bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Consulting with Māori during development of a point-of-care device; translational and experiential findings.
Authors: King-Hudson Te-Rina J , Ahuriri-Driscoll Annabel , Dobson Renwick
Published: May 2021

Aim: To consult with Māori on the design and development of a direct-to-consumer point-of?care (POC) device and gather views on point-of-care testing and biotechnology. Method: One-on-one interviews and small group hui with self-identified Māori university staff and students (n = 6) conducted by an early-career Māori scientist. Results: Key themes were the importance of achieving improved health outcomes for Māori through addressing known socioeconomic, geographic, and cultural factors that perpetuate health disparities. Other findings were the value of recognising the diversity in modern Māori identities, perspectives, and communities, as well as views on using synthetic biomolecules in medical devices and perceptions of biotechnology, and the potential for cultural over?engagement or misplaced focus in consultation. Conclusion: Direct-to-consumer POC testing may promote kaupapa Māori values such as tino rangatiratanga, whakawhanaungatanga and tikanga, which may help Māori overcome barriers to health care and testing, a key step in achieving improved health outcomes. We describe our approach and experience of consultation as laboratory-based researchers to encourage other researchers/developers to engage directly with Māori during the design process, and report Māori views of synthetic molecules in medical or industrial applications for the first time.
The Employment Status of the Elderly in Sri Lanka: Emerging Patterns and Determinants
Authors: Senanayaka W.G.T.S. , Sisira Kumara M.H.A.
Published: May 2021

By using the Sri Lanka Household Income and Expenditure Surveys in 2002, 2006/2007, and 2009/2010, this paper examines patterns and determinants of employment status of the Sri Lankan elderly. The study employs multinomial logit model to realize the research objectives. The results of the study reveal that more than 50 percent of the Sri Lankan elderly are currently inactive, yet five percent of the oldest elderly and 18 percent of the elderly with bad health conditions are engaged in labour market activities. The results further demonstrate that younger male elderly, who are married and living in female-headed households are more likely to be employed than to be inactive. The receipts of remittances, social security payments, and bad health conditions reduce the probability of being employed. At present, ethnicity does not play a significant role in determining employment status of the Sri Lankan elderly. KeywordsElderly, Employment Status, Sri Lanka
Cosmopolitanism Orientation and Fashion Consciousness of Educated Young Consumers of Fashion Related Products in Sri Lanka
Authors: Jayarathne P. G. S. A. , Warnakularsooriya B. N. F.
Published: May 2021

Cosmopolitanism has become an integral part of social systems. Fashion consciousness is also a central aspect of the self of the fashion consumer. Thus, cosmopolitanism orientation may be one of the main determinants of fashion consciousness in the world at large regardless the geographical proximity. Most of the studies centred on cosmopolitanism, fashion consciousness, and fashion related products are based upon developed countries reflecting the seldom of developing country-based research. Addressing such gaps in the literature this scrutiny firstly aims to assess the degree of cosmopolitanism orientation in Sri Lankan young consumers, secondly to examine whether or not cosmopolitism orientation varies across the different ethnic groups, and thirdly to examine whether cosmopolitanism orientation discriminates the high from moderate, and moderate from low degree of fashion consciousness of Sri Lankan young educated consumers by performing Multiple Discriminant Analysis. A survey was carried out taking university students as the proxy for Sri Lankan younger generation. 663 usable questionnaires were used for the analysis. The result uncovers that Sri Lankan educated young consumers possess moderate degree of cosmopolitanism orientation and that Sinhalese are more open to Western Values than Tamil and Muslim Community. The results of Multiple Discriminant Analysis divulge that cosmopolitanism orientation discriminates the high from moderate, and moderate from low degree of fashion consciousness though the discriminating power is weak. Finally the paper makes important implications and suggestions for practitioners as well as for academics in the field of fashion and fashion related products.KeywordsCosmopolitanism Orientation, Fashion Consciousness, Fashion Products
The Role of Sri Lankan Stock Market in the Asian Region
Authors: Kuruppuarachchi D.
Published: May 2021

This paper investigates the interaction of the Sri Lankan stock market with other Asian stock markets in terms of cointegration, contemporaneous correlations, information spillovers, and impulse responses. The study consider India, China, Pakistan, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Korea, and Japan as neighboring stock markets to the Sri Lankan market. And it use daily data of leading stock indices for each country from 01st January 2000 to 31st December 2012. Findings reveal that the Sri Lankan stock market is cointegrated with the Korean stock market but not with others. Contemporaneous correlations are significant between Sri Lanka and other Asian countries such as India, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Korea, and Japan. Pakistan, Malaysian, and Korean stock markets Granger cause in mean to the Sri Lankan stock market while India and Korea Granger cause in variance. Extreme downside risks in Chinese stock market also Granger causes the Sri Lankan stock market. Impulse response analysis provides evidence for the following day’s impact on the Sri Lankan stock market due a current shock on other Asian stock markets. Findings of this paper provide insightful information to both policy makers and investors in order to understand the behavior of Sri Lankan stock market.KeywordsAsian Stock Markets, Granger Causality, Impulse Response, InformationSpillover, Sri Lankan Stock Market, Stock Market Interactions
Impact of Perceived Desirability, Perceived Feasibility and Performance Expectancy on Use of IT Innovation: Technology Adoption Decisions and Use Behaviour
Authors: Moghavvemi S. , Phoong S.W. , Lee S.T.
Published: May 2021

Theoretical perspectives from the field of entrepreneurship can be used to examine entrepreneurs’ intention to use IT innovations. This study collected 412 completed survey responses from entrepreneurs and used structural equation modelling to test the proposed technology acceptance decision model. The results showed the significant effect of perceived desirability, perceived feasibility and performance expectancy as the salient antecedents of intention to adopt and use IT innovation. This study examined the effect of external factors which prevent or facilitate the adoption and use of new technology. The moderating effect of the propensity to act is examined and the results indicated that when the individual propensity to act is high, taking action becomes more desirable and feasible. This study revealed that, in the current IS environment, individuals adopt and use a new system due to the attractiveness of the system and perceived feasibility, which are derived from intrinsic interest and affective beliefs.KeywordsEntrepreneurial Potential Model, IT Innovation, Precipitating Events,Technology Adoption Decision
Investor Sentiment and Asset Pricing: A Review
Authors: Gunathilaka C.
Published: May 2021

This paper reviews literature on asset pricing and investor sentiment. It provides a fair accumulation of evidence with an objective of showing how productive has been the effort of modelling market sentiment in pricing assets. Research efforts in modelling non-standard investor behaviour have been successful in explaining aggregate predictability. However, despite the financial innovations and discussions on investor sentiment that happened in US markets, empirical work in emerging markets is still preliminary. The paper inquires the extent that the existing asset pricing models price the assets in the economy.KeywordsInvestor, Pricing, Returns, Sentiment
The Audit Expectations Gap and the Role of Audit Education: Evidence from Sri Lanka
Authors: Kumari J.S. , Ajward A.R. , Dissabandara D.B.P.H.
Published: May 2021

The study examined the status and impact of audit education on the audit expectation gap, as existence of such a gap is noted to be harmful to the accounting and auditing profession. Accordingly, undergraduates of a regional national university in Sri Lanka (in three categories as: undergraduates who had not followed an auditing course, who had followed a basic auditing course, and who had followed an advanced auditing course) and professional auditors were selected and a questionnaire survey that included statements on the duties of the auditors was administered. The results of the independent sample t-test indicate the existence of an audit expectation gap in the Sri Lankan context; and that audit education had an effect in reducing such a gap. However, further analysis indicated that only an advanced auditing course had resulted in minimizing such expectation gap (particularly in reducing the unreasonable expectation gap) compared to who had followed a basic auditing course. These findings are expected to have significant educational policy implications.
Empirical Analysis of Corporate Sustainability Performance: Linkage of Japanese Firms' Environmental and Economic Performance
Authors: Gnanaweera K. , Kunori N.
Published: May 2021

The linkage between Corporate Environmental Performance (CEP) and Corporate Financial Performance (CFP) has been a long-standing debate since all previous efforts achieved inconsistent results. The current study therefore attempts to present the relationship between corporations’ environmental and financial performance to explore the notion of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in a developed nation. This case derives empirical observational data from corporate sustainability reports and integrated annual reports of Japanese firms. The sample is comprised of observational data of a total of 85 Japanese corporations from 2008 to 2014. The selected firms are listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in the first section of the market division and are categorized under various industrial sectors. The effort of the current study has revealed that corporate environmental measurements have different effects on financial performance. The evidence was less strong in evaluating the impact level of all variables except firm size (total assets). Three hypotheses (H1, H2, and H3) were developed for further evaluation of the effect of financial indicators on environmental performance. H1 was accepted since environmental performance has a significant impact on firm size. However, the rejected H2 and H3 state that environmental performance has no significant impact on financial leverage and profitability, due to the weak relationship or insignificant outcome, i.e. in the profitability measurement, only Return on Sales (ROS) showed positive correlation between particular CEP variables, but the coefficient of determination (R2 value) does not support the ROS contribution for every model in the study. The other two profitability ratios (return on assets and return on equity) have less contribution. Both the relationship between environmental performance and financial performance according to R2 values and the relationship between CEP and CFP are broad spectrums that yet to be explored.KeywordsCorporate, Environmental, Financial, Sustainability, Tokyo Stock Exchange
Determinants of Migrations and Remittances: Evidence from Rural Sector of Sri Lanka
Authors: Dharmadasa R.A.P.I.S
Published: May 2021

Agriculture remains as one of the major sources of employment to the rural community in Sri Lanka. However, problems such as inadequate land and capital, low productivity and personal attitudes have pushed the rural agricultural worker to migrate out of the sector. As the decision to migrate is made at the household level, characteristics of the household shape up the decision to migrate and send remittances to the origin communities. Therefore, this study is an attempt to find the determinants of migration and the remittances of the rural sector of Sri Lanka with special emphasis on household level characteristics. In identifying the determinants, the study has estimated several multinomial logit models separately based on the status of migration and receipt of remittances using a nationally representative data set of Household Income and Expenditure Survey (2009/2010). The results reveal that human capital characteristics are not major positive determinants of rural sector migration and receiving remittances implying that households with better education remain in the rural sector. Rural households with more members tend to have more migrants while it is a negative determinant of the receipt of remittances. Results also suggest that rural households receive more remittances from internal migrants when they have school age children. Based on these results, this study concludes that people diversify into different income earning strategies such as migration when they have more household members while education has contributed positively to keep the rural households in the sector. Therefore, the retaining human capital can be used in the rural development process if proper policies are implemented.KeywordsDeterminants, Migration, Remittances, Rural Secto
Impact of Business Ownership Change on Institutional Historical Knowledge Due to Employee Turnover: A Literature Review
Authors: Jayasekara M.A.K.De.S. , Pushpakumari M.D.
Published: May 2021

Increasing number of business ownership changes and its impact on human capital is a global concern over the years. Change of business ownership of organisations can be in the form of Business Acquisitions. Mergers and Acquisitions are the most common form of Business Acquisitions. Business Acquisitions have made a significant impact on Human Resources in both acquirer and acquired organisations. Human Resource is also an important component of business integration process. Desired results of post-acquisition hence can be hampered by the demotivated human resources. It is evident from literature that unless this sensitive area of human resources is not handled professionally, employees become reactive. The consequences can be damaging due to employee demotivation which can result in an increase in employee turnover after an ownership change. Retention of employees can be important to the acquirer companies since it can lose the Institutional Historical Knowledge with the parting of employees. The Institutional Historical Knowledge comprises of the knowhow an employee gained over the years of service in that particular institution and it includes ‘tacit’ knowledge which is competitively advantageous to the institution. This moves away with the employees leaving the organisation. The main objective/aim of this study is to identify whether there is an impact of Business Ownership Change, on Institutional Historical Knowledge due to Employee Turnover – ‘through literature. Hence, this paper reviews the theoretical findings in literature from business acquisitions, employee turnover and its impact on loosing Institutional Historical Knowledge-‘the wisdom withdrawal’. The significance of the study is to echo the risk of losing Institutional Historical Knowledge due to employee turnover. Therefore, this study is totally a desk research based on literature review. The study reveals that there is a negative impact of business ownership changes on institutional historical knowledge due to employee turnover.KeywordsAcquisitions, Employee Turnover, Institutional Historical Knowledge,Mergers
Prediction of Bankruptcy Risk: Evidence from Listed Manufacturing Companies in Sri Lanka
Authors: Senevirathne K.M.S. , Kuruppu G.N.
Published: May 2021

The past experience in number of industries evidenced that even healthy companies can bankrupt and abolish stakeholder confidence while creating a significant damage to country’s economy. Though stakeholders are vulnerable, how they can assess the bankruptcy level is another question that researchers are trying to answer. This creates an urgency to find out the bankruptcy level of manufacturing companies in Sri Lanka using an appropriate model and publicly available information in order to protect stakeholders. Therefore, the objective of the study is to investigate the degree to which bankruptcy risk can be predicted from the business performance of listed manufacturing companies in Sri Lanka. Quantitative approach has been applied in the study align with the ZETA model. Secondary data was used in this study which gathered through the annual reports and the data was analysed through e-views 6 software. The study found that bankruptcy risk can be identified from financial performance and non-financial performance. The finding of the study benefits the different stakeholders to make decisions relevant to manufacturing firms in Sri Lanka.KeywordsBankruptcy risk, Business performance, Manufacturing companies, ZETAmodel
An Assessment of the Social Science Research Environment of the Sri Lankan State University System
Authors: Fernando R. L. S. , Hemachandra D. W. K. , Muthulingam A.
Published: May 2021

Higher education institutions play a vital role in society in varied capacities, and one major contribution amongst it all is conducting research as a part of knowledge creation and dissemination. Social Science Research thereby provides valuable input for policy makers, decision makers and the public, in order to encourage the well-being of the society. Previous studies have highlighted the importance of conducting social science researches to address social issues and improve quality of life. However, the number of research conducted in this discipline in Sri Lanka is not adequate when compared to that of other countries in the region. Hence, this study aims to explore the present status and challenges that hinder the number of social science research conducted by academics in State Universities in Sri Lanka. The study conducted a detailed literature review that was followed by in-depth interviews with 50 academics representing five state universities in Sri Lanka. The universities were selected based on the availability of Social Sciences and Humanities Faculties/Departments. The data were then analysed qualitatively based on the Grounded Theory Method to achievestudy objectives. The study revealed three main categories that limit the number of social science researches conducted in State Universities in Sri Lanka. They are; organizational factors, individual factors, and policy related factors. In addition, collaboration with other universities/ faculties, publication opportunities, research awards, and research allowance were identified as aspects in support of social science research in Sri Lanka. The study findings significantly helps in policy making, to identify the present status as well as factors that can contribute to enhance the level of social science related research among academics of State Universities in Sri Lanka.KeywordsResearch Environment, Social Sciences Research, State Universities
Relation between Sectoral Distribution of Commercial Bank Credit and Economic Growth in Sri Lanka
Authors: Muthusamy V. , Dewasiri N. J. , Weerakoon Y. K. B. , Amarasinghe A. A. M. D.
Published: May 2021

This study investigates the impact of sectoral distribution of commercial bank credit on economic growth in Sri Lanka based on data from 2005 to 2017. The Auto-regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model is used to investigate short and long run impact of sectoral distribution of commercial bank credit on Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The findings of the ARDL Error Correction model indicate that the commercial bank sectoral credit distribution is significantly explaining the short run economic growth. Moreover, ARDL long run form and bounds test shows that there is a long run relation between the variables. The industrial sector has a long run positive relationship with GDP while the other sectors are insignificant in explaining long run economic growth. According to the results, the government can motivate banks to distribute credit facilities to the industry sector to boost GDP in the long-run. This is the first study that discusses the sectoral distribution of commercial bank credit on economic growth of Sri Lanka as per the best of the authors‟ knowledge. Keywords Commercial bank, Credit, Economic growth, Gross Domestic Product
Educating for Environmental Practices: An Assessment from Bachelor of Commerce (B. Com) Undergraduates in Sri Lankan State Universities
Authors: Sachitra K. M. V. , Kaluarachchi D. G. P.
Published: May 2021

Scholarly attention on environmental literacy has been increased in recent years since the knowledge level and interest in environmental issues are decisive to engage in environmental protection functions. The study aims to investigate the environmental literacy level believing that understanding the level of environmental literacy will lead to influence attitudinal changes and actions of undergraduates towards environment. Total number of 650 Bachelor of Commerce undergraduates in state universities of Sri Lanka were selected as the sample of the study. A self-administered structured questionnaire was administered to collect data on the environmental literacy level, the interest and the activity engagement in environmental activities of the respondents. The regression-based path analysis was performed to examine the relationships among the constructs. Based on the descriptive analysis, there was low level of environmental literacy of the selected undergraduates in this study. The overall level of interest in environmental issues and the level of engagement in environmental activities were moderate. The regression-based path analysis indicated that environmental literacy as well as the environmental interest were significant predictors for environmental engagement. Further, interest in environmental issues mediated the relationship between the environmental literacy and the actual engagement in environmental activities. The study exclusively examined the relationship between the undergraduates' knowledge level of the environment and the interest in environmental issues and also examined the factors that influence undergraduates' participation in activities that promote sustainability of the environment, which has been neglected by prior studies. The results facilitate to recommend that the degree programmes should be integrated with environmental areas where such knowledge could lead to promote the interest and the action towards the environmental activities. Keywords Bachelor of Commerce undergraduates, Comparative study, Environmental literacy, Sustainability
Sustainability Reporting and Its Impact on Financial Performance: A Study of the Sri Lankan Financial Sector
Authors: Silva P. O. De.
Published: May 2021

The sustainability reporting which integrates the organization’s economic, environmental and social performance towards achieving better financial performance has become a contemporary issue due to the absence of a precise model or a rigid regulatory framework in this arena. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify whether there is a significant difference in sustainable disclosures among the financial institutes and how sustainability reporting influence on institutional performance. Accordingly, the author derived a disclosure index from the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines which consist of 119 parameters to evaluate the content of the reports of listed banks and financial sector companies. Analysis provided a comparison between GRI guidelines and Generation four (G4) framework. Furthermore, the study investigated the causal relationship between the level of disclosures and financial performance. To serve this purpose, data was obtained from annual reports in the Security Exchange Commission (SEC), and companies’ websites then analyzed quantitatively using SPSS 16 data analysis package.The results of the study conclude that there’s no significant difference in sustainability disclosures between listed banks and financial institutes and the number of disclosures has no significant influence on institutes’ financial performance. Furthermore, the study confirmed that there’s no significant difference between G4 framework disclosures (Adopted in 2016/2017 reporting period) and GRI guidelines (Adopted in 2017/2018 reporting period). Thereby, the study witnessed that businesses including financial institutes consume scarce resources, while paying poor attention in reporting their accountability towards the sustenance. Therefore, it needs recognizing sustainable responsibility. KeywordsCorporate Disclosures; Financial Institutions; Financial Performance, Sustainability/Integrated Reporting
The Moderating Effect of Leader-Member Relationship on Introverted and Extroverted Personality Traits of Leaders and Organizational Citizenship Behavior of Followers: An Empirical Study of IT Industry in Sri Lanka
Authors: Niranga W. A. M. , Dharmadasa M. P. P.
Published: May 2021

This study focuses on investigating the relationship between personality and leadership supports the claim that individual differences may be the predictors of leadership effectiveness in contemporary organizations. Extended studies stress that ‘Big-Five ‘personality dimensions are related to leadership criteria and further identified introversion-extroversion as a key element of an individual personality. In general, the main differences between effective and less effective leaders are that, effective leaders make positive differences to themselves from their personality traits and the relationship building with followers. However, relatively few studies have tested how and why introvert and extrovert leaders’ personality traits relate to follower behaviors. In addition, if so; the mechanisms through which a leader’s personality traits relate to follower behaviors. Accordingly, the aims of the present study are to examine whether the introverted and extroverted personality traits of leaders affect the organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) of followers and to examine the role of leader-member relationship as a moderator, in social exchange process. To advance the understanding of these, simple regression analysis and regression analysis with moderator effects were performed to test hypotheses with a sample size of 46 introvert managers and 50 extrovert managers as leaders and 92 and 100 subordinates as their followers respectively from IT industry in Sri Lanka. The study found that there is a positive direct effect of introverted personality traits of leaders and no negative direct effect of extroverted personality traits of leaders on organizational citizenship behavior of followers. Yet, leader-member relationship moderates the positive and negative relationships between introverted, extroverted personality traits of leaders and organizational citizenship behavior of followers. Present study makes several theoretical contributions to path-goal theory of leadership with the support from theory of trait leadership and big five model. Further, managerial contributions of the present study make IT firms successful through better selection of leaders based on personality traits which facilitates organizational citizenship behavior.KeywordsIntroverted personality traits, extroverted personality traits, OCB, Leader-member relationship, IT industry in Sri Lanka
Microfinance Institutions through the Lens of Social Entrepreneurship: Sri Lankan Experience
Authors: Uluwaduge P. , Senathiraja R.
Published: May 2021

The objectives of the study are to explore the perception of Microfinance Institutes (MFIs) on Social Entrepreneurship (SE) and to examine the application of Positive Theory of Social Entrepreneurship (PTSE) in the MFIs in Sri Lanka and to identify unique social entrepreneurial characteristics in MFIs in Sri Lanka. This is a qualitative study carried out through primary data collected mainly from in-depth semi-structured interviews with 5 Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) representing 5 microfinance institutes in Sri Lanka who owned the largest microfinance loan portfolios. For the data analysis purpose thematic analysis method was used in the study. MFIs perceived the concept of social entrepreneurship as a social obligation parallel with profit making or as the obligation of the organization towards the society while achieving their commercial objectives. Application of the PTSE in the selected MFIs in Sri Lanka showed that four propositions on SE proposed in the theory can be observed to a considerable extent in the MFIs in Sri Lanka. Unique social entrepreneurial characteristics identified in the MFIs in Sri Lanka were adherence to the deep rooted values of MFIs, much flexible approach when dealing with microfinance clients, impact from other stakeholders on MFI to perform social entrepreneurial role, and the co-operative model of MFIs tended to promote SE. KeywordsSocial Entrepreneurship, Positive Theory of Social Entrepreneurship, Microfinance Institutes
Impact of Managerial Perception of Intellectual Capital Disclosure Practices on the Credibility of the Financial Statements
Authors: Jayasooriya S.D. , Gunawardana K.D. , Weerakoon Banda Y.K.
Published: May 2021

This study aims to investigate the impact of managerial perception of intellectual capital disclosure practices on the credibility of the financial statements. As the method, the primary data was collected through a questionnaire. The targeted sample was the financial managers who are directly involved in preparing financial statements in the public limited companies. 150 questionnaires were distributed covering the financial managers in all the sectors using the stratified random sampling method. There were three hypotheses developed covering the major components of intellectual capital as human, customer and social. Correlation analysis was conducted to test the hypothesis using the SPSS software. It was found that there is a relationship between the managerial perception of intellectual capital disclosure practices and the credibility of the financial statements. Through a regression analysis, it showed that there is an impact of intellectual capital disclosure practices on the credibility of financial statements. The managers believe that the existing reporting practices do not represent the reality of the organizational performance until the intellectual capital is incorporated to the financial statements. Further, they have suggested that there should be a proper mechanism to report the intellectual capital in the financial statements or in the annual reports to avoid such kind of misrepresentation.KeywordsIntellectual Capital, Disclosure Practices, Credibility, Financial Statements
Infrastructure Investment with Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and Economic Growth in Developing Countries in Asia
Authors: Atapattu P.J.
Published: May 2021

Infrastructure is an important factor of economic growth in developing countries, and economic growth is constrained by the inadequacy of infrastructure, as financing is expensive. The advantage of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in infrastructure is well recognized, allowing financing for expensive infrastructure investments. This study examines the importance of PPP for infrastructure to economic growth in nine developing countries in Asia. The estimated period is from 1990 to 2015 using panel data with fixed effect. The dependent variable is GDP, and independent variables are PPP infrastructure stock, non-PPP infrastructure stock, labor force and literacy rate as a proxy variable of quality of labor. This study estimates PPP infrastructure stock using the Perpetual Inventory Method and controls for the external effect of the Asian Economic Crisis in 1998.This study finds positive effects of PPP infrastructure stock on economic growth. PPP infrastructure stock is an addition to the existing infrastructure stock. The result of this study encourages more PPP investment in developing countries in Asia for economic growth.KeywordsEconomic Growth, Developing Countries, Infrastructure Stock and Public-Private Partnership in Infrastructure
Muslim Consumers’ Purchase Behavior Towards Shariah Compliant Hotels in Malaysia
Authors: Haque A. , Chowdhury N. A. , Yasmin F. , Tarofder A. K.
Published: May 2021

As the number of Muslim tourists drastically increased, the concept of Shariah Compliant Hotel (SCH) has become a vital concern particularly in Islamic tourism. Shariah compliance is one of the primary aspects that influence Muslim consumers’ choice of accommodation while travelling. For such reason, the present study has been developed to examine the factors that affect Muslim consumers purchase behavior towards Shariah compliant hotels. Henceforth, a conceptual framework has been constructed based on past literature. The primary data were collected from Muslim travelers specifically in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia using a self-administered questionnaire. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were employed to analyze data. Based on the results the aspects of halal image, followed by halal awareness along with religiosity have been found to have profound effects on Muslim consumers purchase intention towards Shariah compliant hotels. Further, purchase intention has a significant effect on purchase behavior towards Shariah compliant hotels. The outcomes derived from this research will be of immense importance for destination marketers as well as hoteliers for crafting effective strategies in terms of meeting the needs of Muslim consumers. At the same time, the study would also facilitate future researchers to undertake more studies in Islamic tourism particularly, Shariah compliant hotels.KeywordsShariah compliant hotels, purchase behavior
A Book Review: Sustainable Human Resource Management by Senior Prof. Dr. Henarath H.D.N.P. Opatha
Authors: Dharmasiri A. S.
Published: May 2021

There is a growing awareness and enthusiasm on people management in Sri Lankan organizations. This is evident by the increasing number of activities related to Human Resource Management (HRM) in many fronts taking place in the island. Yet, we have a long way to go in unleashing the true potential of our productive workforce, in the wake of a post-war economic expansion and development drive. One key element in such an endeavor is to have clarity of what really HRM is all about and its broad dimensions. Senior Prof. Henarath Opatha has fulfilled a felt void in presenting a prolific volume on “Sustainable HRM”.
HR Practices: A Source of Sustainable Competitive Advantage or Competitive Parity – A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Silva G.A.S.K. , Warnakulasuriya B.N.F. , Arachchige B.J.H.
Published: May 2021

High Performance Work Practices or High Commitment Work Practices in HRM are often said to be a potential source of sustainable competitive advantage. However, some researchers have questioned that notion. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to review and analyze relevant literature to determine whether the HR practices can be considered as a real source of sustainable competitive advantage. This study followed the Systematic Literature Review method. This paper analyzes theoretical base for such claim as well as available empirical evidences and suggests that HR practices (often called as High Performance Work Practices) are more likely to be a source of competitive parity than a source of sustainable competitive advantage. The major significance of this paper is that it addresses a key question within Strategic Human Resource Management: whether HR practices can be considered as a source of sustainable competitive advantage. Further, this may be the first to discuss HR practices as a source of competitive parity. It also highlights research gaps in the area of the relationship between HRM and firm-performance.KeywordsHR practices; Sustainable Competitive Advantage; Competitive Parity; HR and firm-performance relation; High Performance Work Practices
Relative Importance of Packaging Elements of Baby Care Products in Sri Lanka: Do Demographic Factors Matter?
Authors: Faris M.F.S. , Chandralal K.P.L.
Published: May 2021

Baby care category has been profitable throughout the years and gained the interest of global players in Sri Lanka amidst the emergence of several local companies. Previous research on FMCG products identified that a 1% shift in packaging will result in 88.9% shift in consumer purchase intention, signifying the role of packaging in buying behavior. But there is mild research done with regards to the Baby Care Category and especially in the Sri Lankan context. This research focuses on the gap of identifying the importance of the different packaging elements of baby care products along with buyers’ demographic factors.  A field survey was conducted with an internet questionnaire to obtain data from a sample of Colombo residents. The results revealed that a weak positive importance was laid on “Graphics” (Color and Artwork) and on “Dimensions” (Design and Shape) of the package. The dimension of “Information” was placed relatively a higher importance in the buying decision. These findings aligned with the insights from buyers and retailers; buyers being more concerned on baby’s safety prioritized ensuring product reliability. Certifications, labels, precautions, and instructions on the package guide them, which evidently is part of the dimension of Information. The results further revealed that the identified importance laid on the three dimensions of packaging elements did not significantly vary on any of the demographic factors; gender, income, and level of education. Baby care, being a sensitive area for parents (unlike generic products), the importance placed on information was much higher due to its role played in assurance, consequently comparative lesser importance was placed on how colorful, big and stylish the packaging is, as the priority was absolute amongst buyers across diverse demographic differences. KeywordsBaby care products; Demographic factors; Packaging elements
Generic Strategy and Strategic Management Accounting Practices: Case Study of a Sri Lankan Telecommunications Company
Authors: Rathwatta H , Samudrage D. N.
Published: May 2021

Organizations depend on different generic strategies to gain competitive advantage (Porter, 1980). Usage of a particular generic strategy is always associated with a set of rules, practices, and procedures within an organization. Amongst them, Strategic Management Accounting (SMA) practices play a vital role in supporting and monitoring the performance of the generic strategy pursued by an organization.However, organizations may change the generic strategies they use over the time due to various changes taking place in the environment including the changes in business environment,technology, competitors, regulation and the global economy (Wickramasinghe & Alawattage, 2007).A change in the strategy is expected to lead to changes in existing policies and practices to match the new strategy (Langfield – Smith, 2007).Thus SMA practices used by the organization should be no exception. Such changes in practices are important for effective implementation of the new strategy. Otherwise, the new strategy is expected to fail. However, studies, which examine the changes in generic strategy and associated changes in SMA practices are scarce in the Sri Lankan context. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to examine whether the change in generic strategy leads to changes in SMA practices used in Alpha Telecom PLC, which is a leading telecommunications company in Sri Lanka. Also, the study expects to recognize other factors contributing to the changes in SMA practices in this company.This study adopted the qualitative research methodology and used the single case study method to conduct an in depth analysis of SMA practices of Alpha Telecom. The data were collected through semi- structured interviews with senior managers and a questionnaire was distributed among middle level executives. Management Accounting (MA) reports and annual reports of the company were used as secondary sources. The study has used new institutional theory as the theoretical lens. The study found that when generic strategy moved from cost leadership to differentiation, the traditional MA practices based on costing shifted to SMA practices such as Balanced scorecard (BSC), Competitor analysis, Quality costing etc. Further, it was found that changes in ownership, culture of parent company, and nature of competition also had an impact towards the usage of new SMA practices within the company. Coercive and mimetic pressures affected for the usage of SMA at Alpha PLC.
Environmental Management Practices on Financial Performance: With special reference to the Rubber Industry in Sri Lanka
Authors: Gunathilaka D. , Gunawardana K.D.
Published: May 2021

This study investigates the relationship between environmental managementpractices (EMPs) on financial performance (FP) using the data from thirtyrubber manufacturing organizations by building panel models for the sampleduring the period of 2012-2016. The study has considered the three differentEMPs of energy reduction (amount of furnace oil use per day), waste (amount ofwaste water generates), and recycle (amount of recycle raw material) incapturing the effect of EMPs on FP. In addition, to elucidate how financialperformance is dealing with EMPs, the study used Return on Assets (ROA) as adeterminant of financial performance. It is more difficult to identify the generalrelationship between EMPs and FP of firms due to its heterogeneity during thegrowth of firms.’ The estimation results suggested that the recycling of wastematerial had significant negative driving forces on FP. However, waste watertreatment and furnace oil consumption had no significant impact on FP.Therefore, it is critical to investigate the relationship between FP and EMPswhich is yet to be resolved in order to build up a scope for companies toimplement better environmental practices in the organizations.KeywordsEnvironmental management practices; Financial performances; rubber industry
Book Review: A Guide to Academic Writing and Research Reports by Senior Prof. Dr. Mangala Fonseka and Dr. Athula Manawaduge
Authors: Dewasiri N.J. , Abeysekera N. , Samarasinghe G.D.
Published: May 2021

Scholarly or academic writing is clear, concise, planned, coherent, and backedup by evidence. Its purpose is to aid the reader’s understanding. Hence, itconsists of a formal style and tone. Further, it does not require the use of longsentences and instead uses clear and concise language with simple vocabulary.Research report writing is an integral part of academic writing. Hence, bothacademic and research report writing play a vital role in developing a multitudeof researchers across the globe. The authors of the book entitled “A Guide toAcademic Writing and Research Reports” identified such a role to developprolific researchers amongst the student community both within and outside theuniversity in Sri Lanka.
Celebrity Endorsement on Consumers' Perception and Attitude towards Globacom Telecommunication Products in Ilorin Metropolis
Authors: Mustapha Y.I
Published: May 2021

These days, most organisations use celebrity endorsement as a communication technique for inducing consumers' perception and attitude towards buying their products. This paper aims to examine celebrities' credibility on consumers' perception and attitude towards Globacom telecommunication products in Ilorin Metropolis. A total of 273 usable copies of the questionnaire administered to the target respondents were returned. A multi-stage sampling method was employed to select the eligible samples from the study population, and regression analysis was adopted as an analytical technique. The study's findings revealed that celebrity's credibility affected consumers' perception of Globacom telecommunication products in Ilorin metropolis and celebrity endorsement also impacted consumers' attitude in the study area. The study recommended that firms that desire positive consumers' perceptions and attitudes towards their products should use a meticulous process to select celebrities who are credible, reliable, popular and likeable by target consumers to endorse their brands. Key words Celebrity endorsement, celebrity's credibility, celebrity’s popularity, Consumer perception, Consumer attitude Cite this paper: Mustapha, Y.I, Issa, B.O, Bello, O.F. (2021), Celebrity Endorsement on Consumers' Perception and Attitude towards Globacom Telecommunication Products in Ilorin Metropolis, Vidyodaya Journal of Management, 7(1), 61-79.
Corporate Citizenship Behaviour and Rural Livelihoods: A Study on Multinational Corporations in Sri Lanka
Authors: Wijayasinghe Sachin
Published: May 2021

Corporate citizenship seems a new conceptualization of the role of business in society. Disparity between rural and urban economy is growing and it is essential for multinational companies to address the issues benchmarking best practices. MNCs enter a nation with numerous guarantees but are they equipped for accomplishing objectives as a corporate citizen?  Although the role of MNCs on local firms has been measured at different industry levels, rural livelihood perspective is unkempt in developing economies. The study aims to identify the roles of MNCs in enhancing the rural livelihoods of the dairy farmers in Sri Lanka. The study was based on an exploratory approach, adopting a qualitative research design with a thematic data analysis. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews from twenty-five dairy farmers who were directly engaging with MNC subsidiaries operating in the rural community of Sri Lanka. The MNC has been able to enhance the rural livelihoods of the dairy farmers through generating of job opportunities and replacing conventional practices with modern technology, identifying the importance of knowledge management, understanding the value of quality, adhering to policies, standards and guidelines along with maintaining proper documentations and improving the return on invested capital. However, the MNC has failed to build strong relationships with local authorities and struggled to promote dairy farming as a main source of income. MNCs exercises in the developing context is still being contended and coordinating and compiling a policy framework with the local authorities could play a significant role in shaping the livelihoods of the dairy farmers.
Effect of Dress Code of Sri Lankan Female School Teachers on their Job Performance
Authors: Jayasooriya U.G.L.B.
Published: May 2021

The study examined how clothing of Sri Lankan female school teachers affects their job performances. A representative sample was selected among school teachers from Western and Central provinces. A Sequential Explanatory design integrating quantitative survey (n=100) along with qualitative interviews (n=15) and secondary data were used. Results revealed that evolution and current practices of female dress were more into promote nationalism/culture. Though the current dresses of Sri Lankan school teachers are the Saree (for Sinhalese and Tamil teachers) and Abaya (for Muslim teachers), the majority of the respondents preferred to wear casual dresses (54%). Wilcoxon Signed Rank test showed significant differences in terms of perceived comfort and performing given four tasks (washing, ironing, dressing and walking after dressed) in favour of casual dress over traditional dress. Thirty percent of respondents have faced accidents due to their current dress. Aforementioned suggested that, teaching and performing extra-curricular activities would be more productive if they wear casual dresses.  Key words: Dress Code, Job performance, Females, School teachers Cite this paper: U.G.L.B. Jayasooriya, Saliya De Silva, W.A.D.P. Wanigasundera. (2021), Effect of Dress Code of Sri Lankan Female School Teachers on their Job Performance, Vidyodaya Journal of Management, 7(1), 105-132.