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  • Item type: Item ,
    Positive psychological approach as reflected in Puņņovādasutta
    (0000) Bhaddiya, W.
    It can be pointed out that maintaining positive attitudes is a crucial force for a person's physical development as well as their mental development. The field of positive psychology can be identified as an important branch of psychology that discusses this. This field illustrates how an individual should maintain themselves as a positive thinker. Buddhist teachings also clearly reflect the appreciation for the importance of having positive attitudes combined with a realistic understanding. This foundation is well analyzed in the sermons Puņņa Sutta and Puņņovāda Sutta. The positive attitudes reflected through the ideas presented by Ven. Punna Thero are clearly evident in both of the aforementioned suttas. This qualitative study, conducted using primary and secondary sources, draws attention to positive psychology and its value in building a positive mindset through proper management, even in the most severe and stressful situations.
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    Reflection of Tourism Destination Image through Online Reviews: A Netnographic Approach to UNESCO World Heritage Site of Rangiri Dambulla Cave Temple, Sri Lanka
    (CCF - ICOMOS Sri Lanka National Conference 2025, 2025) Weerasinghe, I.; Pamalka, A. A. H.
    Tourism Destination Image (TDI) is conceptualised through three components: cognitive, affective, and conative. Tourists' impressions play a vital role in shaping destination image within the tourism sector. In today's digital era, user-generated content (UGC) provides deeper insights into visitor perceptions, as travellers widely share experiences through online platforms and social media. TripAdvisor, one of the most popular and globally recognised travel websites, offers authentic reviews reflecting visitor experiences. This study aims to examine how the image of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Rangiri Dambulla Cave Temple in Sri Lanka, is reflected through online reviews. The study was guided by two objectives: (i) to determine tourists' perspectives of visit experiences at Dambulla Cave Temple under the three TDI components, and (ii) to identify negatively addressed elements in each component. A qualitative Netnography approach was used, with individual online reviews as the unit of analysis. Out of 6,902 reviews recorded under the filtering terms, 'Dambulla Cave Temple' and 'Golden Temple of Dambulla' by August 2025, 150 detailed English-language reviews (January 2024-August 2025) were selected through convenience sampling until thematic saturation. Data was coded and analysed using the open-source software "Taguette", based on the deductive approach in thematic analysis. The results of the study reveal that the Rangiri Dambulla Cave Temple has received both positive and negative online reviews on three TDI components. The visitors have been immensely impressed by the cognitive components of the site, including its cultural and historical attributes (heritage aspects, carvings, paintings, and statues) and natural attributes (scenic beauty and caves). TDI has been negatively affected by the cognitive elements of physical attributes (heritage and visitor management approaches, visitor facilities). The reflection of positive thoughts and emotions, reinforced by the religious atmosphere and the historical prestige of the site, reveals that visitors' affective level is at a considerably satisfactory level. Due to the complications in site management, the visitors' overall conative image of revisit intention was very poor, while recommendations were at a neutral level. The study provides novel insights for authorities in heritage site management to prioritise enhancing the quality of the visit experience, thereby ensuring the prestigious reputation of this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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    Unpacking Investor Psychology: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Behavioural Biases Shaping Investment Decisions
    (F1000Research, 2025) Herathmenike, H. M. M. A.; Dewasiri, N. J.; Munasinghe, A.
    Background This study systematically examines how behavioural biases affect investment decisions across formal and informal financial markets, with a focus on emerging economies. It aims to map the evolution of the field, highlight neglected cognitive biases, and uncover geographical and methodological gaps in current research. Methods A rigorous Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was conducted using the PRISMA protocol, analysing 63 empirical studies from the Scopus database. Advanced bibliometric tools, VOSviewer and Biblioshiny, were employed to identify key trends, thematic clusters, and shifts in research focus in behavioural finance. Results The review reveals a heavy concentration of studies on biases such as overconfidence, herding, and loss aversion, primarily within formal market settings and South Asian contexts. Many other essential biases, including regret aversion, anchoring, and emotional influences, are still rarely studied. Very few studies test real-world solutions, such as education, digital tools, or reminders, that may help people make better financial decisions. Visual and longitudinal mapping demonstrate a rising academic interest after 2016, but expose a lack of representation from many regions and emerging behavioural dynamics. Research on informal investing and diverse cultural settings is also limited. Conclusion This review highlights that many investors, especially in emerging economies, are guided by emotions and mental shortcuts rather than careful reasoning. While interest in this topic has grown, most research still focuses on a few well-known biases and limited regions. Many significant biases, such as regret aversion and anchoring, remain underexplored. There is also very little evidence on what helps reduce these biases in real-world settings. This study advocates for more diverse, practical, and inclusive research that can help investors ma
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    Exploring crisis vulnerability of small and medium enterprises (SMEs): evidence from Sri Lanka's tourism industry
    (Cogent Business & Management, 2025) Adikaram, N. K. K. B.; Surangi, H. A. K. N. S.
    Small businesses and crisis management research areas are well established but largely detached fields. Given the economic importance of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and their vulnerability to crises, this study explores the factors that make them more vulnerable to such challenges. This study adopts a qualitative phenomenological approach in line with the philosophy of social constructionism. Nineteen tourism-related SMEs from Sri Lanka's Southern Province were chosen for the sample and interviewed, and the data were triangulated with observations. The data were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) through the theoretical lens of resilience and risk society theories. The themes identified as factors that make the tourism SME sector more vulnerable to crises are its dependence on unskilled employees, unawareness of preventive measures, and being mostly home-based, seasonal, and crisis-prone. This study's findings may assist SME entrepreneurs and other stakeholders in arranging themselves by adopting proactive measures to deal with crises.
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    Determinants of Customer Preference for Cardless Technology Over the Card for Cash Withdrawals in Sri Lanka
    (OIDA International Journal of Sustainable Development, 2025) Sathsarani, M. K. S. M.; Liyanage, B. L. D. H. V.; Herath, H. M. N. P.
    It may seem contradictory that someone who avoids using a debit card still seeks cash withdrawals and prefer to use their mobile device at an ATM. The purpose of this study is to explore the determinants of customer preference for cardless technology over the card for cash withdrawals in Sri Lanka. The study has been conducted using a quantitative-deductive approach and data was collected from 186 cardless technology users through structured questionnaires. Convenience sampling was employed in this research study. The research employs the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as a theoretical foundation, evaluating Perceived Ease of Use, Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Security and Customer Trust as independent variables in this study, with Customer Preference as the dependent variable. Reliability, descriptive, correlation, multiple regression analysis and comparative study were used to analyze the data using the SPSS software. According to the study's findings, all four factors significantly affect customer preference, with perceived usefulness and customer trust emerging as the most impactful variables. Independent variables are less correlated with each other, as per the results of the inter correlation matrix, tolerance values, VIF and Cronbach alpha values demonstrate the data are more reliable. The analysis also highlights the comparative adoption rates between two major banks, People's Bank and Sampath Bank, providing insights into their customers' perceptions. The study concluded that cardless technology not only enhances customer perceptions of security and ease of access but also holds the potential to revolutionize cash withdrawal practices by eliminating the need for physical cards. Although banking technology in Sri Lanka is advanced and trust issues appear minimal, banks must continue to communicate and educate customers on the benefits of adopting cardless services. The findings of this study highlight the potential for banks to leverage cardless technology as a secure, convenient and cost-effective solution to meet the evolving needs of customers. This study is subjected to several limitations. First, the sample was limited to a small group of Sri Lankan banks. Second, reliance on self-reported data may have bias responses. For a detailed analysis of the banking sector as a whole, it is essential for future research to focus on receiving money through this cardless technology, which is also provided by other banks. This can be extended to additional markets, i.e., similar consumer preferences in other regions or different countries, especially in developing economies with growing mobile and digital banking services, can be investigated. Furthermore, future studies can include a broader range of banks and examine the potential environmental benefits of reduced plastic card usage, as well as how sustainability factors may influence consumer adoption of such technology.