Browsing by Author "Amarasooriya, D. N. P."

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3

An Analysis of the Obstructive Factors that Impact the Empowerment of Women Entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka
(Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya., 2024) Amarasooriya, D. N. P.; Premarathna, S. P.; Rajadurei, S.
The sector of small and medium enterprises is considered an encouraging platform for the economic empowerment of women through participating in economic development as entrepreneurs. The lower productivity exhibited by these SMEs in Sri Lanka was identified as a result of the high participation rate of female entrepreneurs in the informal economy. An unfavourable environment has been created obstructing the transition of women entrepreneurs towards the upper echelon of the business world through diverse impediments. Thus, the research focused on exploring the barriers that hinder the business growth of women entrepreneurs in small and medium-scale enterprises. Accordingly, the research was conducted as secondary research: a literature survey. In Sri Lanka, a minor percentage of female participation in small and medium enterprises occurs due to limited access to financial resources, lack of financial literacy, social prejudices, social and cultural restrictions, and limited opportunities for networking and communicating with external resources. Thus, closing the gender gap in education, giving access to capital through a concerted policy action and providing women entrepreneurs with opportunities to improve their financial literacy and educational level were highlighted as the major recommendations in the study to empower women entrepreneurs to climb the value chain. Women entrepreneurs in small and medium-scale enterprises need to be facilitated with greater access to the domestic, regional and international markets in order to enable them to expand their businesses with productivity and innovation. Thus, vital policy measures should be taken to mitigate the barriers involved in formalizing the business mechanisms while focusing on increasing the benefits that women entrepreneurs can gain through that standardizing process.
An Analysis of the Obstructive Factors that Impact the Empowerment of Women Entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka
(Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka, 2023) Amarasooriya, D. N. P.
The sector of small and medium enterprises is considered an encouraging platform for the economic empowerment of women through participating in economic development as entrepreneurs. The lower productivity exhibited by these SMEs in Sri Lanka was identified because of the high participation rate of female entrepreneurs in the informal economy. An unfavorable environment has been created obstructing the transition of women entrepreneurs towards the upper echelon of the business world through diverse impediments. Thus, the research focused on exploring the barriers that hinder the business growth of women entrepreneurs in small and medium-scale enterprises. Accordingly, the research was conducted as secondary research. Since this research encompasses the areas of gender, entrepreneurship and international trade, feminist theories, entrepreneurship theories and internationalization theories were applied in developing the analysis. Based on these theories, the factors which directly and indirectly influence the growth of womenowned small and medium-scale enterprises were explored and discussed. In Sri Lanka, a minor percentage of female participation in small and medium enterprises occurs due to limited access to financial resources, lack of financial literacy, social prejudices, social and cultural restrictions, and limited opportunities for networking and communicating with external resources. Thus, closing the gender gap in education, giving access to capital through a concerted policy action and providing women entrepreneurs with opportunities to improve their financial literacy and educational level were highlighted as the major recommendations in the study to empower women entrepreneurs to climb the value chain. Women entrepreneurs in small and medium-scale enterprises need to be facilitated with greater access to the domestic, regional, and international markets to enable them to expand their businesses with productivity and innovation. Thus, vital policy measures should be taken to mitigate the barriers involved in formalizing the business mechanisms while focusing on increasing the benefits that women entrepreneurs can gain through that standardizing process.
Impact of Gender and Identity on Learning English as a Second Language.
(The Third International Conference on Linguistics in Sri Lanka, ICLSL 2017. Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2017) Amarasooriya, D. N. P.
Second language learning has become a socially valued vital learning process as it has the influencing potential to form, manipulate and change the social individual identities towards the positive recognition. In Sri Lankan social system while Sinhala and Tamil languages have been recognized as first languages of most people, English functions as the second or target language. Through a gradual social transformation English has become the most prestigious language in the society and the competence in English is required as the most obligatory qualification for a person to be recognized in the society. The research focuses on identifying and analysing how and to which extent the social factors such as gender differences, cultural diversities, disparities between the social classes and specifically the identities of the individuals influence on learning English as the second language. Within the data collection process both the primary and secondary data collection methods have been utilized and within the primary data collection method, a questionnaire has been designed and given to a sample group of 50 respondents from University of Sri Jayewardenepura. Through this analytical sociolinguistic research the relationship between identity and learning English as a second language, the impact that identity practices on person‟s capability and accessibility to the English language learning process have been taken into consideration. Accordingly it has been identified that English language competency level of urban respondents is higher than rural respondents and the rural identity of the individuals has an influential and discouraging impact on their English language learning process. Depending on the gender differences, the language performance, the language competency levels of the respondents tend to differ in relation to the four language skills and it has been brought forth that the competency level of the female respondents is higher than the male respondents. A higher percentage of individuals believe and accept the vitality of English in higher education and it has been recognized as a supportive channel which enhance Individuals‟ capabilities and identities in achieving their future goals despite the existing social discriminations.