Research Publications Authored by SLIIT Staff
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This collection includes all SLIIT staff publications presented at external conferences and published in external journals. The materials are organized by faculty to facilitate easy retrieval.
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Publication Open Access Life expectancy economic growth and resilience in resource constrained economies in the context of COVID-19 and the sustainable development goals(Springer Nature, 2025-11-12) Samadhini, D; Lakshan, P; Nirmani, P; Dulmin, L; Jayathilaka, RThis study contributes to the sustainable development discourse by examining the interplay between health (life expectancy) and economic growth (EG), which is central to Sustainable Development Goals 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). By investigating the dynamic relationship between Life Expectancy (LE) and EG, measured by LE rates and Per Capita Gross Domestic Product (PGDP), in 51 low and lower-middle-income countries from 1990 to 2023, with a particular focus on the disruptive impact of COVID-19. Employing Wavelet Coherence analysis, Granger Causality, and Johansen Cointegration tests, this study reveals critical relationships and identifies both short and long-term equilibrium linkages within health and economic systems. By explicitly situating the findings within the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the study highlights how improvements in population health (SDG 3) and economic resilience (SDG 8) can be mutually reinforcing. It further provides evidence to guide policy interventions and sustainable development strategies. Further results indicate that, while the pandemic weakened short-term causalities, long-term cointegration remains intact, underscoring the need for integrated strategies that simultaneously strengthen health systems and promote inclusive EG. These insights provide critical guidelines for policymakers in resource-constrained contexts seeking to progress toward the SDGs and enhance resilience against future economic shocks. The findings provide insight into how health-system strengthening, and sustainable economic policies can jointly advance progress toward the SDGs.Publication Open Access Factors influencing migration intention of undergraduates in Sri Lanka: ‘About more than employment(Elsevier Ltd, 2026-01-26) Marawila, R; Weerarathna, R; Rathnayake, N; Guruge, R; Wehella, B; Udugahapattuwa, T; Weligodapola, MThe objective of this study is to examine the factors influencing Sri Lankan undergraduates' intention to migrate. Persistent economic, social, and political challenges have driven many youngsters and professionals to leave their Country of Origin (COO). The economic collapse triggered by COVID-19 further intensified this trend, leading to a sharp increase in outward migration. Recently, a growing number of Sri Lankan undergraduates and skilled professionals have expressed a strong desire to relocate abroad, often immediately after completing secondary education. For this study, a sample of 385 undergraduates from state and non-state universities across Sri Lanka was analysed. Given the national concerns of brain drain and shortages of trained and skilled workers, the study specifically focused on understanding undergraduates' aspirations to migrate. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was applied to identify and test the variables influencing migration intentions within the Sri Lankan context. The findings provide a holistic picture of the drivers of undergraduate migration. These carry important implications not only for students but also for policymakers and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), by informing policies and strategies that could encourage young people to realise their potential within Sri Lanka rather than abroad.Publication Open Access Restoring life expectancy in low‑income countries: the combined impact of COVID‑19, health expenditure, GDP, and child mortality(PubMed, 2025-03-06) Karunarathne, M; Buddhika, P; Priyamantha, A; Mayogya, P; Jayathilaka, R; Dayapathirana, NBackground: Life expectancy is a vital indicator of a country's health and progress. Low-income countries face uncertainty regarding the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, driven by health expenditure levels, concerns over rising child mortality rates, and decreasing per capita income. These factors challenge life expectancy and demand urgent attention. This study aims to identify patterns, challenges, and opportunities to improve life expectancy in these countries through better health policies and resource allocation.Publication Open Access Factors influencing the timely completion of construction projects in Sri Lanka(Public Library of Science, 2022-12-15) Abeysinghe, N; Jayathilaka, RTimely completion is a crucial factor for the success of a construction project, especially in the Sri Lankan context. This study aims to identify the most influential factors that affect the timely completion of construction projects in Sri Lanka. Thirty-nine factors were identified through a comprehensive literature review and experts’ opinions. A questionnaire incorporating the 39 project delay factors was distributed among 163 Civil Engineers, and responses were obtained. Random sampling method was adopted to select the sample. The Relative Importance Index (RII) analysed and ranked the project delay factors. The top ranked significant project delay factors were identified as shortage of skilled subcontractors/suppliers, shortage of labourers (Skilled, semi-skilled, unskilled), financial difficulties of contractors, delay in delivering materials to the site, and Covid-19 pandemic situation. According to the main three respondent types, i.e., clients/owners, contractors and consultants, the contractor related factors was the key group among others that delay a construction project. The scientific value of the study includes assisting the Sri Lankan construction industry to identify the factors affecting the timely completion of construction projects, and developing mitigation methods and strategies. Also, the stakeholders could duly schedule the construction work by identifying areas that need more attention. The contribution of this study would assist stakeholders to adopt a proactive approach by identifying mistakes on their part and minimising potential issues that lead to construction project delays in Sri Lanka. FiguresPublication Open Access Effect of COVID-19 on the small-scale construction companies: The case of Colombo district, Sri Lanka(2022-06-24) Gunarathna, N; Namarathna, C. PCOVID-19 is a global pandemic that has wreaked havoc on the lives of many individuals and has had a severe impact on the global economy. During this crisis, small and medium-scale businesses suffer the most and are the least prepared among all companies as per the previous studies done in other parts of the world. The majority of the small-scale construction firms in Sri Lanka act as subcontractors and generate job opportunities for a considerable number of people and are able to create a multiplier effect on the whole economy. However, it was observed that they are more vulnerable to the adverse impact of the pandemic. Thus, the principal goal of this research is to explore possible survival strategies to overcome critical financial issues of small-scale construction companies during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka. A mixedmethod approach was adopted to gather the data for the study. A comprehensive literature review was carried out to identify the impact of COVID-19 on both global and local construction industries. The data for this study was gathered using semi-structured interviews and a comprehensive questionnaire survey with small scale construction company owners and construction industry professionals. The findings highlighted the key financial issues faced by the small-scale construction companies due to the pandemic including delays in client payments, supply chain management issues, frequent price escalation of construction materials, and inability to repay loans. The respondents suggested creating partnerships with financially strong companies, reduction of unwanted expenses, modifying supply chain channels and agreements, and ensuring business continuity plans as the strategies to be used to overcome the financial burden that occurred due to the pandemic.Publication Open Access Implementing Safe Working Cycle (SWC) concept amidst the COVID-19 crisis in Sri Lanka(researchgate.net, 2022-06) Rasanjana, H. P; Allis, CThe phenomenon of COVID-19 has introduced critical challenges in the architecture, engineering, and the entire construction industry. A safe Working Cycle is a Japanese concept. It incorporates to enhances the effective implementation of safety management systems, thereby helping to prevent health and safety issues. This research mainly aims at identifying the strategies for overcoming barriers to implementing the Safe Working Cycle (SWC) concept during the COVID-19 pandemics in Sri Lanka. The research study focused more on reducing health-related illnesses caused by COVID-19 than on the other physical safety issues at the construction site. In such a critical health issue, the protection of human resources, an essential part of the construction industry, should be prioritized. The aim of the Study was reached through the sequential mixed method. The semi-structured expert interviews were initially conducted, and after that questionnaire survey was achieved among health and safety officers in construction projects in Sri Lanka. In the semi-structured interviews, data were analyzed using Nvivo thematic analysis software and questionnaire survey; M.S. Excel analyzed the collected data. Following the findings, several potential barriers were arisen to implementing the SWC concept in the Sri Lankan construction industry: including limited Budget allocation, poor safety attitude, limited land space, strict project schedules, and unawareness of workers. Further, this Study also indicated several potential practical strategies to overcome these barriers identified for SWC implementation. Such as; Implementing the COVID-19 bio bubble concept, Organizing regular toolbox meetings, demonstrating sign boards specific to this new concept, arranging separate systematic time slots, buildup a good communication network. The safe Working Cycle (SWC) is not currently practised in Sri Lankan construction culture. However, health and safety professionals are familiar with almost every aspect of the Safe Working Cycle (SWC); therefore, it is possible to put this into practice in the Sri Lankan construction industryPublication Open Access DELAYS AND DISRUPTIONS IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY DURING THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC(researchgate.net, 2022-06-24) Gammanage, S. H; Gunarathna, NCOVID-19 pandemic has become a global catastrophe today dragging many nations towards severe economic distress. The Sri Lankan economy has no exception. Not surprisingly, the sluggish economic conditions in the country have adversely affected the construction industry in Sri Lanka. The pandemic has resulted in almost every construction project getting delayed or disrupted. This research aims to determine the factors that caused delays and disruptions in large scale construction projects in Sri Lanka due to pandemic. The overall impact of the global pandemic on construction projects in both local and international platforms were identified through a comprehensive literature review. Additionally, the impact on the local domain in terms of delay and disruption was assessed based on exploratory interviews and survey questionnaire disseminated among industry experts. Final conclusions were drawn by conducting 9 case studies and analysing responses to survey questionnaire provided by 30 industry practitioners. This study assisted in finding measures and mechanisms currently in use to mitigate the impact of delay and disruption of the construction phase of construction projects. The findings also paved the way to recognize innovative mitigation strategies to control the adverse impact on on-going construction projects. Analysis of the responses concluded that, delay in project kick-off, delays in material delivery, shortage of material, project suspension, reduction in the workforce productivity, health and safety concerns, regular price escalations as the key elements attributed to impact the project progress. The study has identified the present mitigating controls over delays or disruption are barely sufficient to address the concern and thus emphasised the need to resort to more effective techniques to remedy the issue.Publication Open Access IMPLEMENTING SAFE WORKING CYCLE (SWC) CONCEPT AMIDST THE COVID-19 CRISIS IN SRI LANKA(researchgate.net, 2022-06-24) Rasanjana, H. P; Allis, CThe phenomenon of COVID-19 has introduced critical challenges in the architecture, engineering, and the entire construction industry. A safe Working Cycle is a Japanese concept. It incorporates to enhances the effective implementation of safety management systems, thereby helping to prevent health and safety issues. This research mainly aims at identifying the strategies for overcoming barriers to implementing the Safe Working Cycle (SWC) concept during the COVID-19 pandemics in Sri Lanka. The research study focused more on reducing health-related illnesses caused by COVID-19 than on the other physical safety issues at the construction site. In such a critical health issue, the protection of human resources, an essential part of the construction industry, should be prioritized. The aim of the Study was reached through the sequential mixed method. The semi-structured expert interviews were initially conducted, and after that questionnaire survey was achieved among health and safety officers in construction projects in Sri Lanka. In the semi-structured interviews, data were analyzed using Nvivo thematic analysis software and questionnaire survey; M.S. Excel analyzed the collected data. Following the findings, several potential barriers were arisen to implementing the SWC concept in the Sri Lankan construction industry: including limited Budget allocation, poor safety attitude, limited land space, strict project schedules, and unawareness of workers. Further, this Study also indicated several potential practical strategies to overcome these barriers identified for SWC implementation. Such as; Implementing the COVID-19 bio bubble concept, Organizing regular toolbox meetings, demonstrating sign boards specific to this new concept, arranging separate systematic time slots, buildup a good communication network. The safe Working Cycle (SWC) is not currently practised in Sri Lankan construction culture. However, health and safety professionals are familiar with almost every aspect of the Safe Working Cycle (SWC); therefore, it is possible to put this into practice in the Sri Lankan construction industryPublication Open Access Does Working from Home Affect Work-Life Balance? A Look into the Factors that Affect Work-Life Balance(General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University,Management, Social Sciences & Humanities, 2021-12-20) Rathnaweera, D; Jayathilaka, RThe COVID-19 pandemic has triggered major social, political, and economic ramifications around the world. Amidst social mobility measures imposed to combat the spread of the virus, this pandemic was a major challenge for people in meeting their daily needs and demands of employers. These transformed work habits, moving from physical to a virtual setting, which had mixed effects on employees' lives. The objective of this research was to determine which factors affect the most regrading work-life during the working from the home period. A research gap exists as a result of the lack of studies on this subject in the Sri Lankan context. This study collected data from 270 respondents who were working from home through an online self-developed questionnaire. A factor analysis model was used for data analysis. Both the working and non-working environment factors were identified as having substantial effects during the working from the home period. The unique outcomes associated with working environment factors (Working days during working from home and working time), non-working environment factors (Gender and number of children), and work-life balance factors (Depression and distress and future psychological problems), make it explicit that employers need to concentrate on providing proper prerequisites to maximize the productivity during work from home period to improve employees’ quality of life. Employers need to pay particular attention to female workers with children, skilled workers, and others who can adapt to virtual platforms. It is recommended that employers should revamp their attendance policies and produce family-friendly flexible schedules and policies. Further, conducting training programs, providing facilities to enhance employee engagement, and build strong and transparent communication channels by supporting a healthy work environment with various activities are also recommended.Publication Open Access How Do Different Types of University Academics Perceive Work from Home Amidst COVID-19 and Beyond?(MDPI, 2022-04-19) Rathnayake, N; Kumarasinghe, P. JThe COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a massive and unintentional shift to work from home (WFH) or working remotely, as well as broad adoption of web-based platforms. The goal of this research is to uncover the attitudes to WFH among different types of academics in the Sri Lankan higher education sector. An online questionnaire survey was conducted amidst a severe COVID19 wave during June–September 2021, and 337 valid responses were received. The questionnaire contained 49 questions under four sections excluding demographic questions. The gathered data were analysed using multiple regression models. Results of the study ascertained a significant (p < 0.01) positive attitude among academics towards online teaching (academic orientation), other than academics who from disciplines with more practical components, and there was a significant (p < 0.01) positive attitude among academics to conducting research (research orientation) while WFH. Further, the findings indicate a significant (p < 0.01) negative attitude to WFH when disseminating knowledge and engaging in community services with various stakeholders. When considering the criticality of demographics variables in the new normal, a hybrid working model can be introduced by reaping the benefits of WFH based on different types of academic orientations and their favourability towards the WFH model, rather than reverting to a full physical academic working environment. As a developing country, Sri Lanka can formulate policies on effective hybrid working models for academics to realise the potential from the lessons learned. This experience will enable the country to accomplish or move towards accomplishing the fourth goal of SDGs, quality education by 2030.