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Author: search.filters.author.Wisenthige, KStart date: 2023

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Now showing 1 - 10 of 21
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    PublicationOpen Access
    Unlocking Gen Z engagement in phygital retailing: Evidence from a multi-mediated customer experience model
    (PloS one, 2026-08-06) Selvendran, M; Salman, S; Lakvidu, D; Dahanayaka, U; Wisenthige, K; Dayapathirana, N
    This study investigates how phygital experience influences Gen Z customer loyalty in Sri Lanka's consumer electronics retail sector, addressing the limited evidence from emerging markets on hybrid retail approaches. The research emphasizes the growing relevance of integrating physical and digital touchpoints to create immersive consumer journeys and explores how such experiences foster loyalty among younger consumers. A quantitative research design was adopted using a structured 5-point Likert scale survey questionnaire was completed by 480 Gen Z customers of consumer electronics retailers in Sri Lanka. Data were analyzed through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to examine direct and indirect relationships between phygital experiences and loyalty. The study also evaluated a serial mediation mechanism to explain how immersive, technology-enabled environments and seamless physical-digital integration contributes to loyalty formation. Results demonstrate that phygital experiences significantly and positively influence customer loyalty. Gen Z consumers place high value on interactive, technology-driven retail environments that enhance satisfaction and strengthen their commitment to brands. The findings highlight the importance of co-creation, engagement, and perceived value in shaping loyalty, while underscoring the role of digital literacy in navigating hybrid retail contexts. The study provides actionable insights for retailers seeking to design effective phygital strategies that resonate with Gen Z consumers. It offers guidance for innovation and market expansion in emerging economies. However, the reliance on self-reported, cross-sectional data from a single sector and demographic limits generalizability. Future research should extend across industries, age cohorts, and cultural contexts, incorporating variables such as trust, emotions, and digital fatigue. This research contributes to the growing body of knowledge on phygital experiences by contextualizing the phenomenon in an emerging market setting. It advances theoretical understanding by empirically validating a mechanism linking phygital experience to loyalty and provides practical recommendations for retailers aiming to enhance customer journeys through hybrid strategies.
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    PublicationOpen Access
    Impact of Economic Globalisation on Agricultural Value-Added: The African Region Experience
    (Springer, 2026-01-27) Wisenthige, K; Jayathilaka, R
    Globalisation has been a critical driver of economic growth in many nations. However, the agricultural sector has yet to realise its full potential in terms of agricultural value-added and the distribution of benefits to primary producers within value chains. Notably, the African region possesses a high potential for agricultural value-addition compared to other regions. This research examines the impact of economic globalisation on agricultural value-added within the African context. Using advanced statistical techniques, including panel data regression and multiple linear regression, the study assesses the influence of globalisation on agricultural value-added across 26 African countries from 2000 to 2021. The findings indicate that, while certain countries have benefitted significantly from economic globalisation, enhancing their agricultural value, the majority still require a greater focus on optimising agricultural value addition. Senegal exhibited the most pronounced impact on agricultural value addition, whereas Burkina Faso, Morocco, South Africa, Tunisia, and Uganda showed negligible impacts. Policies aimed at optimising fertiliser inputs, advancing technology, developing the technical knowledge, skills, and attitudes of the agricultural labour force, facilitating foreign market access for raw materials, and promoting sustainable agricultural practices could help enhance value addition and support the overall economic development of the African region. This research contributes to the knowledge-based economy by providing empirical insights into the factors driving agricultural value-added, underscoring the role of knowledge creation, diffusion, and application in boosting agricultural productivity and economic growth in the African region.
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    PublicationOpen Access
    Does financial literacy matter for firms? An empirical investigation on Sri Lankan SMEs
    (PloS one, 2026-07-21) Arachchi, G. K; Perera, I; Gamage, C; Wijesinghe, S; Wisenthige, K; Dayapathirana, N
    Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are vital to economic growth and job creation, especially in developing countries. However, their potential is not fully utilized due to challenges related to limited financial inclusion, poor resource management, and underdeveloped capital markets. Though financial literacy is well-researched in personal finance, its role as a knowledge resource at the firm level and its impact on firm performance remain underexplored. This study investigates the influence of owner-managers' financial literacy on firm performance, focusing on the mediating roles of FinTech adoption and access to finance. By taking a sample of 264 SME owner-managers in the Western Province of Sri Lanka, this study found that financial literacy significantly enhances firm performance (β = 0.241, p < .01). The findings indicate that financial literacy supports sound financial decision-making and risk mitigation and is positively associated with both FinTech adoption (β = 0.542, p < .001) and access to finance (β = 0.533, p < .001). These results underscore the necessity of enhancing financial literacy and promoting FinTech adoption to fully realize the potential of SMEs within developing economies. The study contributes a concise yet impactful framework for enhancing the performance of SMEs through the strategic application of financial literacy. Based on the study's findings, it is recommended that enterprise owners and managers prioritize achieving an adequate level of financial literacy. Furthermore, governmental institutions should revise their financial literacy programs, reconsidering their design and implementation strategies to effectively engage key personnel within enterprises. Current programs appear underutilized due to deficiencies in depth and practical applicability of the knowledge given in them.
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    PublicationEmbargo
    Digital gig workers vs. artificial intelligence – a battle of the wits
    (Emerald Publishing, 2026-04-18) Kelly, S. N; Wisenthige, K; Perera, L
    Purpose – This article investigates in depth Sri Lankan gig workers' varying attitudes towards AI amid a hyper-digital world and its role of reshaping work patterns in developing economies. By exploring platform work transformations, it provides critical insights to guide equitable social policy and labour protections. Design/methodology/approach – This article is a qualitative study which utilises a semi-structured interview series consisting of fourteen platform-based gig workers across diverse professions, employing purposive sampling method to collect data and NVivo to run the analysis. Institutional ethical approval was obtained and ensured participant informed consent, anonymity and voluntary withdrawal rights throughout the interviews. Findings – This study assesses divergent AI attitudes among Sri Lankan gig workers: optimism towards efficiency gains, ambivalence regarding ethical trade-offs and pessimism concerning skill erosion. Segmentation occurs primarily by occupational specialisation, revealing patterning: IT gig workers embracing pragmatic efficiency while creatives defend identity-based skillsets. Given AI's structural impacts, proactive social policies leveraging gig worker insights are suggested to promote multiple sustainable development goals in emerging digital economies. Originality/value – This exploratory study examines AI attitudes through the lenses of Sri Lanka gig workers, suggesting occupational divergence (IT pragmatism versus creative resistance) in the nation's digital gig economy. It offers contextual empirical insights from gig workers lived experiences in the Global South, extending global AI research beyond existing GenAI and algorithmic management studies, which predominantly focus on quantitative analysis or ride-hailing platforms.
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    PublicationOpen Access
    Influencing players to download new games: role of in-game pop-up advertisements
    (Springer Nature, 2026-04-30) Vidanagama, S; Ulapane, N; Thilakarathna, D; Wijekoon, C; Wisenthige, K; Aluthwala, C
    The utilization of pop-up advertisements in promoting online games has become increasingly prominent, particularly within freemium gaming models, where advertising serves as a critical revenue and acquisition mechanism. Despite their widespread adoption, limited empirical research has examined how specific advertisement attributes shape advertising value and subsequent player download intentions, especially in emerging digital economies. This study investigates the influence of four key pop-up advertisement attributes; informativeness, creativity, personalization, and credibility, on perceived advertising value and its effect on game download intention in the context of freemium games. Undergraduate game players who belong to the age category of 18–25 years, representing Generation Z were determined as the study sample. Randomly selected participants were asked to engage in a game-playing experience and respond to a structured survey afterward. A total of 386 responses were collected for the analysis and 12 individuals were interviewed after the analysis intending to validate the results. The results revealed that the considered ad characteristics; informativeness, creativity, personalization, and credibility have a significant impact on advertising value and the perceived advertising value significantly influences the player’s game download intentions. Subsequent qualitative interviews conducted with individual gamers validated the analyzed results. The qualitative findings corroborated the quantitative results, offering deeper insights into how gamers interpret and respond to in-game pop-up advertisements. This study contributes to the online gaming and digital advertising literature by empirically validating a model of advertising value in freemium gaming contexts. Practically, the findings provide actionable insights for marketers and game developers seeking to optimize pop-up advertisement design to enhance player engagement and increase game installations. Conducted within the Sri Lankan context, the study addresses a notable research gap in emerging digital markets and offers implications applicable to similar underexplored regions.
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    PublicationEmbargo
    E-commerce success redefined: integrating information systems and customer empowerment for e-customer engagement
    (Emerald Publishing, 2026-03-17) Boyagoda, G; Thalagala, S.M; Pathirana, S.L; Jeewantha, S; Wisenthige, K
    Purpose – This study aims to explore the impact of system quality, information quality, service quality and customer empowerment on customer satisfaction and e-commerce success in Sri Lanka, focusing on Millennials and Generation Z. By integrating the DeLone and McLean Information Systems Success (D&M ISS) model with customer empowerment theory, the research seeks to provide insights into the key drivers of e-customer engagement in e-commerce. Design/methodology/approach – A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 413 respondents employing the purposive sampling technique. The data collection instrument comprised 32 questions related to system quality, information quality, service quality, customer empowerment and customer satisfaction, as well as demographic questions. The data were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). Findings – The results revealed that the system quality, information quality and service quality significantly influence customer satisfaction and intention to use the system in the context of e-commerce, which leads to higher customer engagement. Furthermore, the findings substantiate the crucial role that customer empowerment plays in terms of increasing customer satisfaction. Research limitations/implications – This study focuses on Millennials and Generation Z e-customers in Sri Lanka. It provides insights into this demographic, but does not capture the diverse cultural and technological landscape of the entire country. The study examines Information System (IS) dimensions and customer empowerment, excluding other significant variables like overall customer engagement. Self-reported data may introduce biases, and future research with larger sample sizes and different methods could improve the validity. Focusing on four selected online shopping platforms may limit the applicability as the e-commerce landscape is continuously evolving. Practical implications – The findings offer guidance to e-commerce businesses and policymakers to enhance their digital services and customer satisfaction. Businesses can improve their system quality with intuitive designs, offering accurate information to boost engagement and deliver excellent service quality. Initiatives such as interactive tools, loyalty programs and tailored support can empower customers, fostering a stronger impact. Policymakers can support e-commerce growth by improving regulations and providing training programs. These measures contribute to a more efficient and satisfying online shopping experience, driving long-term customer loyalty and business growth. Social implications – The research emphasises the role of customer empowerment in fostering customer engagement, contributing to the growth of the digital economy and enhancing online shopping experiences. Originality/value – This research enhances the academic understanding of e-commerce success by strengthening the DeLone and McLean Information Systems Success model by adding the concept of customer empowerment. This unique improvement is applied in the context of Sri Lanka, an emerging market with its own socio-economic characteristics. This addition provides new insights into key factors affecting e-customer engagement in the e-commerce sector.
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    PublicationEmbargo
    Focus on Middle East and Central Asia: rationale of IMF assistance seeking
    (Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2026-03) Wisenthige, K; Pathiranage, H. S.K; Jayathilaka, R
    This 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.
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    PublicationOpen Access
    Assessing the influence of diverse skills on employability outcomes for IT undergraduates
    (Public Library of Science, 2026-04-10) Senadheera, D; Wisenthige, K
    Rapid technological advancements have reshaped the global job market, emphasizing the importance of specialized competencies such as user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design, alongside technical and interpersonal skills.. This study examines how UI/UX skills (UIUX), soft skills (SS), and technical skills (TS) influence the employability (EP) of IT undergraduates in Sri Lanka, addressing a notable gap in existing literature that often examines these competencies in isolation and predominantly within Western contexts. The current study offers a detailed examination of employability determinants in Sri Lanka’s IT sector by incorporating gender as a moderating factor and investigating the mediating roles of self-efficacy (SE) and proficiency levels (LP). The collection of data involved 345 IT undergraduates participating in structured surveys, which were subsequently analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The results demonstrate that gender significantly affects the relationship between soft skills and technical skills with employability, underscoring differences in the assessment of these competencies among different genders. Moreover, the degree of proficiency influences the connection between technical skills and employability, yet it does not play a significant mediating role in the relationship between soft skills and UI/UX employability. Self-efficacy has proven to be a significant mediator across various skill categories UI/UX, soft, and technical highlighting its essential function in converting competencies into career success. This work seeks to add to existing knowledge by tackling the main significant gap of examining the combined effect of UI/UX, soft, and technical skills on employability. This study contributes to the theoretical understanding of employability by presenting an integrated model that elucidates the complex interactions among skills, mediators, and gender within the Sri Lankan IT sector. The results provide actionable insights for educators, policymakers, and industry leaders, advocating for curriculum alignment with industry needs and the promotion of self-efficacy through mentorship and experiential learning.
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    PublicationOpen Access
    How social media impact social entrepreneurial intentions: the serial mediation roles of risk propensity and entrepreneurial self-efficacy
    (Cogent OA, 2025-08-20) Gomes, C; Wisenthige, K
    As societies around the globe experience various social problems with a rising population and an ever-changing political and economic landscape, scholars have been paying much attention to social entrepreneurship. Social entrepreneurship possesses the ability to address many social problems, especially in developing nations such as Sri Lanka. In this light, this study was carried out to find the impact that social media has on social entrepreneurial intentions among undergraduate students in Sri Lanka, while exploring the mediation effects of entrepreneurial self-efficacy and risk propensity. A sample of 252 students was taken from a Sri Lankan university, and a telephone-based survey was used to collect data. Partial least squares structural equation modelling was used to analyze data, using the SmartPLS4 software. The results from the analysis showed that social media significantly impacts social entrepreneurial intention, while entrepreneurial self-efficacy and risk propensity had a serial mediation effect on the impact. This study makes many novel contributions to social entrepreneurial intention research, as it explores how social media impacts social entrepreneurial intentions and the serial mediation effect of risk propensity and entrepreneurial self-efficacy in a single theoretical model. Policymakers and educational institutions are heavily encouraged to use social media platforms to diffuse social entrepreneurial concepts among undergraduate students. Finally, the study offers limitations and directions for future research.
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    PublicationEmbargo
    Driving performance in the digital nomad era: the mediating roles of well-being and job satisfaction
    (Emerald Publishing, 2025-12-07) Peiris, P; Kavindya, S; Mandodari, A; Jayasinghe, Y; Wisenthige, K; Rajapaksha, V; Suraweera, B
    Purpose – Despite the growing academic focus on digital nomadism, there is a lack of studies on the job performance of digital nomads, which compounds an essential theoretical and empirical gap. Informed by this, the study explores the role of nomadic work drivers in job performance, with well-being and job satisfaction acting as mediators, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of the job performance of digital nomads. Design/methodology/approach – Adopting a quantitative approach, this study used an online survey disseminated to digital nomad Facebook groups, collecting data from 226 participants through systematic sampling. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Findings – The findings revealed that well-being and job satisfaction significantly mediate the relationships between nomadic work drivers (destination, technology and work preferences) and job performance. Conversely, the relationship between work-life balance and job performance through both mediators was found statistically insignificant. Practical implications – The study contributes to the growing body of literature on digital nomadism, clarifying how work drivers influence job performance through well-being and job satisfaction, while offering practical insights to create supportive work environments that boost productivity, a priority in today's era of global remote work. Originality/value – This research is unique to the extent that it explores the dual mediating effects of well-being and job satisfaction in the relationship between nomadic work drivers and job performance, an approach that has been significantly absent in previous studies.