Journal of Contemporary Perspectives in Accounting and Digitalization (JCPAD)

1. Prof. Roshan Ajward – Editor in Chief
   Professor in Accounting
   Department of Accounting,
   Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce,
   University of Sri Jayewardenepura.
   Email – ajward@sjp.ac.lk
2. Ms. Amali Henadirage – Editor
   Lecturer
   Department of Accounting, Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce,
   University of Sri Jayewardenepura
   Email – amalihenadirage@sjp.ac.lk
3. Ms. Nathasha Kaumadi Shyamanthi – Editor
   Lecturer
   Department of Accounting, Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce,
   University of Sri Jayewardenepura
   Email – nathasha@sjp.ac.lk

1. Senior Prof. K.D. Gunawardana
   Senior Professor of Accounting (Chair)
   Department of Accounting, Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce,
   University of Sri Jayewardenepura
   Email – kennedy@sjp.ac.lk
2. Senior Prof. D S N P Senarathne
   Senior Professor in Accounting
   Department of Accounting, Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce,
   University of Sri Jayewardenepura
   Email – samanthisenaratne@sjp.ac.lk
3. Prof. A H N Kariyawasam
   Professor in AccountingDepartment of Accounting, Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce,
   University of Sri Jayewardenepura
   Email – harendrak@sjp.ac.lk
4. Prof. A S P G Manawaduge
   Professor in AccountingDepartment of Accounting, Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce,
   University of Sri Jayewardenepura
   Email – athula@sjp.ac.lk
5. Prof. D N Samudrage
   Professor in Accounting
   Department of Accounting, Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce,
   University of Sri Jayewardenepura
   Email – dileepask@sjp.ac.lk
6. Prof. W H E Silva
   Professor in Accounting
   Department of Accounting, Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce,
   University of Sri Jayewardenepura
   Email – hilary@sjp.ac.lk
7. Prof. A.A.J. Fernando
   Professor in Accounting
   Department of Accounting, Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce,
   University of Sri Jayewardenepura
   Email – anil@sjp.ac.lk
8. Dr. W G S Kelum
   Senior Lecturer
   Department of Accounting, Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce,
   University of Sri Jayewardenepura
   Email – kelumg@sjp.ac.lk
9. Mr. P.D.C. Udayashantha
   Senior Lecturer
   Department of Accounting, Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce,
   University of Sri Jayewardenepura
   Email – udayashantha@sjp.ac.lk
10. Dr. A H G K Karunarathna
    Senior Lecturer
    Department of Accounting, Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce,
    University of Sri Jayewardenepura
    Email – kingsley@sjp.ac.lk
11. Dr. T C M G M S S Cooray
    Senior Lecturer
    Department of Accounting, Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce,
    University of Sri Jayewardenepura
    Email – sanjeevanie.cooray@sjp.ac.lk
12. Dr. S M C P Seneviratne
    Senior Lecturer
    Department of Accounting, Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce,
    University of Sri Jayewardenepura
    Email – chaturika@sjp.ac.lk
13. Dr. Deshani Hettiarachchi
    Senior Lecturer
    Department of Accounting, Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce,
    University of Sri Jayewardenepura
    Email – deshanih@sjp.ac.lk
14. Mr. Rangajeewa Herath
    Senior Lecturer
    Department of Accounting, Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce,
    University of Sri Jayewardenepura
    Email – rangajeewa@sjp.ac.lk
15. Dr. A D Nuwan Gunarathne
    Senior LecturerDepartment of Accounting, Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce,
    University of Sri Jayewardenepura
    Email – nuwan@sjp.ac.lk
16. Mr. Chathuranga Sandaruwan
    Senior Lecturer
    Department of Accounting, Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce,
    University of Sri Jayewardenepura
    Email – sandaruwan@sjp.ac.lk
17. Dr. Isuru Manawadu
    Senior LecturerDepartment of Accounting, Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce,
    University of Sri Jayewardenepura
    Email – isurumanawadu@sjp.ac.lk
18. Ms. W.T.Y. Cooray
    Lecturer (Probationary)
    Department of Accounting, Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce,
    University of Sri Jayewardenepura
    Email – thilinicooray@sjp.ac.lk

JCPAD Vol. 6, No. 1

Article 1

Analysing the impact of factors on challenges and barriers in supply chain management implementation in the Sri Lankan retail industry during COVID-19
Abeyrathne SD, Gunawardana KD

Article 2

The relationship between dividend policy and firm financial performance: Empirical study of non-financial listed companies in Sri Lanka
Abeysinghe AMAT, Kariyawasam AHN

Article 3

The changing role of accounting professionals in business in Sri Lanka with the COVID-19 pandemic
Jayasinghe T, Peiris P, Rathnayaka I, Wijekoon P, Cooray S

Article 4

Assessing the disclosure of materiality analysis in integrated reports: Evidence from Sri Lanka
Nusari A, Henadirage A

Article 5

Factors affecting online purchasing behaviour of management undergraduates of state universities in Colombo district
Sathsarani LC, Senarathne S

Please submit your manuscripts through email.

Email – acc.journal@sjp.ac.lk

.

5.1 Author Guidelines

The author(s) are requested to adhere to the given guidelines when submitting a manuscript to the Journal of Contemporary Perspectives in Accounting and Digitalization (JCPAD) of the Department of Accounting, Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce, University of Sri Jayewardenepura.

The originality and linguistic accuracy of the manuscript are the responsibility of the author(s). The manuscript shouldn’t have been submitted to or considered for publication anywhere else.

1. Authorship

All authors should be listed on the first page after the title of the research. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all authors have seen, approved, and are fully conversant with the contents of the manuscript. All authors are responsible for the accuracy of the manuscript, including all statistical computations.

2. Fees

No processing or submission fees are assessed by JCPAD for the publication of manuscripts.

3. Types of Manuscripts Accepted

JCPAD is a double-blind peer-reviewed journal that offers a platform for the publication of authoritative, well-referenced articles from accounting, corporate governance, sustainability, auditing & assurance, taxation, accounting education, and related disciplines.

4. General Style and Format of the Manuscripts

1. Manuscript Preparation
   • First Page

The title of the research should be written in uppercase, bold, single-spaced, and center-aligned on the top of the first page. The author names, affiliations, and e-mail addresses should be included after the title, single-spaced and centered. An asterisk should be used to denote the corresponding author where there are multiple authors as follows (Example 1).

Example 1:

THE IMPACT OF BOARD CHARACTERISTICS ON FIRM PERFORMANCE OF LARGEST LISTED COMPANIES IN SRI LANKA

*Perera OS

Department of Accounting, University of Sri Jayewardenepura

perera.os@gmail.com

Samarakoon MNK

Department of Accounting, University of Sri Jayewardenepura

samarakoon.mnk@gmail.com

A structured abstract not exceeding 250 words should be included after the authors’ names and affiliations under the sub-topics as follows (Example 2).

Example 2:

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of Corporate Governance (CG) mechanisms on Intellectual Capital (IC) disclosure of non-financial listed companies of the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE).

Design/methodology/approach – The study is conducted on a sample of eighty listed companies selected based on the highest market capitalization across six industry sectors of CSE. Content analysis is used to identify the level of IC disclosure and the agency theory and resource dependency theory are employed to develop hypotheses to examine the impact of CG mechanisms on the IC disclosure level.

Findings – The results indicate that the Company Size has a significant impact on the level of IC disclosure. However, the findings also indicate that Independent Directors, Company Leverage, Company Performance, CEO Duality, and Block-holder Ownership do not have a significant impact on IC disclosures. This is an indicative symptom of the inefficiency associated with the CG mechanisms.  Descriptive statistics show that the average IC disclosure level is about 32.4%. The content analysis shows that most Sri Lankan companies do not have IC disclosures as a separate section in their annual reports. The result further shows a high variation of disclosure levels among companies indicating a lack of consistency in adopting disclosure practices by the firms.

Implications – The findings are particularly useful to policymakers, regulators, and corporate managers in identifying poor governance practices and the level of IC transparency of Sri Lankan firms.

Originality/value – The paper also contributes to the international debate on corporate governance practices and mechanisms that can improve IC disclosures of listed firms in the emerging stock markets.

Keywords – Board Characteristics, Corporate Governance, Intellectual Capital Disclosure, Ownership Structure

Paper type – Research paper

• Keywords

List 3 – 5 keywords tightly related to the topic and alphabetically ordered (see Example 2).

5.3 Text

The text of the manuscript should start just after the abstract. All body paragraphs should begin with a paragraph indent and be fully justified. The introduction/background of the study, literature review, methods, analysis and discussion, and conclusion should all be included in well-defined sections.

Use footnotes, not endnotes, whenever necessary. Footnotes should match with a superscript number at the end of the sentence referencing the source. It should begin with “1” and continue numerically throughout the manuscript.

At the end of the manuscript, references and appendices should be organized on new pages. All pages including the references and appendices, should have a page number at the bottom of the page and be centered.

• Headings and Subheadings

Headings and Subheadings should be numbered. Major first-level headings should be left aligned and displayed in capital letters with the bold font on a dedicated line. Second-level headings should be left aligned on a dedicated line with the first letter of main words in upper case and bold font. Third-level headings should be left aligned on a dedicated line with the first letter of the first word only in upper case and bold font. Fourth-level headings should be embedded in the paragraph with the first letter of the heading in uppercase, italicized, and followed by a colon without numbering. Do not use any further levels of headings. Please see Example 3.

Example 3:

1          INTRODUCTION – First level

2          LITERATURE REVIEW – First level

2.1       Concepts of Corporate Governance and Intellectual Capital – Second level

2.1.1    Agency theory – Third level

Agency theory and agency cost: Agency theory is a theory that explains… – Forth level

• Tables

All tables should be properly formatted instead of copying and pasting computer output (such as SPSS output) or inserting images. Line spacing should be single and the headers and footers of the tables should follow the line formatting style as given in Example 4. Tables should have clear and relevant headings consecutively numbered in Arabic numerals (Table 1, Table 2, etc.) and left aligned. There should be sources for tables that are not built on the authors’ original data, and the reference list should include any corresponding citations. The source of the table should be placed right below the table, with font size 10 and left aligned.

Example 4:

 Table 1: Sample Size and Industry Representation

   Source: Author Constructed (2022)

All tables should be referenced in the main text using the table number and avoid the use of words like “in the above Table” or “Table below” or any other reference of directionality throughout the text (Refer to Example 5).

Example 5:

The sample size and the industry representation of this research are given in Table 1.

• Figures

Figures should be numbered consecutively throughout the manuscript using Arabic numerals (Figure 1, Figure 2, etc.), left-aligned. The figure captions should appear after the figure. All figures must be supplied at the correct resolution and centered. It is encouraged to draw the figures using MS Word canvas and please avoid inserting linked diagrams from other software packages. It is required to show the graphics in black and white unless it is essential to use full colour. Figures should be placed where you would like them to appear in the text. There should be sources for figures that aren’t built on the authors’ original data, and the reference list should include any corresponding citations. The source of the figure should be placed right below the table, with font size 10 and left aligned as given in Example 6.

Example 6:

Figure 1: Conceptual Framework

Source: Author Constructed (2022)

Ensure that figures fit between the margins and are properly referenced in the text. Please do not use the words like “in the above Figure” or “Figure below” or any other reference to directionality throughout the text (Refer to Example 7).

Example 7:

The conceptual framework of this research is given in Figure 1.

• Formula/ Equations

Formulas are to be formatted in font size 12, left-aligned, and numbered consecutively with numbers in brackets on the right as shown in Example 8. Use the equation editor of your word processor to insert the equations.

Example 8:

2. Citations and References

The Harvard reference guide should be used for both in-text citations and the reference list (see the guide provided). Where available, the DOI numbers for all references should be included. The references list should be included at the conclusion of the document, with each entry single-spaced, and hanging indent.

3. Appendices

Any appendices should be presented after the list of references. They should be numbered in Arabic numerical order sequentially (e.g. Appendix 1, Appendix 2, etc.). There should be appropriate references to each appendix in the body of the document.

4. Plagiarism Policy

The JCPAD strictly prohibits all forms of plagiarism, data or figure manipulation, knowingly providing false information, and copyright violations.

Using recognized plagiarism detection tools, all submissions are checked for plagiarisation and a similarity report will be given to the authors. The similarity tolerance level of JCPAD is 20%.

5. Review Process

The Editor in Chief of JCPAD first conducts a desk review of the submission. The manuscript is then sent to two reviewers for a double-blind review if it passes the desk review stage. The corresponding author receives two reviewers’ remarks and comments or suggestions for changes. A third reviewer will be chosen if the recommendations of the first two reviewers are contradictory. The Editor in Chief or the reviewers examine the amended submission, and if the adjustments are deemed appropriate, the manuscript is approved for publication.

6. Submission

After adhering to the given submission guidelines, the author/s can submit the soft version of the manuscript (Microsoft Word file) through email: acc.journal@sjp.ac.lk.

7. Submission Preparation Checklist

Authors are required to check off each of the following submission requirements as part of the submission procedure, and submissions that don’t adhere to these guidelines may be returned to the authors.

• The submission has not been published before, and it is not being considered by another journal.
• The submission file is a Microsoft Word document file.
• Where available, the references’ DOIs have been given.
• Except for URL addresses, all images, figures, and tables are inserted into the text at the appropriate points rather than at the end. The text is single-spaced, has a font size of 12, is in Times New Roman font, and uses italics rather than underlining.
• The work complies with the citation and style standards specified in the author guidelines of JCPAD.

5.2 Harvard Referencing Guide

6.1 Reviewer Instructions

We are thankful for agreeing to be a member of the reviewer panel of Journal of Contemporary Perspectives in Accounting and Digitalization (JCPAD). Kindly note the below important guidelines when engaged with the reviewing process of the manuscripts.

Please kindly note that it is the responsibility of each reviewer to ensure that the review process is carried out in a timely, fair and consistent manner. As an acknowledged expert in your relevant field, you are expected to provide an unbiased and critical assessment of the manuscript.

The primary purpose of the review is to provide the authors with the information needed to reach a fair, evidence-based decision that adheres to the journal’s author guidelines and editorial policies. Review reports should assist authors in revising their work so that it might be accepted for publication. Reports that include a recommendation to reject a paper should detail the main scientific flaws so that the authors can get their work ready for submission to a new publication.

Please note the following important points required for the review process.

1. Reviewers should evaluate papers exclusively against the publication requirements of the Journal.
2. Reviews ought to be carried out impartially.
3. Defamatory or libelous statements against the author/s should not be made.
4. Reviewers should clearly state their opinions and provide sources and reasons to back them up.
5. Report suspected plagiarism – We do check accepted papers against a database of published articles, but if you notice plagiarism or other breaches of ethics during your review, notify the editor.
6. Reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts of interest. Reviewers should decline to review any submissions for which they believe they have a conflict of interest arising from business, personal, or other links or relationships with any of the authors, organizations, or companies associated with the papers.
7. Reviewers should keep the information provided to them confidential and refrain from discussing unpublished papers with their peers or using them in their work. The submitted manuscript should not be retained or copied.
8. Reviewers should not make any use of the data, arguments, or interpretations.
9. Comments to author/s –

• Do not identify yourself or your institution in your comments for the authors.
• Do not include overall recommendations in your comments to the authors such as “This paper is publishable”, “This paper is unacceptable”, “This paper should not be published”, etc. Such general recommendations should appear only in the comments you provide separately for the editor in the confidential review comment section.
• Authors will receive an anonymous copy of your comments. Always be polite, scholarly, detailed, and constructive. Use a professional style and avoid disparaging interjections and offensive exclamations when giving comments to authors.
• Please number each comment. This makes it much easier for editors and authors to discuss specific concerns and issues in a manuscript.
• Please cite page numbers when referring to specific sections of the manuscript.
• Always talk about the paper, not the author. Scrutinize the issues, ideas, and methods, not the author. Your review should reflect your scholarly judgment and expertise.
• Be consistent; do not write a very promising set of comments to the author, and then say very negative things in the reviewer report provide to the editor (or vice versa).
• When you make recommendations to an author, provide enough detail for the author to understand why you make the recommendation. Instead of just “You should discuss Weber’s work.” it is better to say “You should discuss Weber’s theory of the relationship between capitalism and Protestantism because the social dynamics described in that theory are very similar to the social dynamics you are discussing.” Please provide specific citations to help the authors find the literature you are referencing.
• Even if you think a manuscript is seriously flawed, try to give the author suggestions as to how it might be improved. Also be sure to identify the strengths of a paper and consider whether and how those strengths might be salvaged.
• Sometimes you will receive a manuscript which is written by someone whose first language is not English. In these cases, please be sure to distinguish, as best you can, between the quality of writing and the quality of ideas. Writing problems in an otherwise insightful paper could be fixed in revision, or by partnering with a coauthor whose first language is English.

Review Criteria

Reviewers are expected to review the manuscript using the below criteria as Low, Moderate and High along with constructive comments and recommendations (Please refer the reviewer form in Appendix 01).

1. The title is meaningful and interesting. It covers the substance of the article.
2. Research problem/s is/are coherent, clearly informed, and well-grounded.
3. Research objectives are well articulated and stated.
4. Arguments/hypotheses are well formulated and address the research problem/s and the theoretical foundation/s.
5. Literature review is coherent and encompasses the recent views, trends and developments in the field.
6. Methodology is appropriate and facilitates to explore and analyze the research problem.
7. Findings are logically driven and contribute to the new knowledge.
8. Discussion is based on existing literature and the findings of the research and is meaningful.
9. Conclusion and recommendations are coherent and meaningful.
10. The language is fluent and free from, typos etc. The academic writing style is appropriate and accurate.

Review Report

(i) Review Report to be shared with author/s – Please state constructive comments, opinions and recommendations to be shared with author/s.

(ii) Review report to Editor in Chief (confidential review comment section) – Please state the comments, overall recommendations to be sent to editors.

Reviewer decisions

Reviewers are expected to provide the reviewer decisions as follows via the detailed review report. Reviewers can provide the overall decision as “Accept without modifications”, “Accept with minor modifications”, “Accept with major modifications” and “Reject”.

6.2 Reviewer Report

Please attach the reviewer report – (Separately attached in the email)

Call for papers

Journal Rebranding

It is with great pleasure to inform that the “Journal of Accounting Panorama” has been rebranded as “Journal of Contemporary Perspectives in Accounting and Digitalization” with the purpose of widening the scope of the journal.