Toward the digital economy: Mobile payment affecting sustainable consumption behavior

Ideology of Sustainable Development and Sustainable Development Goals influence the transformation of business processes in the companies. Professional accountants are important part of this transformation. In this paper the role of accounting in Sustainable Development Goals achievement is discussed. Different approaches to structuring the role of professional accountants in Sustainable Development are investigated. Among them are types of roles that perform accountants, their professional functions, skills and competencies in the corporate environment. As the result a holistic vision of the role of accounting in sustainable development in the new economic conditions is provided.

Almost all human activity spheres, from the health care system to the education system, were unprepared for the pandemic. This, in turn, has slowed down the progress in achieving sustainable development goals. The Sustainable Development Goals 4 “Quality Education” and 8 “Decent Work and Economic Growth” were particularly vulnerable. In addition, the widespread concern was caused in the context of the transition to a “knowledge-based economy”. This paper analyzes the readiness of the scientific community to provide preconditions for the acceleration of these SDGs achievements. To do this, a meta-analysis of the academic literature on SDG 4, SDG 8, and the knowledge-based economy during 2015–2021 was conducted. Several special methods and instruments were used, including Scopus, WoS, VosViewer, Publish or Perish, Google Trends, and Google Books Ngram Viewer. The results show the inability of the modern academic community to provide a theoretical and empirical framework for a successful transition to a knowledge-based economy, taking into account the need to achieve sustainability. This is partly due to the relative subject novelty and the lack of academic attention. The challenges posed by the pandemic (lockdowns, unemployment, closing of educational institutions, financial flows reorientation, etc.) together with potential threats (new pandemic, climate change, population displacement, armed conflicts, etc.) necessitate a radical intensification of academic activity in economics to achieve SDGs.

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.