Masters Theses - Faculty of Commerce and Management
Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://repository.kln.ac.lk/handle/123456789/209
Browse
262 results
Search Results
Item INFLUENCING FACTORS OF TECHNOPRENEURIAL INTENTION AMONG FACULTY OF TECHNOLOGY STUDENTS IN SRI LANKA(2023) ADHIKARI, A. M. C. P.High technology and entrepreneurial skills are currently driving forces behind the economy. Entrepreneurship and technopreneurship are the true propellers of a knowledge-based economy. Technopreneurs play a key role in promoting and creating cutting-edge information and communication technologies (ICTs) goods and services for the local and global markets to meet consumer demand in the digital economy. This study mainly examined the factors that influence technopreneurial intention in the Sri Lankan context and developed a technopreneurial intention model to recognize the best strategies that encourage technopreneurs in Sri Lanka. Therefore, this dissertation aims to investigate the influencing factors of Innate Innovativeness, Environmental Support, Technopreneurial Self-efficacy, and Risk Propensity on Technopreneurial Intention among Technology Faculty Students in Sri Lanka. This study has addressed the survey-type research method, and a structured questionnaire was used to collect data and utilized a sample frame of Technology Faculty Students in Sri Lanka. Researchers have used analysis techniques of Descriptive Analysis, Structural Equation Model (SEM), and frequency tests where the Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS), and SmartPLS were used as the main analytical software. The results of the study discuss the Positive and Significant impact of Innate Innovativeness, Environmental Support, Technopreneurial Self-efficacy, and Risk Propensity on Technopreneurial Intention and the non-significant moderate effect of Risk Propensity on the relationship between Innate Innovativeness, Environmental Support, Technopreneurial Self-efficacy on Technopreneurial Intention among Faculty of Technology Students in Sri Lanka. The study’s findings would be helpful for university officials and planners to advance and enhance the current teaching methodologies and modules. The same factors that influence entrepreneurial behavior, such as attitudes, drives, values, and requirements, also apply to technopreneurs.Item THE IMPACT OF CONSUMER DETERMINANT FACTORS ON CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOR IN THE FAST FOOD INDUSTRY (EVIDENCE FROM GAMPAHA DISTRICT)(2024) Amarasinghe, A. K. D. D.This research delves into the intricate dynamics of consumer buying behavior within the fast-food industry, with a specific focus on the Gampaha District in Sri Lanka. Understanding the factors that influence consumers' choices in this context is of paramount importance for businesses striving to thrive in a competitive market. To explore this phenomenon, a quantitative research approach was adopted, aligning with a positivism philosophy. A deductive research approach guided the study, aiming to test hypotheses derived from existing literature. Data collection was carried out through an online questionnaire, administered to a diverse sample of 414 participants within the Gampaha District. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS, employing regression analysis to examine the relationships between consumer determinant factors and consumer buying behavior. The study's findings yielded several noteworthy insights. Notably, while the hypothesis regarding the relationship between price and consumer buying behavior was not supported, food quality, brand recognition, promotions, and the dining environment emerged as significant determinants influencing consumer choices in the Gampaha District's fast-food market. This research provides valuable implications for local fast-food businesses, suggesting a need to prioritize food quality, maintain strong brand identities, invest in effective promotional strategies, and enhance the dining environment to attract and retain customers effectively. Additionally, the study recommends further research to delve deeper into the unique preferences and behaviors of consumers in this specific region, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of the local fast-food market dynamics.Item REMOTE WORKING AND WORK-LIFE BALANCE: A STUDY BASED ON EXECUTIVE-LEVEL EMPLOYEES AT SOUTH ASIA GATEWAY TERMINALS (PVT) LTD PORT OF COLOMBO, SRI LANKA(2024) Kasthuriarachchi, D. M.The long-standing COVID-19 pandemic caused the transformation of traditional work settings into remote settings in several organizations in Sri Lankan contexts to mitigate the spread of the virus. Although novel settings offered flexibility over conventional notions of work, this introduced new challenges to individuals' work-life balance, which was maidenly experienced by the workforce of the Sri Lankan port industry. What are employees' perceptions of remote work settings as an alternative arrangement? The constraints faced by remote workers? And the strategies used to balance work and life were the major research questions of the study. Accordingly, the researcher focused on exploring the perception of remote workers on work-life balance as an alternative arrangement and examining the strategies adopted by the remote workers to balance the remote work arrangement and life activities as the study's primary objectives. The current study followed a qualitative design to explore the very delicate human perceptions. The findings of the study explored real-life experiences of remote workers in Sri Lanka's port sector using in-depth interviews and thematic analysis. By capturing the subjective narratives of participants, the study seeks to uncover coping mechanisms employed by individuals to mitigate these challenges. The findings revealed that a mixed system of remote work and normal office settings would be ideal for extended periods. Most of the female subjects had difficulty managing work and life balance compared to the male participants. As strategies, some worked during the morning and evening time accordingly, and some could help the household while working remotely, which was highly appreciated during a stressful situation, specifically in parental care and childcare. Remote workers use flex times, particularly morning hours, to complete office tasks and leave evening time for family activities. Ultimately, this study contributes a nuanced understanding of the interplay between remote work and work-life balance, offering valuable insights for individuals navigating remote work arrangements and organizations crafting policies to support a harmonious integration of work and personal life in the evolving landscape of the modern workplace and employee well-being.Item CONSTRAINTS FACED BY RURAL FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS IN SRI LANKA; A STUDY BASED ON NUWARA ELIYA DISTRICT(2022) Rathnayaka, G.M.K.Over the past two decades, women entrepreneurs have been recognized for their significant contributions to the socio-economic development of their countries. The literature is rich with articles and opinions on women entrepreneurship's various aspects, but much more is still expected. Most of the literature on women entrepreneurs has focused on developed countries and the results obtained are either not conclusive or generalizable. Women entrepreneurship has been kept on a neglected category in the context of developing countries, where limited knowledge exists on women entrepreneurship. Therefore, the main objective of this research is to examine the traditional constraints faced by female entrepreneurs in Nuwara Eliya District, Sri Lanka. A qualitative approach was used to collect and interpret data for the study. In this qualitative study, the social constructionist approach and an exploratory research design were used. A total sample of 08 female entrepreneurs from Nuwara Eliya was chosen for in-depth interviews using the purposive sampling method. The findings of the study reveal that female entrepreneurs in Nuwara Eliya push themselves really hard to balance and manage their businesses, and personal and family relationships concurrently. Every day, they are combatting the discriminatory social norms and culture based on gender. These women entrepreneurs possess a unique human capital derived from their education and general exposure to entrepreneurial experiences. Their method of acquiring business knowledge and skills is primarily informal. The Easter attack and the worldwide Covid 19 pandemic which came at a time when the Sri Lankan economy was already struggling due to political unrest, had a negative impact on the labor force participation rate for both males and females, resulting in a higher unemployment rate. Accordingly, the study have practical implications for policymakers as well as for various institutions and organizations that are concerned with women entrepreneurs, for improving the involvement and success of women entrepreneurs in business activities in the context of rural Sri Lanka, since the findings from the analysis indicated that many challenges are needed to be tackled.Item IMPACT OF MOBILE BANKING ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IN SRI LANKA(DISHANI, R.A.D.C.(2022), IMPACT OF MOBILE BANKING ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IN SRI LANKA, M.COM Thesis. University of Kelaniya., 2022) DISHANI, R.A.D.C.The financial sector of a country plays an important role in its economy. Banks are the main financial services that connect individuals as well as businesses in different financial situations. Technology has changed individuals’ lifestyles and their behaviors. Modern technology has changed the way that businesses operate and how individuals deal with business organizations. Mobile banking is one such technology implemented in the banking sector. Despite the fact that mobile banking was introduced to the banking sector a long time ago, most people do not use it, and mobile bank customers do not visit it frequently due to the matter of technology involvement. Therefore, this study tries to find out the impact of mobile banking on customer satisfaction. The researcher used the TAM and SERVQUAL models. The researcher followed a deductive approach to conduct this study, as previous studies used this approach to identify the relevant variables to develop hypotheses. The survey method was selected as a research strategy, and quantitative data was used as a research method. The quantitative data helps quantify the variables. The data was collected using a questionnaire and from selected bank customers in the Colombo district. The sample size was 300 including 150 people bank customers and 150 commercial bank customers. SPSS was used to analyse the data as it facilitates statistical data analysis with a rich interface. The researcher used service quality factor, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and efficiency of service as independent variables for this study. Correlation results highlighted that service quality perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and efficiency of use have strong relationship with mobile phone-based customer satisfaction. But perceived usefulness has very strong relationship with mobile phone-based customer satisfaction. But regression result explained perceived usefulness and efficiency of use only have impact on phone-based customer satisfaction. The customer reluctant to mobile bank may be their problem with efficiency of service and perceived ease of use as per result which differ from previous studies.Item IMPACT OF INTERNET BANKING SERVICE QUALITY ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION AND LOYALTY(2021) Sumathiratna, W.M.O.Internet banking is a new sort of information technology that allows clients to conduct financial transactions from anywhere and at any time. Globally, the shift from conventional banking to digital banking commenced about two decades back. However, this adoption rate was not at a considerable rate for Sri Lanka. But, during Covid-19 pandemic situation, there was a significant development in this adoption rate in Sri Lanka too. The main objective of this study is to identify the impact of internet banking service quality on customer satisfaction and loyalty. Under modified e-SERVQUAL model, impact of six main factors were considered namely, Efficiency, Personal Needs, Reliability, Responsiveness, Site Organisation and User Friendliness. The impact of e-customer satisfaction on e-customer loyalty was also analysed. Primary data were collected through a questionnaire from 463 internet banking users in Western province. SPSS 29.0 statistical package was used to analyse data, and correlation and regression analysis were used to examine the direct impact of independent variables on dependent variables. According to the results, effect of Efficiency, Personal Needs, Responsiveness, Site Organisation and User Friendliness were significant and had positive relationship with e-customer satisfaction. Further, e-customer satisfaction showed a strong positive correlation with e-customer loyalty. Findings of this study proposes how to improve customer satisfaction and loyalty of Internet banking services in Sri Lanka.Item CONSUMER ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE PURCHASE INTENTION OF SOLAR PANELS IN SRI LANKA(2021) Sumathiratne, S DConsumers’ acceptance of solar energy is a major issue in Sri Lanka. The objective of the study is to identify the consumer attitudes towards the purchase intention of solar panels in Sri Lanka. Theory of Planned Behaviour, Reasonable action and Diffusion of Innovation are the theories which was used to develop the research model. Three key factors have been identified namely perceived behavioural control, subjective norms and environmental solar knowledge which influence consumer attitudes. Moreover, the moderating role of the government initiatives was also investigated between consumer attitudes and purchase intention. A self-administrated questionnaire was used to collect the data from a sample of 360 respondent. Regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between independent variables and dependent variable. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 23 software package. According to the analysis results, perceived behavioural control, subjective norms and environmental solar knowledge shows a significant influence on consumer attitudes towards solar panel. Moreover, Marketers and government will have a better understanding of Sri Lankan consumers purchase intention of solar panels and can move forward to develop appropriate government policies and incentives to adoption Sri Lankans. . Future researchers can examine the other factors that may affect consumer attitudes and purchase intention.Item IMPACT OF INFORMATION CONTENT AND FORM ON TRANSACTION INTENTION OF MOBILE BANKING: MEDIATING EFFECT OF CUSTOMER’S ATTITUDE.(2021) RAJAPAKSHA, H.M.N.I.L.Under the development of new technology and globalization, use of mobile applications are prominent among the customers. Banking sector is also having rapid changes due to the introduction of new technologies with the development of new banking systems and applications. In this study the researcher investigates the Impact of information content and forms on transaction intention of mobile banking: Mediating Effect of Customer Attitude. In order to examine this, a sample of 200 customers who utilized mobile banking application has examined and the analysis is done through the SPSS software. Mediation analysis is done through PROCESS macro Version 3.5 (Hayes, 2019). Through the research it was conclude that there is no direct relationship between information relevancy and transaction intention among M-banking customers unless otherwise fully mediated by customer attitude towards M-banking. While it was found that attitude towards M-banking partially mediated the impact of information accuracy, information timeliness and Ease of use on transaction intention among M-banking customers in ABC bank of Sri Lanka. The present findings confirm the same in the context of m-banking for ABC bank of Sri Lanka with few variations to the findings of Mitra (2016).Item IMPACT OF ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE ON EMPLOYEE ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT: A STUDY OF FRONT LINE EMPLOYEES IN PUBLIC SECTOR FINANCIAL INSTITUTES IN SRI LANKA(2022) GAJASINGHE, G.A.D.M.N.Employee or human resource are key aspect of any organizational success. Thus, committed employees are crucial for achieving organizational success. Achieving employee commitment within an organization has become a crucial challenge in the contemporary business context specially for service-oriented organizations. Financial industry is mostly labor-intensive sector and they are facing several issues with lack of committed employees. This is one of the hardest and most exclusive workplace cultures that have a higher level of burden among its staffs as the workers have to deal with enormous workload during the year. Accordingly, the present study focuses on identifying the “effect of organizational culture of employees’ commitment with special reference to the public sector financial institutes in Sri Lanka”. Cross-sectional survey conducted among 150 front line employees among 8 major public financial institutes in the country. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire. Organizational culture measured through four variables such as organizational control, innovativeness, organizational values and employee engagement & teamwork. The findings revealed that organizational control has a negative effect on employees’ commitment and innovativeness, organizational values and employee engagement & teamwork have a positive impact on employees’ commitment respectively. Further, the findings of the study generate several suggestions for managers and human resource practitioners to make better strategies to increase organizational culture and employees’ commitment in the public sector financial institutes.Item The Impact of Social Media on Customer Relations in Banking Sector of Sri Lanka(2021) Wijeratne, A.R.N.K.Technology has attracted almost all the industries around the world. Social networking sites are becoming most important communication channels that changes the way that people interact with others and managing their businesses. Today, most of the organizations adapt social media to achieve their marketing objectives and develop customer relations. Thus, the main aim of this study is to examine the impact of social media on customer relations in banking industry in Sri Lanka. This research investigated the availability of Information Strategy, Feel and Serve, Trust and Loyalty and Advertising and Online Presence in affecting the banking customer relations. Having quantitative nature, this study collected data from 150 respondents (banking customers) using a structured questionnaire. Both descriptive and inferential statistical analytical techniques were used to analyze gathered data. Particularly, multiple linear regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses. SPSS software was employed to conduct above mentioned data analysis. This research provides a clear indication about the impact of social media on customer relations in banks. Moreover this study recommends the implementing of this suitable strategy in the industry to attract more customers while satisfying the current customer base.