International Research Conference on Management and Finance provides depth in cutting edge issues
View(s):The 9th International Research Conference on Management and Finance – 2014 (IRCMF-2014) organised by the Faculty of Management and Finance, University of Colombo, was held in December in Colombo.
It addressed a gap by providing a unique opportunity for the academia and practitioners to experience an inspiring keynote speech, to listen to cutting edge research presentations on various management issues, be a part of an industry dialogue, engage in discussion with other scholars, and network with business professionals, the organisers said.
The event was co-chaired by Dr. Tharusha Gooneratne and Dr. Arosha Adikaram, Senior Lecturers at the Faculty of Management and Finance, University of Colombo.
The research papers presented were under the broader areas of Accounting, Entrepreneurship, Small Business Management, Finance, Human Resource Management, Business Economics, International Business, Management, Organizational Studies, and Marketing by graduate students, academics, and practitioners, both national and international. These papers were not only insightful, but practically relevant, while opening new vistas for future inquiry and further research.
The keynote address by a world renowned Management Accounting Academic, Professor Zahirul Hoque (Head, Department of Accounting, La Trobe Business School, Australia, Executive Director, La Trobe University Centre for Public Sector Governance, Accountability and Performance) was a special highlight of the conference. His speech was under the theme ‘sustainable business transformation: opportunities and challenges’.
This year’s new addition to the IRCMF was the industry dialogue, where academic and practitioner perspectives were shared on ‘business, society and nature: building interconnectedness’. The panellists were Hiran Cooray – Chairman of Jetwing Hotels, Hasitha Premaratne – Chief Financial Officer of Brandix Lanka Ltd, Melanie Kanaka – Head of Finance and Administration at the World Bank in Sri Lanka and the Maldives and Franklyn Amerasinghe – former CEO of the Employers Federation of Ceylon.