Annual Research Symposium (ARS)
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Item Reliability of Language Tests (Speech and Written) - First Year Students in Commerce and Management Faculty(University of Kelaniya, 2005) Jayasinghe, R.R.A test, like any other type of instrument used to measure should give the same results every time it measures, if it is used under the same conditions. This is considered the Reliability of a test. But human beings do not behave in exactly the same way on every occasion, even when the circumstances seem identical. The performances of students on any test can vary for a variety of reasons. The purpose of this research is to observe the reliability of two main tests. First I took a sample of test scores of the Placement Test (a written test) for “English for Business Communication” course (Test-1-A). This test was held in an examination hall in a fairly formal environment. After about one month, I took the same group of students and held the same test inside my classroom (Test-1-B). As the next step I held an oral test (presentation) again in a fairly formal environment (Test –2- A) for this particular group. Next, I held the same oral test inside my classroom for the same group of students. (Test-2-B) This paper attempts to focus on the reliability of these two tests by calculating the Reliability Coefficient - K-R 21. An analysis on how these reliability coefficients vary due to the sources of Error Variance, as a result of environment (e.g. location, space, ventilation) and also as a result of variance attributable to examinees (e.g. emotion, memory) will be discussed. At the conclusion of this investigation, we would be able to find out how these sources of Error Variance affect the reliability of the two tests. Moreover, we can minimize such Error Variance in test-administration to some extent.Item Employability of Human Resource Management (HRM) Graduates in Sri Lanka(University of Kelaniya, 2005) Senaratne, C.This study examined the impact of three factors namely skills, personality, and influences on the employability of HRM graduates passed out from the Sri Lankan state universities. Data was collected from the HRM graduates passed out from the University of Kelaniya and the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, which are the premier universities in producing HRM graduates in Sri Lanka. And the data collection was based on a structured questionnaire supplemented by interviews and the study was conducted among 116 graduates. The selected sample was categorized into two groups: employed and unemployed HRM graduates. A conceptual model was formulated for the study. Employability (Dependent variable0 was measured on nominal scale and skills, Personality, and Influences (Independent Variables) were measured on ordinal scales. The ordinal data was converted into nominal data for finding out the relationship between dependent and independent variables. On-parametric statistics such as Chisquare test and Mann-Whitney test were used to analyze the data in order to identify the difference in skills, personality, and influence levels of both employed and unemployed graduates. Findings suggest that there is no significant difference in terms of Skills and Personality among the employed and unemployed graduates of HRM in Sri Lanka.The influence level found to be significantly different among the unemployed and unemployed graduates. Employed graduates used high level of influence and unemployed graduates used moderate level of influence. The results of the study indicate that HRM graduates have obtained employments largely on the base of influences made through various sources like family, school, university, political activities, and memberships of associations.Item Labour Market Distortions in Sri Lanka: Have they reduced under liberalised economic policies?(University of Kelaniya, 2005) Patabendige, A.J.Studies such as Gupta (1989), Agarwala I 1983), and Little (1982), highlight that capital-Iabour ratios (technologies) are in fact sensitive to the relative cost of labour and capital. In this background, if the factor markets are distorted in favour of selecting capital intensive technologies, labour demand or the growth of employment is impeded. Agarwala’s (1983) study on ‘Price Distortion and Growth’ of 31 developing countries confirmed that as in the case of most of the developing countries Sri Lanka’s labour market was also highly distorted during the controlled era of the 1960s and the1970. Thus, those who highly emphasise labour market distortions promote exceedingly the case for economic reforms and labour market deregulation for developing countries to enhance their labour market ‘flexibility’ to bring about a positive effect on economic growth and speeding up of employment creation. Hence, in a background of implementing economic reforms with some changes in labour practices for more than two decades from 1 977 i n Sri Lanka, it requires to determine how far the cost of labour market distortions has decreased during the economic reform period. However, a debate over the cost of labour market distortions even after the economic reforms has emerged. Some are of the opinion that although the economy moved towards a free market following the 1977 economic policy changes the Sri Lankan labour market has not been reformed to be matched with the requirements of the open economy and remained distorted, imposing a higher labour cost to investors while others believe that Sri Lankan labour is more cheaper than most of the countries in the region. Meanwhile, starting from 2002, four key Acts on labour regulations such as the Factory Ordinance of 1942 (FO), the Termination of Employment of Workmen Act of 1971 (TEWA), The Industrial Dispute Act (IDA) of 1950 were amended with a view to increasing the labour market flexibility. In this setting, this paper aims at assessing how far Sri Lanka’s labour market distortions have reduced under the reform period mainly by comparing the Sri Lankan labour market regulations and behaviour with those of the neighbouring and some of the fast developing East Asian countries depending on the data availability for the period after 1977. This comparison is made on 1) minimum wage levels, 2) employment security legislations, 3) holidays and leave, 4) maternity benefits, and 5) industrial relations.Evidence gathered shows that contrary to the conventional wisdom the minimum wage regulations in Sri Lanka do not have a large positive impact on increasing employers’ costs of labour. But quite the opposite impact on the costs of labour could be seen arising from the regulations related to the employment security, contributions to social security programmes, and the private sector and the public sector holiday and leave. These regulations have a consider ably high positive effect on increasing employers’ non-wage labour costs in Sri Lanka. Also, 13 new major labour regulations relating to various aspects of working life have been enacted after 1977 and the cost of social security has increased during the reform period. Moreover, it has been found that more than anything else the highly deteriorated industrial relations system has damaged labour market flexibility in Sri Lanka and thereby imposed a huge cost to employers without showing any improvement of labour relations from the controlled era to be consistent with open economic policy regime. Consequently, the paper concludes that more than the other countries in the region the costs of labour market distortions in Sri Lanka have significantly increased during the reform period after 19771 resulting in a considerable retardation in the labour market demand .Item An Empirical Study of the Relationship between Organizational Stress and Emotional Intelligence on Organizational Commitment: With Reference to Bank Branch Managers in the Western Province of Sri Lanka(University of Kelaniya, 2005) Jayaweera, A.T.Bank managers are a profession, which is of immense importance to the nation’s economic growth and prosperity. The contribution of banking organizations towards the progress of a country is vital. As a matter of fact, the contribution of banking organizations heavily depends on commitment made by bank managers towards 1achieving organizational goals. This empirical study attempts to establish a relationship of organizational stress and emotional Intelligence on Organizational Commitment of bank managers in the Western province of Sri Lanka. A conceptual model was formulated for the relationship of organizational stress, Emotional Intelligence (Independent variables) with Organizational Commitment (Dependent variable). The study was conducted among the sample of 150 managers randomly selected from fifteen public sector bank branch premises and fifteen private sector bank branch premises operating in the Western province of Sri Lanka. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire and were analyzed using the software SPSS version 10.0. The results of the correlation analysis indicated that Organizational Stress was negatively and significantly correlated with Organizational Commitment. Emotional Intelligence was positively and significantly correlated with Organizational Commitment. The results of the multiple regression analysis revealed that Organizational Stress and Emotional Intelligence are the strong predictors of the Organizational Commitment. On the whole, two independent variables were accounted for 55.9% of the variance in the organizational commitment of bank managers. Organizational Stress and Emotional Intelligence were found to be the critical factors to be focused for improving the organizational commitment of bank branch managers in the Western province of Sri Lanka.Item Identification and characterization of dieback syndrome in Camelliasinensis (TRI 2025)(University of Kelaniya, 2005) Ranasinghe, C.P.; Balasuriya, A.; Jayaratne, D.L.The disease has been reported in the tea cultivar TRI 2025, grown in the upcountry since 1989 (Nethaniel, 1999). Preliminary observations from different locations where the disease has already been reported showed pathological affiliations instead of a physiological disorder or agronomical reasons. During the eight months under investigation in the Nuwara Eliya Estate, the affected area expandedby 129.75 m2. A distinctive increase in the rate of spread was observed during dry seasons. Asignificant relationship between the spread of the disease and climatic stress was found. The rate ofspread of the disease was higher with low relative humidity and rainfall. The expansion of the patch followed the direction of the wind with an indication of an airborne disease. Phylloplane microflora of TRI 2025 between healthy and diseased plants, the soils, which they are grown, collected from diseased and healthy areas found to have no significant difference. However, Pantoea agglomerans (Beijerinck) (Gavini et al., 1989), a Gram negative rod was solely and repeatedly isolated on nutrient agar, from the xylem sap of diseased plants. The sap of visually healthy plants, of the same cultivar upon prolonged incubation developed few colonies of the same bacterium. The bacterium was also isolated from dew collected from leaves of the diseased plants. The isolate was confirmed by the International Mycological Institute (IMI) in the United Kingdom (Offord, 2003). Four experimental sets of plants used to demonstrate Koch’s postulates, using mature tea bushes (Nuwara Eliya and St. Coomb’s), young plants and tomato seedlings. None of the sets met with conclusive results. Stem section analysis of the cultivar showed a significant xylem blocking in diseased plants, which increased in numbers with the severity of symptoms. P. agglomerans (Beijerinck) (Gavini et al., 1989), produce high-molecular-weight extra-cellular polysaccharides (Balows et al., 1992) and some strains are ice-nucleae active causing frost damage (Pajand,2005). Under the evidences the dieback in TRI 2025 can be classified as a stress driven relationship between a stressed plant and an opportunist.Item Accessory muscle in the flexor compartment of the forearm: A case report(Book of Abstracts, Annual Research Symposium 2019, 2014) Hasan, R.; Fernando, E.D.P.S.; Salvin, K.A.; Dilshani, W.M.S.; Niwunhella, N.A.D.P.; Perera, A.A.M.M.S.L.; Wijesundara, W.M.R.D.A wide array of supernumerary and accessory musculature has been described in anatomical, surgical and radiological literature. Awareness of potential muscular variations is essential for anatomists, surgeons and clinicians in numerous areas of medical field.Item Conducting viva voce examinations during preclinical years in the faculty of medicine, University of Kelaniya: Is it of relevance?(Book of Abstracts, Annual Research Symposium 2018, 2014) Hasan, R.; Perera, A.A.M.M.S.L.; Wijesundara W M R D; Dilshani, W.M.S.; Niwunhella, N.A.D.P.; Salvin, K.A.; Fernando, E.D.P.S.Viva voce (vivas) or oral examinations are an integral part of medical education. During a viva the examiner is given the opportunity to assess the candidate�s knowledge and ability to respond under pressure. For medical students vivas are an opportunity to develop verbal and presentation skills. Vivas were part of the preclinical examinations held in the Faculty of medicine Ragama prior to the introduction of the new curriculum. This research was carried out in order to identify the opinion of lecturers on reintroduction of vivas for preclinical examinations.Item The prevalence of micronuclei in lymphocytes among persons resident in the vicinity of a heavy mineral sand processing factory in Pulmoddai, Sri Lanka.(Book of Abstracts, Annual Research Symposium 2017, 2014) Warnakulasuriya, T.; Williams, S.; Wickremasinghe, A.R.Lanka Mineral Sands (LMS) factory in Pulmoddai produces thorium which emits alpha radiation on decay. Micronuclei (MN) are formed in peripheral blood lymphocytes as a result of exposure to ionizing radiation. MN are used as a marker of biological dosimetry.Item Spatial and seasonal analysis of human leptospirosis in the District of Gampaha, Sri Lanka(University of Kelaniya, 2014) Denipitiya, D.T.H.; Abeyewickreme, W.; Hapugoda, M.D.; Chandrasekharan, N.V.Leptospirosis is a zoonostic infectious disease, caused by a pathogenic species of the genus Leptospira. In Sri Lanka, around 1500 human leptospirosis cases are reported annually. Typically, the risk of the disease is seasonal with a small spike occurs in March to May and a large spike occurs during October to December. Objective of this study was to analyze spatial and seasonal pattern of human leptospirosis in the District of Gampaha, Sri Lanka.Item A comparison of errors in languages spoken by Sinhala- English bilinguals with Post-Stroke Aphasia(Book of Abstracts, Annual Research Symposium 2015, 2014) Dharmarathna, N.I.; Bakmeewewa, D.A.Bilinguals are defined as those who use two languages in daily communication. Aphasia as an acquired language disorder virtually affects all languages of the bilingual speaker, often in varying degrees. The Clinical picture of the bilingual aphasic is of great interest to researchers, as the bilingual population of the world continues to increase. As a multi- ethnic country, bilingualism continues to grow in Sri Lanka. The knowledge of multiple languages has led to the functional elaboration of all languages known especially in Sinhala-English bilinguals. Yet, there is a severe dearth on bilingual aphasic literature in the Sri Lankan Speech & Language Therapy context.