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Problem of inductive inference – a comparative study on David Hume and Karl popper
Full text linkIn the history of philosophy, David Hume and Karl Popper are significant figures in the
philosophy of science, especially when it comes to inductive inference. Hume, an 18th-century
Scottish philosopher, is best known for his criticism on induction, skepticism about causality. He
argued that we infer future events from patterns of regular succession and contiguity in our
experiences. We observe that certain events are consistently followed by others (regular
succession), and from this, we infer that future will be like the past. Hume's view is heavily based
on induction, meaning we infer generalizations from observed and predict the unobserved. Karl
Popper, a 20th-century philosopher of science, had a different approach about induction. Popper
was focused on the scientific method and the demarcation problem means science from pseudoscience. Popper, like Hume, was aware of the problem of induction. However, instead of relying
on inductive inference, he proposed a deductive approach. In Popper's view, scientific theories
should not be confirmed by repeated observation, but should be rigorously tested and falsified
through experiments. Both Hume’s and Pooper’s views are similar in certain context they differ in
important points. The research problem is here to query the reason and to find the background of
the differences. Objective of the study is to elaborate the detailed account of their views on
induction. Since it is a descriptive study, qualitative research design was employed. From secondary
sources, the data were collected. David Hume’s and Popper’s works (especially Objective
Knowledge) have been used as original sources and other writings were also used to get more
understanding of the subject. The data were analyzed qualitatively and findings were proved based
on textual evidences. Hume focused on inductive reasoning, suggesting that future events are
inferred from repeated observation, while Popper rejected induction as a reliable method for
establishing truth. Instead, Popper championed falsification. Inductive knowledge and causal
theories should be testable and open to falsification through experiments
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No full textPurpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate the extent of voluntary
disclosure and its determinants of companies listed in Colombo Stok Exchange
(CSE).
Design/methodology/approach – Complying to the previous empirical studies on
corporate voluntary disclosures, the study surveyed the annual reports of 43 randomly
drawn sampled firms using 60 disclosure items constructed into four voluntary
disclosure indies namely corporate strategic disclosure index (CSDI), financial and
capital market information disclosure index (FCMDI), forward-looking disclosure
index (FLDI), social reporting disclosure index (SRDI) and total voluntary disclosure
index (TVDI). The sample firms were observed for three reporting periods from 2016
through 2018. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation and OLS
regression analysis.
Findings – The study found that the extent of voluntary disclosures by firms listed in
CSE gradually grew over the years. Extents of disclosure of such corporate strategic
information as ‘ways of improvement in product/service quality and the customer
service’, ‘research development activities’ and ‘future product and development’ are
relatively higher than the other corporate and strategic information surveyed.
Financial and capital market related disclosure items that reflect on companies’
market value have been disclosed relatively at higher rates than the items that connect
to the assessment of current and potential risk, return and operating cash flows useful
for industry comparison. Forward looking information tends to be the lowest
disclosed voluntary information by companies surveyed. The study also concludes
that forward looking voluntary disclosures by Sri Lankan firms largely pertains to
external factors than the internal factors which mostly depends on managerial
discretion. Analyzing the determinant of voluntary disclosures, the study find that
firms size is a significant predictor positively impacting on the volume of voluntary
disclosures with respect to all voluntary disclosure models tested. Relatively new
companies volunteer more than older ones in disclosing voluntary information.
It is also documented that financial leverage significantly and positively impact on
many voluntary disclosure indices while profitability and ownership concentration do
not broadly impact on the spectrum of voluntary disclosures.Research limitations/implications – Following previous studies, this paper surveyed
only the annual reports of listed firms, which is a regular medium of companies’
disclosures. This paper however excludes voluntary disclosure contents in other such
media as company’s website, magazine and sustainability reports etc.
Originality value – Distinguished from similar empirical works, this disclosure
analysis been directed to items within disclosure constructs. This account of analysis
helps the inference of patters/ reasons/motives/attitudes that underlie voluntary
disclosures
Investigation of ectoparasites in goats and sheep farming systems in Addalaichenai ds division
Full text linkThe ectoparasites can affect productivity, hide quality and be a source of
secondary infection in goats and sheep. This study investigated the
prevalence of ectoparasites infestation in goats and sheep in Addalaichenai
DS division in Sri Lanka. Goats (n=95) and sheep (n=83) were sampled and
ectoparasites were collected from identified body regions. The data were
analysed using Chi-Square test. The results showed that 89.33% of sampled
animals were infested with one or more ectoparasites. The ectoparasites in
goats were Haemaphysalis longicornis, Ctenocephalides felis, Linognathus
stenopsis and Bovicola ovis with a prevalence of 65.25%, 6.31%, 65.26%
and 0% respectively whereas the prevalence in sheep were 60.24%, 0%,
4.81% and 44.57% respectively. The association of age and sex of goats and
sheep with ectoparasites infestation was not significant (p <0.05). The
presence of Haemaphysalis longicornis, Linognathus stenopsis in different
body regions of goats and sheep was significantly different (p<0.05),
however, the presence of Bovicola ovis in sheep and Ctenocephalides felis in
goats in different body regions was not significantly different (p<0.05). The
comparison of the infestation in goats and sheep showed that the association
of Ctenocephalides felis, Linognathus stenopsis and Bovicola ovis was
significantly different, however, the association of Haemaphysalis
longicornis was not significantly different (p<0.05). It is concluded that
Haemaphysalis longicornis was highly prevalent in goats and sheep,
whereas, Linognathus stenopsis highly prevalent in goats only which could
affect the wellbeing and productivity of goats and sheep in the study area.
Farmer education on the management of the highly prevalent ectoparasites
are recommended in the study area
Evaluation on performance of seed treatments techniques in withstand submergence conditions of rice (oryza sativa l.) varieties
Full text linkRice (Oryza sativa L.) is wetland crop that is the major food source in Sri
Lanka. However, rice crop performance is decrease due to the flood-prone
areas and submergence affect poor rates of germination, which has a
substantial impact on direct rice seed. Hence, the present study was carried
out to evaluate & development of the performance of seed treatments
techniques in withstand submergence conditions. Here, four rice varieties
were coated with Alginate and Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) and primed
with Gibberellic Acid, Ascorbic Acid & Calcium Chloride (CaCl2). Fivedays-old seedlings were completely submerged 1m height in tank for 6,12,
and 14 days which arranged in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD)
with three replicates. The results showed that the germination, morphological
characteristics of rice plants were significantly (p<0.05) affected by the
treatments. The germination indicates were significantly higher in Ld 368
and Bw 372 non treated seeds compared to coated & primed seeds. The
highest survival percentage (100%) showed by Ld 376 & Bw 372 with CaCl2
and Ld 368 with SLS survival percentage at 10th day recovery. The highest
Shoot Elongation recorded Gibberellic Acid 80 ppm seeds under 14 Days
submergence conditions. Vigor Index was higher in Ascorbic Acid 50 ppm
treatment rather than the non-treated seeds, whereas Alginate & CaCl2
observed the highest root shoot ratio among the Seed treatment agents seeds
under 6 & 12Days submergence conditions. Thereby, seeds treatments with
four rice varieties enabled successful to withstand complete submergence
compared to control treatments
Evaluating antagonistic fungal isolates and natural antifungal extracts as biocontrol agents against the causal organism of cabbage ring spot disease in the wet uplands of Sri Lanka
Full text linkCabbage ring spot disease poses a significant threat to cabbage cultivation in
Nuwara Eliya and is traditionally controlled using environmentally harmful
chemical fungicides. In search of environmentally friendly alternatives, this
study aimed to identify the causative agent of the disease, potential
antagonists and plant extracts with antifungal properties. The isolated
pathogen Alternaria tenussima was comprehensively confirmed by
morphological and molecular methods, including a pathogenicity test.
Twelve fungal isolates were involved in in vitro experiments, seven of which
exhibited antagonistic effects against Alternaria spp. showed. Notably,
isolate 7 (I7) showed the highest inhibition. Transition to in vivo conditions
revealed significant differences between the fungal isolates and application
methods. Further investigations investigated the antifungal potential of the
nanoemulsion formulations with plant extracts, particularly cloves
(Syzygium aromaticum), cloves in combination with jasmine (Jasminum spp)
and nutmeg (Myristica fragrans). Among these formulations, combinations
of clove with jasmine and pure clove showed significant inhibition of
pathogen growth, especially at lower concentrations (50µL/10mL solidified
PDA). While this study lays the foundation, further investigation, including
gene sequencing, is imperative to confirm the identity of antagonistic fungal
strains. Furthermore, field evaluations are crucial to assess the field
effectiveness of both antagonistic fungi and plant extract formulations under
field growing conditions and to recommend sustainable agricultural
solutions to cabbage ring spot diseases
Assessing the mediating effect of work-life balance between antecedents of work-life balance and job performance of academic and administrative heads in the Sri Lankan universities
Full text linkPurpose: The current Work-Life Balance (WLB) is the major issue confronted by the
employees. This study aimed to find out the impact of the WLB antecedents such as
personality, well-being, time management, job stress, organizational support, WLB
company practices, family support, child and elderly care, and technology on job
performance in the presence of WLB in Academic and Administrative Heads of the
Sri Lankan University.
Design/methodology/approach: To achieve this aim, the quantitative method was
implemented, and academic and administrative heads from the universities in
the North and East provinces were selected. A structured questionnaires were
distributed to 371 participants, and 274 responses were received among participants.
Further, SPSS-AMOS version 23 was used to analyze the conceptual model through
structural equation modeling through the collected data.
Findings: The structural model of the study presented that WLB is a significant
mediator between personality, well-being, time management, job stress,
and technology with job performance. Also, WLB is not a significant mediator
between organizational support, WLB company practices, family support, child and
elderly care and job performance.
Practical implications: The findings revealed that the antecedents of WLB such as
personality, well-being, time management, job stress and technology are important
antecedents of WLB which should be considered by the university administrators.
Originality value: This study novel provides valuable contributions by examining the
mediation role of WLB between antecedents of WLB and job performance. This
research addresses a leadership cohort to fill a gap in the literature about the influence
of WLB on leadership-improved job performance in higher education institutions
The impact of emotional contagion on burnout of police constables with the mediating role of emotional resilience
Full text linkPurpose: Human resources are the backbone of every organization. This study
explores the impact of Emotional contagion on the burnout of police constables with
the mediating role of emotional resilience. This research aims to carefully determine
and examine the mediating role of emotional resilience on the relationship between
emotional contagion and burnout of police constables in the police department in the
Kurunegala district.
Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative research approach is applied for this
study, adopting a sample of 120, selected through the simple random sampling
method, from the population of 120 police constables in the police department in the
Kurunegala district. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire and
analyzed using SPSS software version 21, with descriptive and inferential analyses
performed to decipher the complex relationships between variables.
Findings: As per the results of multiple regression results, four hypotheses (H2: β=
.209, p=.004), (H3: β= -547, p=.000), (H4: β=.454, p=.000) and (H6: β=.189, p=.022)
were accepted while (H5: β=-.189, p=.008) was rejected. The mediation analysis
indicated a partial mediation effect of emotional resilience on the impact of emotional
contagion on burnout. The findings suggest that emotional resilience negatively
affects emotional contagion and subsequently reduces burnout among police
constables in the police department in Kurunegala.
Practical implications: These results contribute to the growing body of research on
workplace dynamics, highlighting the intricate relationship between interpersonal
relationships and professional outcomes in police departments.
Originality value: The findings of this study will be a better guide for the
administrative police department, non-gazette officers, policymakers, decisionmakers, and other concerned agencie
Why do companies go public in Sri Lanka? a mixed-method approach
No full textThis study aims to explore the motives behind the company’s decision to go public in Sri Lanka.
This study adopts the explanatory sequential mixed-method approach based on the benefit-cost trade-off theory, incorporating survey-based descriptive statistics of 143 respondents from listed companies in the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) followed by content analysis of 52 initial public offering prospectuses and 11 interviews with top management of listed companies.
Companies primarily go public to raise capital for long- and short-term growth, followed by enhancing corporate image and governance structure. Also, they go public to rebalance capital structure, lower the cost of capital, diversify risk, compete in their product market and grab market timing opportunities. Furthermore, the qualitative analysis established that companies are going public also for value addition, broadening the ownership structure, establishing new strategic partnerships and funding for working capital requirements, which are not highlighted in previous studies.
These findings offer valuable insights for policymakers aiming to attract new companies to CSE, which would contribute to the capital market development of Sri Lanka.
This study combines quantitative survey and qualitative content analysis in a single investigation, revealing novel motives for going public that were not previously identified. This approach allows for a more comprehensive topic exploration, including the participants’ experiences and perceptions, while minimizing bias and maximizing robustness. This study is more comprehensive than previous studies that relied on descriptive statistics
Importance of reforming the Sri Lankan Muslim marriage and divorce act: challenges and solutions
Full text linkPersonal law refers to the legal framework that safeguards the laws, customs, and
practices of distinct groups based on religious, cultural, or regional identities
within a country, preserving their unique characteristics. In the Ottoman Empire,
issues pertaining to Muslim Family Matters were addressed through ijtihad until
the compilation of the "Qanunu Hukuq al-Aila" in 1917. In Sri Lanka, the Muslim
Personal Law encompasses the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act of 1951, which
governs family matters within the Muslim community. This act is integral to
regulating the daily affairs of families, which are regarded as fundamental to
society, with a particular focus on the rights and duties of women. However, it is
perceived to present a misrepresentation of Islam and Muslims within the current
legal system. Amendments to this law are seen as essential to safeguarding family
integrity, rectifying injustices, and portraying a more accurate image of Muslim
Personal Law. Muslim Personal Law is also adaptable, with provisions that can
evolve with changing times. Embracing necessary changes is crucial to
demonstrating the enduring nature of Islam. The lack of consensus within the
Muslim community has resulted in delays in private law reforms, compounded by a
lack of understanding of Islamic law. Efforts to amend the law should prioritize
consensus-building, recognize the necessity for change, and ensure amendments are
crafted to enhance the reputation of Islam, safeguard human interests, and uphold
justice
