Working Capital Management Issues in Educational Sector: A Case Study of a Private Campus in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Business organizations try to maintain financial sustainability in the long run and ultimately try to maximize shareholders’ wealth. It has been argued that financial constraints in short term are a major barrier to the firms’ long term financial success. Working capital has seen as the basic factor that affect firm’s ability to continue their day-to-day business operations with financial stability. This case study mainly focuses on examining the reasons for working capital management issues faced by the Campus and the relationship between working capital and firm’s financial performance. This study is mainly focusing on working capital problems faced by a private Campus that operates in Sri Lankan educational sector. Required qualitative data gathered through semi-structured face to face interviews with financial experts and the quantitative data gathered using annual financial statements for last six years. Panel data regression was performed to identify the relationship between working capital management and financial performance. Qualitative data was analyzed using content and thematic analysis. Based on the regression results, average collection period, average payment period and cash conversion cycle have significant relationship over return on assets and net profit margin of the Campus. Five major themes were recognized in the thematic analysis which contained distinct subthemes. As the existing research articles lack the working capital management issues faced by the organizations in private education industry, this can be considered as an opportunity to perform an empirical study on working capital management issues faced by a private campus.