The digital economy is growing rapidly worldwide, driven by advances in information and communication technology (ICT), data analytics, and platform-based business models, creating an urgent need for reliable measurement frameworks. Traditional metrics like gross domestic product (GDP) often fail to capture the impact of digital transformation, especially in developing economies. In response, this study reviews five major frameworks for measuring the digital economy: (1) an input–output approach from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), (2) digital Supply–Use Tables by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), (3) the United States Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)’s digital economy satellite account, (4) Huawei and Oxford Economics’ “Digital Spillover” model, and (5) the “GDP-B” welfare metric proposed by Brynjolfsson et al. (2019). The study critically evaluates each framework’s methodology, assumptions, and limitations using a rubric with five criteria: coverage, the System of National Accounts (SNA) compatibility, data requirements, replicability, and policy usefulness. The comparative analysis finds that ADB’s Input-Output (I-O)-based framework is robust and aligns well with national accounts, making it well-suited to Sri Lanka’s context, while other models offer complementary perspectives (for example, GDP-B captures consumer surplus from free digital services that GDP misses). Based on these insights, it proposes a hybrid measurement model that combines ADB’s structural approach with GDP-B’s welfare perspective to provide both market-size and welfare views of Sri Lanka’s digital economy. The paper also outlines a detailed implementation roadmap, specifying responsible agencies, data needs, and a timeline for integrating digital economy metrics into Sri Lanka’s official statistics. This study tailors global best practices to a developing-country context and offers actionable recommendations. The findings will help policymakers and statisticians in Sri Lanka and similar economies systematically measure their digital economies, enabling more evidence-based digital transformation strategies. Keywords: digital economy, measurement framework, input–output analysis, Sri Lanka, national accounts
This conceptual paper explores the dynamic interplay between perceived workplace inclusion, interpersonal trust, perceived organizational embeddedness, and perceived workplace fairness, adopting the lenses of social exchange theory and equity theory. The proposed conceptual model posits that establishing an inclusive work atmosphere that prioritizes fairness enhances interpersonal trust, which enhances employees’ integration into the firm. However, research on the integrated effects of perceived workplace inclusion and workplace fairness on organizational embeddedness, particularly in South Asian contexts, is scarce despite the increased emphasis on employee integration (Mujajati et al., 2024). This is a significant gap since varied workforces make it difficult for businesses to sustain their performance and integrate talent. The central argument is that perceived workplace inclusion, which is mediated by interpersonal trust and moderated by perceptions of fairness, is a crucial mechanism for improving organizational embeddedness. This fills a theoretical gap in embeddedness research, which has traditionally concentrated on relational and structural factors without incorporating perspectives on justice and inclusion. Understanding these relationships is extremely important for maintaining staff integration, especially in areas of hospitality, information technology, and financial services, where labour markets are dynamic and workforces are diverse throughout Sri Lanka and the larger South Asian region (Wickramasingha, 2023). We emphasise the need for future research to test these ideas across different industries, such as hospitality, information technology, and financialservices, in service-oriented and knowledge-intensive sectors. Practical consequences involve establishing inclusion-focused policies and initiatives that encourage workplace fairness and interpersonal trust and enhance organizational embeddedness.
In a rapidly changing global environment, the interaction between governance, economic systems, and social structures is crucial for fostering resilient and sustainable societies. Globalization, digital transformation, climate pressures, and demographic shifts are redefining how societies govern and distribute resources. These developments place growing demands on governments and institutions, requiring them to respond effectively to complex, interconnected challenges while maintaining transparency and accountability. Sustainable development and long-term stability depend on strong institutions and governance capable of adapting to changing circumstances (UNDP, 2023; World Bank, 2022).Economic development and social well-being are closely linked to the quality of governance and the inclusiveness of social systems. Policies that promote equitable growth, social protection, and citizen participation strengthen societal resilience and reduce inequality. In many regions, governments are encouraged to adopt collaborative and participatory approaches that integrate economic planning with social and environmental priorities. Such perspectives emphasize the need for governance models that are adaptive, inclusive, and oriented toward sustainable development amid evolving global challenges (UNESCO, 2023; United Nations, 2025).
In contemporary Social Science, the concepts of recognition and representation are not merely theoretical concerns, but fundamental to understanding how social realities are constructed, experienced, and challenged among communities. Social reality refers to shared perceptions, beliefs, values, and social constructs that shape how people understand and interact within a society through ongoing social interactions and cultural transmission (Kaldis, 2014). While this reality is not fixed or purely objective, it is actively created and maintained by individuals and groups who interpret and reinforce social roles and behaviors.The concept of the ‘social construction of reality’ developed by Berger and Luckmann (1966), remains a foundational framework for understanding how societies produce and maintain shared meanings. According to this theory, social reality emerges through habitualization, where repeated behaviors become routine, and institutionalization, where these routines are perceived as objective and taken for granted. This view emphasizes that what we consider ‘real’ is not fixed or universal but shaped by cultural context and social interaction (Kaldis, 2014; Miller & Nowacek, 2018).
The study investigates the factors developing intercultural protean career attitudes (freedom, self-direction, and making career choices based on one’s values) among postgraduate students (who later migrated to Arab world countries) and the role of ability-based psychological mechanisms. Specifically, to study the effect of core self-evaluation (CSEs), perceived employability, and network capital on intercultural protean career attitude, and the role of career decision selfefficacy (CDSE) as a mediator in this relationship. Past studies have focused on the consequences of intercultural protean careers. However, none of them identified the antecedents of intercultural protean career mobility orientation of migrant workers. Our study aims to develop a process model for which individuals develop intercultural protean careers. Data was collected from 1,064 post-graduate management students in Kerala, India in two waves. The data was collected for the first wave immediately before the participants completed their graduation degree, and the second wave of data collection was done approximately six months into their employment and migrated to the Arab world countries. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to test the hypothesis and the size of the indirect effect using the SPSS PROCESS macro. Individuals with higher CSEs and perceived employability develop intercultural protean career attitudes, whereas socially embedded individuals are less likely to form a protean attitude. Further, for individuals having higher CSEs and perceived employability, the development of intercultural protean career orientation largely happens through the development of CDSE. Career counsellors who are dealing with problems arising out of dynamism in careers could focus on building elements of CSEs and developing career-specific self-efficacy. Organizations that prefer stable career orientations in their employees could look for socially embedded employees.
The website of the Municipal Council of Colombo asserts that it was founded in 1865 (Colombo Municipal Council, 2015). This is also the story that is recounted in scholarly histories of Colombo, in modern websites and in popular accounts of the history of the city. The objective of this article is to demonstrate that Colombo had a municipal council as early as the sixteenth century and to illuminate the story of its existence for over 70 years - until well into the seventeenth century. It also explores the functions of the council, its relationship with Portuguese officials who ruled the areas they controlled in Sri Lanka and question of whose interests were represented by this council. The article also contends that this first Municipal Council had a role in Portuguese administration that occasionally extended to policy-making on matters beyond the city.
Household-level food waste presents a growing concern worldwide, contributing substantially to environmental degradation and economic losses. This study aimed to investigate the amount of household food waste generated and examine its relationship with consumer demographic characteristics and behavioural patterns. A total of 75 volunteer households from the Alpitiya Grama Niladhari Division in the Kegalle District, Sri Lanka, were assessed to explore the relationships between food waste generation, socio-economic factors, and consumer behaviour. Data on consumer demographics and behaviour were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to individuals primarily responsible for food preparation and shopping within the selected households. Food waste generated in each household was quantified for three consecutive days at 24-hour intervals. Data analysis revealed that the mean avoidable food waste and unavoidable food waste generated within one household per day were 262.5 +/- 207.0 g (mean +/- SD) and 368.7 +/- 141.7 g, respectively. Therefore, the total food wastage per household per day was 631.2 +/- 286.4 g. The results of the multiple linear regression analysis showed that the amount of household food waste generation significantly differed (p < .05) based on several demographic factors: participants' age, number of family members, and income level. With respect to consumer behaviour, household waste generation was significantly impacted by the preparation of a shopping list (p < .05). Finally, this study recommends making a food shopping list before shopping as an effective way to reduce total household food waste generation.
This research paper delves into the traditional Sri Lankan tool known as 'Kulla' (Winnowing Fan) exploring its cultural significance, historical context, and various applications in the daily lives of the Sinhalese people. The study reveals the intricate connections between the Kulla and the Sri Lankan cultural heritage, highlighting its multifunctional use in culinary, medicinal, and construction activities. Through a comprehensive analysis of traditional practices and material culture, the research documents how the Kulla, primarily made from natural resources like bamboo, palm leaves, and reeds, plays a vital role in sustenance of rural livelihoods and the preservation of artisanal skills. By examining the production techniques, usage patterns, and the socio-cultural context of the Kulla, the paper provides valuable insights into the continuity and evolution of traditional Sri Lankan craftsmanship. The findings underscore the importance of preserving these traditional tools and the knowledge associated with them, modernization and globalization.
Research consistently shows that destinations with positive images attract more travellers in a competitive tourism industry. Having faced several obstacles such as the Easter attack, COVID-19, and the ongoing economic crisis, Sri Lanka is now reviving itself as a key tourist destination and needs a comprehensive assessment of its destination marketing efforts. A detailed image analysis is crucial, as this area remains underexplored in literature. This study perceptions of Sri Lanka, using 85 in-depth travel blog entries. The three-dimensional framework suggested by Echtner and Ritchie (1991, 1993) provided the theoretical lens for the study. The research successfully identified strong and favourable images associated with both the functional and psychological attributes of Sri Lanka. The overarching holistic impressions of the country were predominantly linked to its captivating scenic beauty, lush green landscapes, diverse yet compact offerings, indicated that unique images of Sri Lanka held a relatively less prominent position in the minds of travellers when product development for a cohesive brand experience.
Crime is an inevitable but manageable aspect of any society. We analysed the age profiles of the suspects and victims of various crimes using a sample of crime records obtained from a regional police station in Sri Lanka. Graphical analysis methods and chi-square tests were used to identify the differences among age groups and different types of crime. For widely reported crimes including housebreaking, theft, robbery, and personal assault, delinquency peaks in 20s and smoothly declines with age. People in their 40s are the most vulnerable to property crimes such as housebreaking and theft. These differences may be explained by the age-related differences in income and unemployment. The suspects of well thought out crimes, such as cheating and breach of trust were the most matured with a peak in 30s-40s. The number of suspects below 20 were significantly low for all types of crimes other than those related to rape and sexual abuse. A strictly adolescent peak of delinquency was observed in 16-19 for crimes associated with abduction, rape and/or sexual abuse and the majority of the victims were children. A child victim or suspect was reported in 10% of all incidents. Involvement in criminal grouping was most prevalent between late teens and 40 years of age. The composite age profile of the suspects complies with the traditional age-crime profile with a minor shift. However, it shows a significant deviation from the age profiles of both convicted and unconvicted prisoners in Sri Lanka, which could be a reflection of delays in arresting and court hearings.
According to UNICEF, one in four children under the age of five has had their birth unregistered worldwide, exposing them to the risks of statelessness, abuse, and discrimination. Despite the integrated global efforts, South Asia, particularly Pakistan, faces significant provincial disparities in birth registration. This study examines cross-sectional data from the 2017-2018 Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (PDHS) on a sample of 8,638 children under age five. Only 42.54% of these children have their births officially registered. Using Fairlie decomposition as the core method of analysis, our study aims to investigate whether birth registration inequalities in Punjab-Sindh, Punjab-KPK, and Punjab-Balochistan groups stem primarily from compositional or behavioural differences. Additionally, it bifurcates the relative contribution of individual factors driving the observed disparities across all three inter-provincial groups. Fairlie decomposition results reveal that the differences in household characteristics are the primary driver that explains birth registration disparity in the Punjab-Sindh group. Wealth status and mother's education contribute 95.23% to the explained inequality. In contrast, the birth registration gap is mainly attributable to the differences in behavioural profiles in the Punjab-KPK group. Equalizing all selected characteristics would only eliminate 46.31% of the birth registration gap. On the other hand, all inequality in the Punjab-Balochistan group entirely results from differences in compositional factors. Here, variations in birth registration behaviour play no role in determining the observed disparity, distinguishing it from the previous two groups. Addressing provincial birth registration disparities requires situation-specific interventions to promote equitable birth registration and achieve the SDG target of 16.9 by 2030.
Safe abortion is a controversial discourse in contemporary society. In many countries, including Sri Lanka, induced abortions are considered criminal acts. Due to these strict laws, individuals often resort to unsafe methods for abortions, posing significant life risks. Various organizations including governmental, non-governmental, international and grassroot entities advocate for the liberalization of these stringent abortion laws to ensure safe access while stressing the importance of women’s bodily autonomy. Despite the critical nature of this issue, there are only a few studies in Sri Lanka focusing on safe abortions and abortion laws. These existing studies primarily examine the community’s perspective and are based on social and cultural determinants. However, they do not sufficiently address the role and the impact made by the abortion-related laws in Sri Lanka, which creates a significant research gap. This study intends to bridge the identified research gap in the context of safe abortion legislation in Sri Lanka. This review synthesizes previously conducted studies on abortion at both global and national levels. The main objective of this review is to explore the role of the law related to safe abortion in Sri Lanka, when accessing safe abortion, employing a feminist legal theory framework.
Sri Lanka Journal of Social Sciences (SLJSS) is published by the National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka. It publishes social science articles on topics relevant to Sri Lanka in particular and South Asia in general.
Sri Lanka Journal of Social Sciences (SLJSS) is published by the National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka. It publishes social science articles on topics relevant to Sri Lanka in particular and South Asia in general.
Sri Lanka Journal of Social Sciences (SLJSS) is published by the National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka. It publishes social science articles on topics relevant to Sri Lanka in particular and South Asia in general.
The trichotomy of Needs Theory has been applied in various studies to analyze psychological features across different professions. However, there is a notable gap in the literature regarding its impact on irrational investor behavior. This study presents a groundbreaking contribution by exploring how individual investors’ unique characteristics, defined by the trichotomy of Needs Theory, impact their stock market decisions. This research offers crucial, interdisciplinary insights into the psychological principles driving human behavior, making it significant for market analysts, investors, stockbrokers, and decision-makers. Utilizing David McClelland’s trichotomy of Needs Theory, the study assesses the behavioral aspects of individual investors. It investigates the impact of said theory on irrational investor behavior at the Colombo Stock Exchange, with the investor category as a moderator. Data was collected through a structured questionnaire from a sample of 386 investors at the Colombo Stock Exchange using systematic random sampling. Structural Equation Modeling was employed to test the hypotheses. The findings indicate that both the need for affiliation and the need for achievement significantly increase irrational investor behavior at the Colombo Stock Exchange. Further, the results embrace a significant positive moderation effect from the investor category on the relationship between the need for affiliation and irrational investor behavior. Moreover, the investor category positively impacts the relationship between the need for achievement and irrational investor behavior in the Colombo Stock Exchange.
Enhancing the quality of goods and services through innovation and the integration of electronic applications is a fundamental aspect of digital transformation. This topic has increasingly captivated the attention of management and organizational scholars. This focus is especially relevant in improving organizational performance by digitalizing core operations. The global and Sri Lankan economies have faced severe disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has compelled commercial banks to adopt innovative digital strategies as a means of mitigating the resultant risks and maintaining stability. This study explores the impact of digital transformation on the financial performance of 10 Licensed Commercial Banks in Sri Lanka, comparing outcomes before and after the pandemic’s onset. By employing a robust methodological framework that includes descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and T-test analysis, the research investigates key variables to discern trends and patterns across different timeframes. The assessment of digital transformation is conducted through a multi-dimensional approach, focusing on metrics such as the volume of digital transactions, income from fees and commissions, and the proliferation of Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) and Cash Deposit Machines (CDMs). Financial performance, on the other hand, is gauged using critical indicators like Return on Assets (ROA) and Return on Equity (ROE). The analysis reveals nuanced insights: while the increase in ATMs and CDMs correlates positively with financial performance, this relationship lacks statistical significance. In contrast, a substantial and positive effect on financial performance is observed from the volume of digital transactions and the income generated from fees and commissions. Significantly, the findings indicate that digital transformation initiatives have enabled commercial banks to not only weather the pandemic but also enhance their financial performance during this period of unprecedented challenge. These results emphasize the imperative for financial institutions to strategically integrate advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence, into their digital transformation agendas. By doing so, they can secure and potentially elevate financial performance, even amidst unforeseen global crises like a pandemic.
After resolving internal conflicts in 2009, Sri Lanka experienced significant economic growth through infrastructure development and other policy initiatives. However, the pace of growth has since decelerated, and the country now faces numerous challenges related to the sustainability of its progress. Scholars and policymakers have identified a primary issue: the need for a systematic approach to the country’s development models. Consequently, this study was conducted to comprehensively examine the policy inputs necessary for optimizing the National Innovation System (NIS) in Sri Lanka, focusing on the three main actors: universities, S&T institutions, and industry. A robust conceptual model was formulated by exploring the existing literature on NIS, their functions, and roles, with particular emphasis on the imperatives of NIS in developing countries. This study aims to understand the roles of these three main actors within NIS, evaluate the effectiveness of their functions, and assess the strength of the networking relationships among them. Based on this conceptual framework, the empirical phase of the study was structured and implemented. This research proposes several policy recommendations based on data analysis to enhance the three primary NIS actors’ role effectiveness and strengthen their network relationships, providing a solid foundation for future policy decisions.
This paper extends the Alternative Myers’ index Pal et al. (2014) as a common measure of the quality of age reporting in addition to Pal et al. (2014) past development using the data of selected Asian countries. The most recent wave of country-specific demographic and health survey data is used for the present study. Three different versions of the Myers’ index are proposed. The proposed versions are calculated by replacing the original population with a person-year approach. When proposed variants are compared with the alternative version, the proposed modified variants seem to be appropriate as they fall closer to the original Myer index values. In contrast, alternative index values are distant from the standard Myers’ index values. Moreover, the results of the analysis extended to compare the proposed variants and alternative index across the place of residence and the education status of the respondents. Finally, in all these comparisons the results revealed to be in the same direction that the modified variants are better in terms of distance than an alternative index with the standard Myers’ index values.
This study aims to examine the effect of urbanization on energy intensity in SAARC countries and compare Sri Lanka’s status with other SAARC countries between 1990 and 2015. This study used the urban population as a proxy variable for urbanization. Other control variables in the model are per capita income and squared value of per capita income (PCI), capital formation, industrialization, labour and carbon dioxide emissions, squared value of carbon dioxide emissions and six country dummy variables to detect country effect. Fixed effects model and Least Squared Dummy Variable model (LSDV) with country-urbanization interactive variables model were employed in the estimation. Our results indicate urbanization in the SAARC region increases energy intensity in all countries except Sri Lanka. With urbanization, Pakistan has the fastest increase in energy intensity. Our results confirm Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis which is consistent with the literature. Industrialization and labour force participation lower energy intensity. Carbon dioxide emission and the squared value of that variable show a U-shaped behaviour with energy intensity. This implies higher energy use further increases energy intensity and needs mitigating policies to curb higher energy use. According to the results, Pakistan has the lowest energy intensity and Sri Lanka has higher energy intensity among SAARC countries. Sri Lanka needs to lower the energy intensity by reducing inefficient energy use in all possible sectors such as transportation. Since urbanization significantly reduces energy intensity in Sri Lanka, efficient public transportation coupled with planned urbanization will help to lower our energy intensity in the long run.
