bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Electronic banking and customer satisfaction with reference to debit card holders in Sri Lanka
Authors: Weerasinghe I.M.S. , Bandara O.G.C.G. 
Published: March 2022

The anticipated gigantic changes in the banking and finance industry that are taking place around the world, have redesigned the competitive landscape of the industry with many digitalized services. This sparking trend has fortified many financial institutes in Sri Lanka to metamorphose its operation with international standards thriving competitive environment. Electronic payments and online baking facilities were few such innovative solutions that shift the entire economy towards a cashless society. Debit Card is a multipurpose electronic card that facilitates 24-hour customer services has now become a mandatory banking facility in Sri Lanka, therefore billions of money have been already invested by banks in the facility. By today the card is extensively applied everywhere, however, the application of debit cards is somewhat questionable especially in regional areas. Hence the objective of this study was to identify the level of customer awareness about debit card facilities and customers' satisfaction with the card. This deductive type quantitative study applied a questionnaire survey strategy and achieved its purpose through five causal hypotheses that tested the impact of convenience, security, prestige, rewards, availability of facilities on debit cardholders’ satisfaction. Randomly, selected individual customers (397) contributed to the survey on which different statistical (correlation and regression) tests were employed to meet the research objective. There were 51.1% of male respondents in the sample in which 73.6 % were married. The majority of respondents belonged to the 26-35 age category and above 50% of them had up to A/L education. All most of the respondents had awareness about the facilities of the debit card, however, very little usage was reported except withdrawal as still people comfortable with cash. Respondents had mostly use a debit card for expenses between 5000.00 and 50000.00. Finally, the study found that convenience and available facilities as significant factors that satisfy debit cardholders. Accordingly, convenience and available facilities of debit cards are the expound dimensions that upsurge debit card application in day to day transaction in Sri Lanka, therefore study strongly encourage banks to consider the aforementioned dimensions if they wish to uphold debit card usage in the country.
Keywords: Banks, Cashless transaction, Debit Card, Facility, Satisfaction
Critical Evaluation of Airport Business Plan
Authors: Fernando W.W.A.S. , Indunil U.P.A. 
Published: March 2022

The airport business plan is a logical and disciplined structure to set out goals, objectives, and action plans for daily operations and management of airports. To evolve the business, airports need to follow different strategies. These strategies are implemented through the business plans of the airports. The following are the objectives of this research.

Identifying the business plan and its components
Developing Criteria to evaluate airport business plan with its performance
Evaluating the impact of how the airport business plan affects airport performance by utilizing developed criteria.

A literature survey was carried out to identify the components of the business plan. Interviews and questionnaire surveys were conducted to develop criteria including airport business plan elements (ABP Elements). Identified ABP elements are Airport & Market, Organization, Marketing, Operations, Aviation Products, Services & Facilities, Financial and Information Technology.
Key performance indicators were identified under each ABP element to evaluate the impact of how the business plan affects the airport performances. Four business plans were selected as case studies namely, Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), Mattala Rajapakshe International Airport (MRIA), Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), and Amsterdam International Airport (AMS) according to the availability of information. These business plans were benchmarked based on the key performance indicators under each ABP element. The analytical hierarchy process (AHP) was utilized to calculate the weights of the elements of the ABP.
As findings, HKG was the highest performing airport, MRIA was the lowest-performing airport in terms of Airport Business Plan. The areas that need to be developed in Airport Business Plans of BIA and MRIA were identified and recommendations were given. The created rubric by developing a table of airport business plan criteria and sub-criteria for the selected four airports can be used as a decision-making tool. The airport can enhance its efficiency to identify new business opportunities and attract investors by implementing a standard business plan.
Keywords: Evaluation, Planning, Airport Business Plan, Airport performance, Airport benchmarking
Facilities Management Outsourcing Options: Evidence from Practices in Sri Lanka
Authors: Dasandara S.P.M. , Jayawickrama B.P.S.S. , Dissanayake D.M.P.P. 
Published: March 2022

Facilities Management (FM) can be identified as an emerging profession in Sri Lanka, where FM outsourcing has become a new and tactical business approach for carrying out a variety of FM services. It is a way of optimising core function of the organisation by transferring non-core functions to external parties. Generally, FM outsourcing options include managing agent, managing contractor, total FM, bundle service, single service and integrated service. Applicability of these methods depends on the current situation of the FM industry. Presently, these options are commonly used for FM outsourcing practices in Sri Lanka. However, all these methods are not perfectly applicable with the current condition of the Sri Lankan FM industry. This urges the need of identifying the most ideal FM outsourcing option(s) to deliver FM services in Sri Lanka. This paper, therefore, aimed to investigate the current FM outsourcing practices in Sri Lanka to identify the most ideal FM outsourcing options(s) by bridging the knowledge gap in prevailing literature.
The research aim was achieved through a qualitative approach with qualitative interview survey strategy. Semi structured interviews were conducted as the data collection technique with twelve experienced FM industry practitioners. The collected data was analysed using content analysis method. Research findings revealed that all FM outsourcing options are currently practiced in Sri Lanka and among them, single service option has become the most commonly used method to deliver FM services. However, it was proven through the findings that with the evolution of FM, organisations have to move from traditional methods to modern methods for FM outsourcing. As a result, even though single service option is the most commonly used method, integrated service option was identified as the most ideal and appropriate FM outsourcing option in Sri Lanka based on the benefits from clients’ as well as service providers’ perspectives. The knowledge generated through this study can be used by the FM practitioners, clients and service providing organisations in order to practice most appropriate FM outsourcing option(s) in Sri Lanka by gaining the expected benefits from FM outsourcing.
Keywords: Facilities Management (FM), FM Outsourcing, FM Outsourcing Options
Reasons for the deviation in the Final Pre-Production Completion in Apparel Industry: Case Study
Authors: Perera A. S. P. , Ariyarathne S. P. 
Published: March 2022

Sri Lanka’s apparel and textile manufacturing industry is the most significant and dynamic contributor to the economy. A key success factor of the industry is the high level of quality in the final production which delivers to the customer. This depends on many internal procedures within the organization. The final pre-production (PP) is one of those significant stages in the internal manufacturing process, which impacts the quality and completion time of the bulk production. Repetitive delays in the final pre-production (PP) completions which holds the entire bulk production was observed as an empirical problem in one of a leading apparel manufacturing company in Sri Lanka. Hence the primary objective of the study is to investigate reasons for the delays in final PP completion. Research methodology follows an interpretivism philosophy with an inductive approach. The strategies of data collection were based on a case study method which includes deep observations of 240 hours on the production floor and interviews as primary data collection sources and historical data of the organization as the secondary data. Study used Plan-Do- Check-Act (PDCA) cycle with an eight-step problem solving method to analyze the data. Findings of the study are; delays in pre-production sample approval, issues with material quality assurance, materials and trimming sources, development center, factory authorized auditor, machines unavailability. This study contributes to the existing literature and apparel sector by providing fine-grained recommendations to the field such as enhancing the collaborations on cross functional team tasks, sharing responsibilities of the feedback mechanisms in the production process and to increase the plant technical team involvement on each stage of the process.
Keywords: Pre-Production (PP), Bulk production, Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA)
Bernoulli Trial in Gauging the Quantity Surveyors’ Standpoint on Concurrent Delays
Authors: Jayalath C. , Wickramasinghe W.M.U. 
Published: March 2022

It is not off beam to contend that concurrent delays are a contentious arena in construction claims where anecdotal experience-based approach has been evident among the practitioners. Assessing concurrent delay in relation to extension of time and delay damages is often complicated. The aim of the research is to recognize an industry-accepted precedent as to concurrent delays, from the quantity surveyor perspective. The objectives are to identify the ‘evaluators’ view on concurrent delay as a ‘phenomenon’ in the construction industry, gauge the industry practitioner’s view on the treatment on concurrent delay in terms of ratifying time extension and prolongation costs and finally to see whether a consensus is truly available. The authors in this paper offer a key insight into claims using a quantitative approach by effectively recommending a convincing solution in terms of either yes or no. This is done by encapsulating a concurrent delay scenario and asking consulting quantity surveyors to add their experience and offer their views through fully structured questionnaires. The questions were to examine, whether there exists a concurrent delay, time is excusable so that concurrent delay period once identified is added to the period of extension and finally, whether the costs on prolongation due to concurrent delays are compensable. Binomial distribution is used to model the probability and gauge the perception where a series of discrete trials in this research was conducted and each individual trial had either agreement or otherwise. In this way, a new insight into the attitudes of ‘evaluators’ to claims is obtained and common areas of agreement and disagreement are identified. It was found that claims consultants have a greater appreciation of the ways in which claims are eventually settled. Further, the authors have noted that assessing concurrent delay is often problematic. There is no single accepted definition of concurrent delay.
Keywords: Claims; Concurrent delay; Scenario-based
Revisiting Pro-Social Rule-Breaking: Suggestions for Improvements
Authors: De Peiris T.N.S. , Kaluarachchi K.A.S.P. 
Published: March 2022

The existing literature on the concept of deviant behaviour in Management and Organizational Studies includes two streams of research on deviant behaviour, which consider both positive and negative consequences. Under positive deviant behaviour, Pro-Social Rule-Breaking (PSRB) is considered as an important concept, which addresses the motives, behaviour, and consequences of positive deviant behaviour in the organisational context. This paper intends to examine the construction of PSRB within the existing literature to identify its strengths and limitations. Further, if gaps are available in the existing notion of the concept, the paper intends to propose constructs to be incorporated in the re-conceptualisation. With the review of the literature it was found that PSRB falls short in explaining the motive(s) of positive deviant behaviour linked with the ‘self’ by emphasising the pro-social motive of rule-breaking which is linked to a concern for the ‘other’. It also gives prominence to breaking formal rules by ignoring deviance from informal norms. Moreover, the emphasis of the existing literature on the construction of PSRB is mainly on explaining the impact of organization-specific constructs related to deviant behaviour, with less consideration paid to constructs in the extra-organizational context. Hence, in order to overcome the limitations of the concept, constructs considered in the literature were analysed with a view to re-conceptualising PSRB with suitable sub-constructs. Consequently, the paper proposes to incorporate discourses, norms, and identity work in re-conceptualising the construction of PSRB of organizational actors. This re-conceptualisation will facilitate understanding the self’s and the other’s motives, the breaking of formal as well as informal rules/norms, and organizational as well as extra-organizational motives in the construction of PSRB. Hence, the proposed sub-constructs go beyond a surface-level analysis by overcoming the limitations of the existing notion of the construction of PSRB. The proposed re-consideration broadens the understanding of PSRB while enabling practitioners to manage positive deviant behaviour desirably in the organizational context.
Keywords: Deviant Behaviour, Discourses, Identity Work, Norms, Pro-Social Rule-Breaking
Impact of Sustainable HRM Practices on Employee Performance: A Study of Employees in a Selected Private Sector Company in Sri Lanka
Authors: Weerasinghe T.W.M.K.K. , Silva K.N.N. 
Published: March 2022

Private sector plays a distinct role in Sri Lankan economy at the present context. Lack of employee performance is one of the major challenging problems faced by the private sector organizations. Private sector organizations incur a huge investment on improving employee performances and introduce novel HRM practices in order to improve employee performance. Sustainable HRM is also such a novel concept aimed at improving employee performance with sustainable outcomes. The major objective of conducting this study is to investigate current sustainable HRM practices and to identify the impact of those sustainable HRM practices on employee performance in one of the leading broiler companies in Sri Lanka. Based on the objectives of the study, semi structured questionnaire was used to collect data from a sample of 100 employees through simple random sampling and the collected data was analyzed descriptively and statistically. Sustainable recruitment and selection, sustainable training and development and sustainable motivation and rewards were considered as the major factors to identify the existing sustainable HRM practices in the company and to test the willingness of employees for implementing sustainable HRM practices. Findings of the study reveal that all the selected sustainable HRM practices were existed within the company and employees were willing to practice, except the practices which are related with advanced technology. In case of impact identification of sustainable HRM practices on employee performance, sustainable recruitment and selection have a significant negative impact. Sustainable motivation and rewards have a significant positive impact on employee performance. In case of identifying the constraints for practicing sustainable HRM practices in the company, lack of knowledge was identified as the most affecting constraint. Consequently, the results of this study may give policy implications for the company to enhance employee performance with sustainable HRM practices while expanding existing literature on sustainable HRM in Sri Lankan context.
Keywords: Employee performance, Sustainable HRM, Sustainable motivation and rewards, Sustainable recruitment and selection, Sustainable training and development
Redefining Professional Identities: Identity Work of Professional Accountants in the Presence of ICTs in Sri Lanka
Authors: Alwis T.P.G.P.C. , De Peiris T.N.S. 
Published: March 2022

Changes in professional identities with moving into new types of roles or engaging in new tasks may strive to alter the direction of a profession at large. Comparatively little attention has been devoted to the professional identities of accountants in the Sri Lankan context, to the construal of their professional identities in the face of changes accompanying the widespread use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). Thus, the purpose of this paper is to present the findings of an empirical study on how the professional identities being redefined by accounting professionals in Sri Lanka in the presence of ICTs. The paper elaborates on the less studied phenomenon as ICTs facilitate the world of work by creating interfaces for workers to act, though on some occasions it does present certain challenges. A qualitative research approach was adopted to carry out an interpretive and naturalistic exploration. Participants were selected based on the purposive judgmental sampling technique, to cover different aspects of the profession from the time of introduction of ICTs to the Sri Lankan context, to the present day. Data was gathered through semi-structured, in-depth interviews and subsequently, the transcribed interviews were thematically analysed. Findings of the study explains how the professional accountant’s job role and accounts departments’ structures changed with the advent of ICTs. Five types of identity work which accounting professionals use to redefine their professional identities in the presence of ICTs, were identified as resistance to change, acquiring new skills and facilitating new skills, occupying different spaces, legitimising knowledge, and finding alternative avenues. Accordingly, the paper presents the views of the participants on the future trends in the accounting profession in Sri Lanka while drawing implications for the policy decisions of academics and other professional bodies. Thus, the paper highlights professional accountants’ identity work which contributes to the redefinition of professional identities in the face of inevitable changes occurring in the world of work.
Keywords: Accounting professionals, Identity work, ICTs, Redefining identities
Predicting and Comparing the Retention and Turnover Intention of Generations X and Y at Selected Service Companies in Sri Lanka
Authors: Walpola M.D.C.P. , Piyasiri A.D.W.D. , Jayamal I.A.U.M. , Wijenayaka T.H.P.C. , Pathirana G. Y. , Weerarathne R.S. 
Published: March 2022

The generation gap has impacted a much higher turnover in the generation Y than in generation X during the previous years. It has impacted in achieving a healthy working environment at organizations to achieve the organizational goals. Hence it was needed to identify on what factors does the turnover rate of generation ‘y’ has increased than in generation ‘x’ within organizations and to predict which employees will retain and leave from the organizations during the next year. This study is based on a quantitative research type. A survey was used as the main research strategy and the study is based on deductive research approach. The population of the study was 1298 employees who belong to the two generations ‘x’ and ‘y’ of selected private companies which operate under the service category in Sri Lanka. The target sample of the study was 297 and the researchers were able to fulfil their requirement. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive analysis, multiple linear regression and binary logistic regression using SPSS. It was found that differences in characteristics of the two generations and the behaviors of them had influenced a higher turnover intention in generation ‘y’ than in generation ‘x’. It was specifically noted that the three independent variables had a positive impact on the retention and intention to leave of the two generations at workplaces separately. The results will be of utmost importance for employers to predict the retention and turnover intention of employees and for employees to have faith and continue the career providing the best to fulfill the organization’s needs. Hence, this concept could be recognized as a key factor to drive the quality in both employers and employees while achieving sustainability to have a healthy working environment. The main limitation of the study was that only two generations were taken into consideration. Therefore, it is recommended for future researchers to have research studies on upcoming generations at workplaces to identify the generational behavior.
Keywords: Sustainable HRM, Generation ‘X’, Generation ‘Y’, Predictive Analysis
Impact of Workplace Surveillance on Employee - Employer Bond
Authors: Ranasinghe V. R. , Samarasinghe S.M. 
Published: March 2022

Workplace surveillance has drawn the attention of many organizations during the past decades. Previous research investigated the impact of workplace surveillance on different constructs such as job satisfaction, employee loyalty, trust in management, employee creativity and employee privacy. However, there was a dearth of research on the impact of workplace surveillance on employee – employer bond as it has not been tested previously in any organizational context. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of workplace surveillance on employee – employer bond and to identify the role of trust in the impact of workplace surveillance on employee – employer bond. Further, this study used social bond theory which has not been used before to investigate the impact of workplace surveillance on employee – employer bond. The model was empirically tested by collecting data from two hundred and eight operational level employees working in commercial banks in Sri Lanka. In selecting the sample, convenience sampling was used due to time constraints. The survey questionnaire method was used to collect data. The study focused on three constructs, namely, workplace surveillance, trust, and employee – employer bond. This study used Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to analyze the data. Before the statistical analysis, data was screened for its appropriateness for use in the main analysis. According to the findings of the study, workplace surveillance had a weak positive impact on employee – employer bond and a moderate, positive impact on trust. Trust, on the other hand, had a strong positive impact on employee – employer bond. Further, trust had an indirect effect on the relationship between workplace surveillance and employee – employer bond. Hence, managers should identify strategies to enhance their employees’ trust levels as they directly enhance employee – employer bond and increase organizational performance.
Keywords: Employee – Employer Bond, Trust, Workplace Surveillance