Browsing by Author "Galdolage, B. S."

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Customers’ Role in Co-Creating Value at Self-Service Technologies: From Role Theory Perspective
(Department of Marketing Management, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2021) Galdolage, B. S.
Technological maturity brings both the organizations and customers into a digital era where organizations provide its service fully or partly through technological platforms, letting customers to perform by themselves without having direct interaction with the organization’s employees. This transforms customers’ role into more ‘active’ to be a collaborative value creator than be a passive recipient of the value produced by the organization. Organizations’ role also converts from ‘provider’ of the value to the ‘value facilitator’, who offer value prepositions for customers’ co-creation process. Though both the customers’ and business organizations’ roles have been changed in the current business context, the scholarly attention given to understand this transformation is very rare. In such a backdrop, this study aims at understanding customers’ role in co-creating value at SSTs using the foundations of the Role Theory. Centered on the positivistic approach, this research carried out a quantitative survey distributing self-administered questionnaires among 600 customers chosen based on non-probabilistic convenience sampling method. The study found significant positive impacts of ‘role script’, ‘role performance’ and ‘role set’, and insignificant effect of ‘role congruence’ on customer value co-creation in SSTs. The study theoretically contributes to enhancing the knowledge on customer value co-creation in self-service technologies from role theory perspective, while practically helps business organizations to understand customers’ role well and design SSTs which match with the customers’ expectations.
Plastic Use Among Sri Lanka's Metropolitan Population: A Study of Environmental Consciousness and Behaviour
(Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya., 2023) Malkanthie, M. A. A.; Herath, H. M. C. J.; Galdolage, B. S.
This study seeks to evaluate customers' purchase and disposal patterns for plastic and polythene and whether their environmental consciousness matches with actual behaviour. Data were collected from 117 households in metropolitan areas in Sri Lanka and analysed using descriptive statistics and paired sample t-test. Before data analysis, the scales' reliability and validity were evaluated. Findings showed a significant gap between actual behaviour concerning plastic consumption and environmental consciousness. Although most customers have positive opinions regarding environmental awareness, these beliefs have not necessarily converted into the corresponding behaviour to the same degree. As per results, 39% of the respondents burn their waste, including plastics, in open, while 4% have engaged in open dumping. The findings of this study can be taken into consideration to minimize the harmful effects of plastic and polythene disposal behaviour in Sri Lanka through an understanding of consumers’ actual behaviours. Especially relevant authorities shall initiate awareness campaigns and proper garbage disposal systems.
Unrealistic Optimism, Compulsive Purchasing and Debt-Stress among Credit Card Users in Sri Lanka
(Department of Marketing Management, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2021) Rodrigo, G. M. R.; Galdolage, B. S.
Credit cards become increasingly popular in Sri Lanka while a total of 78,201 new issues were in 2019 first quarter (Central Bank report). Credit card usage affects the consumption patterns of people, sometimes leading to purchase excessively with impractical confidence (Omar, et al., 2013). According to the central bank report, around total of 118,905 cards are being defaulted where the payment is in arrears for 90days or more in 2019 showing an increment in credit card debts, which may result in stress among card users. In view of the timeliness and relevance of this issue, this study aims to investigate the impact of unrealistic optimism and compulsive purchasing on debt-stress among credit card users in Sri Lanka. This study employs the quantitative approach in collecting data using self-administered questionnaires among 301 credit cardholders in Western Province, Sri Lanka who were chosen based on the non-probabilistic convenience sampling method. This study found a moderate positive impact of both the unrealistic optimism and compulsive purchasing on debt stress. Further, a moderate positive correlation was found between unrealistic optimism and compulsive purchasing too. This research contributes to fill the gap in the extant literature by broadening the understanding on concepts such as unrealistic optimism, compulsive purchasing, and debt stress which is prevalent among credit card users. Further, as managerial implications, this study provides a better understanding on cardholders in Sri Lanka which might be a good reference for banks, card service providers and investors in developing their policies. Further, it will support the business sector to develop the Sri Lankan non-cash payment market while policymakers and tax authorities can understand the causes of high credit card debts.