Browsing by Author "Perera, C"

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Open Access
Design and Fabrication of a Novel Hybrid Solar Dryer
(SLIIT, 2022-02-11) Perera, C; Fernando, G; Liyanage, M
A hybrid solar dryer was designed and tested for commercial dissemination of active and passive drying methods over traditional sun drying methods. The proposed dryer employs novel features such as user controllability of the drying parameters and includes sensors and controllers for active monitoring of drying parameters. The functionality of the dryer is broadened by using logic control whereby intermittent drying patterns are introduced to the system for more efficient operation. This paper documents the design calculations and fabrication process of the dryer as well as the results of drying obtained under a controlled environment. 10 experiments have been carried out to assess the limits and potential improvements to the system which yielded satisfactory conditions with a temperature fluctuation of ±1℃ and change in %RH of ±2% at any given temperature within the specified limits. The developed system has been used for drying apples which yielded dried products from an initial weight of 346 grams to a final weight of 55 grams in 5 hours in pure convection and the same initial weight was reduced to 52 grams in 3 hours when operating in solar hybrid mode. The average energy consumption of the dryer was obtained at 300 Watts at uninterrupted solar insolation operation and 224 Watts during pure convective operation, portraying the efficient operation of the system to be eligible to be powered by a solar-powered energy storage
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Development and Validation of a Scale: Assessing Secondary School Students’ Pro-Environmental Behviour and Attitudes
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences,SLIIT, 2021-09-25) Alwis, R. De; Perera, C; Keppetigoda, D
The main purpose of this study is to develop and validate an instrument to assess levels of Pro Environmental Behavior and Attitudes (PEB) of grade 8 and 10 students in the Sri Lankan context. First, related previous studies and related scales were studied and an item pool was established. Relevant common items were identified in different scales and some items were moderated or redesigned to make them more suitable for grade 8 and 10 students in the Sri Lankan context. The first draft of the questionnaire containing 45 items was reviewed by a panel of experts and according to the expert recommendation, 5 items were eliminated. The final questionnaire was based on a five-point Likert scale (Strongly disagree - 1 to Strongly agree - 5) was administered to a randomly selected 972 (529 male and 443 female) students. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) with varimax rotation were used. Adequacy of sample size for EFA was tested by the Kaiser-Meyer- Olkin (KMO) and Barlett Sphericity tests (0.714). Reliability analysis was done using the Cronbach Alpha coefficient (0.894) for the whole scale. The final version of the scale contained 32 items that explain 49.7 of total variance with six factors (i.e., Household behavior - 8 items; Civic action - 5 items; Recycling behavior - 6 items; Environmental Sensitivity-5 items; Environmental Awareness - 4 items and Environmental values - 4 items). The final scale consists of 32 items proved to be a reliable and valid instrument for assessing attitudes and behavior of junior secondary students in the Sri Lankan context.
Open Access
An empirical study of students’ satisfaction with professional accounting education programs, Sri Lanka
(researchgate.net, 2020-07-29) Nadishana, G. S. W. Y; Ameen, Z; Kulatunga, K. A; Perera, A; Perera, C; Madhavika, W. D. N; Nagendrakumar, N
This study aims to analyze the factors affecting students' satisfaction with professional accounting courses offered by Professional Accounting Education Institutions, and then aims to assess the impact of students' satisfaction and students' loyalty towards Professional Accounting Education Institutions in Sri Lanka. It is evident that a significant gap exists between student enrolment and the rate of students’ passing out as professional accountants as per the annual reports of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka and the Institute of Certified Management Accountants of Sri Lanka (2014-2018). The study adopted a deductive methodology while employing a stratified random sampling technique and distributed 500 questionnaires which had a response rate of 80%. The data was analyzed using structural equation modeling via SPSS and AMOS versions 25. The study concludes that course assessment and institutional image, teaching methods, teaching staff, course organization and infrastructure facilities, and institutional administration and efficiency significantly impact the student satisfaction. And also, it concludes that the students’ satisfaction significantly impacts students’ loyalty. This study add value to the literature by focusing the students’ satisfaction from two extreme angles (i.e., students’ need and loyalty) and introduces a new model which would enhance the appropriate administration of the Professional Accounting Education Institutions
Open Access
Estimation of Person-Kilometers of Travel in Sri Lanka
(SLIIT, 2022-02-11) Gunathilaka, S; Amarasingha, N; Lakmali, M; Perera, C
Person Kilometers of Travel (PKT) provides all trip information of an individual including trips by motorized, non-motorized, public or informal public transport modes. Estimating PKT in developing countries seems much important as PKT is one of key parameters in transport planning and policy making. Since PKT focuses on an individual, it is influenced by socio demography of the person. However, timely PKT is not estimated by relevant agencies of Sri Lanka. The study focused on estimating PKT in Sri Lanka with travel mode distributions. A paper-based travel survey was conducted over all administrative districts in Sri Lanka for collecting trip information and socio demographic factors of people. 9,012 people participated in surveys resulting a 77.62% response rate. Respondents were asked to provide information of their trips in a typical week, in special holidays and seasons, information on travel modes and their socio demographic information. Data obtained from surveys were aggregated to annual level and weighted in order to obtain PKT/person/year under each socio demographic category. Weightages were estimated using census data in each administrative district. The study came up with important findings; weighted PKT estimations and travel mode distributions in each administrative district. Further, statistical comparisons of PKT estimates among different socio demographic groups and districts were conducted using One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test. These findings were key contributions to the existing literature in the country.
Embargo
Evaluating and prioritizing delay factors in naval ship maintenance using the analytic hierarchy process: a Sri Lanka navy shipyard case study
(Taylor and Francis Ltd., 2026-02-18) Fernando, W. J; Silva, N; Perera, C
Timely maintenance of ships and craft is critical for ensuring operational readiness, safety, and economic sustainability in the maritime sector. However, scheduled docking delays remain a persistent challenge globally, incurring significant financial losses and reducing fleet availability. This study presents a systematic, quantitative approach to identify and prioritize 22 critical factors causing delays in scheduled docking. Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), the study evaluates the relative importance of these factors to support informed decision-making. A case study of the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) demonstrates the application of the proposed framework, revealing that 97% of docking delays occur before vessels enter the dock, with 31.8% of these delays attributable to deficiencies in the procurement of materials and spare parts. While the findings are based on a single case study of the SLN shipyard, they offer context-specific insights into the unique challenges faced by naval maintenance operations in developing regions.
Embargo
Evaluating and prioritizing quality culture elements in the tire manufacturing industry: A case-based DEMATEL approach
(Taylor and Francis Ltd., 2026-01-16) Silva, N; Bandara, S; Perera, C
In today’s competitive manufacturing environment, developing a robust quality culture that supports continuous improvement and defect prevention is critical for long-term operational excellence and customer satisfaction. This study applies the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method to evaluate and prioritize the key elements shaping quality culture in a leading tire manufacturing company in Sri Lanka, offering a rare empirical application of DEMATEL in this context. Using a two-phase approach, Phase 1 involved a survey of 127 employees to identify seven critical elements, while Phase 2 analyzed expert evaluations from 16 professionals to establish causal relationships among them. The findings reveal that leadership (R + C = 14.40) and employee empowerment (R + C = 13.31) are the most influential drivers, followed by teamwork (R + C = 12.67), while focus on customer satisfaction, planning for quality, improvements and innovation, and standardized processes approach are primarily dependent elements. The built-in quality maturity framework and relative importance index were applied to assess the current implementation level of each element and identify performance gaps. The gap analysis highlights that leadership and employee empowerment are underperforming relative to expected levels, requiring immediate strategic enhancement. Managers should prioritize leadership and empowerment development to strengthen organizational quality culture and sustain competitiveness.
Open Access
Impact of Industry 4.0 Technologies on Sustainable Manufacturing
(SLIIT Faculty of Engineering, 2024-03) Ramalingam, A; Perera, C
Industry 4.0 (I4.0) and its associated technologies are increasingly becoming a key aspect of the manufacturing industry in an age where sustainable manufacturing has become a fundamental consideration. Despite Industry 4.0 technologies such as robotics, autonomous systems and Internet of Things (IoT) considered dominant enablers of sustainable manufacturing, the precise impact of these technologies on sustainability remains relatively unexplored as the research in this context remains limited. Therefore, the need for meticulous study and the development of a framework for the assessment of I4.0 technologies’ impact towards enhancement of sustainable manufacturing is evident. The report contains an extensive literature review on several I4.0 technologies, the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) aspects of sustainability and how the respective I4.0 technologies impact the factors contributing to the TBL aspects of sustainability. Through a combination of theoretically available information and practical case studies in the Sri Lankan manufacturing industry, a conclusive framework is developed on how the implementation of the identified Industry 4.0 technologies contribute to achieving holistic sustainability across the Triple Bottom Line aspects. Additionally, through further study and multiplecriteria decision analysis methods, the most sustainably impactful technologies are determined with regards to the manufacturing industry.
Embargo
Navigating economic crisis: Factors shaping resilience in Sri Lankan construction SME supply chains
(Taylor and Francis Ltd., 2025) Madhavika, N; Bandara, M; Manchanayake, M; Perera, C; Bandara, W; Jayasinghe, P; Ehalapitiya, S
In today’s construction industry, supply chains are subject to much greater disruption than they were in the past, resulting in a greater need for resilience. However, there is a gap in the literature that examines the resilience of construction small and medium scale Enterprises (SMEs) specifically focusing on developing countries. This article is a step towards identifying the factors influencing the resilience of construction SME supply chains taking the case of Sri Lanka: a developing country which is currently amidst a major economic crisis. This research study adopted a mixed-method approach, employing 08 structured interviews with employees ranging from executive level to top level management of 08 construction SMEs followed by a questionnaire survey considering a sample of 195 construction SMEs also with executive level to top level management of each construction SME. The findings indicated that Collaboration, Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO), Internal Integration, and Outsourcing have a positive significant impact on the resilience of Sri Lankan construction SMEs’ supply chains during an economic crisis, while ‘collaboration’ and ‘EO’ are the most influential factors respectively. Therefore, construction SMEs must prioritize and enhance collaboration and EO when devising supply chain strategies to strengthen resilience during economic crises. This paper contributes to filling the research gap by investigating factors influencing construction SME supply chains in a developing country during an economic crisis. Moreover, it contributes to the knowledge by being one of the latest empirical studies focusing on the construction SME supply chains in Sri Lanka. The findings provide a valuable reference for both policymakers and practitioners seeking to improve the resilience of construction SME supply chains.
Embargo
Navigating economic crisis: Factors shaping resilience in Sri Lankan constructionSME supply chains
(Taylor and Francis, 2024-10-05) Madhavika, N; Bandara, M; Manchanayake, M; Perera, C; Bandara, W; Jayasinghe, P; Ehalapitiya, S
In today’s construction industry, supply chains are subject to much greater disruption than they were inthe past, resulting in a greater need for resilience. However, there is a gap in the literature that examinesthe resilience of construction small and medium scale Enterprises (SMEs) specifically focusing on develop-ing countries. This article is a step towards identifying the factors influencing the resilience of construc-tion SME supply chains taking the case of Sri Lanka: a developing country which is currently amidst amajor economic crisis. This research study adopted a mixed-method approach, employing 08 structuredinterviews with employees ranging from executive level to top level management of 08 constructionSMEs followed by a questionnaire survey considering a sample of 195 construction SMEs also with execu-tive level to top level management of each construction SME. The findings indicated that Collaboration,Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO), Internal Integration, and Outsourcing have a positive significant impacton the resilience of Sri Lankan construction SMEs’ supply chains during an economic crisis, while‘collaboration’ and ‘EO’ are the most influential factors respectively. Therefore, construction SMEs mustprioritize and enhance collaboration and EO when devising supply chain strategies to strengthen resili-ence during economic crises. This paper contributes to filling the research gap by investigating factorsinfluencing construction SME supply chains in a developing country during an economic crisis. Moreover,it contributes to the knowledge by being one of the latest empirical studies focusing on the constructionSME supply chains in Sri Lanka. The findings provide a valuable reference for both policymakers and prac-titioners seeking to improve the resilience of construction SME supply chains