Editorial Note

Abstract

It is with great pleasure that we present Volume 15, Issue 01 of the Sri Lankan Journal of Business Economics (SLJBE), published by the Department of Business Economics, Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce, University of Sri Jayewardenepura. This issue brings together a collection of scholarly articles that address contemporary issues in business economics, education, labour markets, international trade, SME development, public transport, and banking performance. Collectively, the papers reflect the journal’s continuing commitment to publishing evidence-based research that contributes to academic knowledge, policy discussion, and practical decision-making. A key feature of this issue is its strong focus on Sri Lanka’s development challenges within a rapidly changing social and economic environment. The article by Jayasuriya et al (2026) examines the factors influencing positive learning environments in emerging online platforms among management undergraduates in Sri Lanka. The study highlights the importance of user-friendly platforms, digital accessibility, quality e-materials, learner autonomy, interaction, emotional support, monitoring, and supervision in improving online learning outcomes. At the same time, it identifies poor learning materials, technological barriers, limited interaction, inconsistent feedback, and low engagement as challenges that can weaken students’ online learning experiences. The issue also contributes to the timely debate on population ageing and labour force participation. Dunusinghe and Rajkotwala (2026) investigate the determinants of working in old age in Sri Lanka, with particular attention to health status. Their findings show that healthier elderly individuals are more likely to participate in the labour force than those experiencing severe health difficulties. The study further suggests that promoting healthy ageing could increase old-age labour force participation, offering important implications for social protection, labour market policy, and the emerging silver economy in Sri Lanka. Two articles in this issue focus on exports, SME competitiveness, and international market access. Weerasinghe et al (2026) assess the effectiveness of international trade fairs in enhancing export performance in Sri Lanka. Their study shows that trade fair participation positively contributes to export turnover, export volume, brand recognition, networking opportunities, and finalized orders. The findings emphasize that pre-fair preparation, business contacts, B2B meetings, product demonstrations, trained staff, digital catalogues, and business cards are important practices for improving export outcomes. Similarly Rodrigo et al (2026) examine the export readiness of agriculture-sector SMEs in Sri Lanka by developing an Export Readiness Index. This article is especially important because it responds to the absence of a systematic mechanism for assessing export readiness among Sri Lankan agri-SMEs. The study identifies production capacity, supply chain strength, digital promotion, data-driven export decisions, and staff training in export logistics and customs documentation as important factors influencing export readiness. The article by Silva and Maheswaranathan (2026) focuses on service quality and passenger satisfaction in public bus transportation, using evidence from the Kalutara District. The study confirms that service quality has a significant impact on passenger satisfaction and identifies consistency, responsiveness, cleanliness, confidence, compassion, and accessibility as key dimensions of service quality. The findings are relevant for improving public transport services, especially in developing country contexts where public buses remain essential for daily mobility, social inclusion, and access to employment, education, and health services. This issue also includes an international contribution by Ezuem and Sagbara (2026) on the relationship between capital structure and the performance of deposit money banks in Nigeria. The study examines the effects of debt ratio, equity ratio, and debt-to-equity ratio on return on assets. Its findings indicate that excessive dependence on debt financing can negatively affect bank profitability and increase financial risk, highlighting the need for balanced and sustainable financing strategies in the banking sector. Overall, the papers published in this issue demonstrate the interdisciplinary nature of business economics and its relevance to real-world economic and social challenges. The issue provides insights into digital transformation in education, ageing and labour supply, export development, SME readiness, public transport service quality, and financial sector performance. These studies offer valuable implications for policymakers, researchers, educators, business practitioners, public sector institutions, and development agencies. On behalf of the Editorial Board, I extend my sincere appreciation to all authors for their scholarly contributions, to the reviewers for their constructive comments, and to the editorial and technical teams for their dedicated support in maintaining the academic quality of SLJBE. We hope that this issue will encourage further research, policy dialogue, and collaboration in the field of business economics. Dr P.P. Lalanie Executive Editor Sri Lankan Journal of Business Economics (SLJBE) Department of Business Economics Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce University of Sri Jayewardenepura Sri Lanka