Are customers satisfied? Study of the problems currently prevailing in the plus size women’s wear market in Sri Lanka

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 211-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niromi Seram ◽  
Kethmini Kumarasiri
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
The Body ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Fashion Industry ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Product Categories ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative Methods ◽  
Women's Clothing

Purpose Plus size clothing is becoming a fashion trend worldwide due to the body positivity movement sparked off by the growing obesity rates and fat shaming incidents reported around the world. Although the problems relating to plus size clothing in the global context have been addressed, thereby establishing certain norms in the market, none of this work has proved helpful in assessing the level of customer satisfaction in the Sri Lankan plus size market. In view of this lacuna, this paper aims to probe customer preferences and identify the problems currently prevailing in the plus size women’s wear fashion market in Sri Lanka. Design/methodology/approach Data were gathered through both qualitative and quantitative methods. For this purpose, visits were made to several fashion outlets in the Colombo area offering plus size clothing to observe the available product categories, size ranges, fabrics, finishing methods and designs at each outlet. A closed-ended questionnaire survey was conducted to identify the perception of the customers on the current plus size fashion market. Semi-structured interviews with designers working at selected Sri Lankan fashion brands that catered to the plus size market were carried out to acquire an understanding of the current plus size fashion industry from the garment manufacturer’s perspective and to learn about the current construction techniques in the industry. Findings The results indicated that 55.6% of the plus size women who participated in the survey were either dissatisfied or only moderately satisfied with the current products available in the Sri Lankan market. The major cause for the dissatisfaction was the inability to find well-fitting clothes to suit their body proportions and the unavailability of trendy, fashionable clothes. Ideally, they preferred fashionable, comfortable, well-fitting and good quality garments. Unavailability of standardized sizing methods and lack of up-to-date information on the female body were identified as the main issues in the Sri Lankan plus size women’s wear market. Therefore, the necessity for a standardized size chart for plus size women based on Sri Lankan anthropometric data was emphasized by designers. Originality/value The findings will be useful for the Sri Lankan apparel producers as well as retailers as they will have a better understanding of not only the fit and aesthetic preferences but also the overall shopping preferences of plus size women. This will help them to develop marketing strategies to cater to this Sri Lankan niche market segment, as currently there is no documented information on plus size Sri Lankan women’s clothing preferences.

scholarly journals Provision of facilities management services in Sri Lankan commercial organisations

Facilities ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 394-412 ◽  
Author(s):  
B.A.K.S Perera ◽  
M.H.S. Ahamed ◽  
Raufdeen Rameezdeen ◽  
Nicholas Chileshe ◽  
M. Reza Hosseini
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Questionnaire Survey ◽  
The Body ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Delivery Mode ◽  
Facilities Management ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Management Services

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore sourcing strategies for facilities management services using core-competency theory of outsourcing. The aim is to develop a screening framework for deciding the suitability of outsourcing versus in-house delivery for these services based on three levels of managerial functions prevalent in a typical commercial organization. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire survey was administered for facilities managers in Sri Lanka to investigate the relative importance of these managerial functions for facilities management services and obtain their opinions on the best delivery mode. The managerial functions were derived from a literature review and verified using three semi-structured interviews prior to the questionnaire survey design. Findings The findings showed that facilities management services that are aligned to strategic functions are suitable for in-house delivery, while those that are aligned to tactical and operational functions for outsourcing. Research limitations/implications Further studies should be conducted and extended to other types of organizations beyond commercial ones. Secondly, the quantitative study employed a smaller sample (n = 40), and the survey items were based on the review of literature which was verified using a very small number of interviews (n = 3). Practical implications The proposed framework can be utilized when choosing the best facilities management approach for commercial organizations in developing countries such as Sri Lanka. Originality/value This study contributes to the body of knowledge on the subject of facilities management by exploring the context in Sri Lankan which has not previously been done.

Significance of operational capabilities of suppliers on the front-end decision making in apparel product innovation in Sri Lanka

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Niromi Seram ◽  
Julian Nanayakkara ◽  
Gamini Lanarolle
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Product Innovation ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Apparel Manufacturing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Front End ◽  
Operational Capabilities ◽  
Apparel Product

Purpose The suppliers are recognized as important external sources who can significantly contribute by working together with the buyer during the innovation process. Operational capabilities of suppliers can be one of the considerable factors when selecting them to participate in the activities at the front-end of innovation. However, proper understanding of the influence of operational capabilities of suppliers on front-end decision-making in apparel product innovation is still very limited particularly in the context of the Sri Lankan apparel industry. Therefore, this study aims to explore the influence of operational capabilities of suppliers on the front-end decision making in apparel product innovation in Sri Lanka. Design/methodology/approach Both semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire survey were used as data collection techniques. Six senior managers for the interviews and 60 participants for the questionnaire were randomly selected. All those who participated in interviews and the questionnaire respondents have been involved in the front-end of innovation in different apparel manufacturing organizations in Sri Lanka. Findings The results indicated that the operational capabilities of suppliers had a direct positive influence on front-end decision-making, and the suppliers’ production flexibility was found to be the most influential. Further, the results highlighted that 27.3% of the front-end decisions associated with apparel product innovation in Sri Lanka were influenced by the factors governing operational capabilities of suppliers. Originality/value The findings of the research will be beneficial for both academia and industry. The findings will be useful to extend the current understanding and make a noteworthy contribution to this topic and to provide useful and practical guidance to material suppliers and supporting industries who work with Sri Lankan apparel manufacturing.

scholarly journals Should we cooperate? Game theory insights for servitization

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Wagstaff ◽  
Jamie Burton ◽  
Judy Zolkiewski
Keyword(s):  
Game Theory ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Complex Dynamics ◽  
Oil Industry ◽  
Cooperative Behaviour ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative Methods ◽  
Cooperative Approach ◽  
The Impact

PurposeAn abundance of literature suggests that organisations adopting a cooperative approach achieve greater rewards than those that act in opposition or isolation. An emerging body of work also highlights the multiple actors involved in servitization. Despite this, in some contexts the benefits of servitization are not apparent. This paper examines business relationships in the oil industry and how they affect levels of servitization.Design/methodology/approachA mixed method study employing qualitative and quantitative methods was used to fully explore the context. In the quantitative phase, 48 oil industry specialists responded to a scenario based on game theory. This aimed to determine if the relationships between their respective organisations are cooperative or adversarial. Abduction drove a second qualitative phase. This consisted of a series of semi-structured interviews used to explore the servitization level and influence of servitization on relationships and vice versa.FindingsThe statistical results suggest that all parties used adversarial strategies despite the publicised intent to work cooperatively. The interviews suggested that increasing (decreasing) servitization could increase (decrease) cooperation and, in turn, value co-creation but revealed nuances to this effect. It also adds to our understanding of the darker side of servitization by illustrating the impact of mimetic isomorphism.Originality/valueThe findings add to understanding of the complex dynamics around servitization by showing that it is only at advanced levels of servitization that cooperative behaviour is observed, and base and intermediate levels result in non-cooperative behaviour and thus illustrate the importance of adopting a multi-actor lens to explore servitization.

Staying positive among negativities: strategies employed by teachers in Sri Lankan state universities to manage their wellbeing

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rozilini Mary Fernandez-Chung ◽  
Sudakshi Medhani De Zoysa
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
South Asian ◽  
State Universities ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
University Teachers ◽  
Teacher Wellbeing ◽  
Research Studies

PurposeTeacher wellbeing is critical given its impact on students’ experience and achievement. This qualitative study provides insights into teacher wellbeing in Sri Lankan state universities. The study occurs during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, where institutions are stretched for resources and teachers sought better work–life balance while working from home.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses semi-structured interviews of teachers from four state universities in Sri Lanka to discover their strategies for managing teacher wellbeing and staying positive among negativities.FindingsIt concludes that the strategies can be expounded to existing research and categorized under four overarching themes: Versatility and Devotion, Pillars of Support, Conformity over Individualism, and Avoidance and Detachment. Sri Lankan university teachers, like many of their global counterparts, believe in staying positive.Research limitations/implicationsLike most qualitative research studies, if not all, this research studies the specific phenomenon of teacher wellbeing among university teachers in Sri Lanka. The findings, though supported, has its limitation to only public universities teachers thus cannot be generalized and may not apply to teacher wellbeing in private universities in Sri Lanka. Nevertheless, the application of the themes developed forms a valuable framework to support any future study of teacher wellbeing. The conceptual robustness of the findings will make this framework particularly useful for Sri Lanka and other South Asian countries.Practical implicationsThe findings will inform future studies on teacher wellbeing, particularly in other South Asian countries. This study may also be the impetus for starting a discourse on related policies in Sri Lanka.Social implicationsTeacher wellbeing positively impacts teacher relations with peers and leadership, which has direct implications on student wellbeing. Happy teachers make happy students.Originality/valueThe findings revealed eight strategies employed by Sri Lankan state university teachers. These strategies were framed under four overarching themes: Versatility and Devotion, Pillars of Support, Conformity over Individualism, and Avoidance and Detachment.

Empirical behavioral analysis of project contractors' supply‐chain payment terms

2012 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 277-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hong Long Chen
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative Methods ◽  
Study Approach

PurposeResearchers in supply chain (SC) payment management have long sought to understand how project contractors, project owners, specialist contractors, and suppliers behave in the context of negotiating payment terms that improve contractors' SC cash flow.Design/methodology/approachUsing a single case study approach, semi‐structured interviews with contract and project managers identify behavioral patterns. An analysis of categorical experiments and Spearman's correlation tests on 118 surveys from Taiwanese project contracting corporations generalizes the case findings.FindingsThe findings suggest that payment terms of project owners, specialists, and suppliers have an important impact on contractors' working capital. The findings also reveal that contractors pass project owners' payment terms down to specialists and suppliers, suggesting that contractors' behavior depends on that of the project owners.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper generalizes the case findings via surveys, but does not assume that the reported behavior patterns apply to all business enterprises. Future research could triangulate the findings.Originality/valueThis study combines qualitative and quantitative methods to understand how the project owner‐contractor‐supplier (or owner‐contractor‐specialist) triad behaves. Particularly, it focuses on an economic sector – real estate and construction – that receives less research interest than processing or manufacturing.

The road to facility management

Facilities ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 46-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dore Steenhuizen ◽  
Inês Flores-Colen ◽  
A.G. Reitsma ◽  
Pedro Branco Ló
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Facility Management ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Management Study ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative Methods ◽  
Study Programme ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to gain insight into facility management in Portugal as well as in Europe and what a facility management study programme must entail in Portugal in order to implement this. Design/methodology/approach – The paper describes the mixed-methods approach. Both qualitative and quantitative methods are used based on extensive literature research of the subject. Semi-structured interviews were held with ten professionals from the FM field. The quantitative method was in the shape of a questionnaire sent to 40 professionals in Europe. Findings – The results show that Portugal is not on the same level as the rest of Europe when it comes to FM. Also, FM is rather of a technical nature and lacks service orientation and managerial elements. Moreover, Portugal should first focus on creating awareness about the field of FM and provide FM study programmes accordingly. Research shows that this could be a lengthy process. Originality/value – Currently there is no facility management study programme offered in Portugal. However, by gaining insight into this field and how facility management is of great added value to the market, a step closer to implementing a study programme is taken.

scholarly journals An evaluation of sensory processing training on the competence, confidence and practice of teachers working with children with autism

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-17
Author(s):  
Aideen Ruttledge ◽  
John Cathcart
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Sensory Processing ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Training Session ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative Methods ◽  
The Impact

Purpose At present, there is no research to support teachers’ use of sensory interventions in the classroom. This study aims to investigate the extent to how participation in a sensory processing training session would improve teachers’ competence, confidence and practice towards supporting children with autism. Design/methodology/approach A pilot study design with mixed qualitative and quantitative methods was used to evaluate the impact of sensory processing training on six teachers who taught at least one child with autism in a mainstream school. The Autism Education Trust Competency Framework and face-to-face semi-structured interviews were completed with participants both pre (Time 1) and post (Time 2) training session. Findings Quantitative findings presented statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) in results with large effect sizes in the areas of confidence, knowledge, implementing sensory strategies, adjusting sensory environments, reviewing and reflecting. Qualitative data provided by participants corroborated this and indicated a need for further and more detailed training in the area. There was no change in the practice of teachers consulting with pupils about their sensory needs. Practical implications This study found that the attendance of teachers at sensory processing training is justified and the promotion of sensory processing training is therefore warranted. Originality/value Findings of this pilot study indicate that sensory processing training for teachers does improve competence, confidence and practice towards supporting children with autism. Review of the session to allow more detail, including consulting with the children themselves, is recommended.

scholarly journals Using a consensus approach to develop a medical professionalism framework for the Sri Lankan context

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-59
Author(s):  
Amaya Tharindi Ellawala ◽  
Madawa Chandratilake ◽  
Nilanthi de Silva
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Delphi Study ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Medical Professionalism ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Multiple Stakeholders ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative Methods ◽  
Adequate Knowledge ◽  
Context Specific

Introduction: Professionalism is a context-specific entity, and should be defined in relation to a country’s socio-cultural backdrop. This study aimed to develop a framework of medical professionalism relevant to the Sri Lankan context. Methods: An online Delphi study was conducted with local stakeholders of healthcare, to achieve consensus on the essential attributes of professionalism for a doctor in Sri Lanka. These were built into a framework of professionalism using qualitative and quantitative methods. Results: Forty-six attributes of professionalism were identified as essential, based on Content Validity Index supplemented by Kappa ratings. ‘Possessing adequate knowledge and skills’, ‘displaying a sense of responsibility’ and ‘being compassionate and caring’ emerged as the highest rated items. The proposed framework has three domains: professionalism as an individual, professionalism in interactions with patients and co-workers and professionalism in fulfilling expectations of the profession and society, and displays certain characteristics unique to the local context. Conclusion: This study enabled the development of a culturally relevant, conceptual framework of professionalism as grounded in the views of multiple stakeholders of healthcare in Sri Lanka, and prioritisation of the most essential attributes.

Implementation of circular economy principles during pre-construction stage: the case of Sri Lanka

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amodith Supunmal Wijewansha ◽  
G.A. Tennakoon ◽  
K.G.A.S. Waidyasekara ◽  
B.J. Ekanayake
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Construction Sector ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Construction Stage ◽  
Content Type

PurposeDespite the positive impacts of the construction sector on enhancing economic growth and ensuring societal well-being, its negative impacts on the environment from unsustainable resource consumption levels, emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and waste generation is monumental. Circular economy (CE) concept is identified globally as an avenue to address problems regarding adverse impacts of construction on the environment. This paper presents the principles of CE as an avenue for enhancing environmental sustainability during the pre-construction stage within Sri Lankan construction projects.Design/methodology/approachThis research was approached through a qualitative research method. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with subject matter experts. The number of experts were limited due to lack of experts with knowledge on the subject area in Sri Lanka. Data were analysed using content analysis.FindingsFindings revealed a range of activities under each R principle of CE, that is, reduce, reuse, recycle, redesign, reclassification and renewability that could be implemented during the pre-construction stage, thereby providing a guide for construction professionals in implementing CE at the pre-construction stage. The need to expand knowledge on CE concepts within the Sri Lankan construction sector was recognized.Originality/valueThis study provides a qualitative in-depth perspective on how 6R principles of CE could be integrated to a construction project during the pre-construction stage. By adopting the proposed activities under CE principles, construction professionals can enhance the environmental sustainability of construction projects.

Mitigation of challenges in sustaining green certification in the Sri Lankan hotel sector

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 515-527
Author(s):  
Chamali Bandara ◽  
D.M.P.P. Dissanayake ◽  
Gayani Karunasena ◽  
Nadun Madhusanka
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Design Stage ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Economic Interests ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Hotel Sector ◽  
Social And Environmental Responsibilities ◽  
Green Certification

Purpose The successful continuation of green certification in the Sri Lankan hotel sector is vital for tourism industry as well as the economy of the country as it balances the economic interests with social and environmental responsibilities. However, it has become an issue in the Sri Lankan hospitality and tourism industry to sustain green certification due to many challenges. The prevailing situation highlights the need of exploring long-term strategies to mitigate challenges in sustaining green certification which has not been researched to date. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to propose strategies to mitigate challenges in sustaining green certification in the hotel sector in Sri Lanka. Design/methodology/approach In total, 3 hotels were selected as cases of the study and 12 semi-structured interviews were conducted with engineers, maintenance managers and supervisors, who are responsible for sustaining green certificates at such hotels. The collected data were subjected to cross-case analysis to determine challenges in sustaining green certification. The findings were analysed with the support of the QSR.NVivo version 11.0 computer software. Findings Challenges were identified in detail under five main categories. They are technical, managerial, political and legal, environment and biological and social and cultural. Such challenges include design and construction defects, use of poor quality building and other materials, improper maintenance practices, incomplete and unclear construction documents, plans and specifications, resource limitations, insufficient budget allocations, government intervention, legal constraints, lack of user awareness and natural environmental conditions. Finally, strategies to mitigate such challenges are proposed based on empirical research findings. Research limitations/implications Only the Green Globe certified hotels in Sri Lanka were selected considering their need to renew certification annually. Further, interviewees were selected mainly focusing on the operational phase of a building. Hence, the findings were mostly limited to the perceptions and knowledge areas of selected interviewees. This can be highlighted as a primary limitation of the research, where a further study should be carried out on the perceptions of design stage professionals incorporating design stage challenges and strategies into the study. Originality/value The proposed strategies can be pursued by hoteliers to mitigate challenges in sustaining green certification, which will ultimately facilitate to balance economic interests with social and environmental responsibilities.

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