Though financial inclusion has drawn a lot of attention lately, especially in emerging markets, it remains unclear how it affects household well-being. This study investigates the connection between digital financial inclusion (DFI) and household well-being using two databases in China. The findings suggest that DFI is positively associated with household well-being. Mechanism analysis reveals that a rise in DFI facilitates household financial participation, thereby increasing the probability of household well-being. Our further empirical analysis demonstrates that groups with lower education and income levels are more significantly affected by DFI regarding household well-being. Overall, the research provides empirical evidence for the assertion that expanding financial inclusion in the digital economy era can promote social fairness and provide a basis for a vigorous expansion of financial inclusion in emerging economies.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the trends, patterns and the impact of cultural and home country macroeconomic influences on Chinese cross-border mergers and acquisitions (CBM&A) as foreign entry strategy for the period of 1998-2011.Design/methodology/approach: Using three regression models, namely, ordinary least squares, the random effects and fixed effects to examine the impact of home country macroeconomic and cultural factors on CBM&A outflows as an entry mode of Chinese firms. The authors check the robustness of the results using system GMM.Findings: The findings suggest that CBM&A as a preferred mode of market entry provides a means for obtaining strategic resources to develop competitive advantages for the Chinese emerging market firms. The regression results indicate that home country macroeconomic and cultural variables, including gross domestic product (GDP), liquidity, interest rates, inflation, acquisitions in resource seeking sectors and cultural distance play an important role in explaining the trends of CBM&A outflows by the Chinese firms.Research limitations/implications: The results imply that government support to emerging market multinational enterprises (EMEs) to acquire strategic assets and economic policies in the home country play an important role in shaping international expansion behaviour of EMEs through CBM&A. The study demonstrates that outward investments of EMEs are partly a function of the level of economic policies and government support at home. The limitation is that most of the Chinese CBM&A transactions took place in Asia/Pacific locations. Future studies appear warranted if new data become available.Originality/value: The study demonstrates how the institutions, strategic asset seeking with government support and economic policies in the home country play important role in shaping international expansion behaviour of emerging market enterprises through CBM&A thereby contributing to the political economy literature and institutional theory. More importantly, the study shows that the level of economic policies and development such as GDP, money supply, interest rates, inflation of the home country are important for EME growth in the international market.