Browsing by Author "Samarasiri, NC"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3

item: Conference-Full-text
A Comparative study of Sri Lankan and global retail banking customer behavior changes due to the Covid – 19 health crisis and responses by banks
(Business Research Unit (BRU), 2021-12-03) Panditaratne, S; Dilmi, M; Samarasiri, NC; Waas, P; Gunawardane, G
Organizations and consumers worldwide were caught off guard by the COVID-19 pandemic and banks and banking customers have been no exception. Research surveys across the world address several changes in retail banking customer behavior due to the crisis. Notable among these is a sharp decline in bank branch visits and an increase in adoption of digital (internet and mobile banking) interactions with banks. Related to these behavioral changes are challenges faced by certain customers, especially the older and rural customers in adopting to digital interactions, attitudes towards internet based mobile banking, trust in banks, and concerns about privacy and security. In addition to addressing threats imposed by this crisis to banks’ liquidity and profitability, retail banks have also had to address above aspects of retail banking customer behaviors. Banks actions reported include redesigning their customer service to ensure business continuity, customer communication strategies, aiding customers in use of internet and mobile banking, enhancing cyber security, promoting customer trust, restructuring operations and staff scheduling (including work from home), and addressing employee morale and emotional issues, and organizational culture issues. This paper will report findings of a survey of 119 Sri Lankan retail banking customers to ascertain their behavioral changes and attitudes due to the COVID -19 health crisis. Then it will present a survey of top and/or Operational Managers of the 12 most prominent banks in Sri Lanka to ascertain how banks handled the COVID – 19 crisis. These findings will then be compared to findings on retail bank customer behavior changes and bank responses in 27 other countries based on recent research papers and industry reports. The findings from this study were that Sri Lankan retail banking customers reduced physical contacts, and increased digital interactions, with their banks. They also found the change useful and easy to handle, thus leading them to trust the banks with the privacy and security of information resulting in overall satisfaction with the change. These findings are consistent with findings across the globe. It was also found that Sri Lankan banks are sufficiently addressing service continuance and safety of customers and employees with administrative changes comparable to actions by banks across the world. However, Sri Lankan banks, compared to banks across the world, have not established formal cybersecurity policies or programs, communication and educational programs for customers, programs to enhance employee morale and emotional issues, and addressed organizational culture issues although they seem to be aware of the significance of these issues. The paper will finally present certain recommendations for bank Managers and areas for further research.
item: Conference-Full-text
Preventing accidents in building construction through safety management
Perera, HN; Somachandra, V; Samarasiri, NC
Building Construction sector is one of the major sectors in the construction industry in Sri Lanka. As in other sectors, building construction workers also have to face various types of hazards and accidents. Due to these accidents, there is a significant lost to the industry in terms of valuable lives, wasted time and cost overruns and these adversely affect the reputation of the construction industry. The construction includes the different specific areas such as building, road, tunnel, bridges, harbors, reservoirs etc. But, the most researchers have carried out research in the general area of construction without any separation. Further the Health and Safety of Building construction have not been covered properly by the researchers in the past. However, one of the different areas of the industry, building construction has become the most hazardous industry compared to others. This study identifies the global practices to reduce the accident probability in Building construction projects. It also identifies the accidents that frequently happen, causes for those accidents, and the impact of those accidents on the on Building Construction projects in Sri Lanka. And also from the research it is possible to investigate the applicability of globally identified best practices in Sri Lankan Building Construction Projects. The main objective of this research was to develop a guideline for Sri Lankan Building Construction projects, which would be useful in reducing accidents probability in order to minimize various losses in Sri Lanka building construction projects. Currently there is no proper research carried out regarding this issue to reduce accidents probability and minimize losses in Sri Lankan Building construction projects. Thus, this research is useful to fill that research gap in the Sri Lankan Building Construction Sector.
item: Conference-Abstract
Towards an effective entrepreneurial ecosystem in higher education: experience of a South Asian technological university
Samarasinghe, GD; Mudalige, DM; Kuruppu, GN; Samarasiri, NC
Higher education systems of South Asian countries especially the Engineering education focus more on technological knowledge development than entrepreneurial attitude and skills development. However, by introducing reforms into the existing university system to promote entrepreneurial ecosystems, a few technological universities have attempted this in the recent past in emerging economies. In addressing important issue, University of Moratuwa, the premier technological university in Sri Lanka, launched certain entrepreneurial initiatives to promote the entrepreneurial capabilities of its Engineering undergraduates in the recent past. However, the perceived effect of this phenomenon on various stakeholders of the university is not yet explored. In order to address this empirical gap, the present study aimed at investigating stakeholders' attitudes towards effectiveness of these initiatives in enhancing entrepreneurial eco-system of the university. On this ground, the study adopted a qualitative in-depth interview with the key stakeholders who was involved in the entrepreneurial eco-system, selected based on purposive sampling. The data was analyzed using thematic analysis using narratives. Thematic analysis of interview data revealed that academic leadership style laid the corner-stone for formally establishing a dynamic entrepreneurial strategy and creating change agents who flourish entrepreneurial eco-system of the university. The analysis also revealed many interesting themes behind the success including how networking and collaborations with external agents fueled the process, role of existing brand image of the university and how structural changes overcame the barriers. These imply that action-oriented, student-centered programs need to be developed prior to institutionalizing entrepreneurship through curriculum changes and alignment of organization structure through strategic leadership and intent. Policy makers could gain insights from this study on how to facilitate entrepreneurship in the university system as knowledgebased entrepreneurs will create societal, technological and economic value for an emerging economy