South Asian Journal of Social Studies and Economics

Sustainable Production and Supply Chain Practices in Organic Food Enterprises

S. Alhafeza — 2026-05-23

In recent years, businesses have been shifting toward sustainable production and supply chain practices due to sensitive environmental concerns and rising demand for organic food. Sustainability is a vital component of modern corporate practices, especially in the organic food sector, where resource conservation and environmental responsibility are key pillars of today's businesses. To reduce their environmental impact and encourage responsible resource use, organic food businesses are increasingly implementing sustainable production and supply chain practices. This paper examines sustainable production methods and supply chain practices in organic food enterprises. This study also concentrates on the major challenges that organic food enterprises face and aims to overcome obstacles in implementing sustainable practices. A structured questionnaire was used to collect primary data from 30 organic food producers and enterprises. A descriptive research design was selected in the study. Data analysis was done using statistical tools such as the Garrett Ranking Technique, Percentage Analysis, and Weighted Average Mean with Ranking. The study's findings show that organic food enterprises frequently use safe and clean production methods, waste minimization strategies, and environmentally friendly sourcing. Additionally, the study shows that sustainable packaging techniques and eco-friendly supply chain strategies are progressively becoming more significant in business operations. However, the adoption of sustainable practices was found to be significantly hampered by financial limitations, high implementation costs, a lack of technical expertise, and infrastructure constraints. In order to achieve environmental sustainability and long-term business growth in the organic food enterprises, the study emphasizes the significance of supporting sustainable production and green supply chain methods. The results could help researchers, legislators, and organic food enterprises to create sustainable methods that work. Additionally, the study advances the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 12, which deals with responsible production and consumption. Here, the researcher focuses on aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals to deepen the understanding of sustainable operational practices in organic food enterprises and the role in encouraging ethical production and enhancing environmental sustainability.

Ritual Transformation and Symbolic Continuity in Batak Toba Wedding Practices among the Jabodetabek Diaspora

Amelia Desi Nataline Tambunan — 2026-05-23

Aims: This study aims to analyze the implementation of Batak Toba traditional wedding rituals in diaspora settings, identify the forms of transformation that occur, examine their impact on symbolic meanings and cultural values, and explore the potential of ritual elements as intangible cultural heritage assets in supporting sustainable cultural tourism.

Study Design: This research employs a qualitative approach with an ethnographic interview-based design.

Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in the Jabodetabek area, Indonesia, involving participants who actively engage in Batak Toba traditional wedding practices, within the research period of 2026.

Methodology: The study involved eight participants — four Raja Parhata and four representatives of Dalihan Na Tolu. Data were collected through structured interviews of 12 questions per group, focusing on ritual implementation, transformation, and symbolic meaning. Given the small, purposively selected sample, findings are contextual rather than broadly generalizable. Data were analyzed through qualitative procedures, including data reduction, classification, interpretation, and conclusion drawing.

Results: The findings indicate that the Dalihan Na Tolu structure remains consistently upheld across all eight participants despite notable transformations in ritual practice. All participants reported simplification of procedural stages and adjustments in technical execution driven by time, cost, and urban lifestyle constraints. Symbolic elements such as ulos, umpasa, and sinamot continue to be practised; however, their underlying philosophical meanings are not always fully understood by participants, particularly among younger generations. The data reveal a recurring duality between the formal continuity of ritual practice and a gradual erosion of symbolic comprehension.

Conclusion: Ritual transformation within the Jabodetabek diaspora context reshapes the execution and perceived meaning of Batak Toba wedding customs without eliminating their foundational structure. Sustaining both practice and meaning requires targeted cultural education, active intergenerational community involvement, and policy frameworks that integrate Batak Toba intangible heritage into cultural tourism development.

Female Labour Migration and Reported Educational Conditions of Children Left Behind: Evidence from Ja-Ela, Sri Lanka

G. Weerasinghe — 2026-05-26

International labour migration represents a central livelihood strategy for millions of households in developing countries, generating remittance income while simultaneously raising concerns about the welfare of family members left behind. Despite growing recognition of these social consequences, localized evidence on the educational conditions of children in specific migrant-sending communities remains limited, particularly in the Sri Lankan context. This study examines reported changes in the educational conditions of children in households where mothers had migrated abroad for employment, with special reference to the Ja-Ela Divisional Secretariat area in the Gampaha District of Sri Lanka. A quantitative research approach was adopted using primary data collected through a structured questionnaire from 100 migrant households selected through a stratified sampling procedure from five Grama Niladhari divisions. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, frequency analysis, paired sample t-tests, and multiple regression analysis with SPSS and Microsoft Excel. The descriptive findings show a shift toward lower reported educational conditions following maternal migration, with the mean education score declining from 3.42 before migration to 2.92 after migration. However, the paired sample t-test results indicate that only school attendance showed a statistically significant difference before and after maternal migration, while health condition, study time, and overall educational condition did not reach statistical significance. Multiple regression analysis further showed that children's health condition, school attendance, study time, and mother's education level collectively explained 36.6 percent of the variation in children's post-migration educational conditions. The findings suggest that maternal migration is associated with reported changes in children's educational engagement, particularly school attendance, although the cross-sectional and retrospective research design does not permit direct causal inference. The results highlight the importance of community-level support, educational monitoring systems, and targeted family support mechanisms for children in migrant households.

Constraint-Responsive Human Behavior for Organizations: A Conceptual Theory

Md Ashraful Islam — 2026-05-27

Human behavior in organizations reflects how employees perceive and respond to workplace constraints, which vary across individuals and significantly influence performance outcomes amid skill shortages and operational challenges. Currently, organizations are facing various employee-related constraints, including skill deficiencies, excessive workloads, limited resources, and barriers to effective decision-making, which collectively impede organizational performance and success. This study introduces a new theoretical framework of the Constraint-Responsive Human Behavior Theory (CRHBT) that addresses organizational constraints with AI-driven Human Resource Management (AI-HRM). The study employed Swanson and Chermack’s five-phase theory-building method for the development of the theory. The theory suggests that the application of AI-driven human resource management (AI-HRM) systems can improve traditional HR practices. These systems assist to modernize recruitment, training and development, and performance management, while also enhancing the speed, accuracy, and better organizational decision-making. The study findings show that the CRHBT framework connects organizational constraints with technological solutions. These solutions enable organizations to enhance their performance and improve operational efficiency. The study contributes to the existing literature by demonstrating how AI technologies enable organizations to overcome operational constraints and strengthen long-term performance outcomes within human resource management contexts. The study is subject to certain limitations.

Leveraging Digital Marketing Tools in Strengthening Customer Relationships in Micro Enterprises: Sri Lankan Analysis

Sulochana Edirisinghe — 2026-05-28

Background: Digitalization has transformed traditional marketing paradigms, making digital marketing tools essential for Sri Lankan micro-enterprises to build strong customer relationships, enhance engagement, and sustain business growth in an increasingly competitive environment.

Aim: The current level of adopting and implementing digital marketing in Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) in Sri Lanka is steadily increasing, driven by the rapid development of digital technologies and the benefits they offer, such as increased market reach and customer engagement. Despite this growing adoption, MSEs still encounter several challenges in effectively implementing digital marketing strategies. This study aims to identify impact of digital marketing tools on customer engagement, retention, and overall business growth in Sri Lankan micro-enterprises.

Design: Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework used as a theoretical framework. The target population was micro enterprises operating in Sri Lanka, specifically those engaged in product or service-based operations. 400 micro enterprises which were randomly selected. Online survey method was employed to get data and structured questionnaire approach was used. Multiple regression analysis used to test the study's hypotheses.

Findings: Of the 400 micro enterprises, 232 responded. Regression analysis result implies that 67% of variation in customer relationship development can be explained by social media, websites/blogs, display advertising and search engine optimization. Social media recorded the highest influencing factor.

Implication: Results recommend that micro-enterprises owners increase their presence and activity on popular social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn to fully exploit their marketing potential. The results suggest that well-implemented SEO strategies can help businesses access new markets, improve brand recognition, and increase market share while minimizing marketing costs. Micro-enterprises are encouraged to create user-friendly, visually appealing, and regularly updated websites that effectively showcase their offerings.

Analysis of Behavioural Biases on Student Investment Decisions: The Moderating Role of Social Media Influencers

Jovanka Indriasari — 2026-05-29

Investment activity in Indonesia continues to rise, particularly among college students as part of the younger investor demographic. Investment decisions are not only based on rational considerations but are also influenced by psychological and social factors, as well as information from social media. This study employs the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to explain that investment decisions are influenced by attitudes and social influences, which in this study are reflected through overconfidence, risk perception, and herding behaviour. This study aims to analyse the influence of overconfidence, risk perception, and herding behaviour on investment decisions, with social media influencers as a moderating variable, among students at the Universitas Pembangunan Nasional Veteran East Java. This study employs a quantitative approach using the Partial Least Squares (PLS) method on 114 students who are clients of Galeri Investasi and were selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected via a Likert-scale questionnaire and analysed using SmartPLS. The results indicate that overconfidence, risk perception, and herding behaviour significantly influence investment decisions. However, social media influencers do not moderate the relationship between these three variables and investment decisions. This study adds to the empirical evidence regarding the role of psychological and social factors in students' investment decisions and shows that social media influencers have not yet been able to strengthen that relationship.

Determinants of Firm Value: The Moderating Role of Dividend Policy in Food and Beverage Companies Listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange

Natasya Eka Ramadhani — 2026-05-29

Investor interest in a company's financial results has grown stronger in the business landscape after the pandemic, especially in the food and beverage company. This study not only examines listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange from 2021-2024 but also explores how profitability, liquidity, and firm size of a impact firm value. To conduct a quantitative analysis of financial statement data from thirty selected companies, Moderating Regression Analysis (MRA) was employed, utilizing SPSS software. The findings indicate that although there is a strong negative relationship between profitability and firm value, liquidity has a positive impact on firm value. Firm size of the company did not seem to have a major effect on firm value. Also, the connection between making money, having enough cash, and firm size of the business was not improved by the way dividends were handled.These results suggest that investors are more likely to emphasize financial stability and operational sustainability rather than dividend distribution decisions when evaluating corporate value during incertain economic conditions. The study also reinforces signaling theory by illustrating that financial information may generate different investor responses in the post-pandemic period. Practically, the findings provide insight for company management in maintaining financial stability and improving corporate performance to enhance firm value.