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Article History

Received: 26 October 2024

Accepted: 8 April 2026

First Online: 30 April 2026

Competing interests

: The authors declare no competing interests.

: The study was conducted with the ethical approval of the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) Business School Ethics Review Committee, under approval number SLIIT/ERC/SBS/2024/08) on 12 th February 2024. All research procedures adhered to the ethical guidelines and standards set forth by the committee to ensure the protection and rights of the participants.

: All participants in this study provided informed consent prior to their inclusion. The purpose, procedures, potential risks, and benefits of the research were clearly explained to each participant, and they voluntarily agreed to participate. Participants were assured of their right to withdraw from the study at any time without any negative consequences. All concerns were clarified prior to obtaining consent for participation. Explicit written consent was obtained from each respondent by ticking the consent statement in questionnaire during the data collection process from 20th February 2024 to 30th March 2024. Participation was entirely voluntary, and only those who explicitly consented were provided with access to the questionnaire. This consent process was witnessed by the authors. Confidentiality and anonymity of the participants have been strictly maintained throughout the research process.