The role of social media in internet banking transition during COVID-19 pandemic: Using multiple methods and sources in qualitative research

Social distancing practices and staying at home have increased the time people spend on social media with the purpose of exchanging and consuming information about completing their routine practices safely. The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted in-person banking operations and increased the physical threat for both retail bankers and customers. Consequently, the world has moved toward internet banking with the purpose to continue routine transactions for paying bills, purchasing groceries, and shopping of brands. The present study aims to explore how the fearful environment of Covid-19 pandemic increased the social practices of internet banking and what challenges are faced by different customers during their use of internet banking. By understanding these experiences, system developers and marketers can improve their internet banking apps to address the needs and expectations of different customers. The study has opted for a relativist ontological position and social constructionist epistemological position to understand different realities in the same context and how customers experience internet banking in a fearful environment. The study used multiple qualitative research methods: Gibbs reflection cycle, semi-structured interviews with internet banking users, and focus group interviews with executives of public and private sector banks. Social actors through social media played a role with respect to understanding the nature of uncertainty during Covid-19 pandemic that changed customers’ behavior from traditional banking to internet banking. Information was shared through social media to avoid ATMs, debit and credit card exchange with cashiers, and cash exchange as these are no longer safe options for both bankers and customers. The major theoretical contribution of this study is to merge social practice theory and affordance of technology theory in the context of internet banking adoption. This study has discussed practical implications for marketers and system developers of retail banks.

Understanding uncertainty dimensions and Internet stock trading service in China from a social cognitive perspective

Purpose

This paper investigates the effects of different uncertainties on Internet stock trading (IST) adoption intentions of individual investors in China and aims to determine the interaction effects of trust and perceived benefits in the relationship between uncertainty dimensions and IST adoption intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a structured questionnaire, a survey of 353 experienced stock traders was conducted in China. The proposed uncertainty-trust-perceived benefits framework was examined through structural equation modelling using Smart PLS 3.0.

Findings

The study found significant negative effects of perceived technology uncertainty, perceived regulatory uncertainty and perceived information asymmetry on the IST adoption intentions of individual investors. Perceived service intangibility was found to have only insignificant effects on IST adoption intentions. In terms of interaction results, trust significantly moderates the relationship between IST adoption intentions and, respectively, perceived technology uncertainty and perceived information asymmetry. Similarly, perceived benefits significantly moderate the relationship between intentions to adopt IST and both perceived technology uncertainty and perceived regulatory uncertainty.

Practical implications

The regulators for IST development in China could utilise the results of this study as guidelines for strategies to increase the use of IST among existing and potential investors.

Originality/value

Using social cognitive theory, this research investigates the effects of various uncertainties on IST adoption intentions of individual investors in China; these effects have not been explored by previous literature. Furthermore, few studies other than this one have investigated the interaction effects of factors which counteract the negative effect of other factors.

Assessing the Investors' Acceptance of Electronic Stock Trading in a Developing Country

This study explores the factors that reduce the impact of negative factors on investors' Behavioral Intentions (BIs) to use Electronic Stock Trading (EST) in Pakistan. It investigates the impact of awareness-knowledge and perceived trust on EST adoption. Using a questionnaire-based survey, data were collected from 347 experienced investors, and were analyzed through structural equation modeling. The results indicate that awareness-knowledge, perceived trust, and risk dimensions (including time, financial, performance, social, privacy, and opportunity cost risks) have a significant impact on BI. Moreover, all the risk dimensions partially mediate the relationship between awareness-knowledge and BI, as well as between perceived trust and BI. The study enriches theory and practice by providing implications for promoting EST in developing countries, especially in Pakistan.

Impact of Digital Marketing on Consumers' Impulsive Online Buying Tendencies With Intervening Effect of Gender and Education

We are living in the digital age where consumers have become more elegant, and their buying intention is radically transforming from traditional to online buying behavior. This study investigates the impact of digital marketing (DM) tools on consumers' online impulsive buying tendencies (OBIT), i.e., effective (AD) and cognitive tendencies (CD) with intervening role of the gender (GDR) and education-level (EL). Four hundred surveys were randomly distributed to online shoppers in Pakistan. SEM was applied to test the proposed relationships and findings revealed a positive association between DM and consumers' OBIT. The comprehensive examination affirmed the positive interrelationships of sub-dimensions of DM on consumers' OBIT, i.e., AD and CD. It is further revealed that GDR and EL did not moderate the relationships between DM and OBIT. This study furnishes insights on how advertisers can exploit such platforms to achieve OBIT and creating effective relationships in today's digital age. This study demonstrates certain directions for academicians and practitioners.