International Conference on Business Management – 2016
The 13th International Conference on Business Management (ICBM), organized by Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce (FMSC), University of Sri Jayewardenepura was held on 7th and 8th December 2016. Inaugural Session and the Industry Forum were held at Hotel Galadari, Colombo whereas the Research Sessions and Doctoral Symposium were held at University premises.
The ICBM, organized by FMSC, occupies a prominent position in the annual university academic calendar. The conference provided an interdisciplinary platform with endless opportunities for the academia and the business management professionals to share the latest knowledge and network.
The theme of this year’s conference, ‘Managing Productivity and Quality: The Path to Excellence’ is of contemporary significance in the nation’s journey towards prosperity and wellbeing of its people. This topic has always been an increasingly interesting area of research for researchers and practitioners over many decades. As such, the ICBM 2016 created a platform to deliberate on this theme from diverse perspectives with the intention of developing appropriate strategies for the organizations and the nation.
Dr Harsha de Silva, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs graced the event as the chief guest and Prof. Jayaraman Krishnaswamy graced the event as the keynote speaker. The Vice Chancellor of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura Prof. Sampath Amaratunge, the Dean of the Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce, Dr. U. Anura Kumara, several Heads of the Departments, researchers and academic members also have taken part in the conference and the Industry Forum.
The Industry Forum, one of the key event of this conference was conducted with the participation of eminent panelists: Prof. Sampath Amaratunge, the Vice Chancellor; Prof. Jayaraman Krishnaswamy, Taylor’s University, Malaysia; Mr. Rohan Pallewatta, Executive Chairman, Lanka Harness Pvt Ltd; Mr. Mano Sekaram, CEO, 99X Technologies; Mr Mahinda Saranapala, CEO, Kelani Cables Ltd; Mr Gamini Dharmawardana, Director General, Sri Lanka Standards Institution; and Mr.Nimal Perera, President, Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Quality and Productivity. In addition, the QCC team from Lanka Hospitals made a demonstration as to how workers take part in the quality management process in a service sector. Thus, the Panelist of the industry forum of 13th ICBM is a mélange of expertise from both academia and industry.
