bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ASPECT ON THERMO-PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF EPOXY/RECYCLED PLASTIC COMPOSITES
Authors: A. Omar Sara , W. Mohammed Tawfeeq , K. Ibrahim Yasir
Published: April 2024

Epoxy composites can be reinforced using recycled polymers as filling particles, where these materials have the potential to introduce suitable strength to density ratio beside the aim in achieving a sustainable environment. In the current study, an investigation has been carried out to seek the thermo-physical characteristics of epoxy/plastic composites that involving recycled plastic particles as eco-replacement in the epoxy matrix. The plastics were: Poly-ethylene terephthalate, Poly-propylene, Poly-amide and High density poly-ethylene. Particles have been selected with two sizes: 0.85 mm and 2.36 mm. The samples produced by blending the epoxy with plastic additives, and have the following weight fraction ratios: 5, 10, 15 and 20 wt%, beside the neat one. The results shown generally that the recycled particles can improve thermo-physical properties for a certain limit although that most plastics used had lower density than the epoxy. However, the detailed results have shown that the decreasing in the bulk density was less than 6%. Thermal conductivity and thermal expansion increased by 30% and 70%, respectively as a maximum. The glass-transition temperature decreased by 5% due to the incorporation of thermoplastic particles.
Gereja Kebangunan Kalam Allah Banjarmasin
Authors: Andahan Aquilira , Raissa Giska
Published: April 2024

Gereja Kebangunan Kalam Allah (GKKA) Indonesia merupakan salah satu sinode gereja dengan denominasi Calvinis Injili yang berkembang di Indonesia, termasuk Kota Banjarmasin. Pengajaran denominasi Calvinis percaya bahwa keutamaan gereja terletak dalam pemberitaan Firman Tuhan, sehingga altar dalam ruang ibadah harus menjadi pusat utama dan harus dapat terlihat dengan jelas oleh jemaat. Dalam lingkup Kota Banjarmasin, GKKA Indonesia masih menggunakan bangunan ruko yang memiliki permasalahan keterbatasan dalam menampung jemaat ketika beribadah, serta kurangnya lapangan parkir. Menjawab permasalahan ini, rancangan GKKA Banjarmasin akan menyediakan fasilitas peribadatan yaitu gedung gereja serta fasilitas publik penunjang yang dapat diakses baik oleh jemaat dan warga Kota Banjarmasin. Dengan demikian, perancangan ini diharapkan dapat memberikan alternatif yang mampu mengakomodasi kebutuhan rumah ibadah jemaat GKKA Banjarmasin setiap minggunya, serta memiliki fasilitas publik yang dapat berdampak dalam aspek keberlanjutan berupa sosial, ekonomi, dan lingkungan.
Strategi Pengembangan UMKM Industri Kerajinan Pasca Covid 19 di Kabupaten Buton
Authors: Harjoprawiro La , Mirosea Nitri , Basri Asriyani Mulia
Published: April 2024

The craft industry is the activity of processing raw materials into semi-finished materials or semi-finished goods. The craft industry studied focuses on the typical Buton woven sarong industry, which is one of the MSME affected by Covid-19 in Buton Regency. The aim of this research is to determine and analyze the strengths and weaknesses as well as threats and opportunities of the Buton woven cloth craft industry. The samples used were 30 typical Buton woven cloth craft MSME. This research was analyzed using SWOT analysis. SWOT analysis can produce several alternatives that can be developed after Covid 19 so that they can develop and adapt to the business environment. The results of the research show that the MSME business in the Buton woven cloth craft industry has a strength of 2.06, a weakness of 0.82, an opportunity of 1.67, and a threat of 0.94. In the SWOT analysis diagram, the craft industry is in quadrant I position so that it has strengths and opportunities. Novelty in this research is a strategy used after Covid-19, namely strengthening creative craft branding through multimedia and social media.
Sri Lankan Management Undergraduates’ Employability Capital towards Work Readiness: Undergraduates’ Perspective
Authors: Amarathunga Buddhini , Wijethunga Sadun
Published: April 2024

Work-readiness is the primary goal of higher education and a crucial component of job performance. Universities are intended to provide graduates with the necessary employable skills and knowledge to contribute significantly to the economic development of a country. Many criticisms are levelled at the university system in Sri Lanka for failing to fulfil one of the main goals of university education, which is to equip an undergraduate for a job role. The consensus of experts in the educational sector is that the Sri Lankan education system is not producing appropriately employable graduates, especially in the disciplines of the social sciences and management (Ariyawansa,2008). Accordingly, the primary objective of the present explanatory study aimed to analyse the nature and strength of the relationship between graduate employability capital and the work readiness of management undergraduates in Sri Lankan state universities to address the gap in the literature about Sri Lanka in the given area. To this end, five hypotheses were tested to measure the nature of the relationship between work readiness and five components of graduate employability capital: human capital, cultural capital, identity capital, social capital, and psychological capital. Three hundred and ninety-four undergraduates were selected as prescribed by Krejcie and Morgan (1970), using the stratified sampling method with respondents representing all state universities in Sri Lanka. The findings revealed that the tested five factors correlated positively with the level of work readiness of undergraduates. Moreover, the results showed that the highest positive correlation of the level of work readiness was with psychological capital, the second-highest positive correlation was with social capital and the lowest positive correlation was with cultural capital. Accordingly, the findings demonstrated that the level of psychological capital and social capital of management undergraduates strongly predicts their work readiness.

Keywords: Employability, Employability Skills, Graduate Employability, Work Readiness
In a Permanent State of Global Crises Why Do We Need to Elucidate Crises Dynamics?
Authors: Duquesnois Franck
Published: April 2024

Experts from different domains predict that global crises will occur at shorter intervals. In the domain of public health, Delfraissy and Murgue (2012) named these intervals intercrisis. In my research, I posit that forthcoming decades may face an unprecedented situation of a permanent state of global crises of different natures (financial, health, environmental, geopolitical, still unknown crises). According to Delfraissy and Murgue (2012) the response to a global crisis is mainly the responsibility of national and international public authorities. The preparation of this response with the help of academic researchers during intercrisis period is a key element in the decision-making process of these authorities. This preparation requires a high degree of organisation and coordination of the scientific community, in addition to funding. Following Delfraissy (2017), I posit that international researchers from different disciplines need to be prepared to be “activated” and “projected” within a short time to work together on the next emerging global crises. Very little research work tends toward transdisciplinary research focusing on common dynamics linked to different natures and contexts of crises. Paradoxically, despite abundant use of the word ‘crisis’ and descriptions of numerous particular crises, there is little known about common dynamics inherent in crises whatever their natures and contexts might be. Focusing on the description of crises and emotions surrounding these, people may not have much understanding while facing a unique critical situation. Therefore, the word “crisis” itself is said to be overused, debased, and emptied of its meaning. On the contrary, I do consider that the use of the word “crisis” often expresses predictable dynamics (including different forms of violence) and that the crisis itself needs to be deeply and factually analysed by researchers from different domains. Therefore, the complexity of global crises phenomenon calls for more transdisciplinary research to create knowledge and decipher predictable dynamics. Since 2006, I have been using a very intuitive or even obsessional approach to collect all things related with the word ‘crisis’. I take notes and try to decipher data by comparing crises of different natures and contexts. Since I do consider crisis as an anthropocentric phenomenon, I also consider unconscious or involuntary (self)-destructing process as an important element to be analysed around crisis situation. I take also into account counterproductive logics and actions that may worsen the crisis situation. Moreover, analyses of crises as phenomenon reveal common dynamics inherent to crisis itself despite the nature and the context of crises. My research work may provide original contributions to be taught to transdisciplinary researchers working on a new global crisis and feed decision-making process of public authorities.

Keywords: Crisis, Dynamics, Transdisciplinary Research, Decision-Making Process
Impact of Financial Inclusion on Rural Development in Sri Lanka
Authors: Adhikari A.M.C.P. , Herath H.M.T.S. , Kannangara S.D.P.P.
Published: April 2024

Financial inclusion has been one of the most debated areas of the development process in many developing countries, particularly in Sri Lanka, for many years but has not yet been adequately addressed. In Sri Lanka, there has been a gentle increase in the density of economic institutions since 1990. In line with the survey on GN divisions (2009/10), the common was 4.2 financial institutions per GN division. From time to time, there are some initiatives taken by the Central Bank regarding financial inclusion. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to analyse the relationship between financial inclusion and rural development. This study used the quantitative approach and secondary data, spanning annually from 1996 to 2019. The Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model was performed to test the constructs' hypothesised relationship using the EViews 11 student version. According to the ARDL results, the study reports a positive relationship between financial inclusion and rural development. Cooperative banking as an institution plays an incredibly significant role in achieving the objective of a countless degree of financial inclusion in the country by bringing together people's resources with small means and providing them with access to different financial services. These banks provide the credit requirement of people with a limited resource mobilisation scope living in rural areas with considerably higher social responsibility. Cooperative banks may encourage modernisation by facilitating the dissemination of new technologies, mobilising self-help, and motivating people to use their self-help potential better. Thus, offering an economic future for rural youth in the country. Further, it revealed that despite the substantial improvement of rural development over the period from 1996 to 2019. It is expected that the findings of this study help various level policymakers to address the issues relating to rural development and financial inclusion from a novel and different perspective. Future studies may investigate the modernisation facilities considering what extent that help to improve the financial inclusion in the country and for the continued sustainable development in Sri Lanka as a whole.

 Keywords: Financial Inclusion, Rural Development, Sri Lanka
Comparative Analysis of Suicide, Economic Growth and Unemployment Rates: South Asian Context
Authors: Langappuli Saumya , Langappuli Olithi
Published: April 2024

It is a universal truth that suicide is a massive public concern across the world but yet what drives people to take their own lives is widely uncertain. This deadliest action is referred as a well-known psychological or mental illness and many researchers have struggled to find the exact solution or a way to prevent this life-threatening tragedy using various socio-economic variables. However, still according to the WHO records more than 700,000 people commit suicide every year, simply one person per 40 seconds. The objective of this study is to explore the influence of economic growth and unemployment on suicide rate in Asian regions in the context of rapid economic development and unemployment rate fluctuations. The suicide data with gender preference, GDP growth rate, and the unemployment rate of all eight south Asian countries are collected for the period of 2000 to 2019. According to the descriptive analysis, the behaviour of suicide rate is relatively high in Sri Lanka and India compared to other Asian countries. Suicide rates for the Maldives, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Bhutan have remained stable. Then the dependent variable, suicide rate has been partially analysed according to the two independent variables, economic growth and unemployment rate using the partial correlation by confounding one variable at a time. The influence of unemployment held constant, the GDP per capita was found to have an insignificant but negative and lower interrelation with the suicide rate in most countries. From all eight countries only India and Bangladesh have a considerable influence of economic growth on suicide over the 20-year period. Moreover, only Afghanistan and Nepal have shed insignificant influence between the unemployment and the suicide rate whilst controlling the impact of economic growth and all other economies’ suicide decisions are at least moderately influenced by the unemployment rate factor, emphasising the link between the unemployment rate and the suicide rate is realistic. Prompt action in this regard is not a micro-scale government obligation. The factual results as illustrated in this study have vital implications for the Sri Lankan government regarding the remarkable flow of the suicide rate. In the long run, the most suitable solution to unemployment is creating new innovative employment opportunities.

Keywords: Suicide, Unemployment Rate, GDP Growth, Partial Correlation
Impact of Public Debt on Domestic Investment and Foreign Direct Investment in Sri Lanka
Authors: Shiyalini Sathanantham
Published: April 2024

Indebtedness has become one of the major development policy issues for the Sri Lankan economy. The excessive government borrowings over the capacity of the country cause adverse impacts on an economy, particularly its unfavourable effects on domestic and foreign investment inflows. Therefore, this study investigates the impact of the components of public debts (domestic and external debts) on the various forms of investment (domestic investment and foreign direct investment) in Sri Lanka for the period between 1980 and 2020. Thus, this study estimated two investment models where domestic investment and foreign direct investment were dependent variables. ARDL bounds testing approach was employed in this study which confirmed the existence of a long-run cointegration relationship among the variables.  Empirical findings of this study show the evidence for the presence of a crowding out effect of both domestic and external debt on domestic investment in Sri Lanka both in the short-run and long-run. It was also found that domestic debt crowds out FDI inflows in the long-run, but it crowds-in the flow of FDI in the short-run. Furthermore, external debt has a significant inverse relationship with FDI inflows in the short-run, as expected, but it does not influence FDI in the long-run. The findings also showed that higher lending interest rates reduce the volume of domestic investment, but it does not influence FDI in the long-run. However, in short-run, an increase in the rate of lending interest rate lowers the expectation of foreign investors and crowds out the flow of FDI in Sri Lanka, as expected. Furthermore, the depreciation of the exchange rate decreases both domestic and foreign investment in the short-run, but it encourages both types of investments in the long-run. The results further concluded that the impact of domestic debt on various forms of investment in Sri Lanka is greater than external debts. The study, therefore, recommends that the government should strive to reduce its higher debt profile by improving its revenue base and formulate better debt management strategies in order to increase the volume of investment in the country.

Keywords: Domestic Debt, External Debt, Domestic Investment, Foreign Direct Investment, Sri Lanka
Demand Driven Factors of Inflation in Sri Lanka: An ARDL Approach: 1977- 2019
Authors: De Alwis Tyrone
Published: April 2024

Inflation in Sri Lanka has been one of the major macroeconomic issues that the country has faced with, especially after 1977, because inflation in Sri Lanka is persistently high as it has indicated a double-digit figure. There are various factors contributing to this effect. The present study analyses the demand-driven factors of inflation in Sri Lanka because diverse theories were put forward by economists. Demand-Pull inflation is occurred when the aggregate demand (AD) exceeds aggregate supply (AS). There is an increase in  aggregate  demand  (AD)  categorised  through  four  sectors  of  the  economy  such  as  business, households,  foreign  buyers  and  government. To identify such factors, the time series data is used applying ARDL technique to identify the long-run and short-run relationships during 1977-2019 period. The demand-driven long-run factors are real GDP, fiscal deficit, treasury bills rate 91-days, and broad money supply. However, short-run factors are real GDP, imports, fiscal deficit, nominal wages -board, nominal wages – government and broad money supply. The findings would be useful for policy makers in their effort in controlling the inflation in the country by maintaining the price stability in Sri Lanka in a sustainable manner. The study found that increase in money in the economy will increase prices in the country in the short-run. Money supply indicated highest impact on the inflation. Thus, due to higher growth in money supply investments opportunities will tend to go up and more employment opportunities will be generated in the country. This will cause the aggregate demand to rise causing the domestic prices of goods and services to go up due to higher demand. These results clearly show that money supply impacts the inflation through demand side.

Keywords: Inflation, ARDL, Co-Integration, Money Supply, Fiscal Deficit, Central Bank, Monetary Policy
Role of Quadruple Helix in Fostering Social Innovation through Women’s Entrepreneurship: A Case Study of Sri Lanka
Authors: Palliyaguru Thathsara Dulangi
Published: April 2024

In the aftermath of the Tsunami disaster in 2004 and the current COVID-19 pandemic, developing nations have faced high economic disparities. Sri Lanka, an island nation in South Asia, has faced the same economic hardships that many economies face globally. The hardest-hit segment of this economic incongruence has been the marginal communities. Post-Tsunami disaster development scenarios have revealed female entrepreneurs of marginal communities as social innovators. The said women entrepreneurs have managed to develop village economies and empower local society. However, as the international aid reduced over time, lack of empowerment, economic hardships, and domestic abuse, female entrepreneurship has decreased throughout the nation. Currently, prominent support to empower women's entrepreneurship has been via non-governmental organisations, which have induced limited collaborations between government agencies, industries, and universities. Yet, there is a lack of transparency and lack of partnership within these actors. Throughout the study, I portray that by creating a knowledge economy via strengthening the quadruple helix, it is possible to increase female entrepreneurship skills, thus leading social innovations in marginal communities. Moreover, based on the findings of this research, I propose practical policy implementations by the creation of regional incubators which are accessible to marginal communities. I bring forward that regional incubators will act as a collaborative agent between government agencies, various industries, regional universities, and civil society. Furthermore, they will function as knowledge transfer offices. An innovative hub of this nature will undertake as a beacon of female entrepreneurship and forefront of social innovation.

Keywords: Social Innovation, Female Entrepreneurship, Quadruple Helix, Entrepreneurial Ecosystems, Regional Incubators, Knowledge-Driven Entrepreneurship
Determinants of Translating Entrepreneurial Intention to Action: A Study of Undergraduate Students of the University of Peradeniya
Authors: De Alwis D.T. , Kodithuwakku K.A.S.S. , Hemachandra D.
Published: April 2024

Entrepreneurs are the wealth creators of an economy, and hence, business start-ups are always encouraged. Although it is often suggested that entrepreneurial intentions are strong predictors of entrepreneurial action, all intentions do not necessarily translate into action as there is an “intention-action gap” when nascent entrepreneurs fail to act on their intentions. This study aimed to explain the gap between entrepreneurial intentions and entrepreneurial action and identify the determinants of the intention to action translation by surveying the final year undergraduates from different degree programmes at a major public university in Sri Lanka. The research focused on the effects of demographic, psychographic, and environmental factors to explain the intention-action gap. Data were collected using a pre-tested self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire was circulated online among the entire final year undergraduate student population of the University of Peradeniya. Four hundred and fifty-three undergraduate students (n=453) responded to the survey. Hierarchical OLS regression with the main effect model and an interactions model was used for the data analysis. Results found that of the respondents who had entrepreneurial intentions, 32% had taken some actions towards starting a business. The results also revealed a positive relationship between entrepreneurial intention and action and there were positive effects of gender, perceived competence in entrepreneurial skills, entrepreneurial environment in the faculty, and entrepreneurial education on entrepreneurial actions. Furthermore, it was found that progressing from entrepreneurial intention to action was more robust for male undergraduates compared to female undergraduates. Therefore, to promote entrepreneurship, introducing entrepreneurship courses, introducing programmes to improve entrepreneurial skills and competencies and promoting an entrepreneurial culture in the faculties could be recommended.

Keywords: Entrepreneurial Intention, Entrepreneurial Action, Hierarchical OLS Regression, Students
Impact of Work from Home on Employee Job Satisfaction and Performance: A Study of a Selected IT Company in Sri Lanka
Authors: Priyangaa Y. , Wickramaratne M.A.P.D.P.
Published: April 2024

The Sri Lankan government established the social distance policy and lockdown system as a remedial measure to the COVID-19 pandemic situation. Therefore, the organisations decided to implement the work from home concept even though it is new to Sri Lankans. Hence, the present research was undertaken to examine the situation of work from home, to examine the impact of work from home on employee job satisfaction and performance, and to provide suggestions and recommendations to improve the employees’ outcomes during work from home. The study was conducted in an information technology service company in Colombo. The conceptual model of this study was tested mainly based on the primary data which were collected through a pre-tested structured questionnaire by online survey with a randomly selected sample of 100 information technology application support consultants. Standard statistical procedures such as reliability test, Wilcoxon-singed rank, correlation analysis, and regression analysis were used to analyse the data. The results revealed that the majority of the information technology application support consultants were male, single (living with family), educated up to bachelor degree level, and satisfied with work from home. The analysis has shown that organisational climate, technical support, financial support, task identity, dealing with others, and feedback from clients significantly affected the work from home (p = 0.000). Further, findings disclosed that work from home was positively correlated with employee job satisfaction (r = 0.638, p = 0.000) and employee job performance (r = 0.618, p = 0.000). This study could be concluded that work from home has a positive and significant impact on employee job satisfaction and performance of the selected information technology service company. Further, the outcomes of this study mainly recommended providing sufficient credit facilities such as: providing loans for a home-based office (Mean = 4.69, p = 0.000). The findings of this study provide significant insight to information technology service companies who implement and perform the work from home concept, to enhance the employees’ outcome during work from home situations.

Keywords: Employee Job Performance, Employee Job Satisfaction, Impact, Work from Home
Study on the Exposure to E-Learning during COVID-19: Special Reference to Management Undergraduates of Non-State Universities
Authors: Weerasinghe D.S.H. , Biyanwila D.S. P. , Bogahage S.D. , Thiwanka M.P.S. , Weerarathna R. S. , Pathirana U.P.G.Y.
Published: April 2024

Education is a goal of every human being in this modern era. The remarkable growth in information technology and the internet over the past few years has propelled the need for the application of e-learning among the educational sectors. Due to the recent outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sri Lankan educational institutes were forced to transform to e-learning. Hence, it is essential to have a strong awareness on the engagement of students in this e-learning. The purpose of this study is to examine the level of exposure to e-learning with special reference to the management undergraduates of non-state universities in Sri Lanka. This study is a quantitative research study and is based on a deductive research approach. For data collection, researchers used a questionnaire based on a convenience sampling process. A sample of 332 students was considered from a total population of 2500 students including 3rd and 4th year management undergraduates from two non-state universities. The collected data were analysed using one sample t-test analysis and descriptive analysis using the Statistical Package for Service Solutions. The researchers used one sample t-test to predict the students' level of exposure to e-learning based on the mean value of e-learning. The results show that students had a high level of exposure to e-learning with a value of 3.92. In addition, it revealed that system quality, instructors’ quality, digital readiness and learners’ attitude are highly influential towards the students’ level of exposure to e-learning. Furthermore, descriptive analysis revealed that the average GPA achieved by undergraduates utilising e-learning is higher than by traditional learning with an average score of 3.35. The findings of this study can serve as a guideline for higher educational institutions in developing appropriate initiatives to uplift the e-learning exposure. The main limitation of the study was that only management undergraduates were taken into consideration. As a result, future researchers should focus their efforts on different faculty studies separately to explore the level of e-learning exposure in each one of them.

Keywords: COVID-19, E-Learning, Exposure, GPA, Undergraduates
Mediating Role of Organisational Citizenship Behaviour for the Environment in the Relationship between Perceived Green IT Practices and Perceived Environmental Performance of Bank
Authors: Binali Patuwatha Withanage Yashara , Arulrajah Anthonypillai Anton
Published: April 2024

Information Technology (IT) provides pervasive advantages and benefits to the organisations and society as a whole. People are comprehensively using and upgrading their standard of living and quality of life through IT advancements. Business organisations are moving towards digitalisation day by day. IT provides strong platforms for the entire operations of the world. At the same time, IT has been contributing to serious environmental problems and issues that most people do not realise or understand. To reduce IT-related environmental problems and to create a sustainable environment, organisations have to promote Green Information Technology (GIT) practices. In Sri Lanka, banks recently shifted towards GIT practices. Hence, there are theoretical and empirical knowledge gaps in the literature regarding the relationships among Perceived Green Information Technology (PGIT) practices, Perceived Environmental Performances (PEP), and Organisational Citizenship Behaviour for the Environment (OCBE). Hence, this study intends to explore the relationship between PGIT practices and PEP and to investigate the possible mediating role of OCBE in the relationship between PGIT practices and PEP of selected commercial banks in the Matara City of Sri Lanka. The primary data for this study was collected through questionnaires from 125 employees of the selected bank in the study area. The findings of this study revealed that PGIT practices have a significant positive relationship with the PEP of the banks. The study also confirms that OCBE mediates the relationship between PGIT and PEP of banks. This study contributes to empirical knowledge and understanding of PGIT practices, OCBE, and PEP in the banking sector.

Keywords: Green Information Technology, Employee, Organisational Citizenship Behaviour for the Environment, Environmental Performance, Bank
Impact of Green Marketing Mix Strategies on Customer-Based Brand Equity in Green Hotels: Matale District in Sri Lanka
Authors: Madhunimasha M.M.S.C. , Pathmini M.G.S.
Published: April 2024

This paper aims to examine the impact of Green Marketing Mix Strategies (GMMS) on Customer-Based Brand Equity (CBBE) in green hotels in Sri Lanka. The paper opens by identifying CBBE as a paradox for green marketing strategies and a short discussion on CBBE as a vital strategic bridge. The paper provides some accessible reflections on CBBE and GMM-S within the hotels in the Matale District, Sri Lanka. Three main dimensions that measure the CBBE are: brand loyalty, perceived brand quality and brand trust while green marketing strategies are; green product, green pricing, green place and green promotion. The survey approach has been used as the research strategy and this is a cross-sectional study. Both primary and secondary data were used for the study. The population of this study was green hotels located in the Matale District, Sri Lanka.  A sample of 11 hotels was selected by administering the purposive sampling technique. A self-administrated questionnaire with a five-point Likert scale was utilised for collecting the primary data. The collected data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Cronbach’s alpha values confirmed the reliability of the data. Results of linear regression analysis indicated a significant, positive impact of GM strategies on CBBE in the hotel industry in Sri Lanka. This paper also suggests green marketing strategies to be specially considered and it describes the value of maintaining green marketing practises within green hotels in the Matale District, Sri Lanka.

Keywords: Customer-Based Brand Equity, Green Hotels, Green Marketing Mix, Green Marketing Strategy Matrix, Green Consumer
Impact of Strategic Orientation of Eco Reputation on Cost Saving through Reverse Logistics Drivers
Authors: Pananwalal P.A.S.P. , Galahitiyawe Nilakshi W.
Published: April 2024

One of the major concerns that companies have is the need to support a sustainable environment. Customers’ awareness of environmentally friendly initiatives has increased over the years, driving firms to become more responsible for the environment. Reverse logistics is one of the key green strategies that emphasises supporting a sustainable environment in the field of the supply chain. Therefore, the study attempts to find out whether the strategic orientation of eco reputation has an impact on cost saving of the organisation through reverse logistics drivers. The descriptive cross-sectional survey design has been used to collect data and a self-administered questionnaire was distributed among manufacturing companies in the BOI zones in Sri Lanka. Responses were gained from a sample of 250 subjects using a structured questionnaire that was given to supply chain and operations managers in the organisations. SPSS 20.0 and AMOS version 20.0 was used to analyse the data in the study. The results depict that the strategic orientation of eco reputation has an impact on cost saving of the organisation and the mediation factor of reverse logistics drivers has a significant impact on the strategic orientation of eco reputation on cost saving of the organisation.  It is recommended that the top management should increase awareness on reverse logistics drivers in order to enhance the eco reputation of the organisation and to save its cost. As a whole, this study will be useful to gain insight on the extent to which strategic orientation of eco reputation affects organisation cost saving through reverse logistics drivers in manufacturing companies in Sri Lanka.

Keywords: Green Strategies, Reverse Logistics Drivers, Strategic Orientation of Eco Reputation, Sustainable Environment
Framework to Facilitate Bid/No Bid Decision Making of the Contracting Organisations in Sri Lanka
Authors: Gamage I.S. , Perera B.A.K.S.
Published: April 2024

The process of bidders submitting offers for the completion of construction projects is known as construction bidding. Contractors frequently acquire projects through competitive bidding, and the decision to bid or not to bid is a critical step in that process. Errors in this decision-making process will ultimately result in huge losses for contractors. Many theoretical models have been established across the world to aid in the bid/no-bid decision-making process. However, researchers have identified that those models cannot be directly applied to construction projects due to their complexity. The majority of these models are merely academic exercises that are less useful in real-life circumstances. On the other hand, Sri Lankan contractors have less exposure to these models and more commonly commit malpractice when taking bid/no-bid decisions, which can have significant impacts on the contractor. This research was carried out to address these gaps where the main research aim was to offer a hierarchical framework for facilitating bid/no-bid decision-making of Sri Lankan contractors. The research adopted a qualitative research approach, where data was collected through semi-structured interviews. Consequently, code-based content analysis was used with the aid of the QSR NVivo software to capture significant findings. The research revealed three different bid/no-bid decision-making processes that are currently used in Sri Lanka. Furthermore, the drawbacks of each existing approach were compared and contrasted. Subjectivity, forces from the upper levels, and documentation errors have been identified as common drawbacks inherent in all three approaches. It is further evident that maintaining a database, contacting relevant parties to take the decision, and doing material and competitor analysis will be beneficial for contractors to enhance bid/ no-bid decision making.  The most popular and least specious approach among identified approaches was used as the basis to propose the new hierarchical framework.

Keywords: Bid/No Bid Decision, Decision-Making Approaches, Hierarchical Framework
Application of the Theory of Planned Behaviour among Gum Arabic Consumers in Malaysia
Authors: Hussin Ruhaya , Mohd. Abd. Majid Hayati Adilin , Ahmad Sharoni Siti Khuzaimah
Published: April 2024

Acacia senegal and acacia seyal, which are known as gum arabic, are not only used as food stabilisers and protective agents against dental erosion, but also as dietary supplements to be consumed daily. Due to the multi-functionality and increasing demand for gum arabic, the present study aims at applying the theory of planned behaviour among gum arabic consumers by investigating the relationship between attitudes towards consuming gum arabic (M = 29.56, SD = 5.96), subjective norms (M = 20.95, SD = 5.32), perceived behavioural control (M = 23.78, SD = 4.78), intention (M = 30.04, SD = 6.37) and behaviour. A cross-sectional survey with purposive sampling technique was used to recruit 100 participants (72% females and 28% males) who were gum arabic consumers. Their age range was between 18 to 64 years old. The Survey of the Theory of Planned Behaviour was used to measure the variables in the present study. Results indicate that attitudes towards gum arabic (r = .79, p < .001), subjective norms (r = .54, p < .001) and perceived behavioural control (r = .88, p < .001) were positively associated with the intention to consume gum arabic. The intention was positively correlated with consumption behaviour (r = .32, p < .001). As the consumer psychology study on gum Arabic in Malaysia is scarce, the findings provide a noteworthy contribution to the body of knowledge, especially in understanding the consumption behaviour among gum arabic consumers from psychological perspective. In addition, the present study offers valuable insights for gum arabic marketers and suppliers in understanding their consumers so as to develop effective and winning strategies to market this product, in line with the regulations and guidelines from the government.
Роль самостійної роботи в підготовці психологів у закладах вищої освіти
Authors: Vovk Valentyn
Published: April 2024

У статті проаналізовано теоретичні аспекти ролі самостійної роботи в процесі підготовки психологів. Аналіз наукових джерел дав змогу з’ясувати сутність і зміст основних понять означеної проблеми, а саме: «самостійна робота», «самоосвіта», «професійна підготовка», «самостійна творча діяльність».

У статті також з’ясовано, що поняття «самостійна робота» визначається як вид навчальної діяльності, спрямований на формування пізнавальних здібностей і інтересів майбутнього психолога, його спрямованість на безперервну самоосвіту. Самостійна робота студентів виступає важливою складовою в підготовці психолога як висококваліфікованого, конкурентоспроможного фахівця, здатного до компетентної професійно-психологічної діяльності в сучасних умовах на рівні світових стандартів.

Використовуючи авторський опитувальник щодо визначення якості організації самостійної роботи студентів, було встановлено: що є для них стимулом щодо виконання самостійної роботи, з якими труднощами вони виникаються під час її виконання, наскільки систематично на протязі семестру вони виконують завдання самостійної роботи, які методи педагогічного стимулювання виконання самостійної роботи їм найбільш до вподоби, як часто студенти звертаєтеся за допомогою до викладача щодо виконання самостійної роботи, що вони хотіли б мати з метою підвищення якості організації самостійної роботи, чи ознайомлені студенти х критеріями оцінки виконання завдань самостійної роботи та як часто вони відвідують бібліотку навчального закладу й бібліотеки міста.
INTENSIFICATION OF ONION DRYING USING PREVENTIVE LOW-TEMPERATURE PLASMA: QUALITY AND PARAMETRIC OPTIMIZATION MANAGEMENT
Authors:   Kuban National Technological University, Sosnin Maxim D. , Shorstkii Ivan A. ,   Kuban National Technological University
Published: April 2024

In this paper, the treatment with cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) is considered as a preparatory stage before the onion drying process to control quality parameters. CAP processing was performed on an industrial installation at an electric field strength of 6 kV/cm, using unipolar rectangular pulses with a duration of 100 microseconds and a repetition frequency of 100 Hz. The index of disintegration of plant cell membranes was used as a method for evaluating the effectiveness of CAP exposure. As a result of consideration of a twofactor experiment 32 with a variation in the thickness of onion slicing and the number of pulses per unit area, it was possible to reduce the duration of the drying process by 25–42 % compared to the experiment without processing and preserve the quality of the dried product. The solution of the parametric optimization problem made it possible to establish the range of optimal values for processing CAP for onions. The results obtained have the prospect of application in agro-industrial production for drying fruit and vegetable products.
THE EFFECT OF NEW PREBIOTIC FEED ADDITIVE ON LARGE WHITE BREED PIGS NATURAL RESISTANCE AND PRODUCTIVITY
Authors:   Volga Region Research Institute of Manufacture and Processing of Meat-and-Milk Production, Gorlov Ivan F. , Slozhenkina Marina I. ,   Volga Region Research Institute of Manufacture and Processing of Meat-and-Milk Production, Mosolov Alexander A. ,   Volga Region Research Institute of Manufacture and Processing of Meat-and-Milk Production, Miroshnik Alexei S. ,   Volga Region Research Institute of Manufacture and Processing of Meat-and-Milk Production, Mironova Irina V. ,   Bashkir State Agrarian University, Shakhbazova Olga P. ,   Don State Agrarian University, Radjabov Rasim G. ,   Don State Agrarian University
Published: April 2024

The article presents the research results of studying the bifidogenic feed additive «Lactu-Super» effect on economically beneficial and interior indicators of pigs during fattening period. It was found that feed with the studied feed additive to the experimental animals increased natural resistance level and immunological status of their organism, which indicates metabolic processes intensification. Thus, blood serum bacteriological activity in these animals was 47,53 %, blood serum lysozyme activity was 41,6 %, which is higher than corresponding parameters in their peers by 23,1 % (P > 0,999) and 39,5 % (P > 0,999). The experimental group animals also showed a moderate increase in phagocytic activity and phagocytic number, which indicates an increase in the overall resistance of their body to all kinds of adverse environmental factors. The results obtained indicate the new feed additive «Lactu-Super» use effectiveness in terms of live weight gain increasing and ensuring pigs resistance to negative stress factors in conditions of intensive cultivation technology. The data on body's resistance can be used to improving the production technology of competitive pig farming products.
THE EFFECT OF MINERAL AND VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTS ON THE INFUSION FAUNA OF THE RUMEN AND DAIRY PRODUCTIVITY OF COWS
Authors:   Vologda State Dairy Academy, Department of Animal Science and Biology, Kulakova Tatiana S. , Tretyakov Evgeny A. ,   Vologda State Dairy Academy, Department of Animal Science and Biology
Published: April 2024

The article presents the results of research on the use of mineral and vitamin supplements in the diets of dairy cows and its effect on the microfauna of the rumen and dairy productivity of animals. The object of research was highly productive cows during the period of milking. As a result of the conducted studies, it was found that the use of a feed additive contributed to the optimization of digestive processes by increasing the density of rumen infusoria in 1 ml of rumen fluid in lactating cows of the experimental groups compared with peers from the control group by 22.6–23.1 %, which is reliable (p ≥ 0,95). The feed additive had a positive effect on increasing the biodiversity of infusoria in the rumen of ruminants, creating more favorable conditions for the formation and growth of microfauna, and, consequently, for improving the digestibility of nutrients consumed feed, as evidenced by data on the dairy productivity of animals. During the period of the experiment, the average daily milk yield according to the results of control milkings of cows receiving «Minvit 6.1-Mama» in the amount of 150 g was 31.0 ± 0.6 kg, which is 8.0 % (p ≥ 0.99) more than animals from the control group. Cows of the experimental group 2 had an average daily milk yield of 31.8 ± 0.71 kg, which is 10.8 % (p ≥ 0.99) higher than the same indicator compared to peers from the control group. Thus, the use of mineral and vitamin supplement «Minvit 6.1-Mama» in the feeding of dairy cows contributes to the optimization of scar digestion while increasing the milk productivity of animals. The maximum biological and zootechnical effect is manifested by the introduction of a feed additive in the amount of 200 g per head per day
Aprendizajes y experiencias laborales de las y los egresados de la Universidad Intercultural de Chiapas, sede Oxchuc
Authors:   Universidad  Intercultural  de  Chiapas, Sántiz Gómez Abraham
Published: April 2024

Se analizan los aprendizajes y experiencias laborales de las y los egresados en las licenciaturas de Desarrollo Sustentable y Lengua y Cultura de la Universidad Intercultural de Chiapas, sede Oxchuc, institución que fomenta la vinculación comunitaria y la educación intercultural. Se hace un análisis de 2011 a 2023, donde se discute el aprendizaje por competencias para desarrollar capacidades y habilidades desde los territorios de aprendizajes. Debido a la situación compleja en que se encuentra la educación intercultural y los obstáculos laborales de los universitarios, se plantea que es importante fortalecer acciones conjuntas entre los actores involucrados, repensar en los territorios de aprendizajes interculturales e impulsar políticas favorables para mejorar la situación laboral de los profesionistas interculturales.
Methodological Approach to Assessing the Level of Significance of Critically Important Energy Facilities in the Interconnected Operation of Energy Systems
Authors: Senderov S. M. , Krupenev D. S. , Vorobev S. V. , Beresneva N. M. , Boyarkin D. A.
Published: April 2024

The paper presents the main components of a methodical approach to assessing the level of significance of critical energy facilities on the example of individual outages of the most important facilities of the Russian gas transmission network. Approaches to modeling the fuel and energy complex of the country and its constituent energy systems: gas, electricity and heat supply are presented. Algorithms for identifying critical energy facilities of the i-ndustry, regional and federal levels, as well as examples of their ranking depending on the level of expected consequences for consumers of electrical and heat energy in case of loss of performance of these critical facilities are given.
Analysis of the Level of Energy Security in the Central and Southern Federal Districts of Russia Using Normalized Indicative Estimates
Authors: Senderov S. M. , Smirnova E. M. , Vorobev S. V.
Published: April 2024

The article presents approaches to assessing the level of energy security of Russian regions using the apparatus for convolution of qualitative assessments of the state of the most important indicators of energy security. An example of using a new approach to the formation of normalized values of energy security indicators and normalized qualitative assessments of the state of energy security is also presented. The main trends and scales of the energy security of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation located in the territories of the Central and Southern federal districts are shown.