International Conference on Advanced Marketing

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67 Years of Bibliometric Analysis on House Price Research
(Department of Marketing Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2021) Zainuddin, Zaemah; Subramaniam, Tanchini A/P; Yusof, Rosylin Md
The housing market plays a significant role in developing the country's economy in terms of the capital market, employment, financial wealth, and consumption by stimulating the business cycle determined by the government, suppliers, and banks/ financial institutions. Abundant evidence indicates that the housing market has been studied by many researchers worldwide. Nevertheless, the scope of these studies only analyzed one particular aspect: the house price and its characteristics/ determinants and failed to capture the interconnections of house price with other factors visually. Consequently, the objective of this study is to analyze and provide the current trends of publications on house price studies across the world using bibliometric analysis. In addition, the study is also mapping the network connections of the keyword "house price" with several factors. The application of Bibliometric analysis and VOSviewer in the housing market is relatively new and underdeveloped. The bibliometric, which is a qualitative analysis, contains several steps. First, the study identified the keyword "house price" to search for documents in the Scopus database. The search was carryout from 1954 to 13th February 2021. In the next step, based on the keyword, the documents were screened and identified for data processing, and the data were extracted from the database in CSV format. Finally, the data were imported into Microsoft Excel for further evaluation for data analysis and Scientometric analysis. For data analysis, a summary of statistics, publication trends, top journals, author and affiliation, highly cited citations, top keyword analysis, top funding sponsor, a publication based on the subject area, document types and publication based on the country were analyzed. As for scientometric analysis, the CSV file format was extracted from the Scopus database and analyzed using VOSviewer to visualize the network connection. The result of the study is divided into; 1) performance analysis, 2) science mapping and 3) network analysis. In performance analysis, 4,284 articles published on house price for the past 67 years with Professor Dr Rangan Gupta from the University of Pretoria, South Africa, published 684 articles with 7869 citations. As for science mapping, the most influential publication comes from the Journal of Real Estate Finance & Economics, with 169 articles or 24% of the total population. The common keywords found from house price literature are; â€œhouse priceâ€• (860-14%), housing market (839-14%) and "housing", and "price dynamicâ€• (428-7%). The network analysis reveals 70961 citations with 1059.12 cities per year, 16.59 cites per paper, 39834.94 cites per author, 2.26 author per paper with an hindex of 108 and g-index of 161. The collaborative authors are Gupta, R, Apergis, N and Chang T, while the most collaborative country is the USA. The analytical information that stipulates by bibliometric analysis and VOSviewer is highly comprehensive and can assist practitioners and researchers in researching house prices. Furthermore, this study provides insights into the current trend of research on house prices.
Academic Journey from China to Malaysia via Avid E-Education: The Multi-Layered International Business Model and Beyond
(Department of Marketing Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2021) Manoharan, Pravina; Rethinasamy, Souba
The year 2020 and 2021 have been a year of pandemonium as the Covid-19 pandemic drastically affected all forms of human interaction and mobility from travel, work conditions, economic sector, to social activities. The education sector has not been immune to these changes and the last one and a half years has seen many learning institutions shifting their conventional face to face mode of engagement to a virtual platform. Border closures and total lockdown around the world meant restricted travel for many students studying abroad. Thus, universities around the world resorted to offering online courses for their local as well as international students. This paper aims to provide a detailed description on the collaboration between a Malaysian public university and the industry to develop a comprehensive start-up Educational Technology (EdTech) platform called Avid Education. The collaboration is aimed at providing undergraduate and postgraduate academic support for students in China intending to pursue studies at Malaysian universities. The paper focuses on the creation of the business model of the platform and the various layers that contribute towards its successful execution. The Avid Education employed the On Demand Business Model that was spurred by the increased demand in student applications from China. The business collaboration was first established between the university and the industry to develop the Avid Education online platform. MOUs were then signed with student recruitment agents from Malaysia and China and the university to ensure a legal and steady flow of students. Module writers were engaged based on their vast expertise in teaching undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Bilingual teaching assistants and tutors were also hired to help students with their writing process. Based on the requests, three main modules were created, namely the postgraduate proposal writing module, undergraduate music module and English language proficiency enhancement module. Learning on the platform is delivered in three folds. Firstly, there are weekly live lectures taught by the module writers themselves with the presence of a bilingual teaching assistant. The content of selected topics is complemented by pre-recorded videos that are presented in a bilingual team-teaching format. This is then followed by one-to-one tutoring sessions with a bilingual English-Mandarin speaking tutor to assist the students and enhance their understanding of the module. The tutors consist of senior students who are given the opportunity to put their learning into practice and earn some pocket money as well. Assessments are presented in the form of gamification to keep learners engaged. At the end of the programme, the students are awarded a certificate by the university to acknowledge their successful completion of the module. In addition to the creation of the multi-layered business model and financial benefits, this paper will also discuss the educational benefits based on the findings from the feedback received from the first batch of students and how it has doubled their chances of gaining acceptance into public universities in Malaysia.
Academics and Digital Technologies at Work (Preliminary Stage)
(Department of Marketing Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2021) Arunasalam, Arual Dewi P.
Digital technologies are transforming education and dramatically increasing access that students have to global education, besides overcoming many limitations especially to students who are disadvantaged by traditional approaches to teaching. Academics can also harness digital technologies as a powerful educational tool which also allows for temporal and spatial flexibility. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, has forced both the student and academic to adapt quickly to the use of digital technologies especially in the unpresented push to online learning and teaching. Research suggests that the challenge to many lecturers in adopting digital technologies so quickly has been the lack of support in terms of training and resources provided. Limited research, however, has examined the impact on academics from international branch campuses that are blessed with an abundance of resources and support to help with online teaching. This study therefore aims to explore the impact of digital technologies in learning and teaching among academics from international branch campuses in Malaysia together with its impact on these academics' personal resources (e.g., time, energy, and frame of mind).
Acceptability of Artificial Intelligence-Based Customer Service Agents in the Service Industry
(Department of Marketing Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2021) Abdullah, Valerie Chan Sue Lin; Ngelambong, Anderson; Kibat, Silverina Anabelle
An artificial intelligence-based customer service agent, commonly known as a chatbot, is gaining popularity in the service industry. A global survey of 3,525 respondents published by Statista (2020) revealed that most service organisations use chatbots to facilitate selfservice (78%), collect information to solve service cases (77%), and for customer service guidance (71%). Although there is a trend of increased usage of artificial intelligence (AI) as a viable alternative to human-based customer service, its acceptance among customers remains relatively poor. In another report, Statista (2021) revealed that 80 percent of customers still prefer to engage with an actual or human-based customer service agent as opposed to a virtual or artificial intelligent-based customer service agent. A review of the relevant literature shows that limited research has been done to evaluate customer feedback on artificial intelligence-based customer service agents in the airline industry. In the SouthEast Asian region, AI research is still in its infancy. No study has investigated the sentiment of customer acceptance of artificial intelligence-based applications in the airline industry using data collected from customer feedback on social media, especially in Malaysia. Thus, this study would be among the few that employ sentiment analysis as a novel approach to investigate customers' acceptance of artificial intelligence-based applications as customer service assistants in the airline industry. The study's main objective is to evaluate customer acceptance of artificial intelligence-based applications as customer service agents in the Malaysian airline industry using sentiment analysis. Chatbots are commonly used to automatically respond to users' questions and requests via chat interfaces. It is reported that companies find it is difficult to evaluate and compare various chatbot systems on their interaction with users (Mou et al., 2019). The study employs a two-step qualitative design approach to produce more in-depth and rich data, essential to improve understanding of the topic. The two steps include a sentiment analysis of customer feedback posted on social media and a thematic analysis of a semi-structured focus group interview. Based on a purposive non-random sampling, customer feedbacks posted on the selected airline companies from March 2020-March 2021 will be collected and analysed, followed by a series of semi-structured focus group interviews to validate the findings from the sentiment analysis. The participants for the semi-structured focus group interview are recruited based on a snowball sampling technique. Only individuals with experience with the selected airline company's artificial intelligence-based customer service agents are chosen for the study. The data is analysed using NVivo, a popular qualitative data analysis software. The study provides theoretical, methodological, and practical contributions to hospitality scholars and practitioners. The study would pave the way for a new and fertile area of research in artificial intelligence-based customer service agents, service management, and sentiment analysis of online customer feedback. The study's findings would assist service organisations in enhancing the performance of their artificial intelligence-based customer service agents. It is imperative since the increasing investment in artificial intelligence applications should benefit the service organisations and customer service experience.
Adoption of Blockchain Technology to the Sri Lankan Pharmaceutical Supply Chain: An Analysis of Factors
(Department of Marketing Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2021) Wasana, Paththinige Pavani; Rajapakse, Chathura
Counterfeit drug production and distribution is a serious and growing global problem, particularly in developing nations. The main issue with the pharmaceutical supply chain is aligned with the inability to identify the initial way it was manufactured and the subsequent transformations of its way through the supply chain before reaching the customer. Data is not always communicated between systems in the current supply chain circuit making the regulatory authorities have no visibility into the system as well as making recalls complicated and expensive. Tracing the proper and active pharmaceutical ingredients during production is challenging, thus the inability to recognize pharmaceuticals that do not contain the intended active ingredients may result in patient injury or death. Governments in several nations are now arming themselves with the latest trending technologies. The advanced capabilities of blockchain make it capable of providing a foundation for complete drug traceability from manufacturer to end customer and it has the capability to improve transparency and data security, decentralization, immutability, scalability, privacy, and visibility to detect mass production of counterfeit drugs. Blockchain can help prevent pharmaceutical drug fraud by increasing supply chain transparency. Each transaction is approved and validated by the selected peers on the blockchain framework. The Quick Response code is used to certify pharmaceuticals at each step of the supply chain. Entities in the supply chain can scan the Quick Response Code to verify the origin and quality of each product. Product ownership is kept unchanged, and each relevant logistic milestone will be recorded. It has the potential to transform the pharmaceutical supply chain. The methodology of this research is categorized into three major phases. As the first phase data is gathered from literature review and structured interviews with Blockchain experts. The results were then used as input into developing a conceptual model to evaluate the adoption of blockchain technology to the Sri Lankan pharmaceutical industry. During the second phase, a questionnaire is utilized to collect the data from the technology experts, to test the conceptual model. The sample data is obtained from technology experts in Sri Lanka to validate the conceptual model. In the final phase, key factors for the adoptability of blockchain were identified: government support, relative advantage, complexity, cost, upper management support, architecture, compatibility, and technological infrastructure. Structural equation modelling is studied to test the proposed conceptual model, and PLS-SEM was utilized to determine the validity of the proposed model. The practitioners will be able to decide on an approach for implementing blockchain in the Sri Lankan pharmaceutical supply chain by identification of these factors.
Adoption of Social Media Technologies in Academic Entrepreneurship and Its Influence on Student Entrepreneurs
(Department of Marketing Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2021) Kumar, S. Senthil; Moovendhan, V.; Ganesan, P.
Academic institutions have started recognizing the importance of social media technologies in nurturing academic entrepreneurship. Academic leaders of university entrepreneurial ecosystem have created entrepreneurship education labs and business incubation centers to foster academic entrepreneurs by providing training in new technologies and facilitating them to utilize opportunities from social media technologies for their business startup. Despite of all these initiatives there will be slow progress in student's business startup process. This study aims to investigate the adoption of social media technologies in academic entrepreneurship and how it influences the student's entrepreneur's business startup. This study was aimed to answer two important questions 1. What are the significant issues involving in promoting social media technologies to student's business startup? 2. How do the institutional training on social media technologies will influence the student's business startup? Structured questionnaire was used collect the data from students who are pursuing bachelor and master level courses and also undergone entrepreneurship training. E-mails were sent directly to the students to record the data using convenience sampling.
Advanced Information Systems in Supply Chain Management for Food Safety Control in Malaysian Small Food Businesses during Post Covid-19 Pandemic
(Department of Marketing Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2021) Zahari, Mohd Hafiz Bin Mohamad; Yusoff, Md Saifullah Bin Md; Wahab, Samsudin Bin
The COVID-19 pandemic, produced by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, poses an unparalleled threat to the world. Environmental changes and epidemics cause problems for supply chain players. Due to the global spread of the COVID-19 outbreak, the supply chain has recently faced significant issues and challenges that directly impact its stages. The pandemic's influence on all parts of the food supply chain caused the disruption, which affected food production, food processing, transportation, and final demand to customers all at the same time. Workers' movement limitations, changes in consumer demand, the closure of food production facilities, restricted food trade policies, and financial pressures in the food supply chain all resulted affected by COVID-19. This study shows how small food businesses can limit food safety risks using advanced information technologies in supply chain management. Small-scale businesses consist of one owner running a business. The business owner sells products mostly supplied by the various suppliers. This type of business may have one to five employees helping the owner to manage the business. In small food businesses, they are retail operations like grocery stores or sundry shops selling fresh foods (fruits and vegetables) and raw meats (chicken and fish). This literature survey was carried out after a thorough examination of the current practices by the local businesses and identify how the importance of information systems towards their supply chain management. The paper concludes that information systems are critical in ensuring food safety. Sharing data and information across the food supply chain can help mitigate serious impacts and increase flexibility in the long run, especially during a pandemic. During this period of uncertainty, supply chain practitioners must understand appropriate food safety practices to make better decisions.
AHP-TISM Based Strategic Model for Indian Leather Industry
(Department of Marketing Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2021) Hasan, Mohammad; Farooq, Ayesha; Ishrat, Irna; Javed, Mohd Yousuf; Khan, Fateh Mohd
The leather industry in India plays an essential role in boosting the economy through employment generation and export earnings. Regarded as one of the primitive industries in India, the leather sector significantly contributes towards the exports of leather footwear, garment, saddlery, harness, and finished leather goods. The export performance is quite promising in this sector, which currently is valued at $5.74 billion, and significantly contributes towards 12.9% of global leather and 9% of footwear requirements. The promising industry has been entitled to 100% FDI by the government for future development purposes. The industry involves other sectors such as cattle breeding and slaughtering for raw material, chemical industry for tanning process and textile and rubber industry for finished products. The industry has a strong bearing on the overall economy of the country as it provides large scale employment to the rural population especially women. However, Indian leather industry has been adversely affected by lack of formal education among the tannery owners, pollution generation, waste generation, and high cost of capital including chemical, machinery, spare parts, etc. Due to lack of focus on compliance to sustainable standards, the industry is criticized for polluting the environment and creating social discomfort. The process of leather processing releases highly toxic and carcinogenic chemicals which in turn pollute the environment posing serious threat to human and animal life. Although various researches have been conducted in this context including, the academia still needs further research to investigate issues related to the leather industry.This study thus aims to explore the underlying issues prevailing in the industry and suggest future strategies for revival. The researchers have traveled to leather units in Uttar Pradesh (Kanpur) and Tamil Nadu (Chennai, Ranipet, and Ambur) for data collection and conducted in-depth interviews with managers.The research is conducted in three phases1.In-depth interviews: The leather industry managers were asked to highlight challenges in the sector and provide their views on future strategies. Transcripts prepared from the interviews were then analyzed through content analysis to identify variables and sub-variables about challenges and strategies.2.TISM interviews: In the next stage, a group of industry managers were interviewed together and asked to provide relationships (V, A, X, and O) among the variables identified.3.AHP interviews: 9 industry managers were asked to provide relative rankings (1-9) among the sub-variables identified in the final stage.The results were analyzed, and a combined AHP-TISM model was formed. The findings reflect a lack of monitoring (C2) and frequent policies (C7) as the significant challenges afflicting the leather industry. Lack of accountability of local bodies (63.6%) and NGOs (26.0%) was the major contributing factor to the lack of monitoring. The study also suggests providing financial support (S9) to be a significant factor in the strategic revival of the Indian leather industry. Among other strategies, monitoring and supervision (S1) and infrastructural development (S3) can also help in boosting the growth of the sector.
Analysis of the Concept of "Interdisciplinary Collaboration" Using the Hybrid Three-Stage Model
(Department of Marketing Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2021) Salim, Salim, Sanaz; Kobrai-Abkenar, Faeze; Pourghane, Parand
Interdisciplinary collaboration is associated with improving the quality of care. The objective of this study was the analysis of the concept of "interdisciplinary collaboration" using a hybrid model. A hybrid model was used in order to analyze the concept of "interdisciplinary collaboration". The first stage was the scientific search of texts in all valid electronic databases.The second stage includes community work in which medical, pharmaceutical and nursing staff were interviewed. Data were collected, reviewed and analyzed in the third stage.In reviewing the texts, interdisciplinary collaboration has been mentioned with definitions such as group communication and similar definitions. 3 main categories and 7 sub-categories were identified according to the interviews with 15 peopple:dynamism/effectiveness of collaboration/uncertain boundaries of collaboration /advanced organizational culture. Interprofessional collaboration is essential to provide client-centered care and understanding the concept and recognizing the effective factors in this field have been the first essential step in achieving this goal.
Analyzing Challenges for Females in Freelancing in The Field of Information Technology, Sri Lanka
(Department of Marketing Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2021) Ambepitiya, Kalpana; Liyanage, Dinithi; Vidanapathirana, Adithya; Attanayake, Pulasthi; Mudannayaka, Devinda
Many female professionals in the field of Information Technology in developed countries do freelancing as their career. Freelancing is a more appropriate occupation for all Sri Lankan females in the field of Information Technology as a profession. But in online freelancing platforms, the representatives of Sri Lankan females are very low. The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors which are negatively influence the motivation of female Information Technology professionals to involve in freelancing in Sri Lanka. The study was conducted through the use of both quantitative and qualitative research approaches. Quantitative data were collected, through an online survey questionnaire. The respondents of the survey are 184 females in the field of Information Technology freelancing in Colombo district Sri Lanka. Researchers collected qualitative data from 5 telephone interviews with female Information Technology professionals who work in a prestigious multinational Information Technology firm located in Colombo, Sri Lanka. To analyze the qualitative data of the study has used thematic analysis. The reliability of the variables was confirmed using the help of experts. The study introduces a conceptual framework that includes four independent variables as disinclination, childcare and family responsibilities, gender pay gap, and job security and income stability. The study explains one dependent variable in the conceptual framework that is the motivation of female Information Technology freelancers. The study presents the effect of the above independent variables on the dependent variable. The study was conducted in Colombo district Sri Lanka; hence the change of the model needs to be investigated in different geographic areas. While the awareness of the community can be varying with the level of literacy and experience throughout the country. Moreover, there were limited research studies done on this are due to this is a novel concept in Sri Lanka. As per reviewed in the literature and even the study we conducted has suggested that results coincide with the previous reviews to some extent. Females are negatively impacted by the gender pay gap implied in the freelancing field. This will demotivate females to adopt freelancing. And even the childcare and family responsibilities also force them to give up on freelancing as a career. And even social and cultural aspects create a disinclination among females to adopt freelancing as a career. Moreover, comparing to traditional employment the level of job security and the income stability freelancing offers gives a bad impression to females about the freelance field. All Sri Lankan female Information Technology professionals who are willing to start a career in freelancing and currently working freelancers are encouraged to use the results of this study and enhance the awareness about freelancing and identify the challenges that are occurring locally while doing freelancing as a career.
Analyzing Sustainable Performance of Indian Leather Industry
(Department of Marketing Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2021) Hasan, Mohammad; Farooq, Ayesha; Ishrat, Irna; Javed, Mohd Yousuf; Khan, Fateh Mohd
With a capacity to produce 12.9% of world's leather goods, employing more than 4 million workforces and producing approximately 3 billion square feet of hides and skins, the Indian leather industry is highly attractive for foreign direct investment which has been recorded to be around $193.7 million in the year 2019. As such, the leather industry has a strong bearing on the economic growth of the country. However, sector is not able to comply with sustainability standards, which has rendered the industry as the prime source for industrial pollution and reduced its economic competitiveness.While it may seem to be a far-fetched idea of achieving sustainable standards, responsible governance, implementation of growth policies aimed at upliftment of poor and business innovation can considerably enhance the quality of life of the people across the globe. To attain ecological sustainability, it becomes necessary to focus on effectively utilizing the available resources. The companies thus, need to identify determinants of the triple bottom line to achieve sustainable development. As such, the role of executives in implementing sustainable practices has become relevant in the present industrial environment. According to, the companies have now become considerate in identifying the executives who contribute towards sustainable development thereby resulting in overall profitability.Sustainable development in the context of small and medium enterprises especially the leather sector holds a significant position. Industries focusing on sustainable development tend to develop competitiveness in the market. It can be achieved through implementing cleaner technologies such as developing leather parks, pre-treatment of sewage and water recycling. In-fact, the adoption of cleaner technologies has been observed to reduce COD levels to 80 to 90%. Besides, proper knowledge of circular economy which helps in improving economic efficiency and resource capability is indispensable for attaining sustainable development. However, the implementation of CE is dented by the lack of accessibility of finance and the support of authorities. Also, lack of customer awareness, low commitment from top managers, inadequate reverse supply chain provisions and outdated machinery further pose significant barriers towards attaining sustainable development. The policy makers would therefore, need to benchmark practices for developing better insights for the industry.To address this problem, this study focuses on analyzing the sustainability performance of the Indian leather industry and present a comparison among the three major states including Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. The study also compares performance among sub-sectors including tanneries, footwear and overall manufacturing industries. The data has been collected for a period of 10 years from the annual survey of industries reports since 2008-09 to 2017-18. The variables that have been analyzed include economic (Percentage operational factories, return on investment, fixed assets turnover, turnover per Manday, total productivity and labour productivity), environmental (Material intensity, electricity intensity and fuel intensity) and social (Gender ratio, percentage salary wage expense and percentage bonus expense).The researchers have compiled heat maps indicating areas of concern and high performing variables.
Antecedents of Ecommerce on Actual Use of International Trade Center: Empirical Study Antecedents of Ecommerce on Actual Use of International Trade Center: Empirical Study
(Department of Marketing Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2021) Almajali, Dmaithan
This research aims to investigate the factors influencing actual use of international trade center; The objective of this research is to analyze the impact of Awareness of Ecommerce, Government Policies, Trust and Security on international trade center. This study proposed a conceptual model, which will empirical test with a survey of 200 Jordanians. Because the study was limited to Jordan, one of the primary limitations of this study is that the results cannot be generalized. Future research clearly needed to reveal better insights into the nature of these relationships. We will conclude this work with findings 'discussion and Recommendation.
ANTECEDENTS OF FACEBOOK FAN PAGE LOYALTY: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF SRI LANKAN FACEBOOK USERS
(Department of Marketing Management, University of Kelaniya,Sri Lanka, 2017) Fernando, W.K.B.F.N.S.; Rathnayake, D.T.
Since the birth of Web 2.0 technologies to the world, the Social media & Social networking sites have reportedly been playing a significant role. As a result of this, Facebook, today, has become the most visited website in the world and has topped the rankings in the Sri Lankan contexts as well. Given that Facebook provides a wider opportunity for business users in order to promote their businesses among the target market by means of custom pages, Facebook Fan Pages could now be identified as one of the major promotional tools, proven to be effective locally, as well as internationally. Thus, Facebook page loyalty could be identified as a significant factor for the survival and growth of any brand.Therefore, this study focuses on investigating the antecedents of Facebook Fan Page Loyalty with special reference to Sri Lankan Facebook Users. As per the extensive literature reffered, Perceived Ease of Use, Perceived Usefulness, Brand Love, Attitude, Trust and Privacy Risk were chosen as antecedents of Fan Page Loyalty. The study was quantitative in nature whereas thecross-sectional survey design was chosen as the overall research design. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) method. Findings of the study revealed that there is a significant impact of all variables in concern on the Facebook page loyalty. However, it was also explored that out of them, the factor ‘Attitude’ is the most influential to Facebook page loyalty in Sri Lanka. Thus, it can be concluded, based on the research, that positive attitude towards the Facebook Fan page is a powerful predictor of satisfaction with the fan page, and vice versa as well.
Antecedents of Panic and Rational Buying Behavior During Crisis Times: A Structural Equation Modelling Approach
(Department of Marketing Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2021) Zaidi, Neha; Maurya, Mohit; Dixit, Sweta
Marketers during the 2020-21 pandemic realized customer responses to the crisis was unpredictable in many ways. From anxiety fueled hoarding to indifferent and discretionary reactions, resulting purchase behaviors were unprecedented. This study leverages underpinnings of Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework, in order to propose a structural model linking knowledge of the pandemic to risk perception and behavioral responses of panic buying and rational buying. To decipher the relationship between various relevant factors this, study attempts to establish the impact of Covid-19 related knowledge on perceived infectability and perceived severity of the pandemic. In this context, the study identifies various pertinent risks like physical/health, economic and mental and their implications on rational and panic purchases. The study further examines the relationship between the perceived infectability and severity with the studied risks. Valid responses from 240 salaried participants from urban conurbation of Delhi (NCR) India were used to validate the measurement model and to test the causal relationship. The Structural Equation Model thus derived can benefit marketers to have a better understanding of the determinants that may affect purchasing decisions during crisis times. The study found a strong relationship between economic risk and rational purchasing, bringing out an inference that when the perception of economic risk is on the higher side, then customers involve themselves in making rational purchases. The study further reveals that greater knowledge of pandemic nuances led to increased perceived severity. Perceived severity had significant impact on buyer's intention towards panic buying. The study relates these factors being affected by Covid induced implications in understanding the behavioral changes of individuals on consumption and hoarding intentions. Future research may focus on other variables like ethnic & social characteristics, conformity behavior and may validate the model in context of countries at various stages of economic development.
The Antecedents of Pro-Environmental Behavior and Its Impact on Subjective Well-Being
(Department of Marketing Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2021) Matiah, Jayasutha; Singh, Harpaljit Kaur Pritam
Global warming is a serious threat to the entire ecosystem, human well-being, the economy and national security. Environmental problems, which are a global concern, have risen significantly over the years, further compounded by the recent COVID-19 pandemic, which challenged the mainstream agendas of economic development and environmental sustainability. To surmount the escalating environmental damage and risks, Malaysians needs to steer towards a more sustainable development path, by significantly changing human behaviour, a key determinant of the current state of the environment, to being more environmentally sustainable. This study is imperative, as it examines the antecedents of pro-environmental behaviour (PEB), which enhances the environmental responsibility of Malaysians, particularly youths, who are the backbone of the nation and the main agent in shaping the future of the country. As far as pro-environmental behaviour and well-being are concerned, research has found the two constructs to be related, though there are limited studies in this area, especially in Malaysia, reflecting the existence of a neglect-spotting gap in the literature. This study will not only address the gaps in the literature but will also provide an in-depth analysis of the factors that enhances or hinders pro-environment behaviour among Malaysian youths, as it examines the direct and indirect impact of affective factor (biospheric value), cognitive factor (environmental self-identity) and social factor (personal norm) on pro-environmental behaviour, and its resulting impact on subjective well-being. This study will also explore the moderating role of social networking sites (SNSs) on PEB. The theoretical framework of this study will be based on the integration between a parsimonious theoretical Value Identity Personal Norm (VIP) model and the Social Cognitive theory. The study will employ the non-probability sampling technique, whereby sample will be non-randomly selected based on the judgement of the researcher, with youths in Malaysia between the ages of 15 to 24 years will be considered as the potential respondent. Statistical software, the SPSS 26.0 (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) statistical software package and AMOS 24.0 (Analysis of Moment Structures) software for data analysis purposes which included exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis will be employed for the current study. Two-step covariance-based structural equation modelling technique will be used to evaluate the measurement and the structural model. The results of the study will assist policymakers to plan, ratify and implement effective interventions to transform the mindset of Malaysians and augment their proenvironmental behavior to circumvent the adverse effects of climate change.
Anxiety, Anger, and Mindfulness as Predictors of General Health in the General Population during Covid-19 Outbreak: A Survey in Southeast Iran
(Department of Marketing Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2021) Dehghan, Mahlagha; Zakeri, Mohammad Ali; Malakoutikhah, Alireza; Derakhtanjani, Ahmad Salehi; Bazmandeh, , Abbas Zakeri
Communities have been exposed to the complications and problems caused by COVID-19 disease, which has had various and complex effects on general health. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between anxiety, anger, mindfulness and general health in the general population during the COVID-19 outbreak in Iran. This cross-sectional study was performed on 456 participants from the general population of Kerman city from September 2020 to April 2021. For data collection, Demographic Charectristics Form, General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), Freiburg Mindfulness inventory- Short Form (FMISF), The trait anxiety section of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), The State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2 (FSTAXI-2) were used. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to determine the relationship between variables and multivariate linear regression was used to identify GHQ predictors. General health was positively correlated with anxiety and anger and negatively correlated with mindfulness (P < 0.001). Anxiety was positively correlated with anger and negatively correlated with mindfulness (P < 0.001). No significant correlation was found between anger and mindfulness (P = 0.05). Based on multiple regression model, anxiety, anger and a family member infected with COVID-19 were the predictors of general health (F = 123.48, P < 0.001). Given that anxiety, anger, and family members infected with COVID-19 are all predictors of public health, it is suggested that psychological programs and interventions be designed to reduce anxiety and anger, as well as to support family members infected with COVID-19, in order to promote general health.
Are Commercial Agent Banking Services Worthwhile for Financial Inclusion?
(Department of Marketing Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2021) Al-Amin, Md.; Hossain, Md. Imran; Toha, Md. Abu
In recent times, commercial agent banking services has got considerable attention from academia and banking industry for accelerating financial inclusion in emerging economics. However, it's incomprehensible to accelerate the economic progression through financial inclusion while ignoring a huge segment of the nonbank people from unprivileged areas. A very few studies have conducted on the association between agent banking services and financial inclusion in emerging economics such as Bangladesh. The present study aims to investigate the impact of agent banking services provided by the commercial banks on financial inclusion. To begin with the investigation, this study was based on agency theory considering purposive sampling technique. This quantitative study was conducted on 19 commercial banks which are currently providing agent banking services in Bangladesh. An econometric model was proposed whereas dependent construct has one specific dimension named as financial inclusion proxy by number of accounts as a percentage of adult population, in contrast, independent construct had three dimensions named as deposited amount, credited amount, and inward remittance of agent bank. In addition to that, this econometric model was based on secondary data whereas data analysis was conducted by considering time series statistical method using GRETL (2019) software. This statistical analysis revealed that currently both deposited amount and credited amount does have significant impact on financial inclusion. It has also inferred that using agent banking for in-warding remittance and new account open by clients have positive significant relationship with financial inclusion. It is argued that agent banking services by comprising unbanked people in financial inclusion which will ultimately prompt the opportunity for proper mobilization of resources and funds while maintaining safety and security. Further, it is also claimed that this study would assist to illustrate the present performance of agent banking services in financial inclusion from multidimensional perspective which will contribute to provide some more innovative and sustainable products and services towards the unbanked people. Finally, this study recommends that commercial bank through agent banking should include maximum number of nonbank populations into the financial inclusion by ensuring sustainable agent banking services which will accelerate the emerging economics Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs) performance.
Are We Different? The Effects of Perceived Value on Revisiting Intention in The Context of MICE Tourism: a Multi-Group Analysis
(Department of Marketing Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2021) Min, Ho Jie; Ming, Joseph Sia Kee; Seng, Yap Ching; Lee, Sean
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating effect on businesses of all kinds. Accompanied by quarantine requirements in most countries and closed borders worldwide, the MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions, and expeditions) industry has been badly hit. To bounce back from the COVID-19 disruption, there is a need for MICE event organizations and destination marketers to understand the value, attitude, and behavioral sequences among the MICE participants. Using the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), this study examines the role of perceived value in affecting MICE participants' attitude towards the events they had participated in, their attitude towards the hosting destination, and their revisiting intention. Recognizing the potential cultural differences between international and domestic event participants, this study further conducted the multi-group analysis to analyze the difference between international and domestic event participants. This timely study provides new insight into strategies to rebuild domestic and international events during the post-COVID recovery period.
Artificial Intellegence and Porter's Five Forces: An Integration
(Department of Marketing Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2021) Wen, Chue Kar; Shan, Lom Hui; Adeline, Y. L.; Chin, Thoo Ai
The influx of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into Marketing has been surging in recent years in various disciplines of Marketing, however the research are only limited to macro-level analyses. Academic criticisms have been built up on Porter's Five Forces (P5F) that the model is limited to macro-level perspective in measuring the attractiveness (or profitability) of an industry, and no longer up to date to latest business practices. It is noticeable that only a few research introduced or integrated technological advancement into the P5F model to keep the P5F model relevant to the modern business world. AI is capable of sensing, reasoning, and acting; especially reasoning is being focused in the recent researches that aims to develop human reasoning into machines to activate them thinking and acting like humans, undertake more complex work and making better informed decisions. The Three-stage Framework idealised by Huang and Rust (2021) consists of Mechanical AI, Thinking AI, and Feeling AI that are applied coherently into each element in the Porter's Five Forces. The Mechanical AI is to perform repetitive or routine work such as data collection; Thinking AI is to process and analyse the data to decision making (without being needed to supervise); and Feeling AI is to perform communication with humans (e.g. customers). The process is looping back to the mechanical AI as there would be feedbacks from humans as inputs. The integration of the Three-stage Framework as a concept of AI categorises Porter's Five Forces into more micro-level on the analysis of the industry, that would ultimately enhance the relevancy of Porter's Five Forces in the modern and ever-changing business environment. This paper aims to integrate Artificial Intelligence into Porter's Five Forces to enhance the relevancy of the model into the latest business practices, by integrating a conceptual model in Artificial Intelligence, Three-stage Framework into Porter's Five Forces. Each element in P5F including Threat of New Entrants, Bargaining Power of Supplier, Threat of Substitution, Bargaining Power of Customers and Degree of Rivalry are integrated with the Three-Stage Framework. The integration would enhance the content of P5F hence P5F would provide researchers to analyse the industry more effectively. Some underlying factors that may be hidden during research may be highlighted or observed by AI. Other than being more analytic, the model could be more predictive in analysing the level of competitiveness and competitors' activities. Conceptually, the integration of the ThreeStage Framework into P5F would create a more possibilities for the market entrants, both suppliers and customers, substitutions, subsequently increases the degree of rivalry and ultimately enhances the attractiveness and profitability of an industry. Following the technological trend, the applications of Artificial Intelligence programs will generally enhance the marketing content in Porter's Five Forces that makes it more relevant in the current and future business environment. This study is currently limited to conceptual research, as the practicality of some AI functions are not yet matured. The conceptual integration of the Three-Stage Framework into P5F could be further discovered in specific industries for more empirical results.
ASSESSING SUSTAINABILITY IN FAMILY BUSINESSES IN SRI LANKA THROUGH AN EFFECTIVE ENTREPRENEURIAL PROCESS LIFECYCLE.
(Department of Marketing Management, University of Kelaniya,Sri Lanka, 2017) Hespen, C.; Neelawala, P.
In the current dynamic and highly unpredictable market entrepreneurship is a highly sort after subject in the industry. As entrepreneurs are responsible for job creation it is vital to understand the involvement of family and kinship in the organizations development. To do this the many factors that influence the entrepreneurial process must be identified and a relationship must be identified in the entrepreneurial lifecycle. This research was conducted in order to identify the involvement of family during the entrepreneurial lifecycle and how this creates sustainability of the organization. This study is done in order to bridge the knowledge gap in Sri Lanka regarding entrepreneurship and provides an understanding of family oriented entrepreneurial firms to further generations. In order to carry out this research the author uses the qualitative method and an induction approach. This will be done through interviews that are conducted on open ended questions from different family oriented entrepreneurs.