ICBR-2023 (6th)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://192.248.9.226/handle/123/21796

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item: Conference-Full-text
Awareness of green supply chain management practices of Sri Lankan SMEs
(Business Research Unit (BRU), 2023-12-04) Ashoka, AND; Jayasooriya, SD; Galahitiyawe, NWK
As many economies embrace global supply systems, there is a pressing need to focus on reducing the supply chains' adverse environmental impact. Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM), is an alternative idea that combines supply chain effectiveness with environmental considerations. GSCM is a powerful tool for distinguishing or separating a company from its competitors, and it can have a substantial impact on the company's success strategy. It is becoming more significant for Sri Lankan SMEs as they become more attentive to corporate social responsibility and the obligation to follow the terms of eco-friendly policy. Recently, it was found that there are many issues in the area of supply chain to the balance of biodiversity specially from the Small and Medium sector enterprises in Sri Lanka. Though various researchers have highlighted the penetration of GSCM practices in large-scale manufacturing industries, the present study is aimed at exploring the awareness of green supply chain management practices in Small and Medium Scale Industries (SMEs) in Sri Lanka. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to evaluate the current state of Sri Lankan Small and Medium Enterprises in the context of Green Supply Chain Management Practices (GSCMP). This research study takes a qualitative approach rather than a quantitative one. The study depends on primary data, collected through face-to-face, semi-structured interviews with seven Small and Medium enterprises in North Western Province, Sri Lanka. Interviews were conducted with managers of a set of SMEs in the Sri Lankan market in an attempt to meet the main objectives of this research. All the targets are located in North Western Province, as a matter of determining the geographical coordinates of the target. This study follows a thematic analysis approach to analyze the data. Highlighted findings were such that insignificant attention from SMEs in Sri Lanka is being paid towards the environment. SMEs were found not to be willing and seriously ready to take action so as to help in reducing environmental threats. Lack of customer awareness, Lack of knowledge & experience training to personnel in Green supply chain management, Lack of top-level management commitment in adopting green supply chain management, Suppliers or vendors are reluctant to adopt Green supply chain management practices, Cost of Implementation for Green supply chain management and Lack of support & guidance from regulatory authorities are the main reasons for lower level adoption to the green supply chain management practices among Sri Lankan SMEs. Various suggestions were offered in this study and proposed solutions according to the identified insufficiencies.
item: Conference-Full-text
Mobile phone apps-based shopping and generation z’s impulsive fashion apparel buying behaviour
(Business Research Unit (BRU), 2023-12-04) Ajanthan, D
In contemporary society, individuals have increasingly turned to mobile applications as a means of effectively and conveniently organizing their daily tasks and responsibilities. Mobile applications play a significant role in enhancing the efficiency of consumers' shopping experience throughout the decision-making phase. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of hedonic motivations, utilitarian factors, and social pressure on consumers' intention to purchase fashion products through mobile applications. Additionally, the study also explores the mediating role of attitude towards using mobile apps in this context. A total of 326 Generation Z customers participated in an online questionnaire, which was subsequently subjected to analysis using structural equation modelling techniques, specifically SmartPLS 4 and PLS-SEM. All hypothesized relationships were found to be statistically significant and positive, with the exception of the association between privacy and security and attitude toward using mobile apps, which exhibited a negative relationship. Further, the findings reveal that hedonic motivation significantly influences users' attitudes towards the utilization of mobile applications. Simultaneously, customers' attitudes act as mediators in the relationship between perceived usefulness, social pressure, hedonic motivation, and impulsive buying behavior. These findings will help online marketers to improve their selling endeavors.
item: Conference-Full-text
Antecedents and performance outcomes of innovation capability in small-medium enterprises
(Business Research Unit (BRU), 2023-12-04) De Mel, VHM; Jayawardane, AKW
To achieve sustainable competitive advantage in the contemporary business environment organizations are continually demanded to develop the propensity to innovate. Accordingly, this has led to increased interest in understanding the factors driving innovation capability in organizations. Nevertheless, the Sri Lankan manufacturing sector has a laid-back approach pertaining to innovations. This study examines the antecedents of innovation capability and performance outcomes of innovation capability in SMEs by integrating the resource-based view and dynamic capability view. To achieve this objective this study adopted an explanatory research design and collected data from 190 manufacturing sector SMEs in Sri Lanka. Structural equation modelling was used to analyze the relationship between antecedents of innovation capability and its impact on product innovations and process innovations. Accordingly, the empirical findings of the current study contributed to the innovation management literature by validating a new framework based on seminal arguments of RBV and dynamic capability view to determine the antecedents of innovation capability in the manufacturing SME sector. Moreover, the findings of the study theorized that the identified antecedents of innovation capability will positively influence product innovation capability and process innovation capability.
item: Conference-Full-text
Evaluation of employee engagement towards work performance in a hybrid working model in the Sri Lankan construction industry
(Business Research Unit (BRU), 2023-12-04) Devinda, WASSS; Sandanayake, TC; Mufitha, MB
There are various alternative hybrid working models in practice for middle-layer employees in the construction industry due to post-pandemic work arrangements. This calls for an evaluation of the suitability of alternative working models since hybrid working models encompass a wide range of activities. However, a paucity of literature is observed when it comes to recommending the most effective model to achieve higher work performance and employee engagement. Additionally, there is a scarcity of literature when investigating the factors influencing effective employee engagement towards work performance when hybrid working models are employed. The current study evaluates the moderating effect of gender on the main relationship between employee engagement and work performance. The population is defined as the middle-layer employees of the construction industry in Sri Lanka. Due to the prevailing economic challenges in the Sri Lankan construction industry, a convenient sampling technique was used. The study employed a survey methodology and collected responses from 142 self-administered questionnaires. The one-way ANOVA test results show that out of the four alternative hybrid working models—'at will model,' 'split week model,' 'shift work model,' and 'week by week model'—the shift work model is the best-fit hybrid working model for middle-layer construction employees. From the linear regression analysis, it was found that employee engagement has a positive relationship with work performance. Concerning the challenges faced by middle-layer construction employees, the results reveal that female employees face the challenges more than their male counterparts. However, the results of the interaction effect in the regression analysis show that gender has no effect on the relationship between employee engagement and work performance. The findings of the study help top-level managers in the construction industry make decisions related to enhancing work performance. They can also choose the most appropriate hybrid working model for their projects based on specific considerations and the expected employee engagement in such scenarios.
item: Conference-Full-text
Community-based evacuation routes for hydrometeorological hazards resilience: a case study of Ratnapura district in Sri Lanka
(Business Research Unit (BRU), 2023-12-04) Cooray, MSS; Bandara, AANS; Perera, AAH; Lankeshwarie, ABD; Dassanayake, SM; Gunawardana, A; Prasanna, R
Sri Lanka has endured many hydrometeorological hazards due to torrential rains and monsoonal rains. These events disrupt communication networks, obstruct roadways, and can result in resource misallocation. Thus, setting in place mechanisms that could enhance situational awareness is essential and beneficial in building resilience in disaster management. This study aims to minimize the loss of lives and improve living conditions for the displaced by strategically allocating resources. Our approach involves the development of a decision management system. This system serves the dual purpose of guiding civilians to the nearest evacuation shelter and aiding stakeholders, including local authorities and Red Cross volunteers, in coordinating rescue operations and resource distribution. The research employs a multi-phase methodology, the research conducts susceptibility analysis to identify flood-prone areas based on terrain, land use, and soil data. Leveraging Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite imagery, the inundation mapping phase assesses the flooding extent in Rathnapura, the selected study region. These maps are instrumental in optimizing evacuation routes and ensuring the secure movement of affected populations during flood events. The resulting flood risk map integrates with the system to generate the nearest evacuation route. This enables users to circumvent flooded areas inaccessible by land vehicles, ultimately saving crucial time in emergency situations. The data pertaining to the relocation of civilians to these evacuation shelters can be used by authorities to appropriately allocate food, water, medical supplies, and dry rations, and the route suggestion engine can be used in rescuing civilians stranded in their homes during floods. The Decision Management System in question was developed as a web application, which is currently being deployed on a local server with improvements underway to best serve the public and authorities.
item: Conference-Full-text
Examining successful female entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka: an exploratory study
(Business Research Unit (BRU), 2023-12-04) Srikantha, KNT; A.J. Fernando, AJ
The purpose of this research is to sightsee the successful female entrepreneurs and the factors that contribute to their success while facing challenges in conducting their businesses, based on a case study in the Panadura division. This paper adopts the purposive sampling cum snowball sampling method which leads to a qualitative-based case study. Data is collected from a total of 10 women entrepreneurs who are provided financial facilities from a microfinance company in the Panadura division and all of whom resided and operated their business in Panadura. The sample is created including start-ups under different sectors. An information-rich case study of entrepreneurial experiences from the selected females is examined using in-depth interviews to investigate the success of their businesses. Thematic analysis is used in analyzing the collected data. As findings, Female Entrepreneurs have to face several types of challenges such as huge competition, lack of creativity, lack of financial support, lack of capital to start, loss of dedication, negative impacts, imbalance of the domestic life with the work-life, etc. Several factors are identified that contribute to the success of female entrepreneurship childhood experiences, desire & the impact of family, psychological factors, learning in terms of formal and informal, and finally the support gained from internal and external parties. Considering attitudes, all females have self-confidence when doing and even before starting the business. They consider the self-confidence as the key to the success.
item: Conference-Full-text
Clicks to cravings: how social media serves as the culinary compass for Sri Lankan youth's food choices
(Business Research Unit (BRU), 2023-12-04) Ismail, NSAM; Weerabahu, SH; Ratnaweera, S; Premaratne, SK; Thelijjagoda, S; Jayasinghe, P
Sri Lanka's food industry is changing, and young people are using the internet more and more to get food recommendations as a result of the economic crisis of 2021. This has caused many food companies to move to virtual marketing. The impact of social media marketing (SMM) versus traditional media marketing (TMM) on the food purchasing behavior of Sri Lankan youth (18–30 years old) is examined in this study, which looks at the effective marketing strategies for this demographic given the widespread use of social media among young people. Two hypotheses were investigated using quantitative methods: H0, which states that there is no significant difference in purchasing decisions between youth exposed to TMM and SMM, and H1, which states that young Sri Lankans prefer SMM. Using R software, the analysis validated H1, showing that there is a stronger positive relationship (r = 0.5413) between SMM and youth food purchases than there is with TMM (r = 0.1108). A significant difference in conversion rates was noted for youth exposed to SMM (p < 0.001), but not for TMM (p = 0.1913), according to Welch's t-test. This study shows empirically that SMM influences young Sri Lankan consumers' food choices more than TMM does, highlighting the significance of digital marketing tactics for this group. These findings have an impact on companies and marketers who want to attract and keep young customers in the rapidly changing digital landscape.
item: Conference-Full-text
Performance improvement of a car wheel alignment centre: an application of discrete events simulation
(Business Research Unit (BRU), 2023-11-04) Lankapura, WK; Wettasinghe, J
Customer satisfaction is one of the major important aspects of any production-oriented or service-oriented organization. Any firm must ensure that they are capable of satisfying the customer’s requirements while gaining a financial benefit through the business operation. If an organization can fulfil the needs of the customer while having financial benefits at the same time, the organization will be able to sustain the business. The study aims at the performances of a particular car wheel alignment center. The major problem associated with this process is the formation of a vehicle queue during the mornings of weekends. To address the aforesaid problem, this study first attempts to simulate the current situation of the real process using discrete event simulation software, and then evaluates the performances by changing the state parameters on it. In the simulation study, the assumptions and simplifications made on the arrival pattern, inter-arrival times and the average service time. From the simulation study, it is clearly observed that the queue length has a significant impact on the number of servers. At once, it can be clearly noticed that the number of service bays can be increased to eliminate the queues. With the aid of simulation trials using three and four servers, the results clearly showed that there is a reduction in the queue length when more servers are added. However, with a detailed cost-benefit analysis followed by the simulation trials conducted, it can be concluded that the addition of another server will be optimal. Also, the cost-benefit analysis shows that, after a time period of 12 months the initial capital can be recovered.
item: Conference-Full-text
Predictive analytics for inventory optimization
(Business Research Unit (BRU), 2023-12-04) Comester, KFRF; Gunathilake, PGMP; Godakumbura, SK; Begum, MMFM; Amaranath, DDRR; Mahakalanda, I; de Silva, T
In 2021, the Sri Lankan apparel manufacturing industry faced a severe downturn due to the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crises, highlighting the need for accurate sales predictions amid global supply chain disruptions. Traditional statistical models struggle to handle such crises, necessitating the exploration of machine learning methods for forecasting sales. This study aimed to identify the most effective predictive models for finished apparel goods sales, addressing data complexities like seasonality, trend, and stationarity, with a focus on enhancing decision-making in the industry. The dataset consisted of 128 weekly records of point-of-sale (POS) data for three specific apparel items sold in the US and manufactured in Sri Lanka, spanning from January 2021 to June 2023. Also, the inflation rate in the USA is used as an exogenous variable. Data preprocessing began with rationalization, followed by splitting it into training and testing sets. Two models, ARIMA and SARIMAX, were constructed using the training data to analyze the time series. Model performance was assessed using Mean Square Error (MSE), with the goal of generating future sales predictions. The results indicated that the ARIMA model outperformed SARIMAX, exhibiting significantly lower MSE values. This outcome suggests that ARIMA is the superior model for forecasting sales in this context. Future research aims to validate this result by incorporating additional datasets, ensuring the continued effectiveness of the ARIMA model in predicting apparel sales. In conclusion, this study highlights the critical role of advanced machine learning techniques, in improving sales predictions for the Sri Lankan apparel manufacturing industry. By addressing data complexities and employing robust validation methods, this research contributes to more precise planning and decision-making, essential for navigating disruptions in the global supply chain and economic uncertainties.
item: Conference-Full-text
Comparison of the behavior of markowitz model across three broad indices under different market conditions
(2023-12-04) Fernando, DNN; Perera, WADAU; Perera, SMH; Sumaiya, AMN; Perera, SD
The Markowitz model, introduced by Harry Markowitz in 1952, forms the basis of Modern Portfolio Theory and provides a mathematical framework for investors to create well-diversified portfolios by balancing risk and return. This research investigates the performance of the Markowitz model across three major indices: Nifty 50 of India, PSEi composite of the Philippines, and Straits Times Index of Singapore, under different market conditions in different time regimes. The study covers a 15-year period starting from 2007, encompassing the global financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. From each index, 20 stocks were selected based on their market capitalization. Through the application of the Markowitz mean-variance model, optimal portfolio weights were derived for different time regimes within each country. These trial period optimal weights were then applied to subsequent simulation periods for comparative analysis with the Market Capitalization Weighted Portfolio, serving as the benchmark. Performance assessments were based on the Sharpe ratio and Information ratio. Results revealed that the Markowitz model’s varied performance across market conditions in India and the Philippines whereas, in Singapore, it constantly well-performed despite the market condition due to the country’s relative stability than India and Philippines. These results suggested that the effectiveness of the model relies on the stability challenges that emerge in volatile and uncertain periods when the country is relatively unstable.
item: Conference-Full-text
The Impact of sustainability reporting on firm value: with special reference to public listed companies in Sri Lanka
(Business Research Unit (BRU), 2023-12-04) Hewathudallage, DSR; Weerasinghe, KDTN
Sustainability has become an important concept during the past decades due to the enormous increase in sustainability-related issues faced by business organizations. It is a concept which consists of three facets, namely economic, environmental, and social. Even though there are many studies conducted related to sustainability reporting (SR), many of them are related to financial performance and there were only a few studies related to firm value. However, similar studies which have been carried out in the international context pertaining to this topic might not apply to the Sri Lankan context directly. Since there is a major shortfall of academic work conducted, the foremost intention of conducting this research work is to evaluate the effect of SR on firm value in the Sri Lankan context. This research also identifies the level of SR according to the Global Report Initiative (GRI) Framework. SR is measured by generating a disclosure index using the GRI G4 guidelines, while Tobin's Q ratio is used to measure the firm value. The simple random sampling technique was employed to get the sample of 20 companies that are listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE), Sri Lanka out of the population of companies who make SR practices in line with the GRI framework. The data was collected through means of the reports generated annually by the selected sample of companies for the period of study from 2016 to 2020, which are available to the general public. Furthermore, the researcher applies a panel data regression model to analyze the data. The results of the study indicate that the impact of SR on firm value is statistically significant with a negative relationship between SR and firm value when controlled for the effect of firm size and leverage. The findings of this study will influence the capital market participants to make more informed investment decisions.
item: Conference-Full-text
Detecting possible outliers in the Colombo stock exchange
(Business Research Unit (BRU), 2023-12-04) Bandaranayake, BMEP; Perera, MKPL; Lakmini, WR; Nageswaran, N; Perera, SD; Gunawardana, A; Perera, NA
Insider trading poses a significant challenge for stock markets, including the Colombo Stock Exchange, as it undermines investor confidence. The purpose of this study is to develop an innovative methodology that can effectively identify and flag suspicious transactions and investors. The proposed approach considers a multitude of parameters that influence the behavior of insider traders, which have been overlooked in current detection methods. This method mainly focuses on assessing the change in the trading behavior of investors in relation to price-sensitive corporate events compared to their past behavior and the behavior of peer investors. As an initiation, we used trade data for the year 2016- 2021 and identified potential suspicious investors and transactions. By utilizing this approach, we seek to enhance the effectiveness of identifying insider trading and mitigate its adverse effects on the market.
item: Conference-Full-text
Optimizing marketing strategies through occupancy pattern analysis in shopping malls
(Business Research Unit (BRU), 2023-12-04) Pathirana, KPRS; Jayasinghe, GDGM; Ponnamperuma, JAW; Sarathchandra, HRCA; Dassanayake, SM; Mahakalanda, I
This study examines the occupancy patterns within a suburban shopping center in Sri Lanka, with more attention to the evolving role of shopping malls as dynamic marketing hubs. It underscores the importance of comprehending customer behavior, optimizing store layouts, and deploying effective advertising strategies in the context of mall marketing. Using a data-driven approach spanning four weeks, we collected and analyzed customer traffic data. Our findings consistently highlight the prominence of entrances 1 and 2, with Fridays emerging as the peak day for customer engagement. Additionally, crowd density analysis uncovers the significant impact of store types and the time of day on mall traffic patterns. These actionable insights serve as valuable guidance for mall management, enabling the optimization of marketing strategies and an enhanced shopping experience. By effectively bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical applications in shopping mall marketing, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of occupancy patterns within these multifaceted commercial spaces.
item: Conference-Full-text
Flood risk assessment in the vulnerable economic zones: a case study in the Kelani river basin
(Business Research Unit (BRU), 2023-12-04) Jayasinghe, SN; Madurasinghe, MAVN; Weerahannedige, DC; Weerakoon, DRYYB; Dassanayake, SM; Gunawardana, A; Dissanayake, DMPV; Prasanna, R
This research presents a comprehensive framework for managing flood risk in the Kelani River basin, employing the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and spatial analysis to enhance flood risk comprehension, support informed decision-making, and facilitate effective flood management. Initially, the framework identifies key parameters influencing flood risk, which are then used to create flood hazard and vulnerability indexes through AHP. The hazard index indicates the likelihood of a flood event, while the vulnerability index assesses potential impacts. These two indexes are combined to form an overall flood risk index. Subsequently, this index is utilized to develop a web-based spatial decision support system (SDSS), enabling businesses and stakeholders to visualize and analyze flood risk information, aiding them in making well-informed decisions regarding flood mitigation and adaptation measures. This research offers valuable insights for policymakers and authorities in the Kelani River basin, fostering resilience and sustainable development in the region. Though the study acknowledges limitations related to data availability and generalization to other regions, it serves as a valuable foundation for the development of more comprehensive and effective flood risk management frameworks in the Kelani River basin and beyond.
item: Conference-Full-text
Thrift fashion among generation z: consumer awareness of thrift fashion among generation z in Sri Lanka
(Business Research Unit (BRU), 2023-12-04) Gunarathne, HMHS; Ranathunga, GM
Thrift fashion is a relatively new concept in Sri Lanka. However, there is a probability to improve the awareness of second-hand clothing and sustainability. The research objective is to identify characteristics of the thrift fashion market in Sri Lanka and give insight into points of awareness of thrift fashion among Generation Z. This study combined qualitative and quantitative methods. Google surveys and interviews offered broad insights, while additional interviews delved deeper into responses and behaviours. Generation Z in Sri Lanka (born 1995-2010) shows interest in second-hand clothing, reflected in thriving thrift shops. Generation Z is propelling the thrift fashion trend, driven by its focus on sustainability and social responsibility. This trend allows them to showcase their style, discover unique pieces, and build a wardrobe while avoiding the negative impacts of fast fashion and reducing waste. In Sri Lanka, the thrift fashion market stands out for its increasing popularity, affordability, and wide array of clothing options. It emphasises sustainability, offers accessibility through physical and online thrift stores, and collaborates for social impact. Generation Z is highly interested in thrift fashion due to their cost considerations, preference for online shopping, influence of social media, style, brand consciousness, desire for individuality and environmental awareness.
item: Conference-Full-text
A Process architecture approach for developing standard operating procedures for manufacturing organization
(Business Research Unit (BRU), 2023-12-04) Delpagoda, RA; Anjana, PDE; Kavindi, MKS; Weeraman, ASD
To obtain any authority or certification, such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), an organization must have standard documentation of the activities occurring on that premises or network. Having standard operating procedures (SOP) enables the company to perform its work to a standard. This paper focuses on developing SOPs for one of the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) organizations in Sri Lanka. This study is expected to help obtain the ISO 9001-2015 certification, which was a problem for the concerned Company. The main topic of this research includes process identification and standard operating procedure development for production, warehouse, and procurement processes. The value-added activities are identified through the impact matrix. The process architecture approach has been used to develop the much-needed operational SOP. Using the process architecture approach is the innovative approach in this study. Data collection for the study was done by using interviews, observations, and company records. By having a good interaction between researchers and participants, it is possible to follow the qualitative methodology. This provides a deeper understanding of the subjective aspects of the research questions. After the identification of critical processes, the qualitative attributes required by them for ISO 9001 - 2015 were recognized and the SOPs related to the existing three processes were developed in this study.
item: Conference-Full-text
Assessing the factors affecting the adoption of cashless payments by small-scale traders: a case study on Sri Lanka
(Business Research Unit (BRU), 2023-12-04) Karunarathna, KK
This study investigates cashless payment adoption among small-scale traders in Sri Lanka, emphasizing those with capital investments below Rs. 4 million and workforces of 50 or fewer. Employing a positivist paradigm and a deductive approach based on the extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the research challenges prevailing assumptions. Findings, derived from multiple regression analysis on an 80-trader sample in the Kurunegala district, reveal that associated costs and past exposure insignificantly impact acceptance. In contrast, trust and customer demand emerge as pivotal factors, offering nuanced insights into Sri Lanka's societal shift towards cashless systems. While the study provides practical guidance for policymakers, limitations, such as modest sample size and geographic specificity, warrant cautious interpretation. Future research should diversify samples, adopt mixed methods, and explore emerging technologies for a comprehensive understanding. The study contributes substantively to practical and theoretical realms, challenging conventional assumptions and emphasizing regional variations in small-scale traders' attitudes toward cashless methods.
item: Conference-Full-text
Determinants and outcomes of job engagement in the post-pandemic in Sri Lanka
(Business Research Unit (BRU), 2023-12-04) Pathinayake, N; Wickramasinghe, V
The economic and social conditions of Sri Lanka in post-pandemic have created a challenging and uncertain atmosphere around the lives of employees and their engagement level at work. According to some studies, such uncertain, unclear, inconsistent, and unpredictable situations result in a negative impact on job engagement while some other studies suggest that such a situation has a positive impact on job engagement. Job engagement is an important factor in achieving organizational goals, revenue, and profits as it is directly linked with employee retention, absenteeism, and productivity. Furthermore, human resources are the most valuable asset for any organization. Therefore, it is important to examine how employees engaged in their jobs in the post-pandemic for the survival and long-term success of any organization during such a threatening situation. This study investigated the determinants of job engagement, outcomes of job engagement and mediating role of job engagement in the post-pandemic answering research questions; what are the determinants of job engagement in the post-pandemic, what are the outcomes of job engagement in the post-pandemic and whether job engagement mediate the relationship between these determinants and outcomes The independent variables of the study were job engagement determinants while job engagement outcomes were considered as the dependent variables. The mediating variable of the study was job engagement. The study referred to Kahn’s model, Saks model, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, and AON Hewitt’s model in developing the conceptual model. A self-administered survey questionnaire was used for the data collection. A convenient sampling technique was used to select the survey participants. The results showed job engagement acts as a mediator for job engagement determinants and outcomes during the period. The study found that foundation and differentiator determinants significantly affect job engagement while job satisfaction, affective commitment, and psychological resilience act as the outcomes of job engagement. The results of the study further reflected the application of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory emphasizing basic levels of needs should fulfilled first to move to the next level in the hierarchy Thus, the study implied that organizations should fulfill employees’ basic requirements to enhance their engagement at work to gain stability and business success in an uncertain and unstable situation. The study suggests investigating determinants and outcomes of job engagement in a much larger sample and further examining the organizational identification variable in future studies.
item: Conference-Full-text
Impact of health and safety practices on employee motivation: a case study of a textile company in Sri Lanka
(Business Research Unit (BRU), 2023-12-04) Nimalasuriya, ADM; Bhagyani, AAB
This study explores how health and safety practices impact employee motivation in a Sri Lankan textile company amidst evolving industrial demands. It investigates modern safety systems, including AI-driven risk assessments, and their direct influence on motivation. The research evaluates the effects of risk control measures, health and safety training, and employee welfare programs on motivation through quantitative analysis. The results highlight the significant role of these practices in driving motivation, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing employee well-being for enhanced organizational performance. This research underscores that a motivated workforce not only engages more effectively but also substantively fuels success across diverse industries.
item: Conference-Full-text
Teaching and working from home: gender differentials in the impact of covid-19 on university academics in Sri Lanka
(Business Research Unit (BRU), 2023-12-04) De Silva, T; Wickramasinghe, V
The COVID-19 pandemic has strongly impacted the higher education sector, with both students and faculty facing changes in the mode of teaching and learning and working environment. It is expected that women will bear the brunt of the impact of increased caregiving responsibilities following the closure of schools and childcare facilities given the gendered norms on the allocation of household activities. While there is emerging evidence of these gendered gaps in productivity among academics, the literature is either predominantly focused on developed countries or makes use of datasets based on publication records that cannot be used to explore in-depth the channels by which the gender gaps arise. As such, this paper examines the gendered impact of the pandemic on the working practices among university academics in Sri Lanka using a survey of teaching and research practices during the pandemic period. Information on living arrangements and time-use are also collected to further explore channels through which the differential impacts might have arisen. The responses of 241 academics from five state universities in Sri Lanka are analysed to identify gender differentials using two-sample t- and chi-square tests as well as a multiple regression model intended to further explore gender differentials in time-use before and after the pandemic, The results show that there are indeed gender differentials in the impact on carrying out research and the presence of young children is part of driving this differential. As women bear a disproportionate share of childcare, the results suggest that adverse gender impacts are likely to materialize further in years to come.

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