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Customer social participation (CSP) is a new phenomenon that has emerged with the evolution of social media. Current literature designates customer participation in social media as “CSP”. Although CSP has been investigated in the online brand community context in social media, it has been little investigated in the context of student customers using WhatsApp – a highly trending social media platform among learners. Thus, this study aims to investigate the effectiveness of CSP in informal WhatsApp groups for academic purposes among undergraduate students of management studies.

The study adopted a single cross-sectional survey design. A structured online questionnaire was employed. Using convenience sampling technique, data were collected from 170 undergraduates of the Bachelor of Management Studies programme at the Open University of Sri Lanka.

The results revealed significant positive effects of functional, social and hedonic benefits with CSP. Meanwhile, the relationship between psychological benefits and CSP was insignificant. Furthermore, there is no influence of age and level of study on CSP among the learners in informal WhatsApp groups. Moreover, at present, the level of CSP in WhatsApp for academic purposes among students is moderate.

The role of the student as the customer and student behaviour in informal WhatsApp groups established for academic purposes have been little investigated in the field of open and distance education services. In this context, this study empirically validated the model of participation benefits and CSP in WhatsApp groups informally established for academic purposes.

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the mediating effect of trust on the relationship between consumers' social motivation and online purchase intentions in the context of social media marketing in the fashion industry of Sri Lanka.

The sample selection was done using a convenience sampling strategy. An online survey was conducted, and data gathered from consumers who worked for a range of organizations, including universities in the Colombo district (Sri Lanka).

The results illustrated that social motivation has a significant positive effect on trust as well as online purchase intentions. And they further demonstrated that a consumer's level of trust has a significant impact on their online purchase intentions. Trust was also found to partially mediate the relationship between social motivation and online purchase intention.

The study was solely focused on the Sri Lankan fashion industry. Consumer behavior relating to other industries may differ. Therefore, this model can be further developed to encompass other industries in future studies.

The study contributes to practical solutions in the development of consumer behavior (in the context of social media marketing). Stakeholders in the fashion industry may take the suggestions of this research, such as how to incorporate “trust” in social media marketing to attract and retain customers, into consideration in their future decision making.

This study is the first study in the Sri Lankan context to assess the mediating effect of trust on the relationship between consumers' social motivation and online purchase intentions in the context of social media marketing in the fashion industry of Sri Lanka. Overall, the results offer implications that align with existing theories and contribute to practical solutions in the development of consumer behavior (in the context of social media marketing).

The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors affecting learners' perception of e-learning during the Coronavirus-2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. Furthermore, it investigates mechanisms that enhance students' engagement in e-learning, especially under the constraints created by the pandemic.

Quantitative research approach was used, and data were collected using a structured questionnaire. The sample consisted of 163 undergraduates registered at the Faculty of Management Studies of the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL). The structured questionnaire was designed taking into consideration learners attached to different regional centers and study centers of the OUSL.

As per the findings, performance expectancy, social influence, effort expectancy and service quality are the factors which have significant effects on students' “intention to use” e-learning as a method of pursuing education. Furthermore, it was observed that 65.6% of the students had access to technology through mobile phones, while 53.4% of the students had engaged in e-learning for the first time. This was mainly due to restrictions that were imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The study will help in formulating policies and introducing procedures in relation to online teaching-learning models to be used by both teachers and learners, especially in similar pandemic situations in the future.

This study will assist to determine the effectiveness of the e-learning system used by the OUSL. The findings highlighted the importance of improving information technology (IT) facilities available at all the regional and study centers across Sri Lanka.