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The purpose of this study is to investigate differences in self-concepts and their influence on decision-making styles in apparel shopping across two cultures; namely, Korea and the United States. Data is obtained from university students in both countries (3 universities in Korea and 2 universities in the United States), generating a sample size of 1,166. The questionnaire consists of three parts: decision-making styles for apparel shopping, selfconcepts, and demographic information. The results indicate that Korean respondents have higher interdependent self-concepts than the American respondents. Moreover, the selfconcepts of young consumers have significant effects on their decision-making styles. This study also finds that the self-concepts of young consumers from both countries has a significantly different impact on decision-making styles for apparel shopping. The similarities and/or differences of the relationships between self-concepts and decisionmaking styles of young Korean and American consumers are also found when such relationships are examined within each country. This study makes a unique contribution to enhancing the understanding of contemporary global consumer behavior by exploring relationships in culture, self-concepts, and decision-making styles of young consumers.

The purpose of this research is to examine the influences of consumer trust and perceived internet confidence on consumer apparel shopping intention via the online retailer operated by a multi‐channel retailer.

A total of 261 students in a large US Midwestern University participated in the paper‐based survey and provided usable responses. Structural equation modeling was used to test hypotheses.

Consumer trust in an online retailer was a significant predictor of perceived internet confidence and search intention for product information via the online retailer. Search intention for product information via the online store and perceived internet confidence were significant and strong predictors of consumers' behavioral intention toward the online retailer.

Limitations of the present study include sampling, which prevents the generalization of the results to all multi‐channel shoppers.

The findings of the study suggest that retailers offer an internet channel as part of a multi‐channel retail strategy and provide consistent service throughout their various channels.

The paper finds that there are significant influences of consumer trust and perceived internet confidence on consumer apparel shopping intention via the online retailer operated by a multi‐channel retailer.

Mobile banking (m-banking) can be defined as a service offered by a bank or any other financial institution that allows the customers of such establishments to carry out a variety of banking operations via a mobile device, such as a mobile phone, tablet or personal digital assistant. The purpose of this paper is to examine factors that influence customers to adopt and subsequently use m-banking services in Ghana using the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology 2 (UTAUT2) model with age, educational level, user experience and gender as moderators.

Using questionnaire survey, the study sampled 300 users of m-banking services in Ghana as respondents. The primary data collected were analyzed using SmartPLS software.

Findings of the study indicate that Habit, Price Value and Trust are the main factors influencing adoption and use of m-banking in Ghana. Individual differences of gender, age, educational level and user experience responded differently as they moderate the relationship between UTAUT2 constructs and use bahaviour. The applicability of UTAUT2 model was confirmed in the context of the research.

M-banking is a new phenomenon in Ghana’s financial industry, thus it is imperative to understanding the customer adoption behavior. The outcome will aid financial institutions to develop strategies that will sustain the interest of consumers to embrace m-banking.

This paper is among the first ever known attempts to examine m-banking adoption in Ghana using UTAUT2 model.

The post-pandemic era has shifted most industries, businesses and consumers online, increasing the demand for electronic devices, mainly laptops. Additionally, most non-Western countries inhabit highly religious but cash-strapped individuals, making them a potential market for second-hand laptops. With this in mind, this study aims to explore the effects of lenient return policy (LRP) and religiosity on consumer confidence in retailer (CCR), consumer well-being and purchase intention.

This paper conducted a between-subjects field experiment comparing two return policy conditions (cash return vs. other return) with a sample of 222 participants. Data were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to test the hypothesised relationships, and multigroup analysis (MGA) was employed to assess the experimental effects based on the return policy conditions. The moderating effects of religiosity were also examined. All analyses were conducted using SmartPLS software.

The results confirm that an LRP positively predicts consumer confidence in retailer, well-being and purchase intention. Religiosity had a moderating effect on LRP outcomes. Additionally, the experiment confirmed that consumers experienced better well-being and were more likely to purchase if offered full cashback.

Retailers of second-hand shopping products should offer LRP (full cashback) to foster consumer confidence, well-being and purchase intention. Additionally, for highly religious consumers, aligning return policies with religious principles should further enhance consumer well-being and purchase intention.

This study is among the earliest to investigate the impact of LRP on CCR and well-being. Moreover, a novel attempt is made to explore the moderating effects of religiosity on LRP outcomes. Likewise, a field experiment to validate the greater effects of cashback on consumer well-being and purchase intention adds to the novelty of this study.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of green self-identity, green peer influence, service and product quality of organic food retailers on Indian consumers’ perceived trust and transaction risk.

The sample consisted of consumers purchasing organic food products from organic food retailers. A mix of judgemental and convenience sampling was used.

Green peer influence, perceived organic food quality and service quality had a positive influence on perceived trust towards organic food retailer. Green self-identity had a negative influence on perceived transaction risk, and green peer influence had a positive effect on perceived transaction risk.

The findings can be used by organic food retailers to increase trust by improving organic food brands and service quality at the stores. The organic food market is in nascent stage and consumers’ trust towards organic food retailers is crucial in improving intention to purchase organic food. Peer influence should be used in cultivating trust towards products sold by organic food retailers.

The study adds to existing research by analysing the role of green self-identity, peer influence, organic food and service quality on perceived trust and transaction risk. The results can be used by retailers for marketing organic food brands.

This paper aims to consider the question of changes brought to consumers’ trust and security issues by the implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in electronic commerce.

Online shopping policies in Poland and Ukraine are compared from the perspective of four factors as follows: application of terms of service and privacy policy, usage of online payment systems, presence in price comparison engines and grade of secure sockets layer security certificates. Comparison is conducted within the framework of three research questions (complemented by eight hypotheses) set to reveal whether: policies of personal data protection and server security for online stores in both countries are the same; all online stores in both countries obey the existing e-commerce rules; e-commerce policies in the two countries differ significantly. The sample for analysis contains 40 Polish and 40 Ukrainian online stores, representing four industries, namely, electronics, entertainment, fashion and goods for children.

The research allowed to reveal major differences in the privacy policy of the two countries, caused, mainly, by the absence of GDPR in Ukraine. It also disclosed much stronger cooperation of online stores and price comparison engines in Poland compared to Ukraine. At the same time, research results allow to state that server security in both countries is on the same rather high level and that online stores use transparent and safe methods of online payment.

This research opens a way to other, expanded observations which will include more countries and larger scopes of data. Its main limitation is that GDPR influence is only studied in two countries, not in all countries where it is implemented.

This research contributes from security and trust perspectives by analyzing the situation in two countries as follows: the EU member (Poland) and a non-EU country (Ukraine). The value of exploring the situation of Ukrainian e-commerce consists of understanding how online stores function without implementing the GDPR. Observation of shopbots application allows drawing an important conclusion of the necessity for online stores to cooperate with such services. It was also revealed that consumers’ trust in both countries depends a lot on the payment methods applied by an online store and on the ease of use of these methods.

In the ever fast-changing modern world, through the use of digital banking services (DBS), the old concept of banking in a traditional way has been completely changed. It was made possible through the use of modern artificial intelligence embedded technologies. It was done to meet the ever-growing demands of customers through more user-friendly and time-saving uses of technologies. This paper aims to uncover and analyse the factors affecting the adoption of digital banking services by rural micro small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). MSME is one of the most active sectors in India. It plays an important role in the economic development of the country through exports and domestic supplies and by creating employment opportunities.

The study was conducted using a questionnaire survey. In total, 148 rural MSME owners were considered for the analysis in this study. Rural MSMEs in India are way behind in using digital banking services than their urban counterparts. The present study uses IBM SPSS and AMOS to shed light on the prevalent factors that influence the attitude to use digital banking services.

It is found out that convenience (which includes perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use), perceived self-efficacy, demonetization, performance expectancy and pandemic effect have a significant effect on the attitude to adopt DBS. The findings of the study will provide deeper insights for the banks as well as different government agencies to revamp their strategies in changing the financial landscape of the country through a “cashless economy”.

Demonetization, a boom in eCommerce in India, pandemic-related lockdowns or restrictions and the government’s push for the digital economy will aid the use of DBS at a faster pace. The outcome of the study will help both the government and the financial institutions to chalk out strategies to cater to the rural MSMEs in embracing DBS.

The use of digital services for banking in India is in a nascent stage, but the rate of adoption is increasing at a cyclonic speed. Affordable electronic devices, cheap internet and different medium of using DBS are fuelling the rapid increase; yet, limited research focuses on the differences in the rate of acceptance of digital banking services concerning rural MSMEs.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of e-marketing orientation (EMO) on strategic business performance (SBP) in presence of e-trust.

Data were collected from CEOs, finance managers, IT managers, Policy makers, owners and Managing Directors of SMEs located in two big cities of Pakistan (Islamabad and Peshawar). Correlation, regression and bootstrap analysis was conducted to check the relationship among independent, mediating and dependent variables.

Based on empirical findings of the responses from managerial staff, it is suggested that strategic performance largely depends on EMO and e-trust.

The authors recommend that further studies are required to test the propositions in longitudinal research design for achieving in-depth insights.

It has been observed that SMEs in developing countries pay less attention toward its strategic goals. This research discusses an implementation approach based on solid theoretical foundations to achieve the SBP.

This study tests e-trust as a mediator between EMO and SBP, therefore, makes a significant contribution to the literature of SMEs by focusing on the link between EMO, e-trust and SBP.

The purpose of this study was to validate the factors influencing perception of digital buyers (PDB), risk factors of digital buying (RFDB) and webrooming intention (WI) and also to examine the mediating role of WI between PDB and RFDB.

The antecedents of variables were validated using exploratory data analysis. The association between PDB and RFDB was established using structural equation modelling. Furthermore, the mediating role of WI is examined using the Sobel test.

The antecedents of PDB (digitization practice, credence preference, brand awareness and consciousness, product features, utilitarian behaviour, price and discount factors), RFDB (performance risk, socio-psychological risk, financial risk, aesthetic risk, time and return risk and perceived quality risk) and WI (perceived ease of online search, usefulness of online search, need for touch, socialization and webrooming attitude) were identified. PDB significantly and positively influences RFDB. There is a direct relationship between PDB and WI. WI and RFDB are positively correlated. WI partially mediates between PDB and RFDB.

The research outcome helps the multi-channel retailers to identify the digital platforms to find greater opportunity for customer engagement.

The study augments the body of literature on WI by exploring the interplay of PDB, RFDB and WI, which will help retail personnel to strategize operational practices.