http://www.digital.lib.esn.ac.lk//handle/1234/16117 2026-04-21T12:39:04Z 2026-04-21T12:39:04Z Tennakoon, WDNSM. Amarathunga, PABH. Dilshani, KDN. Praveeni, SMN . Lasanthika, WJAJM. http://www.digital.lib.esn.ac.lk//handle/1234/16174 2025-09-06T22:31:22Z 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z

Determinants of Employee Transition to Entrepreneurship Tennakoon, WDNSM.; Amarathunga, PABH.; Dilshani, KDN.; Praveeni, SMN .; Lasanthika, WJAJM. Promoting Employee Transition to Entrepreneurship (ETE) is one of the many channels to boost the entrepreneurial development of any nation. ETE in developing countries needs further attention from scholars to broaden its determinants. Within the theoretical frameworks of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and the Dualistic Model of Passion (DMP), the current study studied the determinants of ETE intention. Randomly drawn employees from Sri Lankan private and state institutions made the sample (n = 218). The instruments with acceptable reliability and validity properties measured the study variables. Attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, harmonious passion, obsessive passion, and ETE intention were scaled on a seven-point Likert scale. Structural equation modeling analyzed the data. The findings showed that employees' ETE intention is positively affected by all the tested variables other than perceived behavioral control. Notably, the results demonstrated that obsessive passion had a beneficial impact on ETE intention, although it is often thought to influence behavioral intention negatively. Thus, the study suggests that the ETE can emphasize any nation's entrepreneurial development by shaping employees' attitudes, perceived social influences, favorable interests, and even adverse interests to form a combined force to promote start-ups. The study's implications demonstrated the ability to model the ETE by integrating various theoretical frames that predict behavioral intentions.

2023-01-01T00:00:00Z Ravindran, M. Kengatharan, L. http://www.digital.lib.esn.ac.lk//handle/1234/16173 2025-09-06T22:31:17Z 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z

Impact of COVID-19 on the Performance of MSMEs in Jaffna District, Sri Lanka Ravindran, M.; Kengatharan, L. The study intended to identify the impact of COVID-19 on the performance of MSMEs in the Jaffna District. Accordingly, considering the population as the whole MSMEs operating within Jaffna District, and due to the pandemic situation in the country, the samples were selected conveniently during June 2021. Therefore, the researchers interviewed 15 MSME operators including the sectors of manufacturing, hotels and travel, food and beverages, construction, hospitals, and trading. The semi-structured interviews were conducted in the medium of Tamil since the population is Tamil Tamil speaking community and finally translated into English. Following a descriptive analysis, the study found that the food and beverage, health, and trading industries recorded a profitable performance even during the lockdown periods and after the lift out of lockdown. However, they stated that there was a reduction in the total revenue due to the Covid-19 outbreak. On the contrary, other manufacturing industries such as cleaning, sanitary, hotels, and travel and construction industries recorded poor performance due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The main reasons were highlighted as the travel ban imposed by the government, lack of investments, and the public’s reduced spending on vacation holidays. The study suggests that MSMEs can boost their performances over time by implementing competing strategies. Also, future research can consider identifying factors that are restraining the contribution of MSMEs to the national economy.

2023-01-01T00:00:00Z Ratnayake, N. Weerasekera, S. http://www.digital.lib.esn.ac.lk//handle/1234/16172 2025-09-06T22:31:10Z 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z

The Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Initiatives on the Brand Image of Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) Ratnayake, N.; Weerasekera, S. Multi-national Enterprises (MNEs), play a prominent role in the International Business environment through their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. Based on the stakeholder theory, this study aims to investigate the impact of CSR initiatives on the enhancement of the brand image of MNEs in Sri Lanka. A positivist research paradigm has been adopted in this study. Accordingly, an online self-administered survey questionnaire was shared among 123 young consumers in Sri Lanka in order to investigate answers to the research questions of the study. It was found that there is a positive impact of fulfilling legal responsibilities on the brand image of MNEs while there seems to be no significant relationship between the ethical and philanthropical responsibilities of MNEs on their brand image. From a theoretical perspective, this study seems to shed light upon the existing body of research on corporate responsibility and brand image of MNEs, especially in the context of Sri Lanka through the extension of related studies. Moreover, the findings are similar to the pre-existing arguments that were developed by prior researchers on the relationship between the legal responsibility of an organisation and its brand image. From a practical perspective, the current study seems to encourage managers of MNEs to fulfill their legal responsibilities towards the host country in which they operate.

2023-01-01T00:00:00Z Prabaharan, T. http://www.digital.lib.esn.ac.lk//handle/1234/16171 2025-09-06T22:30:07Z 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z

Do people change their buying behavior during crises? Insights from the COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka Prabaharan, T. Due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic, panic buying occurs in several nations, including Sri Lanka, which causes shortages of merchandise, problems with supply chains, and numerous issues with daily life for individuals. Especially in the setting of Sri Lanka, this is a very new and uncharted area of consumer behavior. As a result, the objective of this study is to investigate the panic buying patterns of consumers in relation to Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) during the COVID-19 pandemic's height in Sri Lanka.The study employed a qualitative methodological approach due to the dearth of existing literature and the desire to unearth real customer insights. In the Western Province of Sri Lanka, interviews that were semi-structured with 25 individuals were conducted. Individuals were chosen using a non probabilistic purposive sampling method. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. The study discovered that during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly at the start of the pandemic period, customers' usual buying habits changed. Regarding purchasing quantity, mode of purchase, price-sensitive shopper, purchasing duration, purchasing location, and brand preference, seven basic variations were identified. In addition, four themes—fear of dread, protective behaviors, social influence, and social trust—were developed as explanations for why FMCG consumers engage in such panic buying. By finding changes in consumer purchasing behavior, especially in a pandemic condition, and the reasons for such changes, which is a rare phenomenon in the prior literature, the study provides new insights.The study provides authorities insight into the best ways to cope with circumstances where people are panic buying. Without interfering with their internal business procedures, retailers can use this expertise to efficiently address the various demand situations.

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