Performance appraisal is one of the key management tools which identifies employees’ strengths and weaknesses. Usually, this is the major mechanism of gathering information for rewarding/training employees based on their performance, and hence a key to achieve organisational goals by creating a satisfied workforce. Therefore, this study was aimed at examining the effects of the Performance Appraisal Process on job satisfaction of the university academic staff. The information collected within one of the largest universities in the UK via questionnaires and semi-structured interviews showed that the existing appraisal process majorly aligned with the requirements of the research-excellence-framework of the UK, which is greatly concerned with research rather than teaching. Furthermore, it was found that there is no clear link between promotions, salary increments, and rewards, etc. with staff performance within the current appraisal process. Eventually, it was realised that the majority of the academic staff of the source university were dissatisfied with the current performance appraisal process, and this could be the situation in the majority of universities in the UK. Therefore, further research in this area is highly recommended to explore extensive information to create a favourable work/study environment for both staff and students within the universities.

The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the ongoing post-pandemic challenges in developing and managing digital agility among Sri Lankan family business owners. This study used a mono-method qualitative approach to identify the management strategies using the self-determination theory and social exchange theory to cope with digital agility among Sri Lankan family business owners. Authors interviewed 25 family business owners in Sri Lanka and assessed the findings using the NVivo software. A total of five thematic findings have been identified as challenges in developing and managing digital agility among Sri Lankan Family Business owners. According to this study, digital capability plays a significant role in supporting top management to apply ambidextrous leadership during turbulent times. Findings contributes to the family business owners in Sri Lanka to identify proper strategies in overcoming the challenges associated with developing and managing digital agility of family business firms.

No abstract

No abstract

Modern business environments are characterized by regular crises, and much attention is paid to understanding why certain individuals and businesses endure while others do not. It has been the entrepreneurial ability to see a crisis as an opportunity that has led to many successful business stories emerging from adversity, such as the recent coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Much of the discussion on the subject centres on the abilities and some essential attributes found in leaders and entrepreneurs. Their ability to face such problems is explored in the context of two cases reported in Sri Lanka. The essay's primary goal is to shed light on entrepreneurs' mindsets and how such leaders can contribute their experiences and other skill sets such as creative thinking and innovative problem-solving skills, to starting a new business. The essay concludes by attempting to provide some guidance on the widely contested question of whether entrepreneurs are born or produced in the context of a crisis.

The paper aims to explore the key policy devising measures under crisis management in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. A key argument in the study is that building policy for crisis requires the understanding of both governance capacity as well as legitimacy. Through the theoretical lens of crisis management and resilience building, the study explores the key literature on the topic to arrive at a conceptual framework which is further explored through mixed-method research. The study explores the phenomenon in the context of Sri Lanka and its mechanism to deal with the pandemic. Fifteen interviews were conducted, followed by a survey covering key sectors of tourism, information technology and education to understand the extent to which crisis management strategies were achieved in the policy procedures. The article identifies some key themes: political capacity, stakeholder involvement, input capacity and throughput capacity in the overall governance system that requires further improvements, including the gender differences in accepting the policy decisions, which can be explored in future work for greater insight.

Purpose Higher educational institutes (HEIs) are experiencing a significant shift towards online education, which has been fast-forwarded with the global pandemic of COVID-19. The forced shift has also exposed many vulnerabilities in online education, especially assessments. The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential dark side of the digital transformation of examinations through the lens of university students. Design/methodology/approach This study involves a sample of 127 university students from the fields of business and science, technology, education and management (STEM) and the key factors affecting student perception were assessed quantitatively to explore the interrelationships. Findings Results revealed that both business and STEM students have a similar impression of the use of online examinations, and the majority still have mixed feelings about them as a replacement for physical examinations. The regrouping of the factors revealed two key dimensions, trustworthiness and apprehensible education, as key areas of student perception in the context of online examinations. Research limitations/implications This study aims to strengthen the understanding of Kolb’s experiential learning mechanism through a discussion on the importance of abstract conceptualization as opposed to concrete experience in the establishment of the online assessment and learning space. Practically speaking, increasing investment in internet infrastructure and forming strategic alliances with important parties, like internet providers, to create uninterrupted network coverage, are an effective place to start if one wants to make sure that the process of moving to online learning is becoming more and more accepted by educators, students, and the general public. Originality/value The online transition to higher education has seen expedited growth since the pandemic and has not given much room for many HEIs globally to adjust. The procedures and techniques implemented take a Western lens, and less attention is given to the emerging context and its context-specific characteristics in such implementation. This study takes the theoretical lens of Kolb and proposes the key learnings for a successful online transition to assessment in emerging contexts.