Research Papers - Dept of Information of Management
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Publication Embargo The digital bridge: how digital transformation mediates the innovative culture-resilience nexus in IT firms(Emerald Publishing, 2025) Kodithuwakku, T; Samaraweera, I; Mathew, M; Samarakkody, T; Thelijjagoda, S; Gamage, SPurpose – This study aims to identify the impact of innovative culture on organizational resilience in the Sri Lankan information technology (IT) sector, with a specific focus on the mediation role of digital transformation. Design/methodology/approach – Using a quantitative approach, data were collected from over 274 participants who were managerial or above-level employees in the IT industry via surveys. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data and test the hypothesized relationships between variables. Findings – The findings of this study revealed that innovative culture has a significant positive impact on the adoption of digital transformation, as the innovative mindset that is ingrained encourages continuous growth, creativity and risk-taking, thereby strengthening digital transformation initiatives. Both innovative culture and digital transformation have a significant positive impact on organizational resilience. Digital transformation significantly mediates the effect of innovative culture on organizational resilience. Practical implications – The findings offer valuable guidance to industry leaders and policymakers for the strategic utilization of technology and the design of appropriate business models. Originality/value – This study emphasizes the importance of developing innovative culture and digital transformation in the IT industry to ensure sustainable business processes.Publication Embargo Focus on Middle East and Central Asia: rationale of IMF assistance seeking(Springer Science and Business, 2025-11-08) Wisenthige, K; Pathiranage, H.S.K; Jayathilaka, RThis study delves into the rationale behind the tendency of nations in the Middle East and Central Asia (MECA) to seek aid from the IMF. The IMF supports global financial stability, aiming to foster economic growth and prosperity across its member countries by promoting policies that encourage monetary cooperation and financial resilience. The study employs a conditional fixed-effects logit model, the analysis spans 22 years of data from twenty-five MECA countries to identify the factors driving these nations to seek IMF assistance. It focuses on six determinants: Current Account Balance (CAB), Inflation (INF), Corruption (CORR), General Government Net Lending and Borrowing (GGNLB), General Government Gross Debt (GGGD), and Gross Domestic Product Growth (GDPG). The fixed-effects logit shows that slower GDP growth raises the odds of an IMF programme, while short-run changes in corruption control and public debt ratios are not significant once country and year effects are absorbed. Inflation is weakly positive; the current account balance is still insignificant. A post-GFC and an income-group robustness check confirm the pattern. Furthermore, the study identifies Lebanon, a lower-middle-income country, as a leading example of seeking IMF assistance during the study period. Overall, this research highlights the importance of policymakers understanding the dynamics and rankings within the MECA region to effectively address economic challenges, provide financial support, and foster a more sustainable economic structure.Publication Open Access Simple Switch between Single Trip Vehicle Routing Problem and Multiple Trip Vehicle Routing Problem(Sciendo, 2025-01-01) Samarakkody, Tomplexity of the mathematical model development for vehicle routing problems increases with the addition of more variables, constraints, and instances to single trip vehicle routing models. In this study, mathematical model was developed for the single trip vehicle routing problem in the initial phase and then it was converted to a multiple trip vehicle routing model using a simple approach. Novelty is brought to the study through simple three index formulation developed for the multiple trip vehicle routing problem, with a fewer constraint. Both the models were developed with Mixed integer linear programing techniques and were tested with the real-world data set using Cplex optimizer. Output of the experimental analysis showed a clear reduction in distance travel and the number of vehicles used. It implies that the optimization algorithm proposed in the study is applicable to real world cases to enjoy cost benefits and easiness in scheduling and optimizations. This study contributes to the existing knowledge gap through the development of novel and simple mathematical model, and the model’s testing and validation serve to the industrial applications as well.Publication Open Access Alcohol Consumption and Stroke Mortality: Global Patterns, Risks and Public Health Implications(Springer, 2025-05-07) Kolonne, T; Mudalige, K; Dissanayaka, G; Rathnayake, K; Jayathilaka, R; Rajamanthri, L; Wickramaarachchi, CGlobally, stroke remains a leading cause of mortality and disability, while alcohol consumption continues to vary widely across regions, prompting concern over its health impacts. This study examines the association between different alcoholic beverages and stroke mortality, using secondary data from 1990 to 2020. Alcohol consumption and stroke death rates across 189 countries were categorized into five levels, from very high to very low, and averaged over two periods (1990–1999 and 2011–2020). Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) was applied to assess relationships among four categorical variables. The findings indicate a significant association between very high alcohol consumption and increased stroke mortality, with eight countries showing elevated death rates. Conversely, moderate beer consumption was linked to reduced stroke mortality, suggesting nuanced effects based on beverage type and quantity. These insights offer a foundation for targeted public health policies and emphasize the need for further investigation into the mechanisms driving alcohol-related stroke risks.Publication Embargo Addressing Child Labour in SAARC: The Synergy of Education, Health and Economic Growth Towards SDGs(John Wiley and Sons, 2025-11-09) Muthugala, H; Magammana, T; Perera, A; Bandara, A; Jayathilaka, RChild labour remains a critical socio-economic challenge in the SAARC region, closely linked to sustainable development goals (SDGs). This study investigates the determinants of child labour by examining the roles of education, health and economic growth using a robust methodological framework. The analysis captures the non-linear country-specific relationships between these variables and child labour, employing advanced methodological approaches, including multiple polynomials, stepwise and simple polynomial regression. The findings reveal a complex interplay of factors, with each variable showing positive and negative effects on child labour in country-specific contexts. Improved access to education generally reduces child labour, but disparities in quality and affordability can have the opposite effect. Health improvements significantly lower child labour rates, yet unequal healthcare access perpetuates exploitation among vulnerable groups. Economic growth shows dual effects: it promotes adult employment and alleviates poverty, yet unregulated expansion in specific sectors can heighten the demand for child labour. This study makes a novel contribution by integrating socio-economic determinants with child labour within a regional framework, providing actionable insights while aligning with SDGs 3, 4, 8 and 8.7. Key policy recommendations include fostering regional collaboration, ensuring access to free education, enacting and enforcing new laws, improving healthcare infrastructure and promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth. These measures align with global SDG commitments but aim to secure a brighter future for the region's children by achieving these goals by 2030.Publication Embargo Determinants of Firm Value in Frontier Markets: Evidence from a Panel Oprobit Analysis in Sri Lanka(Springer, 2025-09-01) Hettiarachchi, S; Kasthuriarachchi, U; Kokilakumar, S; Himaanthri, S; Jayathilaka, R; Peiris, SThis study explores the firm-level determinants of firm value in the context of a frontier market, using a panel dataset of 222 companies listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange from 2013 to 2024. Employing panel probit and ordered probit models, the analysis examines how capital structure, investment decisions, profitability, firm size, and sector classification influence firm value, measured across three distinct valuation tiers. The results reveal that the debt-to-equity ratio positively impacts firm value, especially during transitions from low to medium categories, supporting the relevance of the Trade-Off Theory. Profitability and firm size are also found to significantly increase the probability of achieving higher firm valuations. However, the price-to-earnings ratio displays negligible predictive power in this context. Sectoral analysis indicates that non-financial firms demonstrate stronger valuation potential than financial firms, likely due to reduced regulatory constraints and greater strategic flexibility. These findings contribute to the limited empirical literature on frontier markets by highlighting key drivers of corporate value and providing comparative insights. The study offers practical implications for policymakers, investors, and corporate managers aiming to enhance firm value through financial structure optimisation, strategic growth initiatives, and regulatory improvements that promote market confidence and transparency.Publication Open Access Does management support drive sustained agile usage? a serial mediation model and cIPMA perspective(Public Library of Science, 2025-02-05) Wijesinghe, U; Mapitiyage, V; Wickramarathne, C; Wickramage, C; Wisenthige, K; Aluthwala, CAgile software development is immensely popular in the industry, but most teams struggle to sustain its use. Human factors like management support, agile training, agile mindset, and team resilience are often neglected, hindering long-term success. However, research has not explored their underlying mechanisms in depth. Therefore, this study examines if management support impacts the sustained usage of agile methodologies within software development teams. It subsequently investigates the individual and serial mediating effects of agile training, the agile mindset, and team resilience on this relationship. Additionally, it compares the importance and performance of management support, agile training, the agile mindset, and team resilience in infusing agile practices. Finally, it determines these antecedents’ necessity for the enduring success of agile application. Data collected from 391 agile software development professionals using a structured questionnaire. Partial-least-squares structural equation modelling, importance-performance map analysis and necessary condition analysis were used to investigate relationships. The findings underscore the pivotal role of management support in infusing agile practices. Agile training, mindset, and team resilience emerge as critical mediators, with a strong serial mediation effect. While management support is paramount, its practical implementation falls short within teams. All four antecedents are found to be necessary for optimal agile sustainment. Thus, this study significantly advances theoretical understanding by introducing a serial mediation model that elucidates their mechanisms in impacting agile infusion. It extends prior organisational-level findings to the team-level. The study’s quantitative verification of qualitative findings strengthens their generalisability to a broader spectrum of teams. It pioneers in expounding the constructs’ relative importance, performance and necessity, to offer actionable insights for agile practitioners. Finally, it provides methodological guidance to apply importance performance map analysis and necessary condition analysis in agile software development research. AdultPublication Embargo Fueling the future: unveiling what drives gig worker motivation and engagement in Sri Lanka’s corporate landscape(Emerald Publishing, 2025-03-25) Perera, L; Jayasena, C; Hettiarachchi, N; Siriwardana, D; Wisenthige, K; Wickramaarachchi, CPurpose: The gig economy has rapidly grown due to economic trends supporting flexible work and digital platforms, leading to increased demand for corporate gig workers. Although numerous studies have explored various aspects of the gig economy, research on the motivational and engagement factors of gig workers remains relatively rare. This study aims to investigate the factors that influence corporate gig workers’ motivation and engagement in the geographical context of Sri Lanka. Specifically, job autonomy, remuneration, social connection and technology and investigated here. Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative study, employing a deductive research approach, was conducted with data gathered through a survey designed using a five-point Likert scale questionnaire. Respondents were conveniently selected from Sri Lankan corporate gig workers. A total of 397 responses were obtained through a snowball sampling technique. The collected data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling, providing a robust framework for evaluating the hypothesized relationships. Findings: The findings revealed that job autonomy, remuneration, social connection and technology significantly influence corporate gig worker motivation, whereas motivation significantly influences the engagement of corporate gig workers in Sri Lanka. Research limitations/implications: This study faced common limitations. Due to challenges in identifying the framework for the population, a snowball sampling technique was employed. One key limitation is the study’s narrow focus on motivation factors within the Sri Lankan context, which may affect the generalizability of the findings. Additionally, the geographic focus and uneven sample distribution could limit the broader applicability of the conclusions. Future research should adopt a cross-cultural approach to explore the influence of social commerce adoption, enhancing the generalizability of the results. Practical implications: A comprehensive understanding of the factors that influence the corporate gig worker motivation and engagement is provided, facilitating, the decision-makers to gain insight to enhance worker motivation and engagement by adapting strategies. This can lead to higher productivity and job satisfaction among gig workers. Originality/value: Examination of the motivational and engagement factors specific to corporate gig workers in Sri Lanka, a context that has received limited attention in previous research. Also, it contributes to the existing literature by providing a deeper understanding of the gig economy and gig work, particularly in a non-Western setting.Publication Open Access Renewable realities: Charting a greener course for the world's high-emitting nations through information technology insights(John Wiley, 2025-04) Ranthilake, T; Caldera, Y; Senevirathna, D; Gunawardana, H; Jayathilaka, R; Peter, SCarbon dioxide (CO₂) is the most abundant gas among all greenhouse gas emissions, severely impacting global warming. This study examines the impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), population dynamics, Per Capita Gross Domestic Product (PGDP), and Renewable Energy Consumption (REC) on CO₂ on a global scale, representing 38 countries selected using the Pareto principle. Results from the panel regression model indicate a significantly positive relationship between ICT, PGDP, and population on CO₂ emissions. In contrast, REC exhibits a negative relationship. The Multiple Linear Regression model shows that an increase in PGDP leads to higher CO₂ emissions, except in Uzbekistan. ICT increases emissions in the United States, Argentina, Australia, Canada, and Egypt. Population growth raises emissions, except in the United States, France, Germany, and Russia. REC reduces CO₂ emissions in most countries. Policymakers in individual countries can gain a precise understanding of how these variables impact CO₂ emissions, enabling them to mitigate the risks associated with global warmingPublication Embargo Unveiling the Economic Determinants of Child Labour in Africa: A Comprehensive Study of 37 Countries(Springer Science and Business Media, 2025-03-10) Muthugala, H; Magammana, T; Bandara, A; Perera, A; Jayathilaka, RThis study investigates the impact of unemployment, household income and expenditure, globalisation, and foreign direct investment (FDI) on child labour across 37 African countries from 2010 to 2021, employing panel and multiple linear regression models. The findings reveal diverse impacts: rising unemployment significantly increased child labour in countries like Ethiopia and Niger, while in Cameroon and Kenya, it had a negative effect. Globalisation’s influence varied, strongly reducing child labour in Ghana but exacerbating it in Burundi. Household income and expenditure generally reduced child labour, particularly in Ethiopia and Zambia. The effect of FDI was also mixed, decreasing child labour in Madagascar but increasing it in countries with weaker governance. These insights underscore the necessity for tailored, country-specific policies that consider local economic conditions and governance quality. Future efforts to combat child labour must focus on developing sustainable solutions that address these complex dynamics.