De Silva,W. Thanuka Mahesha., (Dr.)

PhD (Otago, New Zealand), MBA (Col, SL), BBA (Ruh, SL), 

thanuka
Senior Lecturer 
Department of Marketing
Faculty of Management and Finance
University of Ruhuna, Matara
Sri Lanka

Email:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  /This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.com
Mobile: +94 77 3603140
Fixed Phone: +94 41 2222681/2 (Ext:15100)

BIOGRAPHY

Thanuka M. de Silva is a Lecturer attached to the Department of Marketing, Faculty of Management and Finance, University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka. He was graduated at University of Ruhuna in 2012, with a Bachelors of Business Administration in Marketing. Moreover, he was awarded a gold medal in 2012 at the General Convocation, which is offered by the Charted Institute of Marketing (CIM) to the best student in the Bachelors of Business Administration degree programme in Marketing at the University of Ruhuna. In 2019, he obtained his Master of Business Administration in Marketing at University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. He obtained his PhD from University of Otago, New Zealand in 2025. His research interests lie at the intersection of digital transformation and marketing, with a particular focus on value creation through AI agents and social media, and their implications for organisations and consumer behavior. Dr Thanuka teaches marketing and research methodology-related course units at undergraduate and postgraduate levels

JOURNAL PAPERS & BOOK SECTIONS

de Silva, T. M. (2021), “The role of customer engagement in cultivating relationships with automotive Facebook brand pages”, Online Information Review, Vol. 45 No. 7, pp. 1362-1380' 29th April 2021. https://doi.org/10.1108/OIR-11-2019-0352. (SSCI, SJR/Scimago; Q1)
de Silva, T. M. (2019), “Building relationships through customer engagement in Facebook brand pages”, Marketing Intelligence & Planning, Vol. 38 No. 6, pp. 713-729, 12th December 2019. https://doi.org/10.1108/MIP-02-2019-0085. (SSCI, ABDC ranking; A)
de Silva, T. M. (2023). “Examining the role of advertising value perceptions in driving engagement: A framework for assessing hotel/restaurant paid advertising effectiveness on Facebook”. South Asian Journal of Business Insights, Vol. 3 No. 1, pp. 3-25. https://scholar.google.com/scholar?oi=bibs&cluster=9880247966650445490&btnI=1&hl=en
de Silva, T. M. (2022). “Examining the role of advertising value perceptions in driving engagement: framework for assessing hotel/restaurant advertising effectiveness on Facebook”. Sri Lanka Journal of Advanced Research Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences, Vol. 12 No 1, pp. 87-111. https://ncas.ac.lk/journal/Journal_2022_01/NCAS%20Journal%20VOLUME%2012%20No%2001%20%20JANUARY-JUNE%202022.pdf#page=96 
Ranaweera, H. V. & de Silva, T. M. (2021), “Linking customer motivations to customer engagement in fashion Facebook brand pages”, South Asian Journal of Business Insights, Vol. 1 No. 2, pp. 03-23.
 

REFEREED CONFERENCE AND SYMPOSIUMS

de Silva, T., Biggemann, S., Li, L., & Garry, T. (2025). Customer co-creation with anthropomorphic embodied conversational agents within service contexts. Proceedings of the Australian & New Zealand Marketing Academy Conference (ANZMAC): Riding the Waves: Navigating Marketing’s Dynamic Landscape. (pp. 582). Retrieved from https://anzmac.org
de Silva, T. M., Biggemann, S., Garry, T., & Li, L. P. (2024). Toward an understanding of customer intention to co-create with anthropomorphic embodied conversational agents in customer-facing utilitarian-dominant services. Graduate Research Colloquium 2024, National Centre for Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences (NCAS), Sri Lanka
de Silva, T. M., Biggemann, S., Garry, T., & Li, L. P. (2024). The role of visual and behavioural attributes in anthropomorphic embodied conversational agents in affecting customer co-creation intention during utilitarian-dominant service. OBS Symposium, 102. https://scholar.google.com/scholar?oi=bibs&cluster=1957398483492747042&btnI=1&hl=en
de Silva, T. M., Biggemann, S., Garry, T., & Li, L. P. (2023). Toward an understanding of how interactions with AI-empowered conversational assistants create value for customers. Paper presented at the Doctoral Colloquium of the Australian and New Zealand Marketing Academy (ANZMAC23 DC), University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
de Silva, T. M. (2023). The use of smartwatches as a wearable device for learning in higher education: Toward an integrative theoretical model. Paper presented at the 5th International Research Symposium on Social Sciences & Humanities (IRSSH 2023), Sri Lanka Foundation Institute, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
de Silva, T. M. (2019), “Customer engagement in Facebook brand pages”, 8th International Conference on Management and Economics, University of Ruhuna, Matara, Sri Lanka, pp. 83-106.URL: http://ir.lib.ruh.ac.lk/handle/iruor/138
de Silva, W. T. M. (2014), “Emotional responses elicited to colour and music under hot and mild outside environment temperatures”, 3rd International Conference on Management and Economics, University of Ruhuna, Matara, Sri Lanka, pp. 397-406.URL:http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.706.589&rep=rep1&type=pdf 
de Silva, W. T. M. (2014), “Impact of music on emotional responses”, 1st Wayamba International Conference, Wayamba University, Kuliyapitiya, Sri Lanka, p. 103.

FEATURE ARTICLES

de Silva, W.T.M & Wijesundara, T. (2021), “M-Learning in Higher Education: Whither Sri Lanka?” Biannual Newsletter, UoR Highlights, Vol. II (Issue 2), ISSN 2279 – 2392, University of Ruhuna.
 

AWARDS, SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS

PhD Grant of NCAS to pursue a PhD degree at the Otago Business School, University of Otago, New Zealand in 2021.
University of Otago Doctoral Scholarship (partial funding) in 2022.
Highly Commended Paper Award at the Doctoral Colloquium of the Australian and New Zealand Marketing Academy (ANZMAC23), University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand in 2023.
Best Paper Award in the category of Digitalisation at the 8th International Conference on Management and Economics (ICME) at the University of Ruhuna in 2019
Faculty Research Grants, University of Ruhuna in 2026.
Gold Medal for the Most Outstanding Graduate of the Faculty of Management and Finance, University of Ruhuna in 2012.
V-SPARC recognition by the John Keells Group for outstanding performance in 2013.

ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT AND EDITORIAL SERVICE

Workshops (New Zealand and Sri Lanka):

Mixed Methods Research, R Studio, AMOS, NVivo, Referencing (Endnote), Systematic Literature Review, Configurational Approach using Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA), Counseling and various webinars.

EDITORIAL SERVICE

Reviewer - Personnel Review (Emerald Publishing: ABDC – A)
Reviewer - Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services (Elsevier: ABDC – A)
Reviewer - Colombo Business Journal published by the Faculty of Management and Finance, University of Colombo
Reviewer - South Asian Journal of Business Insights, published by the Faculty of Management and Finance, University of Ruhuna
Reviewer - Australian and New Zealand Marketing Academy Conference (ANZMAC 2026)
Reviewer - International Research Conference on Management and Finance (IRCMF), Faculty of Management and Finance, University of Colombo
Reviewer – 1st International Conference on Management and Entrepreneurship (ICOME), Faculty of Management Studies, Open University of Sri Lanka.
Reviewer - 9th, 10th , 11th, 13th and 14th International Conference on Management and Economics organised by the Faculty of Management and Finance, University of Ruhuna
Managing Editor of the proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Management and Economics, organised by the Faculty of Management and Finance, University of Ruhuna
Editor-in-Chief of the proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Management and Economics, organised by the Faculty of Management and Finance, University of Ruhuna

ADMINISTRATION POSITIONS

Conference Coordinator - 15th International Conference on Management and Economics (ICME -2026)
Editor-in-Chief - Proceedings of 15th International Conference on Management and Economics (ICME 2026)
Faculty Coordinator - Staff Development Centre, University of Ruhuna (2025 – 2028)
Senior Treasurer – Circle of Marketing, Department of Marketing, Faculty of Management and Finance, University of Ruhuna (2026)
Member – University Corporate Plan Preparation Committee for 2026 -2030, University of Ruhuna
Dissertation Coordinator of the Department of Marketing, Faculty of Management and Finance, University of Ruhuna (2025/2026)
Editorial Board, UoR Highlights, University of Ruhuna Newsletter (2021-2022)
Conference Secretary, 10th International Conference on Management and Economics (ICME), University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka (2021)
Managing Editor, 10th International Conference on Management and Economics (ICME), University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka (2021)
Faculty representative of the Web Development Committee, University of Ruhuna (2021-2022)
Media and Website Coordinator at the Faculty of Management and Finance, University of Ruhuna (2017-2021).
Member of the Faculty Level Committee of the University Ranking, Faculty of Management and Finance, University of Ruhuna (2021)
Faculty representative of the “Speech-Crafting Initiative” conducted by the University of Ruhuna (2020)
Organising Committee Member for International Conference on Management and Economics (ICME), University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020)
Sport Coordinator for Rugby, Faculty of Management and Finance, University of Ruhuna (2020)
Evidence Management Committee Member of Programme Review (Management Cluster) of the Faculty of Management and Finance, University of Ruhuna (2017)
Student Counselor (2015 – 2019)
Student Mentor (2019 to present)
Organising Committee Member of the 11th Academic Sessions and the 10th Vice Chancellor’s Awards organised by the University of Ruhuna (2014)
 
 

ACADEMIC SOCIETY MEMBERSHIPS

Associate member of Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (AMSLIM)
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