Scopus Index Publications

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This collection consists of all Scopus-indexed publications produced by SLIIT researchers. Scopus is recognized worldwide as a leading and reputable academic indexing database.

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Now showing 1 - 10 of 27
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    PublicationOpen Access
    Unveiling the challenges: exploring start-up hurdles faced by small and medium-sized enterprise entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka
    (https://www.nature.com, 2025-03-30) Gankandage, A; Jayathilaka, R
    This study specifically focuses on the factors contributing to start-up failures in the SME sector in Sri Lanka, with particular emphasis on the educational, socio-cultural, economic, and psychological variables that affect entrepreneurial outcomes. The primary objective is to identify and analyse the factors contributing to these failures. Data collection involved interviews, telephone surveys, and online questionnaires. Given that the dependent variable categorises outcomes as either success or failure, a Probit regression model, was deemed the most appropriate analytical method. The findings reveal significant impacts of educational and economic factors on start-up failures in the SME sector. Additionally, psychological, and socio-cultural factors were found to influence these failures. Most participants recommended integrating entrepreneurship and skill development topics into the O/Level and A/Level curricula. Based on these insights, this study proposes several policy recommendations. It suggests that policymakers improve the education system to meet the country’s educational needs more effectively. It also recommends that family members, society, and religious leaders receive education pertaining to start-up development. Furthermore, it advises policymakers and financial institutions to align more closely with entrepreneurial needs to prevent business failures. Lastly, the study emphasises the importance of educating entrepreneurs on maintaining a motivated and positive attitude, addressing the fear of loss, and understanding the psychological aspects of business management. Building upon the brief overview in the abstract, the following introduction lays the foundation for our study, elaborating on the economic concepts and contextual background.
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    PublicationOpen Access
    Unmasking climate vulnerability in Africa: the role of CO2 and CH4 emissions on rising temperatures and sea levels
    (www.nature.com, 2025-05-02) Gunaratne, T.; Liyanage, S.; Punchihewa, C; Badurdeen, S; Jayathilaka, R
    Climate change influenced by anthropogenic emissions is a global occurrence affecting the Mean Surface Temperature (MST) and Mean Sea Level (MSL) patterns. The African continent contributes to the lowest Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions globally. However, GHG emissions, particularly Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and Methane (CH4) emission patterns, show a continuous increase in the African region, reflecting the importance of practising economic growth in the continent with sustainable environmental policies to meet future global climate targets. Given Africa’s increasing emissions and the continent’s vulnerability to climate change, this study contributes to the existing literature by assessing the continental and country-wise impact of CO2 and CH4 emissions on MST and the resulting impact on MSL through Fixed Effect (FE) panel estimation and Simple Linear Regression (SLR). The research employs data from 1993 to 2020 for fifty-four African countries. The study’s main findings show that CO2 and CH4 positively impact MST at a 1% significance level, and MST positively impacts MSL at a 5% significance level. This study focuses on continent-specific and country-specific emissions and their impacts and proposes policy measures to mitigate the emissions in the African continent.
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    PublicationOpen Access
    Economic and healthcare determinants of under-five mortality in low-income countries
    (Springer Nature Link, 2025-06-06) Rajapakse, V; Fernando, A; Sudangama, N; Adikari, D; Sundaram, A; Jayathilaka, R
    Background Under-five mortality (U5MR) remains a critical development challenge, particularly in low-income countries (LICs), where children face the highest risk of preventable deaths. This study explores the influence of three key variables, per capita Gross Domestic Product (PGDP), DTP1 immunisation coverage, and Government Healthcare Expenditure (GHE), on U5MR across 19 LICs from 2000 to 2020, providing a clearer understanding of their individual and combined effects. Methods A balanced panel dataset was analysed using both fixed-effects and random-effects panel regression models. Additionally, country-level insights were derived through multiple linear regression (MLR) to capture variations across different LIC contexts. Results The analysis revealed a strong inverse relationship between PGDP and U5MR, highlighting the role of economic growth in improving child survival. DTP1 immunisation coverage showed mixed effects, positively linked to reduced mortality in most LICs, but unexpectedly associated with higher U5MR in specific contexts like Malawi and the Central African Republic, suggesting challenges in access or implementation. Similarly, GHE showed varied impacts, with some countries benefiting significantly, while others demonstrated weaker or adverse effects, likely due to inefficiencies in spending. Conclusions The findings highlight that reducing U5MR in LICs requires more than isolated actions. It calls for combined strategies that connect economic improvements with fair healthcare investments and better immunisation delivery. Policymakers must design context-specific solutions to ensure lasting and meaningful progress in child health outcomes.
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    PublicationOpen Access
    Surviving the first five years: the economic and healthcare determinants of child mortality in Sri Lanka
    (Springer Nature Link, 2025-06-21) Rajapakse, V; Jayathilaka, R
    Background This study investigates the role of economic growth, healthcare investment, immunization coverage, and malnutrition in reducing under-five mortality rates (U5MR) in Sri Lanka. Understanding how these factors interact within socio-economic ecosystems is essential to formulating sustainable strategies to improve child survival outcomes. Methods This study employs multiple linear regression to analyze the statistical associations between economic growth, healthcare investment, immunization, malnutrition, and under-five mortality in Sri Lanka. Using secondary data from the World Bank and UNICEF (2000–2021), U5MR was modeled against economic growth (per capita GDP), government healthcare expenditure (GHE), immunization coverage (DTP1), and malnutrition (MLN), with significance assessed through p-values and model fit via R². Results The multiple linear regression model demonstrated strong explanatory power, accounting for 85% of the variation in under-five mortality (R² = 0.85). Economic growth and immunization coverage were negatively associated with U5MR and found to be statistically significant (p < 0.05 and p < 0.10 respectively), indicating their potential role in reducing child mortality. Malnutrition showed a strong positive association (p < 0.01), emphasizing its continued threat to child health. Although government healthcare expenditure had a negative association, it was not statistically significant, suggesting possible inefficiencies in resource utilization. Conclusion The study highlights the significant role of economic growth, healthcare expenditure, immunization coverage, and nutrition in shaping U5MR trends in Sri Lanka. The findings emphasize the need for targeted policy interventions to enhance child health outcomes and ensure sustainable progress in reducing child mortality.
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    PublicationOpen Access
    The interplay between globalisation and economic growth: a multi-regional analysis
    (Springer Nature Link, 2025-06-10) Athalage, D; Wijesuriya, P; Sandanayaka, I; Rathnayake, D; Jayathilaka, R
    Globalisation is recognised as a prospective dynamic that facilitates the performance and expansion of economies. This study analyses the causal progression between globalisation, its sub dimensions (economic, social and political) and economic growth spanning 97 countries and six regions (Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, and South America) covering the period from 1971 to 2021. The Panel Granger causality test is employed as the statistical methodology to comprehend the nexus between globalisation and economic growth. The Granger results reveal bi-directional causal flows between economic growth and globalisation in Asia, North America, and Oceania, along with one-way causal flows in Africa, South America, and Europe. Bidirectional dynamics pertaining to economic globalisation were also revealed in Asia, Africa, Oceania, and Europe. This study recommends the enhancement of regional integration, addressing of structural changes, leveraging the use of technology, and the development of comprehensive globalisation strategies with respect to regions with the intention of reinforcing their globalisation-growth stance, while complementing the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.
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    PublicationOpen Access
    Deciphering Online Consumer Behaviour: Uncovering Factors Affecting Purchase Intentions for Electronic Items in Sri Lanka Using Ordered Probit Model
    (SAGE, 2025-05-29) Rathnaweera, D; Jayathilaka, R
    This study identifies key determinants of Sri Lankan consumers’ online purchase intention for electronic goods and quantifies their impact using an ordered probit regression model. The findings reveal that a 1% increase in online reviews is associated with a 0.33 percentage point increase in high purchase intention, while trust and word-of-mouth similarly exert strong positive effects (0.30 and 0.21 percentage points, respectively). Notable, delivery terms, although significant, play a lesser role compared to online reputation factors. These insights offer strategic implementation for e-commerce businesses, emphasizing the need for enhanced consumer trust mechanisms, proactive reputation management and optimized delivery strategies. Policy can leverage these findings to develop consumer protection frameworks that ensure reliability in online transactions, fostering long-term e-commerce growth in emerging markets.
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    PublicationOpen Access
    Alcohol Consumption and Stroke Mortality: Global Patterns, Risks and Public Health Implications
    (Springer Nature 2025, 2025-05-07) Kolonne, T; Mudalige, K; Dissanayaka, G; Rathnayake, K; Jayathilaka, R; Rajamanthri, L; Wickramaarachchi, C
    Globally, 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.
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    PublicationOpen Access
    Digitalisation dynamics: Developing a global index for digital pioneers, adapters, and followers
    (Science Direct, 2025-04-25) Kumara, U; Wijerathna, D; Jayathilaka, R
    Digitalisation has become a transformative force revamping economies, societies, and governance systems. It has fostered innovation and enhanced global competitiveness in an interconnected world. This study aims to construct a composite index for digitalisation to evaluate global digitalisation levels and categorise nations as digital pioneers, adapters, and followers. The index is developed using a Principal Component based on Factor Analysis, utilising secondary data gathered from World Development Indicators from 2010 to 2022. The study highlights that the United States, Hong Kong, Singapore, China, and Korea dominate the top tier as digital pioneers through adopting emerging fourth-industrial revolution technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, etc. Moreover, nations like Japan, Switzerland, Estonia, Czechia, and Iceland are categorised as digital adapters due to less digital investments in digital technologies and building digital ecosystems. At the same time, Madagascar, Paraguay, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Egypt remain at the bottom of the index as digital followers due to existing digital gap and digital literacy and skills among the population. This evidence provides digitalisation index an effective tool for policymakers and researchers to assess each nation's digitalisation levels and technological readiness, to formulate strategies and policies to enhance digital interaction, foster innovation, and promote economic growth.
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    PublicationOpen Access
    Foreign direct investment and foreign reserves linkage: a global study based on wavelet coherence and granger causality
    (Springer Nature, 2025-04-02) Jayathilaka, R; Vidyapathirana, G; Fernando, C; Sandaruwan, C; Lakshani, S
    In the contemporary global economy, foreign direct investment (FDI) and foreign reserves (FR) play a crucial role in economic stability, particularly amid geopolitical and financial uncertainties. This study examines the relationship between FR and FDI over a 23-year period (2002–2022), utilising panel data from 110 countries. By employing Wavelet Coherence analysis, the findings indicate that FR significantly influences FDI inflows across most regions, except in Europe, where the relationship is more complex. Additionally, the Granger causality test confirms a predominantly unidirectional linkage from FDI to FR in most countries, particularly in North America, Asia, and Oceania. These findings suggest that policies fostering economic stability, such as flexible tax regimes and strong governance, are essential for enhancing FDI attractiveness, particularly in regions where the FR-FDI relationship remains weak.
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    PublicationOpen Access
    Comparative Determinants of Global Competitiveness: Governance, Social Progress, and Economic Trade-Offs
    (Wiley, 2025-03-31) Kalansuriya, N; Jayathilaka, R
    This study analyses the determinants of global competitiveness in 2018 and 2023, focusing on governance, social progress, economic dynamics, sustainability, and human development. Using an Ordered Probit Regression model, countries are classified into low, middle, and high competitiveness tiers, enabling a structured assessment of how these factors influence rankings over time. The results indicate that reducing corruption and improving social progress are key to enhancing competitiveness across all tiers, as governance quality and human capital investment significantly impact economic advancement. Environmental performance and trade openness present trade-offs: while they support long-term growth, they impose short-term costs, particularly in highly competitive economies. Human development emerges as a consistent driver of upward mobility, emphasising the importance of sustained investment in education and healthcare. This study contributes uniquely by providing a two-year comparative analysis and employing an Ordered Probit Model to assess competitiveness, offering deeper insights into how countries transition between tiers. The findings highlight the need for tailored policy approaches: low-tier nations should prioritise institutional reforms, middle-tier economies should focus on innovation-driven growth, and advanced economies must balance environmental policies with economic sustainability. These insights provide valuable guidance for policymakers navigating global economic transitions.