Browsing by Author "De Mel, W. D. H."

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Glass Ceiling and Women’s Career Development: Evidence from Sri Lankan Logistics Field
(Department of Human Resource Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2023) Gunawardane, H. K. M.; Marasinghe, M. A. P. N.; Illukkumbure, S. P. N. V.; Ayeshmantha, W. U.; De Mel, W. D. H.
Women are entering the labor force in greater numbers than ever before, however women in top leadership positions remain scarce. Scholars have coined the term "glass ceiling" to describe this troubling condition, where women face invisible obstacles while attempting to advance in their careers. The present study is mainly aimed at exploring the glass ceiling and women’s career development in the logistics field in Sri Lanka. Qualitative research approach was adopted and in-depth interviews with ten women executives employed in the field of logistics in Sri Lanka contributed towards data collection of the study. The respondents were purposively selected. The thematic analysis revealed four themes as major glass ceiling factors: self-efficacy, family role, social capital and organizational culture. The study proposes recommendations on how women in the field of Logistics can shatter the glass ceiling to reach higher positions and the opportunities to increase women representation in top managerial positions within the field. This research intends to raise women's awareness in order to pave the way for them to rise to the top of the corporate ladder and to include women in strategic decision-making that benefits both the organization and the society.
Role of Augmented Reality Applications in Spreading Brand Related Electronic Word of Mouth: A Conceptual Model
(Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies University of Kelaniya., 2024-11-01) De Mel, W. D. H.; Samarasinghe, G. D.; Eranda, B. A. N.
With its unparalleled ability to enhance the actual world with virtual annotations, augmented reality has emerged as a cutting-edge interactive technology. The rapid evolvement of this technology has transformed consumers’ shopping experience with many brands successfully having integrated augment reality into e-commerce. In fashion retail, augmented reality technology facilitates virtual try-ons which is a novel experience to customers. Nevertheless, limited research has examined what gratification of augmented reality drive consumers to use these applications and how they impact consumer-to-consumer interactions on social media platforms. This paper addresses this gap in literature, proposing a conceptual model to examine uses and gratifications of augmented reality applications and their impact on brand related electronic word of mouth. Drawing on Stimulus-Organism-Response model, the study integrates Uses and Gratifications Theory. In addition, to identify how consumers perceive the adoption of augmented reality, technology readiness is also integrated to the proposed model as a moderator. The paper also highlights the managerial implications pertaining to the empirical testing of the proposed model in the context of online fashion retail. Finally, the study proposes a research agenda for further study on this phenomenon of augmented reality applications in online fashion retail on consumer behavior.