Purpose Shifting to mobile-based banking transactions from physical banking transactions can be considered as a social distancing mechanism, which helps to prevent the spread of Covid-19 virus. As the spread of Covid-19 is expected to continue for long, the continued usage of mobile-based payment services as a strategy to maintain social distancing has to prevail. Hence, this study aims to propose an integrated framework of mobile payments adoption and its continuance intention by integrating health belief model (HBM) and expectation confirmation model (ECM) of information system continuance. Design/methodology/approach The subject of the study constitutes new adopters of mobile payments. A total of 654 respondents participated in the survey. The conceptual model was empirically validated using structural equation modeling and serial mediation analysis. Findings The study found that the HBM constructs, namely, perceived severity, perceived susceptibility and self-efficacy significantly influenced adoption/confirmation of mobile-based payment services. The continuance intention was significantly predicted by perceived usefulness and perceived satisfaction. Furthermore, the perceived health threat (comprising perceived severity and perceived susceptibility) indirectly affects continuance intention through confirmation, perceived usefulness and satisfaction. Practical implications There are short-term and long-term implications for the study. Short-term implications include triggering the HBM at policy levels, to adopt mobile payments/banking as a means of social distancing in the wake of the increasing threat of Covid-19 in India. Long-term implication for service providers is to convert adopters into loyal consumers by enhancing usefulness and satisfaction. Originality/value The study proposes a novel attempt to explain the adoption and continuance of mobile-based payment as a preventive health behavior to contain the spread of Covid-19 outbreak. The study proposes an integrated framework of HBM and ECM to explain pre-adoption and post-adoption behavior of consumers with respect to mobile-based payment services during Covid-19 context.

Purpose Consumers often face a dilemma regarding the purchase decisions of traditional handloom apparel because of the non-availability of information cues that would enable them to assess the quality of the product. The spread of counterfeit products in the market adds to information asymmetry. The study aims to examine factors influencing purchase intention of traditional handloom apparel that have Geographical Indication (GI) certification, which follows the certification procedure specified by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). Design/methodology/approach A survey was conducted among 202 traditional handloom apparel consumers in India and the data was analysed using structural equation modelling. The purchase intention of GI certified handloom apparels was examined as the dependent variable, whereas quality consciousness, product diagnosticity, perceived information asymmetry were placed as independent variables. The mediating role of perceived quality and product trust in the relation between perceived information asymmetry and purchase intention was also looked into. Findings Results reveal that quality consciousness positively influences product diagnosticity (facilitated by the GI label certification) which in turn reduces perceived information asymmetry. Further, a reduction in perceived information asymmetry was found to increase the purchase intention of traditional handloom apparel, fully mediated by the perceived quality and product trust. Research limitations/implications The customers who are facing a dearth of information while making purchase of traditional handlooms will be benefitted from the GI certification label which provides authenticity regarding product attributes confirming quality. Further, the study adds to the theory by establishing the relation between quality consciousness and perceived information asymmetry. Practical implications The findings imply that GI handloom apparel sellers should design marketing strategies that would project GI certification labels for traditional handloom apparel to effectively communicate product quality attributes, thus enhance product diagnosticity reducing information asymmetry. While organic certification for agricultural products is done at the individual producer’s level, GI certification is done under the producer’s collective label. Further, studies may be extended to agricultural products (Darjeeling tea, Alphonso mangoes, etc.), food items (rasgulla, Thirupathi laddoo, etc.) and handicrafts (Aranmula Mirror, Payyannur pavithra ring) that have acquired GI label in India. GI certification is adopted worldwide and studies may be extended to such products also [example Parma ham (Italy), Hessian wine (Germany)]. Originality/value Empirical research on determinants of consumer purchase intentions of GI certified traditional handloom apparel is a novel attempt done in the context of a developing country such as India. The study brings out the importance of the GI certification label envisaged by the WIPO, which can serve as a tool for reducing uncertainties faced by consumer in framing purchasing intentions. This can be extended to any product type such as agricultural, food products and handicrafts that has acquired GI certifications in different countries. The study revealed that product diagnosticity (through GI certification) could reduce perceived information asymmetry that leads the consumer to the perception of quality and product trust which results in the purchase intention of traditional handloom apparel. The outcomes of the study can be instrumental in designing marketing strategies for capturing market share.

This article evaluates whether contextual triggers lead to entrepreneurial behaviour among microfinance clients in India. The study identifies entrepreneurial training and microcredit as the contextual triggers that can be effective in creating entrepreneurial intentions and behaviour, respectively. Acquired learning helps to develop capability in an individual to identify the business opportunities around him, which help in creating entrepreneurial intention that can promote action. Microenterprises among low-income clients are usually formed by the support mechanism of triggering events. Shapero’s entrepreneurial event (SEE) model is used to capture the effects of microenterprise trainings that create entrepreneurial learning, leading to entrepreneurial intention and behaviour. The study also extends to capture the effect of microcredit as a moderator in effecting entrepreneurial behaviour among microfinance clients. The study finds that learning outcomes are capable of generating entrepreneurial intentions in a microenterprise context through the construct of desirability. Further, access to microcredit results in entrepreneurial behaviour. The findings provide direction to the effectiveness of entrepreneurial learning derived from entrepreneurial training in creating entrepreneurial intention. It also reveals the significance of moderating role of microcredit that leads to entrepreneurship behaviour. Therefore, findings are useful for policymakers in promoting microenterprises among the microfinance clients to address the problem of poverty.

Shifting to mobile payments from offline payments can be considered as a social distancing measure in times of a pandemic. The COVID-19 outbreak is currently entering its ‘endemic’ stage; continued usage of mobile-based payment services is thereby warranted as a social distancing mechanism. This could be true in case of any other pandemic/endemic outbreaks like SARS/Nipah virus outbreaks. The current study examines how the ‘perceived’ health threat posed by COVID-19 and mobile payment service quality (MPSQ) influence consumers' perceived value toward continuous usage of mobile payment services (MPS) in India. In addition, the investigation considers other factors that prompt consumers to continue using the service. Customers, who used mobile payment applications for making cashless transactions during the pandemic, formed the subjects of the study. Data were collected from 720 mobile payment users. The research model integrates the concept of health threat in health belief model to means-end chain model to explain why a customer opts to choose m-payment at times of a pandemic, and what prompts him/her to continue with its usage. The model was empirically tested with structural equation modeling, along with mediation and moderation analysis. It was found that MPSQ, perceived susceptibility, and perceived severity of COVID-19 significantly enhanced consumers’ value perceptions regarding MPS, which leads to satisfaction and continuance intention of using the same. In addition, the study also found a significant positive moderating role of consumer involvement on the relationship between perceived health threat, perceived value, and MPSQ. The threat of COVID-19, being an endemic, or occurrence of similar pandemics persists, and adopting contactless transactions via MPS to comply with social distancing norms may improve customer value perceptions that could aid in the persistence of MPS usage. Also, derivation of value perceptions out of the service quality acts as a driver to continuous usage.

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