SLIIT Business School Scopus2
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://rda.sliit.lk/handle/123456789/4899
Browse
118 results
Search Results
Publication Embargo Rising from the crisis by raising their businesses exploring the social media strategies for micro-level women entrepreneur success(Emerald Publishing, 2025-10-03) Jayasuriya, N; Wisenthige, K; Kalansuriya, N; Munasinghe, S; Shamila, P; Swaris, SPurpose – This study examines the social media strategies adopted by micro-level women entrepreneurs who successfully transitioned their businesses from “brick and mortar” to online operations during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Design/methodology/approach – The research consisted of two phases: semi-structured interviews followed by focus group discussions (FGDs). Twelve participants were selected through a judgmental sampling method for the interviews. The sample included contemporary successful micro-level female entrepreneurs who shifted to online platforms during the crisis. New factors were identified as determinants of success for online-based small businesses. The FGDs provided insights into these determinants, which were analyzed thematically. Findings – The findings indicate that the success of online businesses is influenced by an active presence on social media, the maintenance of a strong online network with customers and industry partners, vigilance in seizing strategic opportunities in a diverse environment, and the generation of powerful word-of-mouth (WOM) through excellent customer service. In contrast to gender inequality typically observed in business across Asian regions, no such gender stereotype issues were found among micro-level Sri Lankan women entrepreneurs. Originality/value – This study enhances the understanding of social media strategies in micro-entrepreneurship by identifying key success factors that have been underexplored in existing literature. It challenges assumptions about gender barriers in Asian entrepreneurship, demonstrating that Sri Lankan women entrepreneurs navigate digital business environments effectively. Unlike prior studies focused on larger firms or developed economies, this research highlights unique success determinants in an emerging market. The study introduces a conceptual framework that integrates social media engagement, strategic adaptability and network strength as critical components for online business success. These insights provide a foundation for future empirical studies in digital entrepreneurship.Publication Embargo Impact of Political Corruption on International Tourism Demand: A Panel Data Analysis of 22 Asian Countries(University of Nigeria Department of Mass Communication, 2026-06-01) Weerasinghe, P; Bandara, C; Indrapriya, A; Jayasekara, K; Yapa, S.R; Dayapathirana, NBackground: Tourism serves as a critical driver of international economic activity, particularly for developing nations that rely on the sector for employment generation and foreign exchange earnings. However, tourism performance varies significantly across jurisdictions, suggesting that institutional factors, such as political corruption, may play a decisive role in shaping industry outcomes. Objective: This study investigates the impact of political corruption on tourism demand across Asia. Specifically, it seeks to determine whether, and to what extent, corruption levels significantly deter international tourist arrivals in these countries. Methodology: Adopting a quantitative research design, the study utilises panel data analysis covering 22 Asian countries from 2002 to 2020. Simple linear regression models were employed to examine the relationship between political corruption indices and international tourism demand. Results: The findings reveal a statistically significant negative relationship between corruption and tourism demand. The regression analysis demonstrates that higher levels of perceived corruption are associated with a marked decrease in tourist inflows. Although the model exhibits relatively low explanatory power, the consistency and significance of the negative effect indicate that corruption is a critical institutional determinant of tourism performance. Conclusion: The study concludes that political corruption is a major deterrent to the growth of the tourism industry. Reducing institutional uncertainties and curbing corrupt practices are essential prerequisites for countries aiming to enhance their competitiveness and attract international visitors. Unique Contribution: This research contributes to the intersection of governance and tourism literature by providing long-term empirical evidence from the Asian context. It highlights the importance of institutional quality as a primary factor in the patterns of international tourism flows. Key Recommendation: Governments and policymakers in the Asian region should prioritise anti-corruption reforms as a strategic tool for tourism development. Strengthening institutional transparency and reducing political risks will create a more favourable environment for international travellers and foster sustainable economic growth.Publication Open Access Determinants of under-five mortality in Africa: evidence from a two-decade panel analysis for public health policy(BioMed Central Ltd, 2026-06-17) Rathnasekara, H; Jayathilaka, RBackground: Child survival is a critical indicator for a nation’s health and its progress is important in attaining the Sustainable Development Goals. Understanding the regional and country-specific dynamic and interplay of various determinants of under-five child mortality is vital for the African continent, which remains one of the most vulnerable regions for child mortality globally. Methods: This study investigates the association of economic, health-related, social and demographic, environmental, and infrastructure-related factors with under-five child mortality. It integrates generalisable regional associations using a standard fixed-effects panel model and examines illustrative country-specific associations of the selected determinants through multiple linear regression, based on a balanced panel dataset of 45 countries over a 22-year period. Results: Fixed-effect analysis reveals that the diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) immunisation and total fertility rate (TFR) are robust regional determinants of under-five mortality across specifications. While health expenditure, sanitation services, and malaria incidence show significant associations in the baseline model, these findings are sensitive to the inclusion of year fixed effects, suggesting they are influenced by broader temporal trends or common regional shocks rather than serving as stable independent factors within the study period. Conclusion: Regional analysis, which controls for unobserved country-specific heterogeneity over an extended period and is complemented by country-specific analysis, facilitates the formulation of policy implications at both national and international levels. Recommended policy measures include increasing immunisation coverage, implementing malaria control programmes, strengthening community health infrastructure, enhancing girls’ education, promoting widespread access to modern family planning, and improving sanitation services. These strategies are expected to contribute to the progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 in the African region.Publication Open Access Drivers of carbon emissions in G7 economies: Evidence on energy use, globalisation, urbanisation, industrialisation and innovation(Elsevier Ltd, 2026-08-26) Weerasinghe, L; Vithanage, N; Rupasinghe, D; Keesha, C; Jayathilaka, RRising CO2 emissions remain a major sustainability challenge, particularly in advanced economies that account for a considerable share of historical emissions. This study examines the key determinants of CO₂ emissions in G7 countries by jointly considering globalisation, energy consumption, urbanisation, industrialisation, and technological innovation. Using a balanced panel dataset for Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States over the period 1997–2023, the analysis applies panel regression techniques and country-specific multiple linear regressions to capture both common effects and heterogeneity across economies. The results indicate that energy consumption is a robust driver of CO₂ emissions across the G7. Technological innovation contributes to emission reduction at the panel level; however, its effect becomes statistically insignificant in country-specific estimations, reflecting cross-country differences in innovation structures and policy environments. Globalisation significantly increases emissions in Canada, while its influence is negligible elsewhere. Urbanisation shows a mitigating effect only in the United States, and industrialisation increases emissions in Canada and Italy but reduces emissions in Japan. Overall, the findings highlight that decarbonisation strategies in advanced economies should prioritise the transition to clean energy while strengthening innovation-oriented climate policies tailored to country-specific contexts.Publication Open Access The Role of Virtual and Human Influencer Characteristics in Shaping Gen Z Purchases on TikTok: Hybrid SEM-ANN Approach(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2026-05-09) Peemanee, J; Udomlarp, T; Weber, P; Weerarathna, RThis study examines how human (HI) and virtual influencers (VI) shape consumer responses among Thai Generation Z users (Gen Z) on TikTok. Drawing on Source Credibility Theory (SCT), Parasocial Interaction Theory (PSI), and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the study develops a comparative framework to explain how influencer characteristics affect attitude and purchase-related responses. Data were collected from 400 Generation Z TikTok users in Thailand and analyzed using Govariance-Based Structural Equation Modeling (CB-SEM). The results indicate that both human and virtual influencer characteristics positively influence influencer attitude (IA), which in turn significantly affects purchase decision (PD). However, the total effect of human influencer characteristics on purchase decision is substantially stronger than that of virtual influencers. These findings suggest that while virtual influencers contribute to favorable evaluations through innovation and visual consistency, human influencers remain more effective in translating attitudes into purchase-related outcomes. This study provides comparative evidence from a non-Western context and integrates credibility, relational, and technology-based perspectives into an integrated analytical framework.Publication Open Access Fast Fashion’s Waste Crisis: A Systematic and Bibliometric Review of Global Evidence (2015–2025)(University of Nigeria Department of Mass Communication, 2026-06-01) Dayapathirana, N; Siriwardhane, D; Galdolage, S; Ranasinghe, ABackground: The rising prominence of the fast fashion business model has generated significant concerns regarding textile industry waste and the availability of mitigation strategies. Analysing the consumption patterns driven by fast fashion is essential to determining their long-term environmental impacts. Objective: This study aims to synthesise existing research on fast fashion, textile waste, and sustainability to identify the principal areas of academic inquiry and research trends over the last decade. Methodology: The research analysed 124 articles indexed in Scopus between 2015 and 2025. Following the PRISMA protocol, a bibliometric analysis was conducted to determine publication trends, key authors, and dominant thematic clusters within the identified literature. Results: Three primary research domains were identified: 1) consumer behaviours, motivations, and psychological drivers; 2) environmental impacts of fast fashion; and 3) circular economy principles and sustainable consumption strategies, including industrial interventions. Unique Contribution: This study provides a comprehensive overview of the fast fashion and textile waste literature, filling an existing gap by establishing a wide-ranging research agenda that bridges the divide between consumer psychology and waste management. Conclusion: While sustainable fashion is an accelerating research field, a significant gap remains between theoretical research and the practical application of sustainable consumption and waste disposal models in the fast fashion sector. Key Recommendation: Future research should explore the interconnectedness of consumer purchasing habits, textile disposal behaviours, and the efficiency of existing waste management infrastructures to foster a truly circular economy.Publication Open Access Global hunger risk projections and the factors shaping future vulnerabilities(Elsevier B.V., 2026-06) Pulle, N; Sampath, P; Wijayaweera, D; Perera, S; Jayathilaka, RHunger remains one of the most persistent barriers to human development, with progress uneven across regions and increasingly exposed to economic instability, climate pressure and structural vulnerabilities. This study investigates the key drivers of cross-country variation in hunger severity and develops forward looking projections to support evidence based global policy planning. Using a comprehensive global panel dataset covering 146 countries over the period, 1992 to 2024 the analysis identifies the socio-economic and environmental factors more strongly associated with changes in hunger outcomes over time. The results reveal that hunger severity is not shaped by a single pathway but by a combination of development related conditions, demographic pressures, and external shocks with substantial heterogeneity across country groups. Building on the estimated relationships the study generates projections from 2025 to 2029, highlighting regions where hunger risks may remain elevated or worsened in the absence of targeted interventions. The findings underscore that substantial progress in hunger reduction requires integrated methods that extend beyond food supply alone including strengthening resilience, improving social protection and supporting inverse growth by combining long run global evidence with near turn projections. This study contributes to the literature on hunger dynamics and offers timely insights for international organisations and national policymakers working towards the achievement of food security and related Sustainable Development Goals.Publication Open Access Impact of technological heterogeneity on economic efficiency and total factor productivity change in developed and developing G20 economies(Elsevier B.V., 2026-07) Hassan Shah, W. U; Hao, G; Yasmeen, R; Yan, H; Kankanam Pathiranage, H. S; Yang, QIntroduction The G20 economies, comprising both developed and developing nations, exhibit significant economic efficiency and technological advancement disparities. Understanding these differences is critical for fostering sustainable growth, particularly optimizing resource utilization and narrowing technological gaps. Objectives This study evaluates economic efficiency, technological heterogeneity, and total factor productivity change (TFPC) among G20 economies from 1997 to 2022. It distinguishes between developed and developing nations to identify key challenges and opportunities for productivity enhancement. Methods We assess economic efficiency using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) with the Super-SBM model. Meta-Frontier Analysis measures technological disparities, while the Malmquist-Luenberger Productivity Index (MLI) decomposes TFPC into efficiency change (EC) and technological change (TC). Results The mean Meta-frontier efficiency score for G20 countries is 0.9556, indicating a 4.44% improvement potential. Developed economies (e.g., the U.S., Australia) exhibit optimal efficiency, whereas developing nations (e.g., Russia, China, India) lag due to slower technological integration. The Meta-Technology Ratio (MTR) reveals pronounced disparities, with developed economies scoring near 1, while emerging economies range between 0.8 and 0.9. Efficiency change (EC) drives productivity growth more substantially than technological change (TC). Conclusion Narrowing technological gaps, improving resource efficiency, and fostering innovation are vital for sustained economic development, particularly in emerging G20 economies. Policy recommendations include prioritizing R&D investments, technological advancement, and international collaboration to promote equitable and sustainable growth.Publication Embargo Air pollution, socioeconomic development, and ischaemic heart disease mortality in Asia(Springer Science and Business Media, 2026-07) Cooray, D; Jayathilaka, RIschaemic Heart Disease (IHD) remains one of the leading causes of global mortality. Recent evidence indicates a persistent upward trend in IHD mortality in Asia, despite declines in many other regions. Increasing exposure to ambient air pollution, together with socioeconomic and behavioural transitions, suggests that environmental and social determinants may play an important role in shaping regional cardiovascular outcomes. This study investigates the combined influence of air pollution, socioeconomic development, behavioural factors, and pathological conditions on IHD mortality across 31 Asian countries from 2000 to 2021. Panel regression techniques were employed to capture temporal dynamics and cross-country heterogeneity. These were complemented by country-specific linear regressions to identify differential national-level effects. The analysis focuses on ambient particulate matter (PM2.5), alcohol consumption, anaemia prevalence, and the Human Development Index (HDI). The results show that a one-litre increase in per-capita alcohol consumption is associated with approximately eight additional IHD deaths per 100,000 population. Higher anaemia prevalence also significantly increases mortality risk. In addition, a 1% increase in PM2.5 exposure associated with approximately 0.4 additional IHD deaths per 100,000 population, highlighting the cardiovascular burden of poor air quality. In contrast, higher levels of socioeconomic development, reflected by improvements in HDI, are associated with a substantial reduction in IHD mortality. These findings highlight the need for integrated policy responses that combine air quality regulation with health, nutrition, and socioeconomic development strategies. Strengthening air pollution control, together with broader socioeconomic interventions, is essential for reducing the growing cardiovascular burden in Asia.Publication Open Access Global agricultural expansion and forest loss: a panel data analysis of major oilseed crop expansion and its impact on global forest cover across continents(Springer International Publishing, 2026-07-15) Fernando, G; Dilmith, T; Dassanayaka, T; Rajapaksha, T; Kankanam Pathiranage, H, SVegetable oil production has expanded rapidly over the past two decades, raising concerns about its environmental consequences. This study examines the impact of palm oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, and rapeseed oil cultivation on agriculture-driven deforestation across six continents over 23 years (2001–2023). Using secondary data from the Food and Agriculture Organisation and Global Forest Watch, this study has constructed a balanced panel dataset of 138 observations (6 continents × 23 years). Panel regression analysis was employed, with model selection guided by Hausman and Breusch-Pagan tests, ultimately favouring the Random Effects estimator. Results indicate that palm oil (β = 0.109, p < 0.05) and soybean oil (β = 0.389, p < 0.01) are strongly associated with forest loss, particularly in Asia and South America. Sunflower oil also shows a positive impact (β = 0.189, p < 0.05), while rapeseed oil demonstrates a negative impact (β = − 0.151, p < 0.05), suggesting comparatively lower deforestation pressures in temperate regions. Confidence intervals and standard errors confirm the robustness of these findings. By integrating multiple oil crops simultaneously, this study provides a comprehensive assessment of how global demand for vegetable oils translates into forest loss. The results highlight the need for crop-specific and region-specific strategies to mitigate environmental impacts while balancing agricultural development with forest conservation.