IPRC - 2021

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://repository.kln.ac.lk/handle/123456789/24887

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 53

2005 ජනාධිපතිවරණයේ මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂගේ මැතිවරණ ව්‍යාපාරයේ දී මාධ්‍ය භාවිතය මගින් මතවාද ගොඩනැඟීම - රූපවාහිනිය ඇසුරෙන්
(Faculty of Graduate Studies - University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2021) මාධව, ජේ.ඒ. තරිඳු
2005 වර්ෂයේ ශ්‍රී ලංකා ජනාධිපතිවරණය ඉතා තීරණාත්මක මැතිවරණයක් වූ අතර එහි දී ඡන්ද සටනට ප්‍රධාන වශයෙන් පිවිසියේ මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ සමඟ රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ වේ. මෙහි දේශපාලන පක්ෂ වූයේ ශ්‍රී ලංකා නිදහස් පක්ෂය ප්‍රමුඛ සංධාන පක්ෂයක් ලෙසත්, එක්සත් ජාතික පක්ෂය ලෙසත් ය. මෙම පර්යේෂණයේ දී 2005 මැතිවරණ ප්‍රචාරණ කටයුතු ආරම්භ වීමත් සමඟ රූපවාහිනී මාධ්‍ය තුළ විකාශනය වූ වෙළද දැන්වීම් හා ප්‍රචරණ කටයුතු අධ්‍යයනය කර විශ්ලේෂණය කිරීම සිදු කරන ලදි. පර්යේෂණ නියැදිය ලෙස 2005 මැතිවරණයේ දී මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ තම මැතිවරණ දේශපාලන ව්‍යාපාරයේ ප්‍රචාරණය සඳහා රූපවාහිනී මාධ්‍යයේ විකාශනය කරන ලද වෙළඳ දැන්වීම් දහයක් තෝරා ගන්නා ලදි. එම දැන්වීම් වල අන්තර්ගත වූ රූප මාධ්‍ය හැසිරවීම, වචන භාවිතය හා ඉලක්කගත පිරිස යන කොටස් තුන ඔස්සේ අධ්‍යයනය සිදු කරන ලදි. මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ විසින් වෙළද දැන්වීම් හා රූපවාහිනී මාධ්‍ය බහුල ලෙස විවිධ ක්‍රම ඔස්සේ හා විවිධ පුද්ගලයන් අනුබද්ධ කර ගනිමින් යොදා ගත් බව මෙම අධ්‍යයනයේ දී පැහැදිලි වේ. එමගින් විවිධ සමාජ තත්ත්වයන් ආමන්ත්‍රණය කිරීමට දැන්වීම්කරණයෙන් උත්සාහ දරා ඇත. ඔහු හොඳ ගැමියෙකු, ග්‍රාමිකත්වය අගයන පුද්ගලයෙකු බව පෙන්වමින් ග්‍රාමීය ජනතාව ඉල්ලකොට මාධ්‍ය හැසිරවීම මුලිකව සිදු කරන ලදි. බෞද්ධයෙකු මෙන්ම ශාසනය ආරක්ෂා කරන බව දැක්වීම සඳහා බෞද්ධ ජනතාව ආකර්ෂණය කර ගැනීම සඳහා ද ඒ පිළිබඳ විදහා දක්වන දැන්වීම් නිර්මාණාත්මක යොදා ගෙන ඇත. යුධමය හා යුද්ධයෙන් සිදුවූ විනාශකාරී තත්ත්වයන්ට අදාළ රූප රාමු විකාශනය මගින් යුධ ශාපය නිමාකරන බව පසක්කර ලීමට දැන්වීම් යොදා ගන්නා ලදි. කුඩා ළමුන් යොදා ගෙන සිදු කරන ලද ප්‍රචාරණ මාධ්‍ය මගින් සංවේදී පුද්ගල කණ්ඩායම් ග්‍රහණය කර ගැනීමට උත්සාහ දරා ඇත. ඔහුගේ පෞරුෂත්වය ගොඩනැගීමට හා මැතිවරණ පොරොන්දු එළි දැක්වීම වැනි අවශ්‍යතාවයන්ද ජනතාව අතරට සම්ප්‍රේෂණය කිරීමේ සූක්ෂම උපක්‍රමයක් ලෙස ප්‍රචාරණ මාධ්‍ය යොදා ගෙන ඇත. ඔහුගේ මැතිවරණ දැන්වීම්කරණය සඳහා කලාකරුවන් හා ප්‍රසිද්ධ පුද්ගලයින් යොදා මැතිවරණ ප්‍රචාරණ ව්‍යාපාරය දියත් කිරීම මෙහි දී විශේෂයෙන් දැක්විය හැකිය. ලංකාවේ ජනප්‍රිය ගායක ගායිකාවන් පමණක් නොව චිත්‍රපට නළු නිළියන් භාවිතා කිරීම හා ඔවුන් විසින් කරන ලද ප්‍රකාශ රුපවාහිනී මාධ්‍ය ඔස්සේ විකාශය කිරීම සිදු කරන ලදි. එමඟින් ඔහු විසින් ප්‍රවීණ කලාකරුවන් මගින් විද්වත් ජනතාව ආමන්ත්‍රණය කිරීමටත්, තරුණ පරපුරේ කලාකරුවන් මගින් ලංකීය තරුණ පරපුර ආමන්ත්‍රණය කිරීමටත් උත්සහයක් දරා ඇත. තිස්වසරක් පුරා පැවති යුද්ධය අවසන් කිරීමට කාර්යශූර්ය, කඩිසර, එඩිතර පුද්ගලයෙකු ලෙස මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂට හැකියාව ඇති බවත්, දරුවන්ගේ හා රටේ අනාගතය ගැන සිතා තම ඡන්දය භාවිතා කල යුතු බවත්, ඔහු විසින් මාධ්‍ය තුළින් ජනතාවගේ සිත් ග්‍රහණය කිරීමට උත්සාහ කළේ ය. එමෙන්ම මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ ග්‍රාමීය ජනතාවගේ හිත සුව පිණිස හා දියුණුව පිණිස වැඩ කරන පුද්ගලයෙකු යන හැඟීම අදාළ ඡන්ද දායකයා තුළට ආරෝපණය කිරීමට දැන්වීම්කරණය මගින් සමත් වී ඇත. මේ ආකාරයෙන් බලන කල පෙනී යන්නේ ඔහුගේ මැතිවරණ ව්‍යාපාරය තුළ ජනතා මතය ගොඩනැංවීම සඳහා මාධ්‍ය ඉතා හොඳින් කළමනාරණය කර ප්‍රචාරණ දැන්වීම් නිපදවීම සිදුකර ඇති බවයි. මෙම ප්‍රචාරණ දැන්වීම් මැතිවරණ ව්‍යාපාරය සාර්ථකව ජයග්‍රහණය කර ගැනීම සඳහා විශාල කාර්ය භාරයක් සිදු කර ඇති බව මෙම පර්යේෂණයෙන් දැක්විය හැකිය.
An Analysis on How Non-Managerial Employees are Motivated Through Organizational Culture (With Special Reference to Ranpa Footwear Manufacturing Company)
(Faculty of Graduate Studies - University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2021) Madushani, W.L.B.
The success and growth of an organization depends on efficiency and effectiveness of its employee performance through organizational culture. Employees learn and communicate what is acceptable or unacceptable in an organization in the light of its values and norms. Hence, organizational culture provides basis for employee performance. Employee motivation is a topic that has received very significant attention by today’s organizations. No organization may possibly thrive without their employees. Employees are the main reason any organization might have the potential to keep in existence for a longtime. In Ranpa, there are more than 200 employees in Kadawatha factory. There is a manual manufacturing process in the factory. Since employees are valuable resources for the factory, their contribution is highly considered. This paper discusses about “how organization culture influence on the employee motivation?”. The core objective of this study was to investigate the influence of organizational culture on employee motivation. Furthermore, this study addressed the secondary objective; to identify the existing characteristics of the organizational culture. Interview method was used as the data collection method, since the qualitative research approach was taken into the consideration. Thematic analysis was the data analytical technique and sample of the study was 8 non managerial employees who were working in the different sections of Ranpa footwear Manufacturing Company. The findings were discussed under 3 main themes; firstly, how the Artifacts used by the organization led to motivate employees, secondly, the influence of values on deciding the employee motivation and finally, how the employees were motivated through the Basic Assumptions, practiced by the organization. According to the research findings, the cultural elements that have been discussed under above 3 themes had a substantial influence on the employee motivation at Ranpa factory. Therefore, finally it could be concluded that the culture of Ranpa as a whole had a greater influence on deciding the motivational level of its employees and most of time the culture had a positive influence on the employees which lead them to be motivated.
Borrowing as a technique of translating fantasy nomenclature in audiovisual translation: A comparative study
(Faculty of Graduate Studies - University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2021) Nanayakkara, Amaya
Nomenclature is a system of devising names for things in a particular field of arts or sciences by an individual or a community. The genre of fantasy films in audiovisual translation (AVT) is generally rich with unique nomenclature specific to various fictitious fantasy cultures that are far from the real world. Borrowing is a technique of translation that refers to the utilisation of the same word in the target text as it is found in the source text when equivalent terms are not available in the target language (TL). With the unavailability of corresponding terms for such fictitious nomenclature in a TL, borrowing becomes a befitting translation technique for such terms. The present study investigates the extent to which borrowing is utilised in translating nomenclature in fantasy films in the two most prominent approaches of AVT; Subtitling and Dubbing, and assesses the acceptability of using borrowing for the translation of such terms in each approach. Both qualitative and quantitative methodologies are followed in the present study. The English source script and Sinhala subtitled and dubbed scripts of the film trilogy, The Lord of the Rings, were chosen as sample material for the study. The nomenclature that appears on the films referring to people and places were selected for the analysis. From the relevant nomenclature, the terms translated through the technique of borrowing were first identified. The translation quality assessment model by Nababan et al., which allows a third party to rate the acceptability of translations was employed in the present study as a tool of analysis where a group of five AVT experts were asked to assess the acceptability of the utilisation of borrowing as a translation technique. It was identified that, out of the total 157 nomenclature in the English source scripts referring to people and places, 125 terms (79.62%) in the subtitled version and 101 terms (64.33%) in the dubbed version had been translated through the technique of borrowing thereby suggesting that both approaches follow the technique of borrowing in translating most of the nomenclature. In assessing the acceptability of the utilisation of borrowing in translating nomenclature, the ratings of the experts have demonstrated that, out of the 125 borrowed terms in the subtitled version referring to people and places, 54 terms (43.2%) were less acceptable, and 71 terms (56.8%) were not acceptable. Out of the 101 borrowed terms in the dubbing translation, 74 terms (73.27%) were marked acceptable, and 27 terms (26.73%) were marked less acceptable. It was observed through the qualitative analysis that the borrowed terms which are marked as not acceptable in the subtitled version were directly borrowed and displayed in English spellings in the form of pure borrowings, thereby affecting the standard Sinhala language norms. Even though the terms are also directly borrowed in the dubbed version, they are adapted towards the TL through Sinhala spellings in the dubbing script, thus making them naturalised borrowings. In contrast to subtitled borrowings that are expected to be read, dubbed borrowings are only heard by the audience without influencing the readability factor. The study concludes that in translating nomenclature, borrowings in the form of naturalised borrowing are much likely to be acceptable in AVT than pure borrowings.
Breakout Rooms for an Engaging and Effective Online Learning Environment
(Faculty of Graduate Studies - University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2021) Jayarathne, Priyanwada; Gunawardana, Ashani
Communication is essential for effective language learning either written or spoken. It paves the ways to the leaners to test their language learning hypothesis and to practice the target language with peers in collaborative language learning settings. However, COVID-19 pandemic has affected severely on language learning as it deprived students of their real classrooms: primary, secondary, and even tertiary. With the introduction of emergency remote teaching (ERT), instructors struggle to deliver the content but students' actual engagement and interaction in online classes is yet to be monitored. Therefore, the present study was conducted to examine the effectiveness of Zoom - Breakout rooms as a tool to engage students successfully during synchronous online classes in the higher education sector. The participants of this case study were 04 instructors and 200 students who used Breakout rooms in their online classrooms for a period of 15 weeks. The student sample was reading for a Higher National Diploma in English. As to the data collected through the Google form survey, the results showed that language tutorials have become effective and successful with the use of Breakout rooms for group discussions, presentations, speeches, role plays, etc. Both instructors and learners made positive remarks as collaborative learning, individual engagement, feeling of liveliness, sense of belonging, less anxiety and possible monitoring of the instructor. The key difficulties encountered were connectivity issues and inadequacy of technical skills. Moreover, the cases of non-contribution and idling were also occasionally reported. All in all, the sample assured the effectiveness of the Breakout rooms not only in conducting successful ESL tutorials during this pandemic period but also as a way to remain in contact with the peers.
Challenges Faced by Parents When Providing Education to the Students Who Are Studying in Special Need Education Units
(Faculty of Graduate Studies - University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2021) Rathnayake, R. M. Auchithya; Rathnayaka, R. M. Kalindu
In the education system, teaching is done by dividing the children into two main categories i.e. special and normal children. This pretext is based on their so-called physical and mental abilities. According to their abilities, either child is studying in normal classrooms or special classrooms. In order to teach students who has special needs, special teaching units have been formed. When teaching in those units, a special teaching mechanism is used. It is called the Integrated Education System (IES). In these units, specialized and well-trained teachers identify the needs of children and teach them through these IESs. But even though this process affected the differently-abled child, real repercussions are faced by the parents. In other words, parents are the particular persons who face challenges when they educate their children. In that sense, parents are facing lots of troublesome consequences not only in society but also in the smallest social institute; family. Accordingly, to address the above issue, the research problem has been made to find out the challenges faced by the parents in providing education to the students who are studying in the special education units. The research aims to identify the challenges that parents face in providing education to students, who are studying in special education units. The research has been conducted from an inductive approach. Thus, this has been studied as a qualitative study by collecting qualitative data under a qualitative methodology. Primary data was collected by doing in-depth interviews. As secondary data, data from journals, research reports, and statistics were gathered. The research findings were; Inadequate transportation facilities to and from school for special children, economic hardship, abuse of special needs children in the school environment, abusing attempts by ordinary people, frustration over the fate of children with the sudden death of parents and especially, parents are being marginalized in social gatherings has been identified. The conclusion of the study was; Although the special education system has taken a positive approach in the Sri Lankan education system, it has also contributed to the exclusion and labelling of children with special needs in society at school. But that education system is the only support for these families. No matter what social strata they represent, all the families have uncertainty about the future of their child/ren. Though this situation is unfair, the parents are willing the betterment of their children after their death. Therefore, they are thinking that facing harsh challenges will be nothing on behalf of the betterment of their future. And this is equally challenging for the different social strata of society. Accordingly, it is not wrong to point out that through this system of education, a section of the population of the country faces mental frustrations in their daily lives but the government has not taken up an adequate level of effort for new education reform for them.
Challenges of farmers for applying new agricultural technologies in Sri Lanka
(Faculty of Graduate Studies - University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2021) Rathnayaka, R. M. Kalindu; Rathnayake, R. M. Auchithya
This research paper investigates the challenges of the Sri Lankan farmers when they are applying new agricultural technologies. Compared to the past, there is a new revival in the field of agriculture today. The foundations have been laid by the green revolution and genetic technology. Today, many agricultural activities in almost every part of the world have been influenced by the green revolution or genetic technology. The main objective of this research is to identify the challenges faced by farmers in applying new agricultural technology to their farming activities. This study was conducted in a political-ecological approach by using both qualitative and quantitative data. The data have been collected through questionnaires, structured and semi structured interviews, books, magazines, online resources, and 1.50000 digital maps. Samanalabedda GND in Siyabalanduwa DSD in Monaragala district has been selected as the study area. Farmers in the area are making extensive use of the new agricultural technology. Fifty farm families were selected through a random sampling method for this study which represents 20% of the whole study area. The collected data were analyzed through descriptive statistical technics. Although some crops are introduced to the area; Farmers have not the proper climatic conditions to grow, lack of suitable soil for growing crops introduced to areas, Lack of awareness of farmers about fertilizers and agrochemicals to be applied to crops, due to the high cost of agro-fertilizers and chemicals to be used to crops;high cost on inputs. Accordingly, revealed that Sri Lankan farmers face many challenges in applying new agricultural technology to their farming activities.
Child Prevention and Maternal Health Care Expert System
(Faculty of Graduate Studies - University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2021) Hulangamuwa, H.G.C.K.
Advanced information technology offers new ways to deliver primary health care, that is not bound to traditional primary health services delivery institutions. Technology-based self-service channels and digital health interventions have the potential to support patients with general illnesses. The number of people searching for health information on the Internet is increasing dramatically. Before visiting a doctor or midwife, People need reliable medical decision-support information systems to manage general illnesses at home. Especially in the maternal and child health field, several health issues can be managed from home with short guideline from a primary health care professional like midwives. Therefore, it is necessary to create a platform where health care clients can get health guidelines and information using advanced information technology. Purpose: The key objective of this study is to create a “Chatbot” to build an interaction between public health midwives and their health care clients. “Chatbots” are AI-based computer program that simulates human conversations. They are also known as digital assistants that understand human capabilities. “Chatbot” interprets the user intent, processes their requests, and gives prompt relevant answers. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the major public health challenges faced by poor nations is to provide adequate maternal and infant health care with limited resources. To address issue, this project builds a text-to-text conversational agent, that provides answers to health issues regarding maternal and child health using natural language. Design: To provide reasonable output to the user’s query, the system will take data from predefined health websites and articles which have information regarding maternal and child health. The "Chatbot" will be filtering this data, to respond back to the user's query. The system remembers past responses to provide a better answer. This system and the interface is mainly developed using the PYTHON language. Research Implications and Evaluation: Before being given to the end-users, the final system has been given to 45 midwives who have knowledge about maternal and child health. Then they are instructed to ask 10 questions from the “Chatbot” related to maternal and infant health. Depending on the answers which is generated by the “Chatbot”, the questionnaire will be distributed to add their findings, regarding the accuracy level of the answers generated by the “Chatbot”. According to the accuracy testing, 70% of testers mentioned that the system has generated more than 80% accurate answers for user queries. Research limitations and future research suggestions: This system can provide answers to limited questions and it provides basic health tips. As further developments, additional languages could be trained in order to cover a wider user base, such as the Sinhala language. Users may have multiple problems that they would like to address in a single message, and it changes the formulation of the intent classification problem into a multi-label classification problem. Different methods could be considered to address this issue.
The COVID 19 Pandemic: Challenges Related Online Education on Students of Rural Areas in Sri Lanka
(Faculty of Graduate Studies - University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2021) Dissanayake, D. M. C.
The recent epidemic of COVID-19 is challenging for each sector like economy, education, health, industries and education. In the field of education sector of Sri Lanka have implemented the online teaching and learning programs for students to minimize the academic loss in distance education. This pandemic has imposed enormous challenges on traditional education process of Sri Lanka. As a consequence of the unprecedented global pandemic, online education has become a new concept and it has created a discrimination between rural and urban students in Sri Lanka. In this background this study examined the significant challenges related online education on students of rural areas in Sri Lanka during COVID-19. Specific objectives are to identify teachers’ attitudes of online education on students of rural areas and the delivery service system and policies related online education in Sri Lanka. This research was used Partially mixed concurrent qualitative dominant status under the qualitative dominant mixed method approach and conducted in Kotavehera educational division, Kurunegala district. Data were collected from 50 students through stratify sampling method and 8 teachers, 5 parents and 2 principals used as key informants. Questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were used as primary data collection technic through telephone conversations. According to the findings of the study it has revealed that lack of availability of low-quality internet, lack of devices, shortage of devices, outdated devices were caused to decrease interest in the subject of students in study area, lack of physical and human resource, negative attitudes, lack of practical knowledge and experience were challenged for create fear and anxiety using of English language and technology in online education of students of rural areas, Parents’ low socio-economic situation were prohibited online education of students and this situation have created troublesome and lot of pressure for students, parents’ personal beliefs and misconceptions, lack of technological skills and teaching methodologies of teachers were directly highlighted as challenges for online education of students in rural areas, Overall, the current curriculum contents of education system in Sri Lanka mainly based on traditional system and it is show lack of flexibility and was not modern and innovative and online teaching methods and abilities are not familiar for students and teachers. There are need to revise the curriculum contents to eliminate the discrimination between the rural urban students and face the sudden situations and education policy makers should attention for revise and update the education curriculum according to the global changes in education. Further ministry of education in Sri Lanka should implement necessary training programs to engage in online education within the traditional system, must give a closer attention to eliminate the disparities in the human and physical resource between rural and urban schools and the government of Sri Lanka with the other non-government agencies should organize the project to supply technological devices for students of rural areas.
Cyber Insurance in Sri Lanka
(Faculty of Graduate Studies - University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2021) Wanigasingha, C.B.
In today’s industry is interconnected via the internet, it is very impossible to remain isolated from online communication and e-commerce and make all systems immune to data outage and data-breach, hence cyber risk exists everywhere. Cyber Insurance is a novel part of risk management strategy, which is to cover any cost that might occur as the result of any kind of data breach, business losses, forensic investigation cost, notification cost and addressing lawsuit and extortion attempts. This article is a background investigation of Cyber Insurance challenges and benefits in Sri Lanka, based on insurance companies and customer’s perspectives. As a result of the novel concept of Sri Lanka Cyber Insurance-related, literature reported very rarely. And finally, a review paper proposes directions for further advances in future research papers. Cyber insurer needs to find a way to cover large cyber-attacks. Despite policymaking, insurers need to be aware of current threats, attacks, and technologies for an upgrade or rewrites policies. And cyber security must be addressed by both state and private sectors. The state can maintain a police and justice system to reduce threats. But protection against cyber-attack can’t provide state alone. Private sector also needs to actively participate to make rules, regulations, and policies. The cyber insurance market in Sri Lanka is still small, with the support of positive internal and external factors it has good growth potential. Considering the global data breach losses due to cyber-attacks, shows that Sri Lanka cyber insurance does not cover losses, levels that need in global standards. Due to small coverage, compared with the cost of the premium fee is not acceptable by the majority of organizations. And also, Sri Lanka digital policy laws, data protection regulations, cyber acts do not mature enough to provide efficient legal protection and support. However, Sri Lankan cyber insurers face significant challenges, such as lack of historical data, lack of imagination and predictability, lack of market participants, and the possibility of interrelated large cyber-attacks. During the month of May frequently more cyberattacks are experienced. Because of that more organizations in Sri Lanka are searching for cyber insurance coverage to overcome this risk.
Development of a model to enhance students’ engagement in asynchronous online lectures
(Faculty of Graduate Studies - University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2021) Rupasinghe, Thilini P.
A key challenge faced by Sri Lankan educators in recent years is the emergency and unplanned shift to online teaching from traditional face-to-face teaching, as a consequence unexpected Covid -19 outbreak. This was totally a new experience for Sri Lankan university students as well as for academics and was a huge challenge to the whole community owing to several issues such as lack of internet access, lack of available devices, lack of experience and financial and social issues. Despite these challenges, educators moved forward with online teaching by conducting lectures in real-time synchronous mode (via zoom / Teams platforms) and asynchronous mode (recorded lectures). And out of these two, the asynchronous mode was more popular among students due to facts such as any time accessibility to materials which reduced the cost as students could access them when data rates are lower, ability to repeat the lectures and go through them over and over and flexibility. However, a key disadvantage of asynchronous mode is the lack of student engagement and lack of active learning, which are principle components of lifelong and meaningful undergraduate education. This paper discusses the development and the implementation of the following model to overcome this issue and make the asynchronous learning process more active with enhanced student- lecturer interaction. In this model, major theory components were introduced to students using short lectures videos (< 20 mins) developed through the concept of micro-learning, followed by a worksheet related to the theoretical component covered in the video. Students were given 2 days to complete this and upload it to the LMS. Further, the forum question feature available in the Moodle platform was successfully utilized to create a dynamic environment by enhancing students’ engagement and participation. Deliberately developed questions covering common misconceptions were posted as forum questions and the students were given marks for answering these questions. And, the lecturer was also actively involved in the process by providing feedback to their answers. After the submission of the worksheet, the lecturer conducted a real-time online session called “Virtual office hour”, which was designed to answer questions of students. Key feature of this session was, students were asked to come up with questions they have related to theory component, worksheet and the forum questions. This solely was a student driven session and was structured to be different from a typical tutorial session by putting the students in the driving seat of learning, thus making it more active learning. Participation in this virtual session was entirely voluntarily and if students have unclear theory parts, they were encouraged to join and get them clarified. Finally, students were given a challenge question which requires higher order thinking, which allowed the instructor to gain an insight into the level of students’ understanding. Further, students’ perception on this model was investigated using a questionnaire and according to data, a higher degree of student satisfaction was observed. Moreover, the proposed model helps to increase students’ trust in the teacher’s care of their learning, which is crucial in the current online teaching paradigm.
“Doing Good or Being Good” The Choice Between Corporate Social Responsibility and Social Sustainability by SMEs: A Review and Research Agenda
(Faculty of Graduate Studies - University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2021) Tennakoon, W.D.N.S.M.; Janadari, M.P.N.
Societal marketing strategies underpinned the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of institutions to harness their Key Performance Indicators to contribute towards societal goals. This strategic initiative is often expected to sustain the brand reputation, thus improving the organizational performance in the long run. Uniformly, Social Sustainability (SS) is the societal pillar of the sustainable business models, a dynamic, open and contested concept in which social values, social identities, social relationships and social institutions can continue in the future. No development can be called "sustainable" if it leads people to change or give up their social values, identities or relationships for the sake of achieving the development status. Whilst the sustainable development agendas stressed the importance and welcomed sustainability's social aspect, there is only very little agreement on what it is. Resultantly, many practitioners view CSR in exchange for SS, which is contradictory as far as the theoretical substances of each concept are concerned. Notably, the practice of CSR and SS dimensions were reported overlapping in the context of SMEs due to unseen reasons. Thus, in the context of SMEs, this study performed a systematic review of literature about the practice of CSR and SS to reveal the underlying meaning of adopting each concept. Specifically, researchers looked at how CSR and SS are viewed and practiced, and their mutually inclusive nature as presented in the domain of SMEs literature. The review included 334 research papers published mainly in five databases. The inclusive criteria were "peer-reviewed", "written in English", "published in any year", "having keywords CSR or SS", and "addressed the SMEs context". The content analysis supported synthesizing the information and derived valuable insights. The representativeness of CSR is dominant among the reviewed papers in contrast to SS. Two concepts were regularly presented interchangeably to denote the interactions of any nature between the organization and the society. Moreover, most papers have treated CSR initiatives of organizations as symbolic acts of SS focus, implying the perceived mutually inclusive nature of the two concepts. A distinct lack of SS focus is noted in the SMEs context instead of the practice and reporting. Instead of the societal dimension in corporate conduct, many seem to practice and report CSR to showcase the organizational commitment to preserving the interests of society. However, the longevity of CSR activities seems to be evaluated seldom while substitution is made. Based on the review outcomes, the future avenues of research on the practice and reporting of SS of SMEs are outlined. Furthermore, the necessity to contrast two concepts explicitly in terms of aligning and distinguishing their attributes is encouraged.
Dress code of the librarians and community respect: The impact of clothing on the self-image of librarians in state Universities of Sri Lanka: A Case study
(Faculty of Graduate Studies - University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2021) Thusithakumari, W.M.; Weerasinghe, M.K.
Dress code is one of the important parts to build a self-impression of the librarians. For reflecting the professional appearance or the socio psychological impact of clothing, the librarian needs to be clean, fit and simple keeping the traditional look of their own country shows the national identity. This study mainly focuses on examining the nature and value of the dress code of the librarians that influences on their self-image, which imbued of high respect, exposure of national values and the culmination of the intelligence. Survey method applied for the research and the sample was comprised of librarians of the 15 Sri Lankan state universities. The study reveals that dress codes are an identity and they reflect for self- image and its proper time for librarians to consider their dress code wear at work. The Librarian’s dress varies from country to country and it is a symbolic language to make interactions between the community and the librarian. In addition, the librarian dress code should not contain with piercing such as; jewels, religious/ political symbols, fancy accessories and outfits, which deemed not to be a professional librarian. University librarians do focus on good etiquettes and well-mannered behavior that explore the decency and simplicity, attractiveness, ethically and culturally accepted professional smart dress is suitable for an academic librarian. Among the Sri Lankan university librarians, it is likely that female librarians wear Kandyan and/ Indian saree while male librarians wear national/ shirt and trousers. The study concluded that the dress expresses the person’s life-style and simple elegant dress suits for the designation and to save the dignity within the community and the dress code promotes the marketing communication of a library. This study recommended that a librarian should not follow the concept of uniformity in wearing the dress, but it is necessary to consider about demographical aspects and the situation of the region or the particular country in line with certain library policies, procedures and programmes.
The Effects of Thermal Treatment on Antioxidant Properties of Fruit Peels from Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) Cultivars Grown in Sri Lanka
(Faculty of Graduate Studies - University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2021) Panapitiya, P.D.S.N.H.; Weerasooriya, M.K.B.
Pomegranate peel (PP), a primary by-product of the pomegranate juice producing industry, is reported to possess diverse range of bioactive compounds which are believed to bear anticancer, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. In recent years, natural antioxidants are gaining more and more attention due to its possible medicinal and food applications and have preferred by consumers over synthesized antioxidants. Heat treatment is known as processing step for fruit peels to release variety of bound polyphenolics from tissues of peels by improving their bioavailability or modifying chemical structure to enhance absorption, and to intensify nutritional effects. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the effects of heat treatment on antioxidant properties of pomegranate peel (PP) of Sri Lankan cultivars, named as Nayana, Kalpitiya red, and Nimali. Peel powder (2.00 g) heated at 160 °C in an oven for 2 hours and non-heated peel powder of each cultivar extracted with ethanol (70% v/v, 25.00 mL). Free radical scavenging activities of PP extracts were evaluated by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and expressed as IC50 value. Color changes of PP powder before and after thermal treatments were investigated. All the extracts exhibited significant dose dependent inhibition activity. Therefore, DPPH scavenging activity increased as the concentration of the sample was increased up to a certain concentration that was varied from cultivar to cultivar. According to the results, heat-treated PP powders of each cultivar showed significantly higher (p<0.05) antioxidant activity compared to the non-treated PP powder of each cultivar. Antioxidant activities of PP increased due to the thermal treatment. IC50 values of the non-treated PPs of Nimali, Kalpitiya red and Nayana cultivars, were found to be 19.067 ± 0.291c, 21.067 ± 0.233b and 22.233 ± 0.145a μg/mL, respectively, while the IC50 values of heat-treated PP samples of cultivars were 11.100 ± 0.265c, 17.600 ± 0.115b and 20.400 ± 0.115a μg/mL. All the IC50 values of PP extracts were compared with that of Gallic acid (GA) as the standard compound and IC50 value of GA was 4.65 μg/mL. Hence, antioxidant activities of both heat-treated and non-treated PP extracts were lower than that of GA. The peel of Nimali exhibited the highest DPPH radical scavenging properties than the other cultivars, in which antioxidant properties were highly improved by heat treatment and also, its change in IC50 value (ΔIC50) before and after heat treatment, is significantly higher than other cultivars. It might be higher concentrations of polyphenolics released. Initial color of PP powder of each cultivar was converted from brownish yellow to dark brown during heat treatment. IC50 values were significantly different (p<0.05) among cultivars and temperature. According to the results, thermal treatment had no negative effects on the antioxidant capacities of the PP powder up to 160 °C. Therefore, bakery products (specifically cookies) can be considered as the most acceptable carriers of such pomegranate peel powder supplements. Furthermore, examined heat treatment can be used as an acceptable method to sterilize the PP powder. Considering the findings, thermal treatment might be a good alternative strategy for improving health benefits of PP, adding value to the PP, and could be helpful for development of potential dietary supplements. PP powder which possesses extremely high antioxidant properties, has a great potential to be used as a source of food additives in food products such as natural food preservatives (antioxidants) and a therapeutic agent.
Female Body and the flow of colonization: The Sleeping Dictionary
(Faculty of Graduate Studies - University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2021) Manathunga, M.A.Muditha Lakmali
Colonialism was a global entity in the world that had amalgamated with drastic economic and political dimensions of power. This philanthropic mission had followed by the exploitation of inhabitants in backward nations of the world. Significantly, the gender binary disposition upheld by colonialism viewed females’ as a stereotypical inferior group and as objects of physical and sexual labor. The violence of the colonial establishment had made sexual violence and females’ as a vulnerable specie to sexual exploitation. The major objective of the study is to upsize ‘The Sleeping Dictionary’ (2003) by Guy Jenkin as a dual categorization of the female body which her objectification created herself as a drastic form of resistance to the realm of colonization. The dual-positioning of the non-white female body as a powerful entity of resisting colonial hegemony becomes controversial. The research is predominantly qualitative in nature and the researcher employed feminist theories of Simon de Beauvoir, Judith Butler and the Male Gaze theory of Laura Mulvey with Postcolonial theories of Homi.K. Bhabha and Edward.W. Said which utilized the exploitation of the colonized in the guise of a philanthropic mission. In analysis and interpretation, the researcher utilizes a Literary and a Content analysis. Accordingly, the objectification of the female body as a sleeping dictionary had elevated to a position to resist the colonial dominance. The White maser’s desire for the non- European female body surpassed hegemonic polarizations imposed by the colonial regime. In a political appeal, the evocation of the female to resist the colonizer surpassed the sexual exploitation of herself as a sleeping dictionary with the materialization of female emotions by the colonizer. The political appeal to Romance had reinforced in a way the extreme objectification of the female body had granted a transitory position by her employment of feelings to resist the colonial strata. The practice of learning Indigenous dialects through the female body and with erotic teaching aids suggests a different appeal to female exploitation. The myth inculcated about the possibility to acquire a dialect in a form of a sexual rapport positioned the extent of marginalization imposed on a female body. Selima’s revelation of her generational legacy as a sleeping dictionary articulates the long-lasting continuity of sexual objectification. John’s rapport with Selima positioned beyond a mere sexual relationship to an authentic rapport. It is through John, the colonizer, Selima granted the opportunity to position herself beyond a sexual object. John’s ultimate decision to untie with Selima by traversing through a plethora of conflicts and psychological traumas, elevated Selima’s successful trajectory from sexual marginalization of colonialism. John’s capability to surpass hegemonic ideals of colonialism positioned himself as a humane figure who identified Selima more than an object of sexuality. The employment of the gaze of the colonizer to value the colonial female body depicts a novice approach to the movie by locating the non- white female body as a powerful mechanism to resist the colonial regime.
Fiscal Decentralization and Improvement of Provincial-Level Service Delivery in Sri Lanka: Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) Approach
(Faculty of Graduate Studies - University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2021) Mudalige, Priyantha W.; Cooray, N. S.; De Silva, Saliya
The meaning of Fiscal Decentralization (FD) is the allocation of resources to the institutions of governance at the sub-national levels of the country. Theoretical evidence strongly suggests that FD is an effective tool for the efficient delivery of services at the local level. Provincial Councils (PCs) were first established in 1987 as sub-national legislative bodies in each of the nine provinces of Sri Lanka. According to the literature, there are many problems associated with the provincial-level service delivery in Sri Lanka. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the services of PCs through a macro-level quantitative study to determine the impact of FD on human capital development, health, and education. In Sri Lanka, no in-depth studies have been done on the short-run and long-run impacts of FD on service delivery. Also, none of the studies that were considered appears to have fully analyzed the impact of decentralization on health, education, and human capital development. Clearly then, these studies have failed to accurately assess the impact of FD on service delivery in Sri Lanka. Therefore, the objectives of this research are to determine rather more precisely the effects of FD on provincial-level service delivery in Sri Lanka, covering such areas as health, education, and human capital development, in order to find out the short-run and long-run dynamic impact of FD. Under the methodology adopted for this research, time-series data pertaining to the PCs in Sri Lanka during the 1988-2018 period have been used for the analysis, while following the ARDL approach. The findings reveal that the present level of FD at the provincial level in Sri Lanka has not been able to contribute significantly to human capital development, health, and education in the short and long run. This can be attributed to the lack of fiscal autonomy and sufficient funds. Three decades of experience with FD reveal that the financial capacity of practically every PC is very poor and despite many sources of income, the provincial tax base is limited. The scarcity of financial resources constrains the implementation of innovative development programs as well as the capacity to meet recurring expenditures. A high degree of centralization restricts the smooth functioning of the PCs as the center concurrently maintains its own agencies at the local level. Also, functions and responsibilities related to basic services such as health and education are not fully decentralized in Sri Lanka. By way of recommendations, it is suggested that restructuring the expenditure and revenue functions of the PCs would considerably enhance the capacity to deliver provincial services because introducing new sources of revenue and limiting non-priority spending in the provinces is bound to have a positive outcome. Increasing the funding for health and education at the provincial level and introducing reforms will also improve the productivity of these services.
Gender Equality in Contemporary Indian Society” – Based on Raja Ram Mohan Roy's Thoughts and Activities
(Faculty of Graduate Studies - University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2021) Tharsiga, G.
Rajaram Mohan Roy is seen as one of those who spoke out against superstition in contemporary Indian history. The corruption, evil, and superstitions found in traditional India are still followed in some places. Raja Ram Mohan Roy clarified through his thoughts and activities the necessity and need of the Indian people to adapt themselves not only to their traditional cultural base but also to the present context. The Brahmo Sabha movement was also the basis for implementing this. The significance of women in his reformation thoughts may have attracted everyone's attention. His thoughts and activities for gender equality that all rights should be available and respected for women as well as men were the basis for highlighting him as a feminist male. He firmly stated that women are not inferior to men morally and intellectually. Here the objectives of this study are to analyze the thoughts and activities of gender equality by Raja Ram Mohan Roy and to evaluate its significance and impact in contemporary India. The data required for this study are secondary data. This study is an innovative study that analyzes the ideas and activities put forward by Raja Ram Mohan Roy to uphold women's rights as a starting point for gender equality. Historical, analytical, and descriptive methodologies were used here as research methodologies. A qualitative technique was used in this study. This study was based on secondary data. Texts, research articles, journals, and e-resources related to Rajaram Mohan Roy were also used here as secondary sources. Some of the superstitions found in traditional India were found to be more detrimental to the welfare of women. In particular, he observed that traditions such as satti and female infanticide were threatening the very survival of women. He was well aware that gender equality was a fundamental human right and a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and stable world and sought to build a modern India through gender equality.
Green Synthesis of Iron Nanoparticles using Bridelia Retusa Leaves Extract
(Faculty of Graduate Studies - University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2021) Samarawickrama, K.G.R.; Wijayapala, U.G.S.; Wanasekara, N.D.; Fernando, C.A.N.
The interest in synthesizing nanoparticles in an easy and environmentally friendly way has been increasing in recent years. The physical and chemical methods are conventionally used for the synthesis of nanoparticles. However, due to the limitations of these methods, the focus of research has been recently shifted towards the development of clean and eco-friendly synthesis protocols. The green synthesis of iron nanoparticles has been achieved using environmentally acceptable plant extract. It was observed that Bridelia retusa leaf extract can reduce Fe2+ into Iron nanoparticles at room temperature. This study aims to synthesize iron nanoparticles using Bridelia retusa extract environmentally and sustainably. The synthesized Iron nanoparticles were characterized using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis, and UV-Visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis). This study shows that the Iron nanoparticles can be synthesized using Bridelia retusa leaf extract as a reducing agent.
Impact of Green Human Resource Management on Employee Performance: An empirical study in apparel manufacturing firms in Southern Province of Sri Lanka
(Faculty of Graduate Studies - University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2021) Sagalee, I.L.L
Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) is the use of human resource policies to enhance the sustainable use of resources within organizations to ensure the environmental sustainability. Green human resource management can become as an active partner by creating green human resource platform, where the employees have more job satisfaction and engaging with job related activities, thereby improving the employee performance and productivity in an organization. The study attempted to examine the effect of green training, green performance evaluation and green reward management on employee performance in apparel manufacturing firms in Southern province of Sri Lanka. Further the research was designed to investigate whether there is a significant difference between large apparel manufacturing firms and non-large apparel manufacturing firms with regard to the adaptation of green human resource management practices. The study was positioned with objectivism based on the ontological view. Quantitative method was used under deductive approach to test the theoretical relationships among variables. In consideration of the research objectives and questions of the study, it can be classified as the explanatory research in nature which attempted to establish causal relationships between variables. Data collection was done by adopting survey strategy through a self-administered questionnaire. Questionnaire was considered as the main measurement instrument to collect data of the study. The sample of 130 apparel manufacturing firms were selected via random sampling technique from the specified sample frame. Unit of analysis was the Human resource manager/Human resource executive in apparel manufacturing firms in southern province of Sri Lanka. Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS 20) was used to analyze the data ensuring the validity and reliability to generate findings from the study. The internal consistency of the study constructs was tested by using Cronbach Alpha. Good internal consistency of the attributes measures of Green human resource management and Employee performance showing that instruments were sufficiently reliable. Four theory- driven pre-established hypotheses were tested by using multiple regression analysis and independent sample T test. According to multiple regression analysis it was proved that green performance evaluation and green reward management have a significant impact on employee performance. Green reward management proved to be the key factor in influencing employee performance in apparel manufacturing firms. Therefore, green reward management is vital to enhance employee performance. Green performance evaluation was the second most important dimension that affect employee performance. There is no significant impact of green training on employee performance. The possible reason for this would be the lower level of training received by the employees with respect to Green human resource management practices. Further it was found that there is no significant difference between large apparel manufacturing firms and non-large apparel manufacturing firms with regard to the adaptation of green human resource management practices.
The impact of marketing myopia on internal and external public relations in a company; a study based on the National Rupavahini channel and Sarasaviya newspaper
(Faculty of Graduate Studies - University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2021) Rupasingha, W. Amani Ireshika
The media industry consists of various communication media; Newspaper, Radio, Television, Cinema, Websites and Social Media. The history of journalism in Sri Lanka dates back to the nineteenth century. The Sarasaviya Newspaper is an oldest state-owner national art newspaper in Sri Lanka. It mainly focuses on cinema news and information in the art category. After the popularity of radio in the 19th century; television came to Sri Lanka in 1979, posing a huge challenge to the radio. Accordingly, the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation was established on February 15, 1982. Currently due to many alternatives, working in the television and newspaper industry is very challenging and exciting. Internal public relations are maintaining a good mutual understanding and goodwill between company and internal parties. External public relations are maintaining a good reputation, image and mutual understanding between the company and external parties. In 1960 the Marketing Myopia concept was coined by the late Harvard Business School marketing professor, Theodore Levitt. In this theory, Levitt describes a lack of insight or lack of thorough understands of what a business is doing for its target customers. Organizations' top management invests money and time in what they presently do with blindly thinking about the company's future. Then it reasons to create many internal and external public relations issues for the company. This study seeks to identify the impact of marketing myopia on internal and external public relations in a company; a special reference to National Rupavahini Channel and Sarasaviya Newspaper. Research problems were how does marketing myopia impact internal and external public relations in a company? To critically analyze the impact of marketing myopia on internal and external public relations of SLRC and Sarasaviya newspaper was the main objective of the study. The philosophy that used in this research was realism. A qualitative strategy was used to gather data and the method was an interview. The main research approach was deductive because this research was used Theodor Levitt’s Marketing Myopia theory as a framework. A sample of the research was the National Rupavahini channel and Sarasaviya Newspaper. The research findings concluded that currently, the National Rupavahini channel and Sarasaviya Newspaper are facing marketing myopia due to many reasons. Failure of management, Stepchild treatment to marketing, Shadow of obsolescence, Inappropriate self – assessment and no consider competitors are some of them. The research findings suggest that to avoid marketing myopia, internal and external PR issues in the National Rupavahini channel and Sarasaviya newspaper should focus on marketing, produce customer-centric products, do innovation, evade political obstacles, product diversification and adapt to the social-cultural changes.
The Importance of Learning Second Language to Bring Unity and Reconciliation Among Major Ethnic Groups in Sri Lanka
(Faculty of Graduate Studies - University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2021) Victor, Sinduja
A language is not just a set of words and phrases, rather it comprises of customs, traditions, and culture of a certain community. It can be verbal or nonverbal but it’s like a bridge to connect with one another. The ability to understand and communicate with someone in their mother tongue is a key step to achieving harmony and avoiding ethnic divides. Sri Lanka consists of a multicultural society and Sinhala and Tamil languages are the two national languages as a way language is a powerful tool for cultivating trust and leads towards mutual respect and recognition in the multi-cultural society. The purpose of the study is to understand the importance of learning a second language to bring unity and harmony among major ethnic groups in Sri Lanka. The prime objective of the study is to identify the importance of learning a second language to bring unity and harmony among the major ethnic groups in Sri Lanka. The specific objectives are to identify the perception of opposite ethnic groups before starting the second language study programs and, to identify the changes in the previous perception of opposite ethnic groups after completing the second language study programs. The qualitative research method is used to carry out the study and one hundred-second language teachers at the National Institute of Language Education and Training (NILET) are identified as a sample of this study. Fifty Tamil language and fifty Sinhala language teachers are picked out by a simple random sampling method. Interview and Focus group discussion methods are used as research tools to collect the primary data and the secondary data were collected from research articles, books, and paper articles. The study revealed that there is a huge gap between these two major ethnicities but there are positive reactions after completing the second language programmed in terms of respecting and understanding each other’s nature, culture, and feelings. Further, the study identified that lack of knowledge in the second language makes a huge gap, and this gap plays a major barrier to bringing unity, harmony, and peace among them. Finally, the study recommended that it is essential for the next generation of Sri Lanka to have the knowledge to learn and speak two national languages for a greater understanding of each other’s nature and culture. Proper implementation and mechanism for monitoring the language policy are very important and a practical way of bilingual education will allow the children from a very young age to acquire to appreciate and acknowledge each other culture, feelings, and emotions. The success of the military does not guarantee long-lasting peace and harmony. As a responsible citizen of the nation, everyone must find the answer to the root causes which led to the Sri Lankan civil war in the first place and must take a tiny step forward to learn both national languages to understand and feel other’s culture, feelings and, emotions for healthy Sri Lanka.