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Open Access
Trade Liberalisation and Poverty in South Asia
(Taylor & Francis Books, 2011) JAYATHILAKA, R; DE MEL, D
The relationship between trade and poverty has long been debated in academic and policy circles. The purpose of this chapter is to contribute to this debate through an in-depth study of the experience of Sri Lanka, the first country in South Asia to break away from the protectionist past by embarking on a decisive process of economic opening in 1977. During the first decade after independence in 1948, Sri Lanka continued with a liberal trade regime, until growing balance of payments problems induced a policy shift towards protectionist import substitution policies from the early 1960s. By the mid-1970s the Sri Lankan economy had become one of the most inwardoriented and regulated outside the group of centrally planned economies. In 1977, Sri Lanka responded to the dismal economic outcome of the closedeconomy era by embarking on an extensive economic liberalisation process, becoming the first country in the South Asian region to do so. Despite major macroeconomic problems and political turmoil, market-oriented reforms have been sustained over the ensuing years. Sri Lanka is now classified as one of the few developing countries outside East Asia that have achieved a clear policy shift from the entrenched import-substitution era. This policy transition has brought about notable structural changes in the economy (Athukorala and Rajapatirana 2000; World Bank 2005b; Kelegama 2006). However, the impact of liberalisation reforms on the incidence of poverty and poverty reduction has not yet been systematically studied. Therefore, the main objective of this chapter is to systematically examine the link between trade liberalisation and poverty reduction through employment channels. The chapter is arranged as follows: Section 2 provides an overview of trade policy shifts and the role of trade in the economy. Section 3 surveys the incidence and patterns of poverty. Section 4 examines key channels through which trade policy impacts on poverty. Section 5 examines some cross-cutting issues. Section 6 reports the results of an econometric analysis undertaken to examine the determinant of poverty at the household level with emphasis on the impact of trade policy. The chapter ends with a summary of key findings and policy inferences.
Open Access
Identification of the Poor in Sri Lanka: Development of Composite Indicator and Regional Poverty Lines
(researchgate.net, 2006-03) Siddhisena, p; Jayathilaka, R
The identification of the poor and the definition of poverty is rather complex since poverty dimensions are multifaceted. Poverty is not just an inadequacy of income to meet basic needs or the inability to spend. It is largely associated with numerous demographic, socio-economic, cultural, environmental, health and psychological factors. The aim of this study is therefore to compute a composite indicator of multidimensional poverty and regional poverty lines to identify the severity of poverty and regional disparities of poverty. The study was based on the two data sets and the main objectives of the study are: Identification of the poor by using a broader definition of poverty; Measurement of regional differences on poverty using the poverty indices and constructed poverty lines; and Development of a Composite Indicator of Multidimensional Poverty to identify poverty by severity and also to examine regional disparities of poverty.
Open Access
Factors Influencing the Private Cost of Higher Education; the Case of Sri Lanka
(researchgate.net, 2019-03) Gobinath, S; Tharshan, K; Dheerasekara, W. R. H; Gunawardena, M.M.D de S; Jayakody, S. G; Lokeshwara, A. A
The research aims to identify and analyze the cost elements that impact the private cost of university education in Sri Lanka. It focused on determining the private cost of the Bachelor’s degree programs and also the cost elements affecting the total private cost and their significance. Twenty one cost categories were identified through a pilot study and analyzed in order to assess their impact on the private cost and their variability based on field of study, gender, programme duration, and the socio-economic group of undergraduates. The population comprised of students enrolled in private higher education institutes offering Bachelor’s degree programs in Sri Lanka. The study was conducted during the 2016/2017 academic year and the sample contained 419 respondents drawn utilizing the purposive and stratified random sampling procedures. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while the hypotheses were tested using the Chi-square test for independent sample statistics at 0.05 level of significance. It was found that majority of cost categories (15) had significantly varied between fields of study undertaken while minority of cost categories (10) varied significantly between students’ gender. The study revealed that the identified factors influenced the private cost of university education in the Sri Lankan context.
Open Access
Effectiveness of Financial Accounting and Reporting Practices introduced to Eastern Provincial Council, Sri Lanka
(2014-01-31) Nagendrakumar, N
Sri Lanka in recent years has been introduced changes in public sector financial management. The introduction of accrual basis of accounting to public sector especially in Provincial Councils has created new trends in public financial management. This research is concerned with the effectiveness of public sector accounting and financial reporting in the research domain of Eastern provincial council (EPC). The aim of this research is to understand the financial accounting and reporting practices and to analyze whether they are effective. Descriptive method was used to evaluate the variables. The research concludes that the accounting and financial reporting practices adopted at EPC are not effective.
Open Access
Country Specific Factors: Public Sector Accounting and Financial Reporting Reforms in Sri Lanka
(researchgate.net, 2018-07) Nagendrakumar, N
New Public Management led the world of the public sector - including Sri Lanka - to switch on to the accrual-based accounting which is referred to as Public Sector Accounting and Financial Reporting reforms. However, it was noted that most of such reform activities have failed. Besides, irrespective of failure recorded Sri Lanka continues with the reform process. This postures the research problem of what factor(s) forces Sri Lanka to endure the reform. As a result, this study in general attempts to hoist the factors that determine the reform and precisely attempts to elevate the country specific factors of the phenomenon in Sri Lankan context based on qualitative methodology employing semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis method. The study found that though most of the universal and countryspecific factors are negatively influence the reform in Sri Lanka it is compelled to reform since ‘change of country status’ dictates.
Open Access
The development of public sector accounting and financial reporting in Sri Lanka
(researchgate.net, 2015) Nagendrakumar, N; Fonseka, M; Dissanayake, K
Accrual accounting practices in private sector and cash accounting practices in public sector are unconsciously institutionalized. However, in the recent past the Association of Public Finance Accountants of Sri Lanka, which became the public sector wing of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka in 2012, has initiated accrual accounting practices to the public sector in the country. Authors, adopting Institutional Theory as theoretical lens and using semistructured interviews, attempt to explain the recent developments in Public Sector Accounting and Financial Reporting Practices in Sri Lanka. The study finds that mimetic practices played a dominant role and the normative and coercive practices seemed poor in making the accrual accounting practices a success in the public entities and further the study concludes that the Public Sector Accrual Accounting Practices are still open to debate and research.
Embargo
Sri Lanka’s labour migration trends, remittances and economic growth
(SAGE Publications, 2018-09-17) Ramanayake, S. S; Wijetunga, C. S
Labour migration has significant multiple impacts for Sri Lanka, where migrant remittances have massively increased over time. In the light of changing migrant worker dynamics, including state involvement in virtually exporting people, this article examines various trends of labour migration and then specifically analyses remittance inflows and their economic impacts in Sri Lanka between 1970 and 2015. Our findings confirm the increasing importance of remittances as a source of external financing, with considerable impetus for domestic economic growth, related development policies and gender issues. The conclusions make some suggestions to safeguard future remittance inflows to Sri Lanka.
Open Access
A Study of Essential Competencies and Skills of HR Managers in Sri Lanka
(researchgate.net, 2016-11) Weerarathna, R. S; Pintoe, A
Skills and competencies are vital assets for any individual in order to carry out the tasks and duties in triumphant manner. In today’s globalized and exigent business environment Human Resources (HR) managers need apposite skills and competencies to thrive in business organizations. Even though skills and competencies are important to HR managers; researchers have identified that an empirical gap is existing in Sri Lanka; as Sri Lankan researchers have not conducted the researches in the area of competencies and skills of HR Managers job which consists with Senior Manager (HR), HR Manager, Group HR Manager, Group HR and Administration Manager and HR Manager (Specialized HR Function). The research question of this exploratory study is what are the skills and competencies needed or expected by the organizations in Sri Lanka for HR Managers? There are two research objectives in this current study, mainly; to identify the skills and competencies needed or expected from HR Managers by the Sri Lankan Organization and to give an insight on theoretical perspective for the skills and competencies needed for key HR Managers. To achieve those two research objectives, researchers used HR job advertisements appeared in Sunday Observer Newspaper, Topjobs website for the period of November 2015 to November 2016 of time. The current research was carried out in non-contrived setting and the time horizon of the study is longitudinal under minimal interference of the researchers’. The findings of this exploratory study proved that communication skills, interpersonal skills, computer Literacy, leadership skills and negotiation skills were identified as most expected skills for HR Managers in Sri Lankan Organizations. As per the second major finding of this study researchers found that human skills from three managerial skills introduced by Robert. L. Katz are mostly expected skills by the Sri Lankan organizations. The findings of this study are useful to current HR Managerial job holders, future HR Managerial job seekers, teachers, university lecturers and educational policy makers.
Open Access
Factors Affecting Life Satisfaction with Mediating Role of Work Satisfaction of Employees’ in Insurance Companies in Sri Lanka
(2019-03-07) Rajapaksha, W
The study investigates how to work satisfaction influences workers' life satisfaction with job attribute assessment. Two hundred ninety-five operational level employees from 03 insurance companies in Sri Lanka were selected through Simple Random Sampling. The structural equation modeling approach (SEM) was applied to test the hypotheses. It has been discovered that employees' work satisfaction depends on work hazards; job characteristics and job attribute assessment, while job attributes assessment affected work benefits and cost, work hazards and job characteristics. The paper's findings revealed a strong positive relationship between work satisfaction and life satisfaction. It can be concluded that even though labor turnover is high among insurance workers, their life satisfaction depends on work satisfaction. These results denote that managers should specifically attempt to target enhancing work satisfaction by eliminating work hazards and setting job tasks along with building a good rapport with supervisor and employee, according to employee’s job position. The study recommends that policymakers identify workers' felt needs and satisfy those needs for a contented workforce to minimize labor turnover.
Open Access
Awareness Level of Workers to Labour Laws in Sri Lanka
(2019-01-24) Rajapakshe, W
This study focuses on assessing the apparel sector employees’ level of awareness on labour laws who are working in the Free Trade Zones in Sri Lanka. The research was based on seven Labour Acts in Sri Lanka; Employees Provident Fund Act No.15 of 1958, Employees Trust Fund Act No.46 of 1980, Payment of Gratuity Act No. 12 of 1983, Industrial Dispute Act No.27 of 1966, Maternity Benefits Ordinance No.32 of 1939, Factories Ordinance No.45 of 1942, and Wages Board Ordinance No.27 of 1941. Data collection done through a worker questionnaire and out of 200 sample 158 were respondent. The garment factories were selected by the convenient sampling method and respondents were selected through simple random sampling method. Data analysis done through descriptive statistics and one way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The results show that gender and level of experience has not make a significance different among particular group of employees. However, education and age has a significant impact on the awareness of employees on labour laws. Moreover, the Factories Ordinance showed the rate of the most wakefulness while the Maternity Benefits Ordinance showed the least awareness.

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