10th International Conference on Business Management
Tuesday, 10 December 2013 00:00
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Resilience amid turbulence – Revisiting ethics
As a developing nation that’s rapidly gaining international focus due to its immense potential for business opportunities, Sri Lanka lags behind in applying ethical concepts to ensure sustainable business practices, where profit still remains the driving force behind all decisions taken.
Though commonly misinterpreted as a cost generator, ethical practices are a tried and true value addition to businesses as seen by case studies in a global context. Despite the reluctance of local corporates to embrace an ethical outlook, the global business arena sees adherence to ethics as a profit making point – and continues to capitalise on the value addition gained through ethical practices in their businesses.
The corporates in Sri Lanka need to understand and recognise the importance of ethical practices, instead of its single minded focus on profit generation and getting ahead of competition, identifying this shortcoming seen in the business arena of the country, and staying true to its legacy of addressing issues that demand immediate attention, the 10th International Conference on Business Management (ICBM), organised by the Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, focuses on the key theme of ‘resilience amid turbulence – revisiting ethics’.
The conference will be held at Blue Waters Hotel Wadduwa from 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 pm today. This will be followed by a cultural show at 6.00 pm, and then dinner.
Bringing together a number of local and foreign academicians with their valuable research insights on the key theme of ethics, the main tracks of the conference would be broadly categorised under the topics of intelligence systems for managing business disasters, gender and society in managing business ethics, challenges and new dimensions in managing business ethics and corporate governance, business collaborations and ethics, business ethics for emerging and growing industries, crafting and ethical business climate; the role of the entrepreneur, the role of media in ethical business practices, government as a catalyst in managing an ethical business climate and professions and business ethics, taking a totalistic view of the overall dimensions of ethical practices.
Entrepreneurial session
In addition the conference will also include an ‘entrepreneurial session’, a one-of-a-kind initiative that recognises and applauds the immeasurable service done towards the development of the country by previously unrecognised, yet highly impactful entrepreneurs through their specific fields.
World renowned inventor Flexport group Chairman Dr. Nandadasa Narayana, Nippolac group of companies Chairman Raja Hewabowala, Mallika Hemachandra Jewellers Chairperson Mallika Hemachandra, Lanka Harness Company Managing Director/CEO Rohan Pallewatte and Lassana Flora Managing Director/Chairman Dr. Lasantha Malawige will be awarded for their immense contribution towards the development of their respective industries and their commitment towards creating a better Sri Lanka.
Selected after a rigorous screening process, a publication focusing on the individual experiences of these entrepreneurs, elaborating on their journey towards success and case studies on the challenges faced throughout their ventures would also be released at the 10th ICBM, commemorating a decade of facilitating the business field of the country with research insights on pressing issues.
The key note address of the conference will be done by Western Professor Jane E. Klobas, a well known academician and researcher with specialised research interests in the fields of research development, adult learning, knowledge transfer, information management and applications of the theory of planned behaviour. Currently holding multiple academic positions of academic icon professor, department of business policy and strategy in University of Malaya, Alberto Dondena Research Fellow of the University of Bocconi, Italy, and Adjunct Professor, School of Engineering and IT, Murdoch University, Australia, Professor Klobas is also a winner of the American society for information science prize.
Bringing together local and global thinking tanks in emphasising the importance of ethical behaviour in a local platform, while analysing the need and measures towards a country with a business field which goes forward by incorporating ethical practices to its operations, the 10th International Conference on Business Management will no doubt add immense value to the local business players through its presentations themed under the need of the hour – revisiting ethics.
