new licensing procedure or special licensing requirements), protection of the rights of customers of financial services users, the legal form of digital banking and the legal address in the licensed country are described in the digital banking business model examples are shown. As a follow-up to the study, the Republic of Azerbaijan was selected as the country where the separate licensing process for digital banking was not applied.Conclusion. The main steps to be taken to form a digital banking model in the Republic of Azerbaijan on the basis of the “greenfield” approach and the reforms implemented in the framework of the existing legislation have been announced.