Measuring factors affecting consumer attitudes toward metaverse adoption: Islamic banking services setting

The study deals with the adoption of mobile banking services by respondents in UAE and the perception of risk factors by them. A model was developed on the Customer Adoption Process of mobile banking. The model is validated based on the data collected using the questionnaire from a sample of 90 respondents in UAE. Factor analysis is used to evaluate and analyze the responses. Belief in technology and the value it creates are the major driving force for respondents to adopt mobile banking. Respondents perceive that mobile banking helps in proper financial planning due to continuous monitoring the transactions and time saving. Lack of privacy in the mobile banking transactions and not all banks offering mobile banking services in UAE are the major challenges perceived by the respondents for non-adoption of mobile banking. Respondents identify time risk, financial risk and performance risk as the most predominant risk factors compared to other risks in the adoption process.

This study investigates the impact of political instability, macroeconomic and bank-specific factors on the profitability of Islamic banks in the context of Yemen. The study used two common measures of profitability, namely, Return on Assets (ROA) and Return on Equity (ROE) as dependent variables. Seven key independent (internal and external) variables are also used. There are five fully-fledged Islamic banks (IBs) working in Yemen. The study selected only three out of five IBs due to the availability of data for the period ranging from 2010 to 2014. The descriptive and multiple regression analyses were done. The results of the study indicate that operating efficiency and financial risk have negative and significant relationships with ROA and ROE. The findings also show that capital adequacy has a negative and insignificant relationship with ROA and ROE. Furthermore, the study reveals that assets size (LogA), assets management, liquidity and deposits have a significant and positive impact on banks’ profitability. GDP, Inflation rate (IR) and Political instability have positive and significant impact on Yemeni banks’ profitability. Based on the best knowledge of the authors, this study is considered one of the first and pioneering studies that determine the factors affecting the profitability of Islamic banks of Yemen. Therefore, the study gives good insights for the policy makers, regulators and interested parties for enhancing the profitability of Islamic banks in Yemen.

This study empirically investigated the marketing perspectives of behavioral intention and the actual use of digital payment solutions as electronic innovation for retail purchases in Thailand. This is important as leveraging digital innovation can be applied to minimize physical contact between retailers and customers, especially in the COVID-19 era. The UTAUT model was used and extended to include attitude, social distancing, and perceived risk variables. The study was conducted using primary data collected from 467 Thai respondents who used digital payment systems as a means of payment in retail purchases. The study data were collected employing a structured questionnaire. Techniques used in data analysis include Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling. The results from the data analysis highlighted that behavioral intention to use digital payment innovation in Thailand was influenced by Perceived Risk (PR), Facilitating Condition (FC), Performance Expectancy (PE), and Attitudes (AT) of people. The study also revealed that exploring the marketing perspectives, Behavioral Intention (BI) significantly influenced the Actual Use (AU) of digital payment systems. The implication is that stakeholders in retail and financial sectors, such as banks and other digital payment providers, should consider aspects of people’s attitudes and perceived risk as they influence the use and adoption of innovative digital payment solutions. Thus, it is, appropriate to propose policies and regulations that promote the effective use of digital payment systems in the Thai retail sector.

Acknowledgment
This work is supported by King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang.