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Nguyen Thao Nguyen, Mien Thi Ngoc Nguyen
ANALYZING THE ADOPTION OF MOBILE BANKING SERVICE IN VIETNAM: EXTENDING UTAUT2 WITH FEAR OF COVID-19
Abstract:
In Vietnam, the acceptance rate of mobile banking is still at a low level despite the efforts from banks and the government. Therefore, it is important to look at the elements influencing Vietnamese customers' adoption of mobile banking. Moreover, non-cash payment actions are more prevalent in an epidemic scenario. A straightforward explanation is that most people fear the illness and look for ways to avoid social interaction. In this study, the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology model (UTAUT2) is extended by considering perceived fear of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the findings, trust, performance expectancy, social influence, and fear of the pandemic significantly affect behavioral intention to adopt mobile banking services of Vietnamese people. Furthermore, the behavioral intention, followed by the perceived fear of the COVID-19, considerably and favorably influence the usage behavior toward mobile banking.
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Giga Abuseridze, Nino Paresashvili, Teona Maisuradze, Badri Gechbaia, Levan Gvarishvili, Janis Grasis
COVID-19 AND RELATED GOVERNMENT
REGULATIONS’ IMPACT
ON EMPLOYMENT IN GEORGIA
Abstract:
Due to the pandemic, 2020 became one of the most memorable years in the world history. It affected employment as well. Georgia was one of the countries which experienced the pan-demic impacts on its citizens. The unemployment rate increased by 2,1% within a year and reached 20,6% in 2021. Despite state regulations and restrictions, Georgia was among the most vulnerable countries to COVID-19 spreading. It caused severe results on employment and the whole economy. The paper aims to define and analyze the impact of COVID-19 and related state regulations’ impact on employment in Georgia as well as to identify the tendencies based on the qualitative analysis of the surveys conducted in Georgia. The existing literature and available information on the impact of COVID-19 on the economy and employment is reviewed. Comparative analysis of the EU and Georgian state regulations related to COVID-19 is provided. Data used in the paper is of secondary type. Graphs are used to visualize data, and analysis of statistical observation is applied. Georgian researcher’s findings are also used. Significant evaluations and analyses are drawn depending on the collected data relating to COVID-19 impact on the economy, employment and people's perception. Some authors’ predictions are presented as well.
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Marajn Angeleski, Olivera Kostoska
DIGITAL LEARNING IN A POST-PANDEMIC ECONOMY: EVIDENCE FROM EUROPEAN COUNTRIES
Abstract:
Background: The Covid-19 pandemic has enabled countries to jump faster into the future of digital learning. However, the question arises as to what the lasting effects of the pandemic would be, in terms of what education will look like in the post-Covid era; will this way of learning become the ‘new normal’ or should the world immediately be returned to pre-pandemic mode of physical classroom.
Purpose: This article aims to address the above-mentioned challenge by examining trends, shifts, and changes in doing online courses or using online learning materials across European countries prior to the outbreak of the pandemic until the time when many countries removed the measures.
Methods: The analysis is based on Eurostat statistical data for 37 European countries regarding Internet use by individuals doing online courses and Internet use in general from 2019 to 2022. Aside from descriptive statistical analysis and distribution of data and trends, a cluster analysis is performed to examine how different groups of countries respond to pandemic-induced changes and how they can move forward in terms of digital learning practices. All statistical measurements are performed in the Python programming language using diverse set of libraries, including algorithm for conducting a cluster analysis.
Results/conclusions: The results suggest that during the temporary physical closures due to the pandemic, online courses were considered a safe backup system for learning and training, but the popularity of virtual courses declined as social restrictions began to ease. At the same time, the composition of clusters evolves over time, which points to changes in the dynamics of engagement in online courses among various groups of countries. Overall, the analysis made here represents a useful guide for formulating strategies to further promote and support digital inclusion and online education initiatives.
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Rakesh Ahlawat, Mandeep Ghai, Sanjeev Kumar Garg
FACTORS INFLUENCING RESTAURANT SELECTION IN THE COVID-19 ERA: A STUDY
OF CONSUMER PREFERENCES IN INDIA
Abstract:
COVID-19 struck the humanity at the end of 2019 and since then it has been ravaging the mankind. Since then the economies have been badly affected; businesses have shut down and the restaurant businesses are no exception to it. Now, when the vaccination programs are being carried out by the governments all around the world, including India, and restrictions are going away, the customers will be coming out to the restaurants. This paper intends to study what are the factors which will make the Indian customers choose a restaurant and to find out if there have been effects of the pandemic on the criteria of restaurant selection. To find the answers to these, a questionnaire with ten various factors was designed and circulated by using Google Form. The data thus collected was analyzed by applying one sample t-test and Gap analysis. The hypothesis was tested and it was found that the pandemic had an impact on the restaurant selection criterion. ‘Personal hygiene of the staff’, ‘quality of food ingredients’ and ‘taste of food’ are the most important factors for customers in deciding to choose a restaurant and ‘location’ with no impact on restaurant selection.
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Lyudmil Naydenov
HOUSEHOLD EXPENDITURE DURING
A PANDEMIC: COVID-19 AND THE CASE
OF BULGARIA
Abstract:
This article examines the expenditures of Bulgarian households during the COVID-19 pandemic. It specifies the theoretical and methodological features of the concepts of the household total and monetary expenditures and outlines their structure and specific characteristics. It also proves that the amount of total consumer expenditure is greater than the amount of monetary consumer expenditure. The structure and dynamics of the total expenditure average per household and per person are analyzed, deriving the factors that affect the trends in the change of the studied categories. The object of study is household total expenditure, and the subject involves the supposed role of COVID-19 as a factor that affects the state and dynamics of household total expenditure and/or its structure in Bulgaria. The conclusion is that there is a negative pandemic impact, but it should not be overestimated and/or dramatized.
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Laura Pilukiene
HR MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES
IN THE CONTEXT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: THE CASE OF THE LITHUANIAN HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY
Abstract:
The purpose of the paper is to analyse the challenges of HR management, related to four themes such as workforce burnout and stress, personal safety, job satisfaction, and post-crisis training and development, which have resulted from the Covid-19 pandemic in the hospitality industry in order to increase the level of resilience in the future difficult situation. To achieve the stated goal, a semi-structured interview on HR management experts of Lithuanian hospitality companies has been carried out. The results of the study have enabled the author to detail the HR management challenges (related to highlighted four themes) caused by the Covid-19 pandemic in the Lithuanian hospitality industry and find sub-themes that are potentially relevant directions of future research. These findings can help managers and decisions makers increase the level of resilience of the hospitality company in a difficult situation.
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Galina Zaharieva, Onnik Tarakchiyan, Andrey Zahariev
MARKET CAPITALIZATION FACTORS
OF THE BULGARIAN PHARMACEUTICAL SECTOR IN PANDEMIC ENVIRONMENT
Abstract:
The article is focused on the changes of the market capitalization in the Bulgarian pharmaceutical sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of the article is to measure and justify the impact of a set of factors that affect the market capitalization of public companies from the Bulgarian pharmaceutical sector in a pandemic environment. The main performance indicator under consideration is the market capitalization of the leading pharmaceutical companies included in the BGBX40 stock exchange index during the two-year pandemic period (from June 2020 until May 2022). For the purpose of the research, a multiple linear regression model (OLS) is employed with the help of GRETL open-source software. Four of the selected eight impact factors are related to the sales of medical products; three are related to COVID-19 statistics and the last is a stock market index. The results from the analyses evidence a strong relationship between the impact factors and the market capitalization of Bulgarian pharmaceutical companies during the pandemic. The coefficient of determination shows that 96% of the change in the market capitalization could be explained by the change in the factors included in the model. The growth of the market capitalization of the studied Bulgarian companies over a period of 2 years is comparable to that of the world leading pharmaceutical companies that offer COVID-19 vaccines.
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Borislav Borisov
IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE GLOBAL ECONOMY
Abstract:
The impact of the global crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is pervasive and affects all countries and economic sectors. However, some businesses, that have been more resilient to its adverse effects than others, for which the negative effect has been catastrophic, can stand out. There are also differences in the size of the companies, as the small ones turned out to be more flexible and therefore suffered smaller losses.
The article analyses the main financial indicators of global industries and their dynamics during the crisis, paying special attention to two of them – air transport and shipping. The main conclusion is that shipping, and in particular container transport, has proved to be more sustainable, while air transport has suffered huge losses. The explanation is that when people stop traveling to markets and goods, goods travel to people.
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Rumen Erusalimov, Nikolay Valeriev Iliev
THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON DEVELOPMENT
OF MOTOR CASCO INSURANCE IN BULGARIA
Abstract:
: Motor Casco Insurance is the most concluded voluntary insurance policy on the Bulgarian insurance market and in recent years its market share is about 27% in the General (Non-life) Insurance Section.
The aim of the study is to assess the impact of measures taken by the state to limit the spread of SARS-CoV-2 virus on the development of Motor Casco Insurance.
As a result of the study, it was found that the measures imposed by the state did not significantly affect the development of Motor Casco Insurance in Bulgaria, but simply slowed down its pace. However, there is a significant reduction in the number of road accidents, especially in 2020, which is also reflected on the reduction of insurance payments.
