Browsing by Author "Pushpakumari, M. D."

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Does Ethical Banking Hold the Potential to be the Future of Banking?
(Department of Accountancy, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2022) Jayasekera, M. A. K. D. S.; Pushpakumari, M. D.
Banks are expected to play a major role in socio -economic and environmental progress of a country; yet, they have by and large neglected their societal and environmental responsibilities, thereby contributing mainly towards economic gains. As such, banks were blamed by civil society for not doing enough for the environment etc. They were also found wanting in providing services to lesser-privileged sections of society, thus unfairly excluding the category from the benefits of basic financial services. The economic downturn exacerbated their plight and exposed the banking sector’s irresponsible attitude. Naturally, there has been a public outcry for banks to act more responsibly in the future. The mood of the public seemed to reflect the yearning for an alternate banking model, in order to discharge social, environmental and economic responsibilities effectively. As a result, an Ethical Banking came to be accepted as an alternative, as this model encompasses all three elements -economy, environment and society. Ethical Banking strives to achieve the triple bottom line - planet, people and profit. These banks envisage financial inclusion and also deliver eco- friendly banking solutions to customers. The main objective of this study is to determine whether ethical banking has the potential to be the future of banking. The significance of the study is also to find out how ethical banking may be adapted as the most suitable banking concept of the future. This study is a desk research, in the form of a literature review. The review identifies that Ethical Banking holds the potential to be the future of banking. The outcome of this research, highlights the importance of banking to be ethically oriented, in order to maintain sustainability for the future.
Entrepreneurial intention and nascent entrepreneurial behaviour: the moderating effect of gender with Social Cognitive Career Theory and Social Role Theory
(Springer Nature, 2025) Silva, H. M. S. V.; Pushpakumari, M. D.; Nishantha, B.
This study investigated the nexus between entrepreneurial intention (EI) and nascent entrepreneurial behaviour (NEB) among Generation Z management undergraduates at state universities in Sri Lanka, with gender serving as a moderator on such ties, using two theories: Social Cognitive Career Theory and Social Role Theory. This study adopted a quantitative research methodology, collecting data from 1368 Generation Z management students with entrepreneurial education. The data were analysed using the partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) approach and SmartPLS version 4.0. The results demonstrated that EI significantly impacted the NEB of the management undergraduates and further showed that gender is no longer a moderator in the relationship between EI and NEB. However, the simple slope analysis results implied that if the sample size is increased, gender may have a moderating effect on the relationship between entrepreneurial intention and nascent entrepreneurial behaviour. The study’s focus on the EI and NEB of management undergraduates in state universities is one of its drawbacks, as it may restrict how broadly the results can be applied in other university settings. The study also took a quantitative approach, which might have missed qualitative differences in undergraduates’ viewpoints. To overcome these constraints, future research might examine various geographic areas and use qualitative techniques to support undergraduates’ NEB fully. The studies provide implications for those who wish to deliver economic and advisory support for students’ viable business plans and government policymakers who want to support students’ EI and NEB to strengthen the process of creating new ventures.
The Nexus between Cognitive factors, Entrepreneurial Intention and Nascent Entrepreneurial Behavior
(RSIS International, 2025) Silva, H. M. S. V.; Pushpakumari, M. D.; Nishantha, B.
This study examined the relationship between cognitive factors like Attitude towards Entrepreneurship (ATE), Perceived Behavioral Control (PBC) and Subjective Norms (SNs), Entrepreneurial Intention (EI), and Nascent Entrepreneurial Behaviour (NEB) among Generation Z management undergraduates at state universities in Sri Lanka with the support of two theories: Theory of Planned Behavior and the Social Cognitive Career Theory. Data from 1368 Generation Z management students who received entrepreneurial education while enrolled in university was gathered for this study using a quantitative research technique. With the aid of Smart-PLS version 4.0, Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) methodology were used to analyse the data. The findings showed that EI significantly affected management undergraduates’ NEB. Additionally, the results verified that ATE and PBC significantly affect EI, while SNs do not affect EI. One of the study’s limitations is that it only looks at the EI and NEB of management undergraduates in Sri Lankan public universities, which may limit how widely the findings can be used in other contexts. Additionally, the study used a quantitative methodology, which may have overlooked qualitative variations in undergraduates’ perspectives. Future studies could look at different regions and employ qualitative or mixed methods to support undergraduates’ NEB completely and beyond these limitations. Government policymakers who want to support students’ EI and NEB to strengthen the process of creating new ventures, banks, financial institutions, and secondary and tertiary educational institutions that wish to provide economic and advisory support for students’ viable business plans are all affected by the studies. As a result, this study advances knowledge on how stakeholders might encourage management undergraduates to engage in early entrepreneurial activities, which boosts the nation’s GDP.