bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Fabrication and customization of highly porous PLGA membranes utilizing near-field electrospinning, thermal transitions, and multilayer strategies
Authors: Na Noori , Kim Minju , Kim Jungkyu , Chang Jiyoung 
Published: April 2024

Polymer porous membranes play a crucial role in various applications, including water filtration, tissue engineering, and drug administration. Conventional electrospinning is employed for the production of polymeric membranes because of its cost-effectiveness, scalability, and the flexibility. However, it has limitations in terms of controlling the form and size of the pores. Ensuring the ability to maintain a consistent and customizable pore size without sacrificing the thickness of the membrane becomes more crucial to satisfy the various requirements of cell and tissue engineering applications. To address these limitations, this work combines Near-Field Electrospinning with thermal treatment of polymer fibers and membranes by exploring the connection between polymer behavior, thermal effects, and capillary action by measuring the fluctuations in pore area under different temperatures and fiber spacings. Furthermore, the study investigated the influence of multilayer infusion on pore size and geometric arrangement by investigating multiple-layer configurations stacked at different angles. The results indicated that increasing layers leads to decreasing pore size, while the alignment of infused fibers adds to differences in pore form. By enabling enhanced control over membrane characteristics, the proposed approach can enhance the performance and consistency of polymer porous membranes in a wide range of applications.
Evaluation of teachers’ self-efficacy on integration of eye health education and promotion at basic schools in Solukhumbu district, Nepal: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Basnet Pushpa Babu , Budhathoki Chitra Bahadur , Khanal Shanti Prasad , Acharya Jib , Pathak Krishna Prasad 
Published: April 2024

Introduction: Many studies have shown that eye health services in Nepal are still far behind in reaching schools. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the teacher’s self-efficacy for the incorporation of eye health promotion activities.
Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study design was applied with a self-administrated questionnaire. A total of 292 teachers were randomly selected for this study.
Results: Male (153.38) older-aged and Dalit ethnic group (159.81) teachers, as well as teachers who had participated (146.85) in the program, had higher self-efficacy to conduct school eye health-promoting activities than non-participants in schools. But, teaching experience is not determined to get self-efficacy for testing of visual acuity. Teachers with higher qualifications are found to be skillful.
Conclusion: The school's eye health program has not been superseded by any relevant legislation. As a result, it's critical to concentrate on provisions that may be included in the school curriculum.
Determinants of Investment Diversification Intentions by Young Adults: A Study of Recent Graduates
Authors: Ranaweera K.K.D.P. , Kodithuwakku S.S. , Jayaweera V.W. 
Published: April 2024

Investments lead to economic growth in any country. Therefore, how individuals make investment decisions is an interesting phenomenon to study. After economic liberalisation, numerous investment alternatives have been made available in the market. However, preferences and attitudes regarding investments vary from person to person. Recent studies have given significant attention to the investment aspirations of young adults. This is because they are potential future investors in an economy. However, there seems to be a dearth of studies on the determinants of the intention to invest in different investment avenues concerning young adults in developing country contexts. This study aimed to explore the familiar sources of information regarding investment for young adults, explore the most preferred investment avenues among young adults, and determine what factors could influence the intention to invest on different investment avenues. The study adopted the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) as the basic theoretical framework. The study was carried out using an online self-administered questionnaire survey. Data were collected from 153 recently passed out graduates of the University of Peradeniya representing young adults. The data were analysed using the multiple linear regression techniques. The study's findings revealed that most individuals use the internet for mobilising investment-related information, followed by electronic media, consulting with friends, and peer investors. Further, the fixed deposit was the most preferred investment avenue, while capital market instruments were the least preferred among the graduates. In addition, results indicated that the intention to invest in different investment avenues is influenced by attitudes, risk perception, and education levels. However, subjective norms, financial literacy, and other demographic variables, such as gender, ethnicity, marital status, current occupation, and monthly income did not affect. Government stakeholders and other policymakers can consider these results for financial policymaking and planning.
Keywords: Investment Preference, Sources of Information, Investment Avenues, Young Adults, Intention to Diversification
Protection of Intellectual Property Rights and Advancing Public Health in the Time of the Global Pandemic: The Impact of the Increasing Use of Three-Dimensional (3D) Printing of COVID-19 Medical Equipment
Authors: Wijesinghe S.S. , Adikari A.A.C.J 
Published: April 2024

The rapid increase of the use of three-dimensional (3D) printing of COVID-19 medical equipment has taken the attention of both intellectual property owners of such medical equipment and the global health community at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. 3D-printed COVID-19 medical equipment such as personal protective equipment, testing devices, training and visualisation aids, personal accessories, and emergency dwellings have immensely contributed to responding to the supply-demand gap of the COVID-19 medical equipment that occurred due to the disruptions in global medical equipment supply chains. Even though the global health community has embraced the role of 3D printing in making a way out of the pandemic wholeheartedly, intellectual property rights owners of such medical equipment have highlighted 3D printing as a factor that adversely affects their rights. However, intellectual property regulations, including the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS Agreement), do provide exceptions to facilitate health concerns such as fair use and compulsory licensing that can be used to justify the global movement towards 3D printing of COVID-19 medical equipment. Hence, this research emphasises the need for wider application of TRIPS-based health exceptions and effective use of emerging institutional mechanisms to facilitate 3D printing of COVID-19 medical equipment. Using the legal doctrinal research method, this research analyses the integration of 3D printing technology, intellectual property law, and health law in time of the global pandemic. Ultimately, this research offers policy suggestions on balancing the competing interests of IP rights owners and the public in 3D printing of COVID-19 medical equipment.
Keywords: 3D Printing, COVID-19 Medical Equipment, Intellectual Property Rights, Public Health
Analysing Determinants of the Public Debt Dynamics in Sri Lanka: An Auto-Regressive Distributed Lag Bound Testing Approach
Authors: Hettiarachchi Asel , Fernando Janaka , Amaratunge Sampath 
Published: April 2024

While certain theoretical backgrounds allow for a positive impact of reasonable public debt levels, most of the current literature concludes that high public debt levels impact economic growth negatively. Rapid government debt build-ups are more likely to lead to a financial crisis resulting in more significant output losses. Recently, the public debt ratios in Sri Lanka have risen, and due to recent tax cuts and pandemic related complications, many expect the situation to take a turn for the worse. Given the negative outlook on Sri Lanka's debt trajectory, this study attempts to identify the determinants of public debt dynamics in Sri Lanka. A linear Auto-Regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model is used to assess the impact of economic growth, fiscal deficits, exchange rates, domestic and international interest rates on the debt-to-GDP (Gross Domestic Product) ratio in Sri Lanka using annual data from 1990 to 2019. The study shows that achieving high economic growth is the key to lowering debt ratios in the long run. At the same time, fiscal deficits would continue to deteriorate the debt dynamics in the short run. This presents a unique case where a trade-off decision has to be made on whether to follow a fiscal consolidation approach or achieve sustained economic growth through expansionary fiscal measures which would weaken debt fundamentals in the short run but allow for a more sustained debt outlook in the long term. Given the crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, public expenditure plays a crucial role in revitalising the consumption and investment expenditures in an economy. Attempting fiscal consolidation at such a crucial juncture is likely to damage a struggling economy further. Given this context, for Sri Lanka, fiscally stimulating consumption and investment expenditures as well as achieving sustainable debt dynamics in the long run through enhanced economic growth is an acceptable alternative.
Keywords: Public Debt, Debt Management, Fiscal Policy
Impact of Open Innovation Practices on Innovation Performance of the Listed Companies in Sri Lanka
Authors: Yapa U. A. S. , Weerasinghe R. N. , Rathnayaka R. B. S. N. 
Published: April 2024

Innovation plays a prominent role in the contemporary world. It brings novel products and services to the market while exploring new ways of production, distribution, marketing, and managing all other aspects of organisations including human behaviours. Open innovation has been introduced as a new paradigm in innovation management. It has attracted wide academic attention while open innovation is providing multiple benefits to business organisations. Open innovation significantly affects industrial practices in developed countries. As an emerging and modern innovation model, open innovation in developing countries has been recognised further to be explored. Hence, this study examines the impact of open innovation practices on the innovation performance of the listed companies in Sri Lanka. Open innovation practices have been recognised in two folds in this study, as outside-in open innovation and inside-out open innovation. Hence, this study aims at two objectives- 1) to examine the impact of outside-in open innovation on the innovation performance and 2) to analyse the impact of inside-out open innovation on the innovation performance of the large firms in Sri Lanka. The cross-sectional data were collected using the survey method from 165 top-level managers of listed companies in Sri Lanka. The sample was selected by using purposive and snowballing sampling methods. The data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 25 (SPSS 25). After testing the validity and the reliability of the instrument and collected data, a simple regression analysis was conducted to test the hypothesis. The study's findings are illustrated as both outside-in open innovation and inside-out open innovation positively and significantly impacting on the innovation performance. The study will deliver an enduring contribution to advancing knowledge of open innovation and its real-world practices.
Keywords: Open Innovation, Innovation Performance, Inside-Out Open Innovation, Outside-In Open Innovation
Internationalisation of SMEs: Critical Review of Theories and Antecedents
Authors: Lakshman D. , Kumarasinghe P.J. , Weerasinghe R.N. 
Published: April 2024

Scholars have paid close attention to developing several theories for internationalisation of small and medium-sized enterprises. These theories explain the firm strategic directions and the gradual process of international expansion. This theoretical literature review aims at comprehensively examining the wide array of literature relating to theories of SME internationalisation and the antecedents of internationalisation. This study looks at the connections and contrasts between twelve internationalisation theories, discusses their shortcomings and provides theory-based insights to SMEs in understanding the internationalisation process. Further, this paper examines ten different antecedents of SME internationalisation and how various researchers measure the impact of the identified antecedents on internationalisation. According to the literature analysis, it has been identified that the majority of the SME internationalisation studies are done in developed countries. Moreover, most of the internationalisation theories are built in developed countries by observing the behaviour of large firms. Hence, these theories and models may not be sufficient to explain SME success in developing and emerging markets. Furthermore, companies currently use many strategic approaches (such as joint ventures, strategic alliances) to internationalise their operations. As a result, it is argued that the existing internationalisation-based literature and theories are insufficient to explain the internationalisation of SMEs in developing countries.
Keywords: Capabilities, Firm Age, Firm Specific Resources, Firm Size, Internationalisation, Small and Medium Enterprises
Quantitative and Qualitative Inquiry into Family Business Succession Planning
Authors: Mimasha J.P.S. , Kodithuwakku S.S. , Jayaweera V.W. 
Published: April 2024

In recent times, the family business has become an active study area among researchers. Family businesses contribute enormously to the economy and are of utmost importance. Succession is defined as the passing of business leadership from the owner to the successor. Since the previous research has shown that only 30% have survived the succession to the second generation and a mere 10% to the third, it is crucial for family businesses to engage in succession planning to continue through generations. The objectives of the current study were; to investigate whether the family business owners plan for succession and the determinants of family business succession planning. The population was family businesses located in the Gampaha Municipal Council area, Western Province, Sri Lanka. A list of fifty-two (52) members of the Gampaha United Trade Association who attended the two most recent meetings was initially considered as the sample, of which 45 members responded. The sample was further increased to 84 by adopting the snowball sampling technique. Primary data were collected through telephone surveys which were guided by a pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire. In-depth interviews were also conducted with selected respondents to obtain qualitative data based on their responsiveness and higher levels of succession planning. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression were used to analyse the data. The findings revealed that the majority (57%) of the respondents had taken at least a single step towards succession planning. Results further showed that family business succession planning is more likely to occur when the owner's level of education increases, family commitments increase, family involvement in the business increases, business age and size increase. Furthermore, the findings revealed that family business succession planning is less likely to occur with increasing levels of family cohesion. Quantitative research findings were supplemented by specific patterns identified through in-depth case studies.
Keywords: Family Businesses, Family Business Succession, Family Business Succession Planning, Selecting Successors
Explore of the Views on the Work Transformation of HR Professionals in Sri Lanka amid the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Arambawatta L.V. , Perera L.R.H.G. , Wickramasena D.N. , Kaluarachchi K.R.M. , Rathnayake R.M.N.M. , Weerarathna R.S. 
Published: April 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic is a both global health and an economic threat. Disease outbreaks and worldwide pandemics have posed the biggest threat to human survival. The worldwide lockdown of organisations and industries was enforced to limit the spread through discouraging staff from being present in total capacity. This, brought on by the virus, created several unique issues for both employees and employers. It has had unprecedented consequences for businesses globally, with a significant influence on Human Resource Management (HRM). With the COVID-19 situation, HRM has been pushed to navigate the unexpected and, as a result, discover new approaches to pandemic related challenges that have developed globally. Thus, businesses must consider the views of Human Resource (HR) professionals to adapt to unanticipated changes of the COVID-19. For this study, a qualitative research method was used as it aims to study the views of HR professionals in Sri Lanka on the work transformation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The primary data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with 16 HR professionals in Sri Lanka. The thematic analysis was applied to the gathered qualitative data. Accordingly, three main themes were identified, such as work mode, facilities and adoption arrangements. As per the study findings, the HR professionals in Sri Lanka do not perceive this rapid work transition as a positive move since they were unprepared for such a drastic change in work settings. Thus, they agree to work on-premises in the post-COVID situation, and if the pandemic continues, they agree and would like to continue their work in a hybrid work culture. Further, when focusing on the facilities given by the workplace, they perceive an unfavourable view of the financial incentives and Work From Home (WFH) resources. In terms of adoption arrangements, they have a negative view of work-life balance and crisis management. The insights from the experience of HR professionals and the stages they have navigated can aid in the successful management of similar crises in the future. The present study contributes to understanding the COVID-19 pandemic's influence on organisations and HRM, paving the way for additional thorough research in this domain.
Keywords: COVID-19, Human Resource Management, Human Resource Practices, Human Resource Professionals
Effect of Reward System, Job Security and Training on Job Performance of Technical Assistants at the Irrigation Department in Ampara District, Sri Lanka
Authors: Thilaka Y.L.A.H.C.S. , Ramawickrama Jayarani 
Published: April 2024

"The management of man": this statement is critical because it reflects the dynamism of the workforce. Job performance is a very important criterion on an employee’s career ladder. Several factors can affect job performance such as organisational fairness, job control, job communication, job autonomy, job environment, reward system, training and development and job security. Among these factors, the reward system, job security, and training are selected as independent variables, and job performance is represented as a dependent variable in this article. The reasons for selecting these three independent variables are, reward system is one of the major causes for motivating their contribution to the firm, a secure working environment provides hidden stimulation to work and training can improve the skills, knowledge and abilities related to job performance. The purpose of this study is related with identifying relationship and impaction among employee job performance, as the independent variable, as well as reward system, job security and training, are independent variables, of technical assistance in Irrigation Department. The Irrigation Department plays a significant role in the Sri Lankan departments. Paying good attention to the hypothetic deductive approach, a survey strategy was selected to do this study. Considering the technical assistants who work in the Irrigation Department, researchers selected 100 technical assistants representing the Ampara district by using the cluster sampling method. Basically, the questionnaire method was utilised to collect primary data and secondary data were gathered from the Irrigation Departments’ annual report and analytical report as well as previous research, related articles, journals and web sites. Data analysed through SPSS statistical software packages, descriptive statistics, correlation and regression techniques are applied to test hypotheses. It can be concluded that 59% of the total effect has explained together with the reward system, job security and training on job performance. It is concluded that selected independent factors are highly influential on the job performance of technical assistants in the Irrigation Department in Sri Lanka.
Keywords: Employee Job Performance, Reward System, Job Security, Training, Irrigation Department
Resource Orchestration in Digital Servitisation: A Case Study of Integrated Energy Service
Authors: Huang Qiubo , Xia Qing 
Published: April 2024

The widespread of digital technologies, such as the Internet of Things, in manufacturing industries has evoked a growing research stream on digital servitisation. Existing studies have formed a preliminary consensus on the conceptualisation of digital servitisation and discussed the business model, process transformation. Yet, the organisational micro foundation contributing to new strategy capabilities remain elusive. This paper aims at exploring the resource orchestration that manufacture undertaking in digital servitsation. Through a case study, the organisation restructuring process of an integrated energy service company is discussed. The research suggest that four categories of orchestration tactics enable digital servitisation path, which are physical resource orchestration tactic, human resource orchestration tactic, organisational structure tactic, ecological relationship orchestration tactic. It describes and exemplifies how manufacture transforms each of these aspects. Two types of strategy are recognised, conservative and aggressive strategy. In the end, a digital servitisation conceptual framework was proposed.
Keywords: Digital Servitisation, Resource Orchestration, Integrated Energy Service