School of Business
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Publication Open Access Management and safe disposal of unwanted medicines in community pharmacies in Sri Lanka(Frontiers Media SA, 2026-07-10) Perera, C; Herath, RIntroduction – Pharmaceutical pollutants, such as antibiotics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), have been detected in Sri Lankan waterways. These contaminants may arise from multiple sources, including community pharmacy disposal practices. This raises concerns that improper disposal of unwanted medicines poses an increasing risk to the environment and public health. Community pharmacies—both chain and independent pharmacies—serve as the final point in the pharmaceutical supply chain at the community level and play a crucial role in managing the disposal of unwanted medicines. This study aimed to explore the current practices, factors influencing these practices, and strategies for improving the management and safe disposal of unwanted medicines in community pharmacies in Sri Lanka. Methods – A qualitative research design was adopted. Semi-structured interviews using the validated interview guide were conducted with the participants. The participants primarily comprised the community pharmacists representing both chain and independent pharmacies operating in the Western Province of Sri Lanka. Participants were selected through purposive sampling. Interviews were conducted until data saturation was achieved. Using the thematic analysis, emerging reporting patterns within the data were identified. Results – The study identified four main themes: current disposal and waste management practices; factors influencing and limiting disposal practices; perceptions and attitudes toward disposal responsibility; and recommendations for improvement. Community pharmacies use various methods for medicine disposal and pharmaceutical waste management. Their practices are primarily influenced by the absence of proper medicine collection mechanisms, weak regulation, limited awareness, and inadequate disposal facilities. Pharmacists suggested implementing a well-structured medicine collection system, strengthening laws, and conducting awareness programs to minimize pharmaceutical waste. Discussion – Although a regulatory framework exists for pharmaceutical waste management, implementation and monitoring within community pharmacies, particularly independent pharmacies, remain limited. Furthermore, these pharmacies have fewer facilities to carry out safe drug disposal practices. Research revealed the need for improved infrastructure, tighter regulatory supervision, and increased awareness programs to address these challenges. Implementing a well-coordinated national medicine collection program and improving awareness of safe medicine disposal are important measures for protecting the environment and public health.Publication Open Access Status Quo Bias and EV Adoption: A Prospect Theory Perspective from a Developing Country Context(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2026-04-01) Theekshana, D; Gamage, K. A.A; Herath, R; Kavirathna, C.A; Jayasinghe, S; Weerakkody W.A.SElectric vehicles (EVs) are promoted to decarbonise road transport, yet uptake remains slow in many emerging markets. This study examines consumer resistance to EV adoption in Sri Lanka by modelling status quo bias (SQB) using a Prospect Theory lens. An online survey of urban vehicle owners and near-term buyers yielded 157 responses; after screening and removing influential outliers, 151 cases were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The model tests five Prospect Theory-aligned antecedents, namely, loss aversion, reference dependence, risk perception, framing effects, and uncertainty aversion, and evaluates environmental concern as a moderator. Results indicate that loss aversion has a significant positive effect on SQB (β = 0.216, p = 0.005) and uncertainty aversion is the strongest predictor (β = 0.453, p < 0.001), while reference dependence, risk perception, and framing effects show positive but statistically non-significant direct effects. Moderation tests show that environmental concern significantly moderates the effects of reference dependence (β = 0.181, p = 0.039) and framing effects (β = 0.179, p = 0.037) on SQB, but does not significantly moderate the loss aversion, risk perception, or uncertainty aversion paths. Overall, perceived losses and—especially—ambiguity surrounding EV ownership appear to sustain reliance on internal combustion vehicles in this developing-country context, underscoring the need for interventions that reduce uncertainty (credible infrastructure signals, stable policy, serviItem Embargo Threading the digital needle: the influence of process and technical digitalisation on competitive performance in the apparel supply chain(Emerald Publishing, 2025) Susitha, E; Jayarathne, P.G.S. A; Herath, RPurpose – This study aims to examine the role of process and technical digitalisation in enhancing the apparel supply chain’s competitive performance. This study further explores how firm size moderates these relationships, offering operational-level insights into the strategic deployment of digital capabilities. Design/methodology/approach – A cross-sectional quantitative design was adopted, drawing on responses from 239 apparel industry practitioners. This study used structural equation modelling and multi-group analysis to validate the measurement model and test structural relationships, including moderation effects based on organisational size. Findings – Both process and technical digitalisation significantly enhance competitive performance, with technical digitalisation exhibiting a more potent effect. The findings indicate that process digitalisation benefits larger firms, while technical digitalisation influence remains consistent across different firm sizes. According to the findings, a differential effect of digitalisation types depends on the firm’s operational capacity and scale. Research limitations/implications – This study clarifies how digital technologies create value in supply chain performance. Technical digitalisation benefits all firms, but process digitalisation yields greater gains in larger, more resource-rich firms. Originality/value – This study integrates three perspectives to provide a refined lens for understanding the deployment of digital capabilities in supply chains. This study also contributes to the domain by investigating the effects of technical and process digitalisation on competitive performance in the apparel supply chain. The study offers a validated measurement framework and empirical evidence of how digital transformation drivers vary across organisations.Publication Open Access Maritime ports and operational barriers: tracing research trajectories through bibliometric mapping(Cogent OA, 2025-12-20) Herath, R; Weligodapola, M; Attygalle,O; Bandara, J; Yahampath, MMaritime ports are critical nodes in facilitating global trade, yet they encounterpersistent challenges that sizably affect their operational performance and efficiency.this study is identified as a systematic review using bibliometric analysis to provide anoverview of research developments and trends in operational challenges withinmaritime ports from 2010 to early 2025. this study utilises the prisMa framework,obtaining 96 peer-reviewed journal articles from 60 sources obtained from the scopusdatabase. Data analysis was conducted using tools such as r-studio, Bibliometrix,vOsviewer and nvivo. Our analysis identified the most productive and influentialjournals, institutions, and regions, highlighting the key contributions to the field. thisstudy emphasised articles with the highest citation count, which can serve as referencepoints based on current trends. we also employed co-occurrence techniques andthematic maps to identify trending topics and concepts within the domain. thematiccoding of the literature was conducted to identify the major challenges affecting ports.this analysis provides a noteworthy trajectory of the growth in literature concerningasian nations, most prominently china, india and singapore, which emerged as leaderswithin this domain. it further shows that previous studies have emphasised emergingthemes like digitalisation, congestion, berth allocation, and port risks, which reinforcethe major operational barriers faced by ports globally.