Browsing by Author "Fernando, P.M.P."

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Attitude of Parents towards Television Viewing and Children’s Advertising in Sri Lanka
(Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, 2011) Fernando, P.M.P.
Advertising is the best-known and most widely discussed form of promotion probably because of its pervasiveness. It’s considered as a very cost effective method for communicating with large audiences and also can be used to create brand images and symbolic appeals of the brand. Marketers and advertisers have identified that children are one of the main segments they can target their various appeals. They represent an important demographic to marketers because they have their own purchasing power, they influence their parents' buying decisions and they are the adult consumers of the future. However one of the most controversial topics advertisers must deal with is the issue of advertising on children. This research was done with the purpose to identify the level of attitude of parents towards children’s advertising and its relationship with parental mediation of children’s television viewing behavior. A questionnaire assessing the attitudes was distributed among 200 parents of primary and secondary school children in Western Province of Sri Lanka. The survey results indicated that parents’ hold negative attitude towards television advertising in general and children’s advertising specifically. Further the survey revealed that although parents perceive that they have to control the televising viewing behavior of children, the mediation on this was low among the Sri Lankan parents.
A Behavioral Study on Leisure Shopping in Supermarkets: With Special Reference to Sri Lankan Context.
(Department of Marketing Management, University of Kelaniya, 2016) Fergus, Valarie. A.; Fernando, P.M.P.
Within past few years, shopping has become one of the most common leisure activities in the world and different modern trade formats are being introduced by marketers, persuading consumers to spend their leisure time at shopping centers. This study was carried out with the objective of investigating the extent of leisure shopping behavior among supermarket consumers in Sri Lanka. Also the study aimed to explore the main factors which lead the consumers on leisure shopping in supermarkets. The literature review lead into identification of five main factors on leisure shopping behavior which was instrumental in developing the conceptual framework and the questionnaire. A total of 200 sample was conveniently selected from the selected supermall customers in Sri Lanka to conduct the primary data collection. The correlation analysis revealed that all five variables, i.e. wide choice, atmosphere, convenience, sales people and promotional activities are having moderate to higher correlation with the leisure shopping behavior among customers. Apart from the main findings a further analysis on to demographic factors were also carried out to investigate the demographic characteristics of leisure shoppers.
Blinded by the sand of its burrowing?Examining fans’ intentions to follow one-day cricket on TV with a moderating effect of social influence
(International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship, 2019) Kashif, M.; Fernando, P.M.P.; Wijenayake, S.I.
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of patriotism, nostalgia, drama and excitement of the game, and interest in star players to predict fans’ intentions to follow one-day cricket in near future. Furthermore, social influence is positioned as a moderator to enrich the understanding of fans’ motives to follow one-day cricket. Design/methodology/approach – The data are collected by means of a cross-sectional survey conducted among 609 university students enroled in Pakistani and Sri Lankan universities. The collected data are analysed by employing a structural equation modelling procedures to reach meaningful conclusions. Findings – The variables of patriotism, nostalgic associations, excitement and drama of the game, and interest in star players are found to positively relate to the fans’ intentions to follow one-day cricket in near future. However, the moderating effects of social influence only moderated with interest in star players, which has practical and theoretical implications. Originality/value – The study is an original contribution to the field of sports marketing. The proposed relationships are based on social identity theory paradigm. Furthermore, the moderating effects of social influence and a multi-country data are unique to this study. Finally, in previous studies, football fans’ motivation and test-match cricket fans’ motivations are studied, hence one-day cricket as a context is also unique to this study.
The effectiveness of brand personality dimensions on brand loyalty: A study on mobile telecommunication services in Sri Lanka
(The International Institute of Knowledge Management (TIIKM) Colombo, Sri Lanka, 2015) Silva, A.R.N.; Fernando, P.M.P.
Telecommunication sector has evolved as a major business trend in worldwide. It is one of the major commercial activities in Sri Lanka also where many competitors are playing with different strategies to win a larger market share. This research is focusing on the mobile telecommunication industry in Sri Lanka where the industry players are using carefully planned marketing strategies to attract more customers into their share. The research is taking the approach of investigating the effectiveness of Brand Personality Dimensions on creating Brand Loyalty within the industry. Building upon the prior research on the concepts, Aaker’s Brand Personality Scale was used as the base to measure the brand personality and attitudinal and behavioral loyalties were used to measure brand loyalty within the mobile telecommunication sector. The primary data was gathered using a self-administrated questionnaire from 100 users of mobile telecommunication networks using convenience sampling technique within the Western Province of Sri Lanka. The results indicated that the most important brand personality dimensions associated with the brand loyalty in the Sri Lankan mobile telecommunication industry were Excitement and Sincerity. Further it was found that Sophistication, Competence and Ruggedness dimensions of brand personality also significantly affects brand loyalty. Implication of the findings were highlighted and discussed based on the research findings.
Effectiveness of Mentoring in the Career Progression of Protégés.
(Department of Marketing Management, University of Kelaniya, 2016) Ranatunga, R.W.M.C.B.; Fernando, P.M.P.
Mentoring is a nurturing relationship where an individual who has progressed in his or her career guides, supports and advices those of more junior personnel in order to boost the junior personnel’s career progression. Hezlett & Gibson, (2005) revealed that among the benefits of mentoring; those with effective mentors earn greater compensation, promote more rapidly and have greater career mobility than the ones with no mentors at all. Thus the researchers found such relationships are intriguing and sought to assess the effectiveness of such relationships in delivering career progression. The same was interested in justifying the expenses companies spend on formal mentoring programs. As such, this study was focused on how effective mentoring programs are in affecting career progression of the mentees who undergo such relationship. Data were collected from 100 respondents, using online questionnaires to assess the level of existence of factors that affect effective mentoring. At the latter part of the questionnaire, a self-evaluation of the respondent with regard to the career progression aspects was conducted to measure how a cause and effect relationship can be built between career progressions and mentoring. The analysis revealed that an effective mentoring program does have an effect on career progression of protégés. Furthermore, factors affecting effective mentoring including, requiring commitment, career goal and risk orientation and role modelling aspects proved to be have a higher significant effect on the career progression of protégés.
The Factors Affecting Consumer Purchase Intention of Organic Food in Sri Lanka.
(Department of Marketing Management, University of Kelaniya,Sri Lanka., 2017) Silva, A.S.S.; Fernando, P.M.P.
Due to the current prominence of the concept “Organic Food” this research was conducted to identify relationship between organic food purchasing intension and several considering factors. A comprehensive literature review was carried out in order to identify the major factors leading in to organic food purchase intention among customers in both local and international context. Price, Quality of the foods, Healthiness, Labeling and Place were selected to study under the research as independent variables and customers’ organic food purchase intention was considered as the dependent variable. The study was quantitative in nature and a self-administrative questionnaire was prepared using the available literature to measure the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. This was distributed to 150 sample who are both organic consumers and non-consumers with potential buying power to consume organic foods using convenience sampling technique. Also special attention was given to distribute the questionnaire to a sample from metropolitan areas of the western province due to the higher organic product availability and awareness within the region. In order to analyse the data Pearson Correlation Analysis and Regression a\Analysis were used. Correlation analysis revealed that place, healthiness, quality and labeling are having a positive association with consumers’ purchase intention of organic foods. Also the regression analysis further established these relationships.
Factors Affecting Customer Loyalty Towards Licensed Commercial Banks in Sri Lanka : (With Special Reference to Colombo District).
(Department of Marketing Management, University of Kelaniya, 2016) Gunasekara, P.U.; Fernando, P.M.P.
Customer Loyalty has been identified as a significant dimension in the achievement of competitive edge in services sectors. Loyalty can increase overall business value for the firm giving it the opportunity of decreasing serving costs for customers. The financial sector in Sri Lanka has a number of licensed commercial banks which further increases the competition and complexity among the banks. Analyzed closely it is evident that there are only slight differences which are existing in different financial services across companies and due to this reason, many banks have initiated a variety of activities to improve customer loyalty. The purpose of the study is to establish the factors affecting customer loyalty in the banking sector with special reference to the Licensed Commercial Banks in the Colombo District. The literature review contributed to identify six factors leading into customer loyalty, i.e. customer value, switching cost, reputation, habit, trust and service quality. The sub objectives of the research looked into analyzing the effect of each factor on building customer loyalty towards licensed commercial banks in Sri Lanka. The primary data collection was done using a self-administrated questionnaire from 150 banking customers, selected using cluster sampling method and convenience sampling method. The study revealed that all six factors are positively affecting towards building customer loyalty in the banking sector. Further the trust, service quality and reputation are generating the highest correlation with the dependent variable customer loyalty.
Factors Affecting on Pharmaceutical Products Brand Promotions: A Study on Professional Endorsement Perspective
(Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, 2015) Sriwignarajaa, K.; Fernando, P.M.P.
Sri Lankan pharmaceutical industry is a one of the largest profit making industries in the country with a turnover around 50-60 billion rupees. Indian drug companies dominates the industry and lesser than 25% of multinational companies with a few local manufactures are sharing the profits from the industry. Due to the competitiveness of marketing the branded medicine, each player is following various methods to grab a higher market share and profitability. In pharmaceutical market with a litter of merchandise, it is not possible for a doctor or physician to remember all brands. Companies are using a direct selling approach with medical representatives and sales representatives approaching doctors for promotional purposes where they detail the drug and request the doctors to prescribe their brands. Awarding sponsorships to a doctor and getting a commitment for the prescription of the particular brand had become a trend for all Sri Lankan as well as global drug manufacturing companies. This research was carried out in order to investigate the different aspects of drug company promotions and their impact on branded medicine prescribing patterns of doctors. In literature, five main methodologies used by organizations to promote the pharmaceutical brands were identified. Researchers selected 60 practicing medical professionals as the sample from the Western Province and distributed a selfadministrated questionnaire in order to investigate the professionals’ opinions on the brand promotional techniques carried out by the pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors and the impact of these brand promotional mechanisms on professionals’ brand endorsement behavior. Findings revealed that the most influential factor leading towards doctors’ branded medicine prescription behavior was sponsorships offered by the pharmaceutical firms. At the same time gifts and the interaction between the doctor and the company representatives also mainly encourage doctors to prescribe medicine.
The Factors Affecting the Purchase Intention of Motorcycle Market with Special Reference to Colombo and Gampaha Districts.
(Department of Marketing Management, University of Kelaniya,Sri Lanka., 2017) Weerasinghe, D.N.M.; Fernando, P.M.P.
Motorcycle industry is a very competitive market with a significant number of market players. Also the statistics indicate that the motorcycles are a sought-after means of transportation among Sri Lankans. This study carried out to understand the factors affecting to the purchase intention of motorcycles in the Sri Lankan context. A comprehensive literature analysis was carried out in order to identify five major factors i.e. promotions, after sales service, product quality, country of origin and brand awareness which are leading to purchase intention within the motorcycle industry from both local and international context. The study focused on Colombo and Gampaha area with a sample of 120 and the survey method was used to gather primary data from the selected group. Hypotheses for the research were tested using correlation analysis. In Sri Lankan context, product quality, country of origin, and promotion are the most important factors when making a decision of purchasing motorcycles.
Factors Affecting to Brand Loyalty in Fast Food Industry With Special Reference to Colombo District
(Department of Marketing Management, University of Kelaniya,Sri Lanka., 2017) Fernando, T.M.D.; Fernando, P.M.P.
Developing and managing Brand Equity for a brand is considered as a critical issue for most of the industries. Having too many brands around the customer and competitive marketing and promotion campaigns can be a cause to create a brand confusion in customers mind. Multinational companies like Pizza Hut, KFC and McDonalds’ coming in to the local market using franchise model may use innovative strategies to build up their brand loyalty in local context. On this research, researcher tries to identify the most important factors that affect brand loyalty in fast food restaurants. The researcher identified Atmosphere, Promotion, Value Addition, Food Provided, Price, Brand Image and Service Quality through a comprehensive literature review as factors leading to branding loyalty. The research was conducted in Colombo District with a sample of 140 respondents. Survey method was used as the research strategy and a self-administered, structured questionnaire was distributed among respondents to collect data for the study. Hypothesis were tested using regression analysis and results showed that atmosphere is the most prominent factor when it comes to customer brand loyalty of fast food restaurants while other variables indicated a moderate to weak influence on brand loyalty.
Finding greener grass on the other side of hill: Examining donor perceived brand equity in a moderating role of brand credibility
(Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 2018) Kashif, M.; Fernando, P.M.P.; Samad, S.; Thurasamy, R.
Purpose – The research concerning brand credibility of charity brands is scantly examined. The purpose of this paper is to examine the moderating role of brand credibility within the customer-based brand equity model to investigate donor perceived brand equity of charity brands. Design/methodology/approach – In a cross-sectional research design, a survey-based research strategy is followed to collect data from 448 active Muslim donors in Pakistan. The collected data are analysed by employing confirmatory factor analysis based on Smart PLS 2.0. Findings – The results indicate that donor perceived brand association, brand awareness and brand loyalty strongly relate to perceived brand equity of charity brands. The brand credibility moderates the relationship between perceived quality, equity and brand loyalty, and equity paths. Practical implications – The charity brands need to focus on building a strong brand image and reputation to uplift brand credibility which can be achieved by offering training programmes addressing various social causes such as HIV and Cancer prevention. Originality/value – The proposed moderating effects of brand credibility and its application to charity brands operating in an Asian Muslim country context are unique products of this study.
Impact of Brand Equity towards Purchase Intention: With Special Reference to Comfort Fabric Conditioner Brand in Sri Lanka
(Department of Marketing Management, University of Kelaniya,Sri Lanka., 2017) Dissanayake, Y.M.H.R.K.; Fernando, P.M.P.
Brand equity is one of the significant concepts in brand management, as well as in business practices and academic researches. Developing and properly managing brand equity has been emphasized as an important factor in the current business practices. This research empirically examines the impact of brand equity dimensions on customer purchase intention in relation to Comfort Fabric Conditioner Brand in Sri Lanka. A sample of 200 of consumers in Western Province was selected using convenience sampling methodology and the data were collected under the survey method using self-administrative questionnaires. Correlation and regression analysis were used to check the relationship between independent variables and the dependent variable. The findings can be used when developing brand equity concepts and strategies to products and brands in the market. This is especially valid for a product such as fabric conditioner, which is still at the customer adoption stage in the Sri Lankan context. This study is providing practical recommendations to brand managers on understand customer expectations and purchasing intention when designing their branding strategies.
Impact of Brand Image on Consumer Purchasing Behaviour in Women’s Intimate Market in Sri Lanka
(Department of Marketing Management, University of Kelaniya, 2016) Weerakoon, L.D.R.; Fernando, P.M.P.
The concept of ‘brand image’ has drawn a great attention from marketing practitioners, academics as well as consumers ever since it was populated, because it plays an important role in marketing practices of a company. A good brand image not only creates a clear brand differentiation but also increases consumer preference and brand loyalty. This study is aiming to fulfill the gap in studying the role brand image play in consumer purchasing behaviour in women’s intimate market in Sri Lanka. The literature review highlighted that functional benefits, emotional benefits and brand awareness create impact on consumer purchasing behaviour and these variables lead to the development of conceptual model for the study. An online self-administrated questionnaire was used to conduct a survey among a sample of 100 respondents who were selected through convenience sampling technique. Findings revealed that brand image is a key component in influencing consumer purchasing behaviour in women’s intimates market in Sri Lanka. The Pearson's correlation coefficients for all three sub variables showed moderate to higher correlation to purchasing behaviour which was once again proved through the multiple regressions analysis.
Impact of E Service Quality on Customer Satisfaction with Special Reference to Banking Sector in Sri Lanka
(Department of Marketing Management, University of Kelaniya,Sri Lanka., 2017) Deshani, A.A.D.K.; Fernando, P.M.P.
In the last few years we have witnessed a substantial growth of internet based services, both from pure internet businesses and from traditional companies that are developing online services. One of key challenges of the internet as a service delivery channel is how they manage service quality, which holds a significant importance to customer satisfaction. The purpose of this research was to gain a better understanding of the e service quality dimensions that affect customer satisfaction in online banking sector from a consumer perspective. Based on a detailed literature review, six service quality dimensions were identified, i.e. Efficiency, Responsiveness, Reliability, Fulfillment, Privacy and Corporate Image to be tested in the online banking sector against customer satisfaction. A sample of 150 respondents was selected through convenience sampling procedure. The results indicate that the Privacy and Efficiency dimensions have a strong impact on customer satisfaction, Reliability and Fulfillment have a moderate impact on customer satisfaction while Responsiveness and Corporate image showing a weak impact on customer satisfaction when it comes to the Sri Lankan context of online banking. It is expected that findings of this research study can be used by the relevant banks to do modifications to their prevailing online banking platforms.
The Impact of the Gender of the Customer oii Evaluation of Service Quality in Banking Industry of Sri Lanka
(University of Kelaniya, 2007) Wijesundara, C.B.; Fernando, P.M.P.
Service quality continues to be a significant issue in the banking industry. Because money and other financial services are generally undifferentiated produc{s, banks are continually striving for increased service quality in order to achieve and maintain a competitive edge through the customer satisfaction. Authors of this paper discuss the service quality of banks on the basis of their customers' perceptions, and analyse how gender differences of customers affect perceptions of service quality dimensions such as responsiveness, assurance, tangibles, reliability, and empathy and examine the overall effect to the customer satisfaction. The sample of 460 retail banking customers from both private and public commercial banks of Western Province was selected due to the resource limitation of carrying out the research in island wide. Using the SERVQUAL instrument responses were gathered and responses of the sample was examined using factor analysis and t-test to determine whether gender differences are present in the sample and to what extent the influence of gender of consumer impacts on customer satisfaction. The results support the hypothesis that gender affects service quality perceptions and the relative importance attached to various banking service quality dimensions. The female respondents of the sample have shown a positive perception to empathy, responsiveness and assurance with compared to male counterparts and male respondents are more concerned on tangibles and reliability of the service quality and they were more inclined to the process quality and product quality than the interaction quality. This paper provides important information for bank managers to use in developing operational, human resource, and marketing strategies, and in targeting those strategies in terms of the gender differences in quality perceptions among their customers.
Influence of Social Media on Purchasing Behavior – With Special Reference to Facebook Users
(Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, 2011) Fernando, P.M.P.; Jayawickramarathne, S.G.W.K.
Social Media had become a platform for interaction and networking for people around the globe. Online advertisers from various industries are exploring the use of Internet social networking to build brand awareness and loyalty among the users of these sites. With the trend of young adults getting more and more computer savvy and increasing the time they spend in internet, the advertisers are presented with a large crowd with a substantial potential to grow and develop as a profitable segment. At the same time these marketers are facing the challenge of conquering this market of social network users to make them loyal customers. It is immensely important for marketers to understand the role played by the social media and social media marketing when it comes to purchasing behavior of customers. The objective of this research is to analyze the influence of social media and social media marketing on the purchasing behavior among social network users, with the special reference to Facebook. An online survey was conducted among a sample of 250 young adult Facebook users. A factor analysis on the research findings revealed that the respondents are influenced by social media marketing when it comes to their decision making process and also a moderate level influence was revealed on the purchasing decision of these young adults as customers. Thus the research provides a better understanding of social network use among Facebook users, how the experiences they gain on social media affect their decision process of purchasing and provide insight into effective online marketing to young adults.
Re-imagining marketing as societing: A critical appraisal of marketing in a developing country context.
(Emerald Publishing Limited, 2017-10-28) Kashif, M.; Fernando, P.M.P.; Altaf, U.; Walsh, J.
Purpose Marketing theory and practice is under severe criticism – socialists and the practitioners criticize marketing in its current form which calls for active efforts by marketers to reposition the discipline – making it beneficial to the masses. The Western world is thoroughly investigated based on the opinions of public regarding marketing as a discipline. However, studies which present a non-Western consumer’s attitudes toward the role of marketing in a society are scant. This purpose of this study is to encapsulate Pakistani consumers’ understandings and attitudes toward marketing with an emphasis on their perceptions of the ethicality and transformative power of the discipline. Design/methodology/approach A purposive convenience sample of 40 professionals with diverse non-marketing backgrounds and of the widest possible demographic profile participated in in-depth, unstructured interviews. The content analysis and grounded theory method were used for the analysis. Findings Marketing is appreciated for creating product awareness and, occasionally, combating social problems, but this positive image is clouded by severely criticizing it for promoting materialism, being irritatingly pervasive and pushy, as well as for using unethical and unfair practices. Practical implications The study offers a valuable insight into the discipline’s performative and social legitimation in a fast-growing Asian economy. The authors recommend paths for a positive repositioning of the discipline that will improve its public image and enhance its potential for being recognized as a force for positive social change. Originality/value Further to enhancing our understanding of consumer attitudes toward marketing, this paper’s value lies in it being the first ever exploration of the developing country perspective. Most importantly, it contributes to a debate that could enlighten the much-needed repositioning of marketing as a discipline to make it useful for masses.
Reducing traffic congestion in Colombo metropolitan area through adaptation of alternative personnel transportation methods: barriers and long term strategies
(Naval and Maritime Academy, Naval Base, Trincomalee, Sri Lanka, 2016) Fernando, K.S.D.; Fernando, P.M.P.
STUDY OF CONSUMER ATTITUDES TOWARDS GREEN COSMETIC PRODUCTS AND ITS IMPACT ON CONSUMER PURCHASE INTENTION.
(Department of Marketing Management, University of Kelaniya,Sri Lanka., 2017) Fernando, P.M.P.; Hennayake, H.M.G.Y.J.
Consumers have translated their environmental concerns into actively demanding and purchasing green products. The cosmetics industry could not be excluded from this driving trend towards green products. As a result of the growing number of green consumers, marketers are targeting the green market segment. Most of the companies in the personal care products sector are changing into organic ingredients to win these environmentally conscious consumers. However, a limited research attention has been given on this product category within Sri Lanka. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the attitudes of customers towards green cosmetics and its impact of consumer purchase intention. The data was analyzed using descriptive analysis, Pearson correlation analysis ®ression analysis. A deductive approach was employed to construct the conceptual framework and accordingly hypotheses were formed. Survey method was followed for the data enumeration using a self-administrated questionnaire. The results revealed that majority of the respondents consider health consciousness, self -image & green product attributes as most influential factors for the purchase intention. Further majority of consumers have positive attitudes towards green cosmetics products. This would be a favorable sign for the green cosmetic producers and suppliers in Sri Lanka.
Study of Green Banking Practices in the Sri Lankan Context: A Critical Review
(2016) Fernando, P.M.P.; Fernando, K.S.D.
In Sri Lanka, banking industry can be considered as a monopolistic competitive market. Therefore, both public and private sector banks are following a range of non-price competitive strategies in order to win the market. In this context, the concept of green banking is becoming a novel technology oriented strategic initiative for Sri Lankan banks to achieve triple bottom line business results. Under this circumstances, the banks are basically introducing paperless and information technology oriented banking services to their existing and prospective customers while promoting the banks’ role as a responsible corporate citizen towards achieving sustainable development. The core strategy used in this scenario is the usage of the term “green banking” as a brand positioning factor where above mentioned set of paperless and information technology oriented banking services are introduced to its customers. Through this innovation the banks are able to gain cost effective advantages rather than contributing to the environmental sustainability. Therefore, this paper is critically reviewing the above scenario by using case study approach while addressing to the basic question as whether the current green banking initiatives used by Sri Lankan banking sector are truly contributing to the environmental sustainability or not. The authors are exploring the above phenomena through a conceptual model and suggest realistic solutions to convert the Green Banking Strategies to achieve long term sustainable development of both the banking sector and the environment.