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This research aims to determine the factors that can affect financial literacy in Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), especially regarding loans and budgeting. Data are obtained using a survey of owners or managers of MSMEs, which is then processed using multiple regression. This research contributes toward a deeper understanding of MSMEs’ financial literacy determinants, specifically regarding loans and budgeting, in a pandemic situation that differs from ordinary circumstances and encourages many financial activities to utilize technology. The research results indicate the role of Financial Education, Money Attitude, and Financial Socialization Agents in determining MSMEs’ financial knowledge and skills regarding loans and budgets.

Financial inclusion is more than just granting access to financial services; it involves fostering individuals’ overall financial health and prosperity. Financial inclusion has gained significant importance for policymakers and academia in the preceding two decades. It encourages individuals by extending ownership of their financial situation and empowering them to make well-informed decisions regarding their future. The literary work highlights the importance of financial inclusion in promoting prosperity and progress in society. Furthermore, the psychological effects of financial inclusion are addressed with an emphasis on reducing anxiety and stress associated with accessing necessary financial resources and increasing experiences of financial assurance and trust. Finally, the current condition of financial inclusion and ongoing initiatives to improve it is discussed with a regional focus on Asia. The idea of the empowered consumer is introduced, along with a discussion of how financial inclusion may enlighten customers, making them more knowledgeable and engaged members of the financial market. Finally, the conclusion presents a global perspective of underdeveloped nations, emphasizing the imperative requirement for financial integration in these places and the potential benefits it can provide. The chapter provides a comprehensive understanding of financial inclusion, its significance, and its psychological effects on people and their communities, particularly in Asia and developing nations.

This exploratory research examines the effect of motivational factors on the firm performance of women entrepreneurs in Lebanon. An interview questionnaire was used to collect data from 110 women entrepreneurs. Findings of the multiple regression model indicated three women entrepreneurial motivations (internal locus of control, self-efficacy, and financial success) were positively related to firm performance. Other entrepreneurial motivations that were explored (need for achievement, desire for independence, and passion) appeared to have no significant positive relation with firm performance. Generally, this exploratory research suggests that theories regarding women entrepreneurship derived from developed countries should be examined carefully before being used in developing country settings like Lebanon.

This study aims to determine the impact of health-related views on mobile payment adoption in Sri Lanka from a broader viewpoint. The scale used to quantify each construct was based on earlier research, with modest alterations to fit the pandemic situation. First, an online survey was administered to undergraduates using convenience sampling to acquire appropriate replies. Eliminating incomplete and unusable questionnaires, 266 responses were gathered with an 88.7% response rate. Finally, after removing incomplete and ineffective questionnaires, 243 responses were selected for the analysis. Health consciousness, perceived ease of use, and usefulness have a significant positive relationship between attitude and behavioural intention to mobile payments. Moreover, the attitude has a significant positive relationship with mobile payment usage. As the health consciousness increases the usefulness and intention to use mobile payments, bank managers can focus on this new customer segment. Accordingly, they can use their promotional campaigns to highlight the importance of shifting towards m-payments during the pandemic times. This is the first study that investigates the role of health-related perceptions on the mobile payment adoption in Sri Lanka to the best of the authors’ knowledge.

This study aims to analyze the herding behavior in Southeast Asian stock markets. A cross-sectional absolute deviation of the returns approach is used to identify the presence of herding. Individual stocks and market returns were employed on each stock market on a daily basis during the period of January 2008 to December 2014 from five countries selected to obtain the necessary data. The samples observed consisted of stocks having higher liquidity and larger market capitalization for each stock market. The results suggest that there is significant evidence of herding behavior found in Kuala Lumpur and Philippines Stock Exchanges. In addition, there is no evidence of herding behavior in Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand Stock Exchanges.

Searching for a job is an important process that influences short- and long-term career outcomes as well as well-being and psychological health. As such, job search research has grown tremendously over the last two decades. In this chapter, the authors provide an overview of prior research, discuss important trends in current research, and suggest areas for future research. The authors conceptualize the job search as an unfolding process (i.e., a process through which job seekers navigate through stages to achieve their goal of finding and accepting a job) in which job seekers engage in self-regulation behaviors. The authors contrast research that has taken a between-person, static approach with research that has taken a within-person, dynamic approach and highlight the importance of combining between- and within-person designs in order to have a more holistic understanding of the job search process. Finally, authors provide some recommendations for future research. Much remains to be learned about what influences job search self-regulation, and how job self-regulation influences job search and employment outcomes depending on individual, contextual, and environmental factors.