Challenges in Reducing Paper Waste in the Sri Lanka Army: Analysis of the Existing Methods

Abstract

Sri Lanka Army annually consumes large number of papers which include unnecessary consumption. On the other hand, Army while managing the paper consumption is requires continuing with its main standards related with secrecy, e ciency, and e ectiveness. By considering all the facts, it has introduced several methods to reduce the paper consumption such as Army Mail System, Web platforms, Data Base Management Systems, and several other methods. However, it is uncertain that the desired reduction has been achieved through the said methods. Hence, this analysis was conducted with the objective of identifying the challenges in adopting existing methods to reduce paper waste in the Sri Lankan Army. The study research was developed based on the deductive approach and mixed method where both qualitative and quantitative methods were used. Accordingly, three personalities have chosen to conduct interviews to collect data for the qualitative aspects and those were analysed using thematic analysis. A structured questionnaire was distributed for 200 military personnel to collect data for quantitative analysis and models were used in analysis. It was identi ed during the study that lack of facilities such as computers and networking, insu cient skills and careless attitude of related personalities, un-supportive organizational policies and user-unfriendly Web platforms and Data Base Management Systems as main causes in adopting existence methods. Further, conduct of training and awareness programs, organisational policy amendments, modernization of user-interface of e-applications and allocating more vote for establishing basic requirements for paper reduction programs were recommended to overcome identi ed causes