Influence of Social Distancing Behavior and Cross-Cultural Motivation on Consumers’ Attitude to Using M-Payment Services

Abstract

With the sustainable economy and the development of innovative technology, China is anticipated to have a large number of mobile payment (m-payment) users due to cultural influences and population size. This payment culture leads to a significant motivation to adopt m-payment services, which can stimulate new users from other groups. The role of cultural motivation is the most important factor in the m-payment context. This paper empirically examines the impact of cross-cultural motivation in the context of the practicing of social distancing behavior due to COVID-19 and the mobile payment (m-payment) context. We develop a conceptual model to validate user intention to use mobile payment systems during the COVID-19 crisis. Data were surveyed from 409 international students in China, and the model is validated using the AMOS structural equation modeling approach. Similar to the results of previous studies based on the adoption of mobile payment, this study also confirms the hypothesis testing. The key and robust result is that, due to cultural motivation and social distancing behavior, international students respond swiftly to the use of mobile payment services during COVID-19. Subsequently, perceived usefulness and awareness influence behavior intention to use mobile payment services. The findings of this study suggest that motivational characteristics, including the awareness of efficiency and the social distancing behavior due to COVID-19, play an important role in the adoption of mobile payment. As a result, the empirical results of this research provide useful information to stakeholders so that they can enhance m-payment services strategies and implement these successfully by considering various factors.