iPURSE 2019

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Shifting from necessity driven to background driven: a study of entrepreneurial motivation among small enterprises in Central province, Sri Lanka
(University of Peradeniya, 2019-09-12) Senavirathne, Y. Y.; Maheswaran, S.
Entrepreneurship is a central concept for economic growth in a developing country like Sri Lanka. It is suggested that necessity-driven entrepreneurs pushed into entrepreneurship because other options for work are absent or unsatisfactory, and opportunity-driven entrepreneurs pulled into entrepreneurship more out of choice. This paper is a qualitative research where the researchers aim to explore the entrepreneurial motives among small sector entrepreneurs going into entrepreneurship process. Total 06 cases have been analyzed through semi-structured face-to-face interviews within Central Province, Sri Lanka for 2 months in 2018. The cases are selected from the small sector entrepreneurs who have demonstrated highest performance in both manufacturing and service categories in Star Award ceremony, 2018 organized by the Department of Industrial Development and Entrepreneurial Promotion. Pattern matching and cross case syntheses techniques have been used to analyze data by adapting to the author developed analytical model. According to the findings, there are three main motives emerged and, even though Sri Lanka is a developing country, in this context, the results have gone to opposite direction of the existing literature finding which a developing country entrepreneur is necessity-driven. Apart from the opportunistic view motivations, the background motivating factors such as educational background and prior work experience played a major role in motivating individuals to emerge as entrepreneurs. However, after analyzing these cases in this context, it can be identified a pattern that small sector entrepreneurship is moving from ‘Necessity or Opportunity’ driven motivational approach to ‘Background and Opportunity’ driven motivational approach.
Language and ideology: Deiyannewela under-caste community
(University of Peradeniya, 2019-09-12) Fernando, C. T.
Marginalization and oppression in a discipline like Sociology would often be traced to the beliefs, routines, behaviour, education, and other social practices of the oppressed community. However, according to sociolinguists, an analysis of the language practices of a community would provide a more accurate understanding of the class, caste, ethnic, and other struggles in society. Language is considered as a site of struggle where these entities meet in conflict. The oppression of a community through language as ideology comes in two forms: through the language of the outsider, and through the stigmatization of the insiders’ language. Oppressive ideology of a language is not only harmful to an individual, but it also contributes to a history of subjugation and oppression that spans generations. Within Sri Lanka, Telugu is considered a dying language, and the fragments of this language can only be found within certain social groups and castes (i.e., the gypsy community). Telugu within the country functions as a proxy indicator of under-caste and low class, and the mere fact that the language is alive within a community, places them by design in an unfavourable position. Within the ‘Deiyannewela Patu Maga’ community, Telegu lingers on in the spoken form, while writing has become a lost art. The younger generation, however, has given up Telegu in an attempt to shed the “under-caste” identity that comes along with the language. Through a series of discussions with those within and without the community, this paper attempts to understand language as ideology in reference to the creation of the Deiyannewela community as undercaste. Being a Telugu speaker in Deiyannewela automatically binds you to the “Dobhi” (washer) caste. Thus, the death of the Telugu language is not resisted by these residents because its death would mean their liberation from their caste based position and oppression.
A study of startup motives and entrepreneurship tendency among small business operators
(University of Peradeniya, 2019-09-12) Kahathuduwa, K.K.P.N.; Kodithuwakku, K.A.S.S.; Jayaweera, V.W.
A person’s propensity to engage in entrepreneurship has a relationship with his/her level of entrepreneurial tendency, and a person’s motivation to start-up business may defer from opportunity to necessity. This research primarily aims to assess start-up motives and entrepreneurial tendencies (ET) of small business operators in rural Sri Lanka. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire from a sample of 100 respondents. The motivation type of the business operator was decided using a list of structured questions and ET was calculated using the General Enterprising Tendency Test (GET) (Caird, 1991). The hypotheses were tested using Pairwise comparisons and Kruskal Wallis Test. Findings revealed that men were more opportunity driven whereas women were more necessity driven. However, both men and women were found to be motivated to fulfill personal needs. Furthermore, younger people are more opportunity driven compared to older people, and the respondents with a high level of formal education are more necessity driven. People owning older businesses are more opportunity-driven, also with higher ET scores whereas older people were more necessity driven and showed a lower level of ET scores. All in all, men demonstrated higher ET scores compared to women. Findings also revealed that the higher the level of formal education, the lower the ET scores. Even though some researchers argue that the personality traits (i.e. the construct of ET) of a given person are constant over the time, the findings of this research reveal that there are significant differences of the ET of groups of people belonging to different demographic and business characteristics. Furthermore, the ET also changed with the type of start-up motives, and vice versa. However, the findings also revealed that the influence of the type of startup motivation on ET is more significant than the influence of ET on the type of startup motives.
Demand for crop insurance in tea: analysis of tea smallholders’ willingness to pay in Badulla district
(University of Peradeniya, 2019-09-12) Yallarawa, Y. S. M. M. P.; Prasada, D.V.P.
Tea growers face many risks due to weather conditions, plant diseases, price volatility and policy changes. Crop insurance is one of the management tools to deal with some of these risks. It protects farmers against the variations in yield resulting from uncertainty in natural factors beyond their control. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the demand for tea crop insurance. Moreover, factors affecting the decision to adopt crop insurance for tea cultivation were investigated. Purposive sampling technique was adopted in the selection of study area and random sampling technique was adopted in the selection of sample respondents. Badulla district was selected purposively for the study as it is one of the major tea growing areas in Sri Lanka. Data were collected from a total of 150 tea smallholder farmers from three DS divisions, using a choice experiment framework. Each insurance policy was defined by 4 attributes: crop damage assessment rule (index-based, indemnity-based), covering period (dry, non-dry), premium, type of compensation (by money, by plants). Data from a choice experiment were analyzed using conditional logit models. According to the results, age of the farmer, gender, tea as main income, age of cultivation, risks faced by farmer, having assets are the variables influencing the willingness to pay for insurance. Dry period coverage, compensation by money, the lower monthly harvest, high cost of production and extension services are the other significant variables influencing premium. The significant variables influencing willingness to take index based insurance are dry period coverage, premium, compensation by money, age, and assets. During the study, it was observed that farmers’ awareness about the insurance and procedures of crop insurance was poor. Hence, efforts should be made to increase the awareness and help farmers to take better benefit out of it.
Factors affecting enterprising tendencies of undergraduates: a case study of University of Peradeniya
(University of Peradeniya, 2019-09-12) Abhayarathne, M.H.R.; Kodithuwakku, K.A.S.S.
Understanding of enterprising tendencies of students provides insights on whether they possess the required traits to set up and manage innovative and growth-oriented projects more frequently. There are limited studies in Sri Lankan context which adapts psychological approach of studying entrepreneurship. Thus, this study explored the entrepreneurial tendency levels of undergraduates and examined what factors influence the tendency levels. A survey was conducted on a sample of 231 first year and final year students from three different fields of studies; Agricultural Technology and Management, Psychology and, Management from the University of Peradeniya. Using the General Enterprising Tendency (GETv2) test, enterprising tendency and its components, namely; Need for Autonomy, Need for Achievement, Creative Tendency, Calculated Risk-taking and Locus of Control were measured. In addition, demographic and personal characters were also measured. Results revealed that enterprising tendency levels of the majority of students range within the medium tendency level. The findings also highlighted that the year of study, entrepreneurship education and being involved in businesses positively affect the enterprising potential of undergraduates significantly (p<0.05). More interestingly, the entrepreneurial tendency levels of final year students were found to be lower compared to that of first years. In an in-depth analysis on the entrepreneurial attributes of the first-year and final years, it was found that the levels of need for achievement, creative tendency, and risk-taking were significantly (p<0.05) higher in first year students as compared to final years. However, there was no significant difference in the need for autonomy and internal locus of control. Based on the findings of this study, it appears that students who enter university with higher enterprising tendency levels are likely to reduce their enterprising tendency levels over the years at the university. Extending the study to more undergraduates from the state as well as private sector universities would provide further insights which will aid in designing programmes to enhance enterprising potential of students.
Precision in pricing a tourist destination: the perspectives of Western Europeans and Northern Americans
(University of Peradeniya, 2019-09-12) Samarawickrama, I.D.W.; Wattegama, E.J.; Jayasena, D.M.
Tourism was a major contributor for the national income apart from Textile and Apparel industry and Foreign Remittances. Retaining revenue sustainability in the tourism industry has become a challenge for the government amidst of natural disasters and civil unrest. The findings of a similar study by the authors have revealed that there is a significant variance between the current entrance fee charged for some tourist destinations and the Willingness to Pay (WTP) of the foreign tourists. The present study attempted in identifying whether there exist the aforementioned variance for Sigiriya. Sigiriya is an essentially visited among the archaeological sites by the foreign tourists throughout the year. The sample for the study was collected among foreigners to visit Sigiriya and who has the highest purchasing power. The duration was from November 2018 – February 2019, the peak arrival times of the selected regions as highest purchasing power. Among them 54 tourists were selected randomly and self-administered questionnaire which was designed in three languages, English, French and German was distributed upon their language preference. The Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) – a widely used stated preference method for similar studies in foreign context- was used for the WTP estimation. The study found that the estimated WTP for Sigiriya was USD 80.84. It revealed that there is an under-pricing of the site compared to the current entrance fee of USD 30. As policy implications, the study recommends to use the estimated WTP as the ceiling price at the revision of the entrance fee of Sigiriya for the foreign tourists. Additional arrivals for the site can be fortified through viral marketing strategies.
Exoticisation in some Sri Lankan expatriate texts: Re-inscribing colonial stereotypes?
(University of Peradeniya, 2019-09-12) Jayaweera, P. M.
The field of literary activity constitutes a site of struggle where the continuing tensions between the “constructed” and “de-constructed” ideologies of the Occident and the Orient often get played out. The persistent longing on the European’s part to posit the so-called Oriental as the “primitive”, mysterious and seductive Other of his/her “superior” European Self is betrayed through the kind of “exotic” literary products – assured to be “first-hand, and “authentic” since they are said to emanate from the Orient itself – readily embraced and patronized by the Western world. In such a context, the expatriate writer’s role invites careful examination owing to his/her position as one who either assumes, or to whom is attributed the status of “native informant” by the wider European community. In fact, this paper argues that exoticization that some expatriate writers resort to when portraying their home country should not be interpreted only in terms of certain abstract literary/aesthetic standards, since to do so is to merely overlook the politics underlying their “exotic” narratives. This paper analyses selected texts by some Sri Lankan expatriate writers which, as these writers themselves claim, carry an “authentic” account of their homeland. One aim here is to examine why these expatriate writers seek to qualify their Narratives of Homeland as “authentic”. A further intention of this paper is to analyse how politically correct it is for these writers to pass their representation of homeland as an “authentic” version than presenting it as one out of the multiple representations/re- presentations of Sri Lanka which are possible. The texts studied for the present purpose include Micahel Ondaatje’s Running in the Family, Christopher Ondaatje’s The Man- Eater of Punanai and The Last Colonial: Curious Adventures from a Vanishing World, and Heaven’s Edge by Romesh Gunesekera.
Value of children (VOC) on fertility transition in Sri Lanka: spatio-temporal study
(University of Peradeniya, 2019-09-12) Masakorala, P. P.
Many researchers have concluded that there is a weak relationship between fertility and socio-economic indicators and fertility and pattern of contraceptives used in Sri Lanka. In contrast to the demographic transition model, it is possible that the changes in VOC of a population can occur without the presence of socio-economic development. Trends of fertility decline in Sri Lanka in the absence of socio-economic development or modernization has been questioned. The objective of this paper is to study how the value of children has changed and how it has affected the fertility levels in Sri Lanka. A spatio-temporal approach was applied to explain fertility transition and changes of VOC. The spatial approach is represented by urban, rural, and estate spaces and the temporal approach is represented by three generations; G1 (age 18-39), G2 (age 40-60), and G3 (age 61-81). Six GN divisions from the district of Kandy, which represents typical urban, rural and estate characteristics were selected. Sample size of this study was 750 women. The multi-stage stratified random sample procedure was followed to select the respondents. A structured survey schedule was used to collect data. Fertility rate is expressed as the actual number of children per women of those who have completed child bearing. An index was prepared to represent the net value of children by the evaluation both positive and negative VOCs. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics; mean comparisons (ANOVA) and correlation analysis. The analysis revealed that the fertility in the urban space is lower (M=2.61, SD=1.22) than the fertility in the rural (M=3.50, SD=1.82) and estate (M=3.32, SD=1.54) spaces. The urban dwellers are shifted from positive VOC to negative VOC compared to other spaces. Similarly, temporal analysis revealed that the fertility in the younger generation is lower (G1, M=2.44, SD = 0.96) and (G2, M=2.86, SD=1.15) than the older generation (G3, M=3.73, SD=1.95) and the younger generation has shifted toward negative VOC from positive VOC compared to older generation. The correlation analysis revealed that there is no statistical relationship between fertility and VOC of urban space and younger generation. Therefore, it is not possible to conclude that fertility transition in Sri Lanka from positive values to negative values was due to value changes of children.
Plato’s poets: are they completely removed from acquiring reality? a close reading of truth acquisition in the divided line of plato’s republic
(University of Peradeniya, 2019-09-12) Biyanwila, A.
According to Plato, “art corrupts the minds of all who hearken to them, save only those whose knowledge of reality provides an antidote” (595-b) and this shows how Plato saw art as an obstacle to the wellbeing of the mind. This paper is a close reading of The Republic, which shows that the art and the artists/poets of Plato are not corrupt, as he has suggested, and are not completely removed from reality. At the end of Book VI of The Republic (509D-513E), in the Divided Line, Plato says that reality could be acquired with the use of the human intellect but not with the primary senses. The reality or the transcendent truth “relies exclusively on form, a level of intellection that is free from all hypothetical thinking” (510-b). According to Plato, the reality is completely dependent upon rational facts. Moreover, it is clear that the poets who “contrive appearances and not reality” (599-a) rely on hypothetical thinking, fabrications and are unable to attain truth, which is driven by reason. But contradictorily, Plato states, “the acquisition of true knowledge begins with assumptions and hypotheses but rises to a level...that is free from all hypothetical thinking” (510-B). It can be assumed that hypothetical thinking can mark the beginning of rational thought, which acquires truth. Then, it could be concluded that poets who engage in hypothetical thinking are not completely removed from acquiring truth but stand basic in the journey of acquiring reality. Thus, Plato’s poets are not completely removed from acquiring reality.
English language proficiency has a significant impact on medical school examination performance
(University of Peradeniya, 2019-09-12) Seneviratne, H. M. T. W.; Somaratne, K. M. K; Alahakoon, A. R. T. V.; Bandara, G. D. D. J.; Bandara, Y. M. D. M.
Medical education in Sri Lanka is done exclusively in English Language. An overwhelming majority of students who enter the medical school have had their secondary school education in Sinhala medium, which is their mother tongue. This change of medium of instruction on entry to medical school and the level of English language proficiency of students, achieved during school education might affect the academic performance of medical students. The purpose of this study is to assess how the English language proficiency of students and the medium of instruction in school affect medical school examination performance. The study was conducted from June to July 2018. All students who had completed at least the second year medical examination of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, whose mother tongue is Sinhala were included in the study. Medium of instruction at GCE (O/L), Grades obtained for English language at GCE (O/L) (as an indicator of English language proficiency) and the medical school examination results of second year and fourth year (Grade Point Average values- GPA) were collected. Students' T test was used for statistical analysis and significance was set at p= <0.05. Total of 416 students were included in the study. Eighty eight percent of students had achieved an “A” grade for English language at the GCE (O/L) Examination while 91.8% had done their school education in Sinhala medium. There was a statistically significant difference between mean GPA values for second year exam between students who had achieved A grades for English language in GCE (O/L) and who had not (3.02 vs 2.57 p=0.001). The same was true for fourth year exam results (3.21 vs 2.77 p=0.003). With reference to medium of instructions in school, there was no significant difference in medical college examination results between the Sinhala medium and English medium students (p=0.3). In conclusion, our study shows that the English language proficiency has significant impact on medical school examination results but not the medium of instructions in school.
The effect of a military environment on second language acquisition: a study based on officer cadets of the BSc degree at Sri Lanka military academy
(University of Peradeniya, 2019-09-12) Bandara, N.G.J.P.
Second Language Acquisition (SLA) is considered to be a complex psychological and physical process. It is undeniably a daunting task for the trainees to gain language competence while coping with culture shock when undergoing their basic military training. This investigation was based on the Officer Cadets of BSc in Military Studies some of whom had been unable to meet the expected language standards during their training. This research paper aimed at investigating the effect of a military environment on their SLA. It explored the sociolinguistic and cultural aspects, such as communication, the availability of time for studies, the effect of corrective training measures (punishments), other training related activities, available support for English in academic enhancement and culture shock. The study further explored how far Edward Thorndike’s Laws of Learning Theory applied within the existing military environment and examined the applicability of Krashen’s Second Language Acquisition Theory and Knowles Andragogy within the teaching and learning process. Data was mainly collected from 50 Officer Cadets using a questionnaire. Interviews and informal discussions were also held with the target group and the academic staff. The study found that the military training background had a negative impact on their SLA and affected the laws of Learning Theory such as readiness, exercise, effect, recency, intensity and primacy. Furthermore, it revealed that a considerable number of Officer Cadets had failed in achieving the required language standards due to a variety of linguistic and military culture related problems. Hence, the study recommends implementing two main streams in achieving the required SLA standards of the Officer Cadets; either by conducting the English curriculum in a non-military background or by making certain adjustments to the current academic and training curriculums reinforced by the concepts of Andragogy and Krashen’s Second Language Acquisition Theory.
TML (text message language); a novel discourse
(University of Peradeniya, 2019-09-12) Wijesundara, D. M.
The fluidity of language is enhanced by constant encounters it makes with various inventions of time and society. Technology has given birth to a variety of communication modes and has influenced language norms to a great extent. Digital platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, Viber, G+, and twitter have enabled novelty in language use. These messaging applications have become the space in which the widespread and wildly accepted Text Message Language (TML) has been born. TML has in its ever-changing word stock a range of words that have been shortened into acronyms or devised to make sense with minimal use of characters. It also involves extremely creative use of characters that bring out meaning within a limited time and space. As Language in general is becoming more and more democratized, the activity or the practice of “texting” has produced its own rendition of a language. It conforms to rules of its own, mostly governed by the space and time criterion, and has its own government of language. TML, draws from language; lexical items, figures of speech, letters and punctuation marks etc., to build its own repertoire which ends up constructing a mixture of traditional and non conventional language norms. This hybridity makes TML parasitic for irreclaimable reasons but makes it an original linguistic form at the same time. Previous studies on the subject have shed light on the harmful implications of TML on “proper” language use. However, studies have also been made on increased language skills and performance of “texters” bringing about an idea of wider acceptance of this nuanced, complex and creative use of language by the ordinary user. This study focuses on TML, with an in- depth analysis of its use, its user experience and the connotations of relationship, power and even resistance that TML brings into popular discourse. The basis of the study is on select “textspeak” items of the English language and their larger connotations, power dynamics, extra-linguistic indications and their implications on the existing linguistic hierarchy. This qualitative discourse study uses “texters” of four age groups for analysis.
Impact of bank size on bank profitability: using four licensed commercial banks in Sri Lanka
(University of Peradeniya, 2019-09-12) Jayamali, W. M. T.
The financial sector of a country plays an important role in economic development. However, only a profitable bank is better able to contribute to the stability of the financial system. Many factors affect bank profitability. One important variable in determining bank profitability is bank size. Previous studies examining this relationship have yielded mixed results. Given this background, the present study investigates the impact of bank size on bank profitability in Sri Lanka, using four licensed commercial banks over the period from 1998 to 2017. This study is conducted separately for four banks and panel sample using alternative measures for bank size and bank profitability and alternative model specifications. Return on assets and return on equity are used as proxies for bank profitability, while total assets, number of employees, number of branches are used as proxies for bank size. Leverage, liquidity and capital adequacy are used as control variables. Using a balanced panel data, employing Random Effect, Fixed Effect, GLS and GMM method, the impact of bank size on bank profitability is tested and OLS regression analysis is used to estimate the impact on four banks separately. The results reveal that the total assets and number of branches as proxies for bank size have a significantly positive impact on bank profitability as measured by return on assets. The overall model shows a significant impact on bank profitability on return on assets. When analyzed separately, only BOC and HNB show a positive significant relationship between bank size and bank profitability.
In vitro cytotoxicity assay on venom of highly venomous snakes in Sri Lanka
(University of Peradeniya, 2019-09-12) Edirisinghe, L. E. A. D. A.; Karunathilake, K. J. K.; Dissanayake, D. A.; Rathnayaka, R. M. M. K. N.; Kularatne, S. A. M.; Rajapakse, R. P. V. J.
Highly venomous snakes cause significant morbidity and mortality in Sri Lanka. Indian polyvalent antivenom currently used as treatment for snake envenomation is sometimes unsuccessful due to its non-specificity to snake venoms of Sri Lanka. Therefore, venom toxicity studies on highly venomous snakes of Sri Lanka are important. The protein concentration and IC-50 of venom extracted from snakes of Sri Lanka (Bungarus caeruleus, Daboia russelii, Echis carinatus, Hypnale hypnale, Naja naja and Trimeresurus trigonocephalus) were determined. The protein concentrations of the crude venom were determined by bicinchoninic acid protein assay and the IC-50 was determined by MTT cytotoxicity assay using L929 mouse fibroblast cell lines. Protein electrophoresis using SDS-PAGE was performed to determine the most prominent protein bands in each venom. The protein concentrations were: B. caeruleus 4213.9 mg/ml, D. russelii 3905.6 mg/ml, E. carinatus 2594.4 mg/ml, H. hypnale 3655.6 mg/ml, H. nepa 2822.2 mg/ml, H. zara 3333.3 mg/ml, N. naja 4055.6 mg/ml, and T. trigonocephalus 1461.1 mg/ml. The IC-50 values obtained were: B. caeruleus 4.9 mg/ml, D. russelii 10.5 mg/ml, E. carinatus 42.1 mg/ml, H. hypnale 16.8 mg/ml, N. naja 1.2 mg/ml, and T. trigonocephalus: 13.8 mg/ml. The most prominent protein bands observed were: B. caeruleus 086, 070, 061, 028, 020, 016, 011, 009 kDa; D. russelii 113, 041, 033, 021, 013 kDa; E. carinatus 086, 080, 070, 061, 056, 040, 035, 030, 024, 017, 014, 012 kDa; H. hypnale 069, 064, 055, 029, 013 kDa; H. nepa 070, 065, 061, 053, 046, 043, 030, 028, 023, 013 kDa; H. zara - 070, 053, 037, 030, 013 kDa; and N. naja 113, 097, 084, 068, 013 kDa. The highest and lowest cytotoxicities were observed in venom of N. naja and E. carinatus, respectively. This preliminary study is useful for developing an effective antivenom specific to venomous snakes of Sri Lanka.
Determination of the position of mental foramen using dental panoramic radiography
(University of Peradeniya, 2019-09-12) Bandara, W.; Hettiarchchi, K.; Jayasingha, R. D.; Soysa, N. S.
The position of the mental foramen demonstrates anatomical and ethnic variations. According to the published literature, it typically lies between the apices of the first and second premolars or below the apex of the second premolar. Therefore, the present study was carried out to see the feasibility of using dental panoramic radiographs to reliably assess the position of mental foramen (MF) in a group of Sri Lankan population. The ethical approval for the study was obtained from the Ethics committee of the Faculty of Dental Sciences, University of Peradeniya. The position of the MF was recorded in 605 dental panoramic radiographs using an established crown and apex score. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22. The data of the present study show that the position of the MF was between the first and second premolar teeth when using both premolar crowns (52.1% and 52.6% on right and left side, respectively) and apices (49.9%) as reference points. The MF position was symmetrical in 85.12% for crown scores and in 82.97% for apex scores. With regard to sex, the most frequent position was between the first and second premolar teeth for both males and females, and there was no significant difference between sex. According to the present study the most common position for the MF is between the first and second premolar teeth similar to the studies done in other countries. This is the first study carried out to show the position of MF in relation to premolar crown and apex using dental panoramic radiographs in Sri Lanka.
Social value creation in a stakeholder oriented business: a case study
(University of Peradeniya, 2019-09-12) Eranda, N; Rangana, I.
The integration between business and society is a priority in current business world and it is an emergent area of research in the extant literature. Business organizations are pursuing the interdependency between business and society by means of business ethics, corporate social responsibility and shared values. Stakeholder orientation is the cornerstone of these new initiatives and it is growing in future. Therefore, this paper intends to explain the nature of a stakeholder oriented business organization with its social value creation. Based on interpretivism philosophy researchers adopted a qualitative embedded single case study design methodology. The organization under study is a small scale manufacturing company in Kandy working with multiple stakeholders and we call it as Beta for confidentiality reasons. Data was collected using secondary sources and by conducting in-depth interviews with the owner of the company, self-employed rural artisans and suppliers who were selected using judgmental sampling method. Data analysis involves transcription, summary and keyword development. The final stage of analysis was conducted by cross-tab analysis and interview findings are even analyzed using discourse analysis. As per the analysis Beta has shown that stakeholder oriented business approach maintains a strong relationship with stakeholders by focusing on multiple stakeholder interest and deep stakeholder understanding. The company works collaboratively with rural artisans, private sector organizations and small scale suppliers. The continuous stakeholder dialogue is a salient feature in this business approach. The extended organization concept is evidenced on the foundation of stakeholder orientation which contributed to environmental sustainability and inclusive growth. Social value creation of stakeholder orientation was evidenced through income enhancement, improvement in living conditions, citizenship enhancement and social capital development. Researchers contend that it is important to uncover each stakeholder’s unique social issues in social value creation and conclude that a connectivity can be created between business organization and social issues.
Economic analysis of household food consumption expenditure pattern at residential sectors in Sri Lanka: evidence from Badulla, Kandy, Nuwara- Eliya and Ratnapura districts
(University of Peradeniya, 2019-09-12) Paraneetharan, N. J. C.; Nigel, J.; Vinayagathasan, T.
Food consumption expenditure pattern is the key indicator in household behavior as food is the basic alimentary ingredient for every human being. The purpose of this study is to examine Household Food Consumption Expenditure (HHFCE) pattern and find out the factors that influence HHFCE in urban, rural, and estate sectors. For the purpose Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) data collected for the period of 2016, 2012/13, 2009/10 and 2006/07 are used. Badulla, Kandy, Nuwara-Eliya and Ratnapura districts, which covers 13,881 households in all three sectors, were chosen as study areas. Multivariate Linear Regression Model (MLRM) adopted and used in four functional forms to select appropriate expenditure function for analyzing food expenditure pattern. Estimation technique depends on diagnostic tests of the model by analyzing an implicit expenditure function. Diagnostic tests used in all four models. Among the tested functional forms, double log is more suitable than other forms. However, this form suffers heteroskedasticity and non-normality of error. Hence, the Fixed Effect (FE) model and the Weighted Least Squares (WLS) method employed to estimate parameters. Results reveal that bread, meat, fish, coconut and milk food groups have a positive and significant impact on HHFCE in all sectors, while rice and income have positive and significant impact only in urban and rural sectors in these three methods. Pulses have a positive and significant impact in rural and estate sectors. According to all three techniques, expenditure in rice and meat increase urban sector HHFCE higher than other sectors, whereas expenditure on pulses, vegetables, fish and egg raises estate sector HHFCE larger than other sectors while expenditure in bread increases the estate sector HHFCE more than other sectors in OLS and FE techniques but expenditure on bread tend to increase urban sector HHFCE higher than other sectors only in WLS method. Further increase in monthly income increases urban sector HHFCE larger than other sectors. And increases in inflation negatively affect estate sector HHFCE more than other sectors.
Potential application of crude carotenoids extracted from mango, papaya and banana peels as natural colourants in jelly based products
(University of Peradeniya, 2019-09-12) Madhavi, B. G. K.; Illeperuma, D. C. K.; Jayasinghe, C. V. L.
The optimum conditions for extracting crude carotenoids from industrial fruit wastes were investigated in this study. A 3-factor-3-level Box-Behnken design of response surface methodology was employed to determine the effect of ethanol concentration, temperature and time on yield of crude carotenoids extracted from mango, papaya and banana peels. Extracting with 50% ethanol at 25 °C for 90 min, 50% ethanol at 42.4 °C for 30 min and 57.7% ethanol at 60 °C for 5 h resulted in optimum yields of crude carotenoids from mango peel (82.8%), papaya peel (62.2%) and banana peel (75.9%) respectively. The major pigments in the crude carotenoid extracted from mango, papaya and banana peels were β-cryptoxanthin, β-carotene and lutein respectively, as revealed by thin layer chromatography with 5% methanol in toluene as the mobile phase and activated silica as the stationary phase. The crude carotenoid extracts stabilized with polysorbate 80 was mixed with maltodextrin by vortexing. The mixture was homogenized and spray dried to obtain microencapsulated particles, which were found to be small, granular and well defined as revealed by scanning electron microscopy. The microencapsulated crude carotenoids were vacuum packaged in pouches made of metalized polyethylene terephthalate laminated with linear low density polyethylene and stored at 30, 4 and - 20°Cfor 15 days in dark to determine their thermal stability during storage. Change in absorbance measured at 424, 452 and 445 nm for microencapsulated mango, papaya and banana crude carotenoids revealed 96.8, 95.2 and 98.3% stability on day 15 in storage at 30 °C respectively. Storage at 4 °C and -20 °C further increased their stability. Comparison of L* a* b* values of jelly containing microencapsulated mango, papaya and banana crude carotenoids and the market samples containing artificial colourants revealed the potential use of microcapsules for imparting colour in jelly based products.
Two years of detection of respiratory syncytial virus and its impact on disease burden and epidemiology in children admitted to a general hospital in Sri Lanka
(University of Peradeniya, 2019-09-12) Divaratne, M. V. M.; Rafeek, R. A. M.; Abeykoon, A. M. S. B.; Morel, A. J.; Noordeen, F.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) associated acute respiratory tract infection (ARTI) is one of the most important causes of childhood hospitalization in Sri Lanka. In this study, we collected demographic and clinical data and nasopharyngeal aspirate (NPA) samples from children with suspected ARTI from March 2016 to July 2018 in the paediatric wards of the General Hospital, Kegalle. The study sampled children less than 5 years of age with ≤4 days history of ARTI. Climatic data of the Kegalle region within the study period was obtained from World Weather Online API (application programming interface). Statistical Analysis was performed using chi square test and correlation coefficient formula of the SPSS version 20. A direct immunofluorescence assay (DFA) was used in this study due to its rapidity and simplicity. DFA was performed on the NPA using a seven-valent immune flurescence assay, which detects seven viruses, including RSV, influenza A and B, parainfluenza virus (PIV) -1, -2 and -3 and adenovirus using fluorescence labeled antibodies directed against these viruses. From a total of 502 hospitalized children, 237 were positive for any of the seven viruses (47.21%) including RSV. Out of the virus positive children, RSV was the most predominant virus detected (140/237, 59.07%). Out of the co-infected children, RSV had the highest co-infection rate (85.71%, 24/28). Male sex (M:F= 1.8:1), first year of life (72.13%) appear to associate with RSV infection, however, it was not statistically significant. RSV activity positively correlated with rainfall, temperature, humidity and wind speed. Mild to moderate bronchiolitis, pneumonia and lower respiratory tract infection were frequently diagnosed in RSV mono- and co-infections. Prevalence, seasonal patterns and diagnosis, age and gender distributions of RSV infections agreed with those reported elsewhere. This study provides detailed information on RSV epidemiology in the study area and this might be useful in planning prevention and control strategies in the country.
Incorporation of lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) into rice flour and pigeon pea flour based extruded and fried snacks for value addition
(University of Peradeniya, 2019-09-12) Chandrakanthi, B. L. Y.; Illeperuma, D. C. K.; Chandrasiri, K. A. K. L.; Prasantha, B. D. R.; Alahakoon, S. W.
This study focused on exploring the possibility of incorporating dehydrated lemongrass powder as an ingredient for formulating extruded and fried snacks. Rice and pigeon pea flours were blended in three ratios such as 25:75, 50:50 and 75:25 to obtain composite flours, which were evaluated for their functional properties. Snacks prepared by manual extrusion followed by frying were evaluated for physicochemical and sensory properties. Composite flours consisting of 50% each of rice and pigeon pea flours had water absorption capacity of 5.07±0.23 ml.g-1, oil absorption capacity of 3.07±0.23 mL.g-1 swelling index of 0.61±0.12 mlg-1, swelling capacity of 253±16%, emulsion activity of 5.88±0.00%, emulsion stability of 5.23±1.13%, least gelation concentration of 20.67±1.16% and gelatinization temperature of 60.0±0.0 ⁰C. As revealed by ranking tests, snacks prepared using 50% each of rice and pigeon pea flours were found to be the most preferred based on colour and texture. Therefore, four formulations were prepared by blending different proportions of lemongrass powder with 50% each of rice and pigeon pea flours. Snacks containing lemongrass powder prepared by manual extrusion followed by frying were evaluated for physicochemical and sensory properties. Snacks prepared with 50% each of rice and pigeon pea flours and lemongrass powder in 100:1 contained crude protein (15.86±0.24%), crude fat (20.52±2.21%), total ash (3.47±0.13 %), crude fiber (0.09±0.01 %), and Zn (0.08±0.01 mg/100g). Colour and hardness of the snacks were not affected by increase in the proportion of lemongrass powder. As revealed by sensory evaluation, the formulation/s consisting of 50% each of rice and pigeon pea flours and lemongrass powder in 100:1, or even up to 100:5 with flavourants, could be recommended for adding value to rice based extruded and fried snacks.

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