Role
Lecturer in Marketing and Consumer Behaviour
Module Leader for 'Introduction to Marketing'
Dissertation Supervisor
Personal Tutor
Placement Tutor
Qualifications & background
Doctor of Philosophy, Imperial College London (University of London) Thesis title: ‘Value, relationships and competitive advantage in the Sri Lankan Tea Industry’.
Master of Science in Food Industry Management and Marketing, Imperial College
London (University of London).
Bachelor of Science in Food Science, Food Economics & Marketing, University of Reading.
Professional Certificate in Marketing, CIM (Chartered Institute of Marketing); Professional Diploma in Marketing, CIM (Chartered Institute of Marketing); Currently studying for the Professional Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing, CIM (Chartered Institute of Marketing)
Teaching interests
Introduction to Marketing
Relationship Marketing
International Marketing
Buyer Behaviour & Relationships
Organisational Behaviour & Human Resource Management
Supply Chain/Value Chain Analysis
Research interests
- Value creation and competitive advantage in import-export relationships in commodity markets using the Sri Lankan tea industry as a case study.
- Impacts of Joining Agro-Industry Supply Chains on Quality and Safety in Farming & Post-Production Practices
- The Impact of International Safety & Quality Standards on the Competitiveness of Mediterranean Fresh Produce
Other research
Ford Foundation consultancy study: ‘Assessing the impact of value chain approaches on rural poverty and the environment’. This project aims to
establish an international, multi-stakeholder learning process for advancing the development of tools for assessing the impact of Value Chain Approaches (VCA) on rural poverty. It involves countries such as Sri Lanka (from Asia), Uganda (from Africa) and Nicaragua (from Latin America). It is funded by the Ford Foundation which has commissioned the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Centre (CATIE) of Costa Rica to develop and test tools for measuring the impact of VCA on rural poverty.
United Nations (UN) Consultancy study for the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) on 'Impacts of Joining Agro-Industry Supply Chains on Quality and Safety in Farming & Post-Production Practices'
‘Diet and Other Risk Factors Associated with Heart Disease In British-Asians’.
Grants & contracts
United Nations (UN) Consultancy study for the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) on 'Impacts of Joining Agro-Industry Supply Chains on Quality and Safety in Farming & Post-Production Practices'
Recipient of the Seale Hayne Educational Trust grant for a research study titled 'Impact of country-of-origin on consumer perceptions and purchase decisions - an exploratory study of tea drinking consumers'
Recipient of University of Plymouth Teaching Fellowship Award for a research study titled 'The impact of the level of engagement on students' perception of feedback provision'
Consultancy study for Unilever Ceylon Ltd. - ‘Knorr vs. Maggie Cooking Cubes - Establishing and coordinating a CORD (COnsumer Research & Development) Panel for the Foods Department of Unilever Ceylon Ltd.
Co-Authoring the 'International Marketing' module for the distance learning MBA programme of Royal Holloway (University of London)
Recipient of the Agricultural Economics and Business Management (AEBM) grant (2004 & 2005), and KCAS grant (2004)
Creative practice & artistic projects
Narration for US TV documentary on Organic Farming Methods in Sri Lanka
Commentator at International Dermatology Conference held in Sri Lanka
Publications
Kasturiratne, D. (2008) 'Value, Relationships and Competitive Advantage in the Sri Lankan Tea Industry' abstract. European Journal of Marketing, Issue 7/8 (Aug), Vol. 42. Forthcoming
Kasturiratne, D. (Forthcoming) 'An Overview of the Sri Lanka- UK Tea Industry: An Exploratory Case Study', The Marketing Review.
Co-author of peer-reviewed course module on ‘International Marketing’ for the MBA programme of the Royal Holloway, University of London, 2007
‘Creating Value for Competitive Advantage in Supply Chain Relationships: The Case of the Sri Lankan Tea Industry’ edited by Fritz, M., Rickert, U., Schiefer, G. Conference Proceedings, 99th Seminar of the European Association of Agricultural Economists (EAAE) on Trust and Risk in Business Networks in Bonn in February 2006
‘The Impact of Information and Communication on Supply Chain Relationships and Performance – The Case of the Sri Lankan Tea Industry ’ Conference proceedings, 5th International PENSA Conference on Agri-food Chains, Network Economics and Management July 2005 in Brazil
Working papers - ‘The role and nature of exporter-importer relationships in achieving competitive advantage’
News paper article titled 'University Scientist aids world's poor tea farmers', Western Morning News, 13th August 2008, p.21
Reports & invited lectures
United Nations (UN) Consultancy Report for the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) on 'Impacts of Joining Agro-Industry Supply Chains on Quality and Safety in Farming & Post-Production Practices'
Consultancy report for Unilever Ceylon Ltd. - ‘Knorr vs. Maggie Cooking Cubes - Establishing and coordinating a CORD (COnsumer Research & Development) Panel for the Foods Department of Unilever Ceylon Ltd.
Invited Speaker at Business Management seminar series at Imperail College London, Wye Campus
Invited guest on BBC Radio Devon, August 2008 (Topic: Tea Industry)
Other academic activities
Member of conference paper reviewing committee for 6th International PENSA Conference on Agri-food Chains, Network Economics and Management 2007 Brazil, and 26th Conference of The International Association of Agricultural Economists (IAAE) August 2006 Australia
Additional information
Winner of the 2007 Emerald/EFMD Outstanding Doctoral Research Award in the category of Marketing Strategy
Interviewed on BBC Radio Devon in August 2008 about the tea industry
Interviewed on BBC Spotlight in August 2008 regarding the tea industry
John Bennet Award (2002) for receiving the highest marks at the examinations for the Master of Science degree in Food Industry Management & Marketing at Imperial College London (University of London)
Winner of the Zonta International Award for Young Women in Public Affairs (1997), awarded by Zonta International District 25
