The integration of the financial industry and financial technology (Fintech) plays a pivotal role in increasing financial services reach and inclusion for the large unbanked population in Indonesia. Fintech adoption optimization expands the financial access to formal financial institutions, especially to vulnerable groups such as the unbanked population who predominantly reside in rural areas far from formal financial institutions. Fintech is viewed as a game changer to bring finance to the unreached communities via information technology and digital financial landscape. In this causal research, data collection was done via online questionnaires to 485 Fintech users between December 2020 and April 2021. Data analysis and path modelling was performed using smartPLS 3.0 software. Result shows user innovativeness as a significant predictor, directly and indirectly affecting the adoption of Fintech in Indonesia, while user attitude found the most important factor towards Fintech adoption. Financial literacy is the least important variable to predict Fintech adoption, contrary to popular belief. This indicates that Fintech usage requires less financial literacy and is potential to reach unbanked population and those with low financial literacy. To make Fintech more inclusive, the government needs to accelerate improving Information and Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure such as widening mobile broadband penetration and soft infrastructure by encouraging Fintech startup, allowing regulatory sandbox for startups, and driving financial institutions to innovate through Fintech to bring financial services to unbanked population.

The rapid evolution of technology and a large number of smartphone users are transforming the way the masses access financial services. Fintech companies consistently innovate in developing customized products and services for users and SMEs to increase financial access and inclusiveness to achieve the Indonesian national financial inclusion target of 90 percent by 2024. Access to digital financial products via Fintech contributes to greater financial inclusion for SMEs, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, which restricted economic activities. Using an extended TAM model, this study explores the driving factors of Fintech adoption for Indonesian SMEs during the COVID-19 outbreak. Data analysis of 415 respondents was conducted utilizing Smart-PLS 3.0 software. The findings confirm perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, government support, trust, and user innovativeness to have a direct positive effect on the intention of SMEs to adopt Fintech. The result also reveals that financial literacy indirectly correlates with Fintech adoption mediated by user innovativeness. This indicates that Fintech could contribute to bridging financial inclusion where SMEs with lower financial literacy can utilize financial products and services via Fintech. This is a positive contribution of Fintech for SMEs in developing economies. The present study suggests that policymakers could foster the expansion of Fintech business infrastructure to improve access to SME financial services.

Since it first appeared, agency theory has argued that debt can decrease agency issues between agent and principal and enhance the value of firms. This paper explores the moderating effect of agency cost on the association between capital structure and firm performance. A panel econometric method, namely a fixed-effect regression model, was used to evaluate the above description. This investigation uses secondary data collected from published annual reports of manufacturing firms listed on Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE) during 2011–2019. Empirical results show that capital structure is negatively related to firm performance. Agency cost also has a negative impact on corporate performance; however, in the case of ROA and EPS, the relationship is positive. Interestingly, the findings illustrate that increasing the level of debt can reduce agency costs and enhance firm performance. Moreover, robust correlations are revealing that agency cost significantly affects the relationship between capital structure and corporate performance. These findings provide proof to support the assumptions of agency theory, which explains the association between capital structure and performance of firms. This study provides new perspectives on the relationship between capital structure and firm performance by using data from listed manufacturing firms in Iran; hence, these new insights from a developing market improve the understanding of capital structure in Asian and Middle Eastern markets.

This study seeks to investigate the potential effects of the recent pandemic (COVID-19) on capital structure dynamics. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is a fascinating topic for this study because of its distinct economic characteristics. The analysis draws upon a cross-country dataset covering 208 non-financial listed firms across five GCC countries, with data spanning the years 2010 to 2022. Capital structure is a dependent variable and is measured by total debt to equity, equity multiplier, and short-term debt ratios, while the COVID-19 pandemic, firm size growth, return on assets, tangibility, and growth were applied as independent variables. Using the generalized least squares (GLS) method, findings demonstrated that COVID-19 has a significant and positive influence on debt-to-equity and equity multiplier ratios but a negative one on short-term debt ratio. Thus, non-financial firms increased their debt financing and transferred debt from short-term to long-term funding. In addition, firm-specific factors, such as firm size, tangibility, and macroeconomic factors, such as GDP growth, positively and significantly impact capital financing. Conversely, profitability has a negative relationship with financial leverage. There is a lack of empirical research on how COVID-19 affects the financial structure of non-financial listed companies in GCC nations. Consequently, by filling the previously specified gaps, this study provides proof to support the idea of using debt financing to raise capital for economic recovery. GCC policymakers need to give priority to ensuring that firms have convenient access to inexpensive finance in light of the financial consequences caused by COVID-19. This will guarantee that companies have the resources necessary to bounce back and support economic growth.

Research Originality: This research paper enriches existing literature on drivers of fintech adoption, including the impact of perceived trust, individual innovativeness, savings habits, and government support on Indonesian users' post-COVID-19 pandemic fintech adoption intentions.Research Objectives: This study examines the impact of post-covid changes in people's behaviour, savings habits and accelerated financial literacy on strengthening Technology Adoption Model (TAM) among Indonesian fintech users. Research Methods: The researchers surveyed 536 people living in Indonesia. The data was analysed using structural equation modelling with moderator variables. Empirical Results: It found that ease of use, usefulness, trust and personal innovativeness are key drivers of adoption intentions. The research also found that savings habits significantly increase the influence of government support on fintech adoption. Implications: This research has two important implications. First, digital finance companies should further improve fintech app service quality and security. Second, the government should also encourage the expansion of a fintech-based startup ecosystem by providing regulatory support to accelerate the progress of Indonesia's digital finance industry.JEL Classification: M21, G23, O36How to Cite:Nugraha, D. P., Setiawan, B., Emilda, E., Masyhuri, M., Quynh, M. N., Nathan, R. J., Fekete-Farkas, M., & Hagen, I. (2024). Role of Financial Literacy and Saving Habits on Fintech Adoption post Covid-19. Etikonomi, 23(1), 63 – 80. https://doi.org/10.15408/etk.v23i1.37856.

This study aims to investigate the relationship between returns and risk of Islamic stock under stable economic conditions, crises, and pandemics within the scope of Indonesian and Asian Islamic capital markets. How do economic conditions affect the risks and returns of investors in the Indonesian and Asian Islamic capital markets? Verification of the veracity of the Islamic capital market serves as a more resilient option for alternative investments. This study uses Granger causality to determine exogenous and endogenous variables when building the model. The model that is formed is then analyzed using regression with dummy variables of stable economic conditions, crises, and pandemics. The first research findings on differences in crisis, stable and pandemic times in the Asian stock market show that there is no significant difference in effect between stable times and during a crisis, but there are differences in the effect during stable and pandemic times. The second research finding states that the return on Asian market Shariah stocks has no influence on increasing or reducing the value of risk or value at risk. The third finding explains that Islamic stocks in Indonesia have a greater risk value during pandemics and crises than in stable times, but the effect of pandemic and crisis conditions is not as great as Islamic stocks in Asia as a whole. In order to stabilize markets and reduce risks, regulatory bodies and governments frequently employ a variety of actions during times of crisis. When applied to trading volume, risk, and return patterns, these findings can help determine the appropriate policy.