The role of fintech on circular economy practices to improve sustainability performance

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Associate Professor, Department of Accounting, Faculty of Economic, Management & Accounting, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran.

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Accounting, University of Qom, Qom, Iran.

3 Master’s student in accounting, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran.

Abstract

Purpose: Achieving sustainable performance is one of the important factors for any firm or organization. Technologies related to the industry can play an important role in the optimal use of resources, thus achieving sustainable business performance. Fintech is a financial innovation that can lead to new business models, applications, processes or products in financial markets and institutions and provide financial services. It has the role of supporting and activating banking and financial services. The circular economy is also linked to various technological developments, including fintech, blockchain technology, artificial intelligence, e-commerce and big data analytics. These technological advances improve the current infrastructure by protecting sustainability goals through innovation. Therefore, the inclusion of circular economy practices is very important, as it can guide managers on how to efficiently use financial resources to enhance the sustainability performance of businesses. Fintech as well as access to financial resources enables firms to manage green supply chains more effectively and implement circular economy practices. In addition, access to financial resources is an important resource for the circular economy. From the dynamic capability perspective, companies and organizations can achieve sustainable performance by using absorptive capacities in circular economy practices. Considering the performance and influence of the banking system in other macro-economic, political and social sectors, any instability, crisis and backwardness in it may lead to fluctuations and disturbances in macro-economic, social and political variables. Therefore, it is very important to emphasize updating and harmonizing it with other departments and checking and ensuring its stability and health.  Also, today's world is changing rapidly, and these changes are the result of new Internet-based technologies, including fintechs. Global investment in financial technology has increased more and, due to these developments in financial and banking systems, almost all major financial institutions are entering this field. Many analysts believe that the future of the banking industry depends on the growth of fintechs. Therefore, currently, investigating the effect of financial technology on the sustainable performance of the bank is one of the concerns of the banking industry. Considering the importance of fintech, this research examines the effect of fintech on sustainable performance with regard to the mediating role of circular economy practices and the moderating role of access to financial resources and absorption capacities. In other words, this research aims to assess the influence of fintech innovations on the circular economy practices and sustainability performance of Saman Bank. Furthermore, the moderating impacts of access to financing and companies’ absorptive capacity are examined.
Methodology: This research is an applied type in terms of purpose and descriptive and survey in terms of the research method. The statistical population of the research is all the employees of Saman Bank in Isfahan City, Saman Bank is the only bank to provide fintech services, so it was selected for a case study. It has 85 employees in Isfahan, but 80 people were selected as a sample using the available sampling method. In this research, the data were collected through questionnaires. The SPSS and Smart PLS software packages were also used for data analysis.
Findings and Discussion: The findings showed that the adoption of fintech has a positive and significant effect on the sustainability performance and circular economy practices, and access to financial resources has a positive and significant effect on the circular economy practices and sustainability performance. Also, absorptive capacity has a positive relationship with sustainability performance, and circular economy practices mediate the effect of fintech adoption on sustainable performance. The effect of access to financial resources on sustainable performance is proved. This access has a moderating role in the relationship between fintech adoption and circular economy practices. But absorptive capacity does not moderate the relationship between sustainable performance and circular economy practices.
Conclusions and Policy Implications: The findings of this study have substantial implications for bank managers in Iran. According to the findings, a combination of fintech, better access to finance, and absorptive capacity is pivotal for enhanced circular economy practices and sustainability performance of banks. Fintech cannot, however, improve the sustainability performance of SMEs on its own. To enhance sustainability performance, SMEs must employ green and circular economy practices and develop dynamic absorptive capacity. Therefore, regulatory bodies in emerging economies must consider integrating technological reforms into their environmental legislation, which will aid in developing crucial mechanisms of incentives and punishments, such as the revocation of company licenses, monetary fines, and carbon tax, in the event of environmental law violations. Lastly, laws and regulations should emphasize the localization of fintech and sustainability goals in accordance with the capabilities and ambitions of individual nations.

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References

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The Journal of Economic Policy
Volume 16, Issue 31
September 2024
Pages 309-344

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