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Item Antecedents of Export Performance of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) In Sri Lanka: The Role of Entrepreneur Behavior and Experience and the Moderation Role of Industry Context(Department of Commerce and Financial Management, University of Kelaniya, 2017) Mudalige, D.M.A number of scholarly researchers have explored the benefits of engaging in international activities in increasing sustainability of SME sector. However, SMEs offer a poor contribution to export income of Sri Lanka compared to other countries. Although research has shown that the entrepreneur characteristics are associated with enhanced export success, past research has failed to identify the entrepreneur characteristics that are most influential in SME export success in Sri Lankan context. Much of the research in Sri Lanka has focused on external or institutional factors and barriers for exports with little attention to entrepreneur behaviour. Few studies have focused on studying internal barriers and export success. This study aimed to fill this research gap by testing the relationship between entrepreneur characteristics and export performance from a capabilities perspective. This study argues that entrepreneurial orientation, social capital and human capital are important capabilities of the entrepreneur which lead to successful export performance. These capabilities are known to play a synergic and complementary role which allows the entrepreneur to develop a dynamic stance that is essential in the international market. This research followed quantitative research methodology using non-disguised questionnaire. A randomly selected sample of 197 export SMEs in Sri Lanka was analyzed. The results were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structured Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) method. This study established that entrepreneur capabilities namely entrepreneurial orientation, social capital and human capital have a significant positive influence on the export performance of SMEs. Further, using Multi-Group Analysis (MGA), it was found, that industry context which the SME operates has a moderation effect on the relationship. The outcome of this research will enhance our understanding of success factors of SME export performance.Item The Role of Women Entrepreneurs in Establishing a Sustainable Development in Sri Lanka(Department of Human Resource Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2013) Ambepitiya, K.R.Woman has become a significant role in the economic development of any country. They contribute and support the economy extensively in different ways of being employed in different sectors. There are many women running successful businesses and some of them are very successful with entrepreneurial skills. It is a known fact that now many successful and world’s enormous enterprises are owned and run by women. Many of them are actual or potential owners of trademarks, service marks, trade name as well as of industrial designs, patents and copyright. In developing countries some women are running small enterprises and many cooperatives that are proving so successful. Women entrepreneurs in both developed and developing countries are, socially powerful in education and making a positive impact to the society. It is important to study how women in business and their skills can be utilized in order to achieve a sustainable economy for Sri Lanka. The objectives of this study have scattered in the study of women entrepreneurs to a sustainable economy, social system, and ecology. A descriptive research methodology is used for this study and administered to a selected sample from a specific population included with women in businesses and executives who are from private and public sector offices. The study consists of six month duration which uses a questionnaire as the survey instrument. Using the survey, it has resulted significantly the women entrepreneurs can be positioned to play an important role in promoting sustainable practices in economics, social system and ecology, to result a sustainable development. The researcher concludes the study by observing the positive effect on the economy and the development, the Women entrepreneurship is a key to the developing world to promote sustainable practices in business.Item Impact of Entrepreneurial Networks on the Business Success of Small Enterprises(Department of Marketing Management, Faculty of Commerce & Management Studies,University of Kelaniya, 2015) Perera, G.N.R.Acquiring resources is a key problem for small business firms in Sri Lanka. Initially to be a viable they should have sufficient capital or be able to acquire the resources from outside environment. The main objective of this research is to find out the relationship between entrepreneurial networks and the success of small businesses. To carry out this research, network construct has been operationalized as network size, network trustworthiness, network support and network diversity, under these four constructs there are thirteen indicators to check entrepreneurial networks. This research has been conducted as a qualitative study. Nine entrepreneurs have been selected for the study and five entrepreneurs out of them are successful and other four entrepreneurs are bankrupted. Both of these entrepreneurs were interviewed by using In-Depth interview method. All the interviews were conducted in Sinhala and then translated into English. Data was analyzed by using content analysis and coding methods. Empirical results indicate that entrepreneurial networks have very clear impact on success of the small business. As well the importance of family and the acquaintances were prominent in findings. Majority of unsuccessful businesses were confirmed that their businesses were badly affected by the lack of organizational networks. Further this proved the importance of weak ties in order to get business information and develop the businesses. These research findings will be very important for the Sri Lankan small business enterprises as it reveals real experiences of successful small business entrepreneurs and the unsuccessful small business entrepreneurs.Item Does the Mode of Opportunity Identification Influence the Innovativeness of Small Businesses? A Study in Sri Lanka(University of Kelaniya, 2015) Upananda, W.A.; Kumara, U.E.S.There is a growing concern about the heterogeneity of the nature of small businesses in a given context. The difference between opportunity discovery and creation (mode of opportunity identification) may explain this heterogeneity. Then the wealth creating ability also may vary with the mode of opportunity identification although entrepreneurship literature is silent in this regard. Then the purpose of this study is to explore the wealth creating potential (innovativeness) of small businesses with regard to the mode of opportunity identification. Entrepreneurship literature informs that opportunity discovery under risk is different from opportunity creation under uncertainty although these terms has been used interchangeably. Few studies show that context may have influence over the opportunity identification. Few studies show that entrepreneurs who create opportunities are ordinary and attempt to avoid uncertainty while those who discover opportunities are unique in ability of discovering opportunities and bear some risk. However studies which explore the relationship between the wealth creating potential and mode of opportunity identification are rare. Exploring gaps in research knowledge base on the nature of businesses emerged under opportunity discovery and opportunity creation with regard to research question ‘How the mode of opportunity identification influences the innovativeness of small businesses’. In consistent with entrepreneurship literature, the nature of business viewed in this study as wealth creating potential. This study builds on theories and assumptions pertinent to opportunity discovery and creation and employs case study method to explore the behaviour of small business owners in rural and urban settings. The rationale of selecting rural setting is that rural entrepreneur has no prior business experience to understand the probability of outcomes while urban entrepreneurs have prior business experience to understand the probability of outcomes to take calculated risk. This study has selected six cases after screening 178 cases in the rural setting and 111 cases in the urban settings in the North Western Province of Sri Lanka in 2010. Analysing within cases and cross cases employing pattern matching technique, this study shows that businesses created in the rural context are comparatively non-innovative than those small businesses discovered under opportunity risk.