Abstract

This study aimed to identify the factors that affect the adoption of telebirr mobile money service in ADDIS
ABABA,NIFAS-SILK LAFTO and to use the study’s findings to develop strategies for Ethio telecom on how
to take advantage of the rate of adoption.

For this study, a quantitative research approach was employed. The sources of data for this study were
both primary and secondary. The primary data was collected from telebirr customers ADDIS
ABABA,NIFAS-SILK LAFTO . The instrument used for the collection of primary data was a questionnaire
survey. Accordingly, 385 questionnaires were distributed to all computed sample respondents and 343
responses were received. The secondary data was considered from related works of literature. Convenience
sampling techniques were used. On this study a descriptive and explanatory research design was used.
Correlation analysis and multiple regression model were used to examine the relationship and to identify
the effect of explanatory variables on the adoption of telebirr service. The analysis was conducted by using
SPSS V.26. The regression analysis confirms that 83% of the independent variables in the model explained
the dependent variable.

This study result shows, being other variables constant, perceived risk has got negative association and
significant effect on telebirr adoption, the remaining explanatory variables, awareness, perceived
usefulness and perceived ease of use have a positive association and significant influence on the adoption
of telebirr service by having a different exponent of beta values.

The study recommends that telebirr service providers and marketers should concentrate on the four
determinant variables that have the greatest influence on the adoption of telebirr service.

Keywords: adoption of telebirr service, mobile money service, Ethio telecom ADDIS ABABA, NIFAS-
SILK LAFTO,
Table of Content

Content page-no

Acknowledgement ............................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

Abstract ................................................................................................................................................. 1
Table of Content .................................................................................................................................... i
ACRONYMS ...................................................................................................................................... iii
CHAPTER – ONE................................................................................................................................ 1
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................ 1
1.1. Background of the Study ......................................................................................................... 1
1.2. Statement of the Problem.......................................................................................................... 3
1.3. Research objectives ................................................................................................................... 4
1.3.1. General objective ................................................................................................................ 4
1.3.2. Specific objectives .............................................................................................................. 4
1.4. Research Hypotheses ................................................................................................................ 4
1.5. Significance of the study ......................................................................................................... 5
1.6. Scope of the study ..................................................................................................................... 5
1.7. Organization of the study.......................................................................................................... 5
CHAPTER TWO .................................................................................................................................. 6
LITERATURE REVIEWS .................................................................................................................. 6
2.1. Introduction................................................................................................................................ 6
2.2 Theoretical Review .................................................................................................................... 6
2.3 Definition of Mobile money ...................................................................................................... 7
2.4 The difference between mobile banking and mobile money ................................................... 7
2.5 Benefits of Mobile Money ......................................................................................................... 8
2.6 Mobile Money service development in the world .................................................................... 9
2.7 Mobile money services in Africa .............................................................................................. 9
2.8 Mobile money service in Ethiopia .......................................................................................... 10
2.9 Practice of telebirr in Ethiopia ................................................................................................. 12
2.10. Technology Adoption Theories and model ......................................................................... 14
2.11. Factors affecting adoption of tele birr mobile money service ............................................ 16
2.12 Empirical Review related with factors affecting adoption of tele birr service ................... 18
2.13 Conceptual Framework of the Study .................................................................................... 20
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 2.14 Research Gap ......................................................................................................................... 21
CHAPTER THREE ............................................................................................................................ 22
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY ............................................................................ 22
3.1. Introduction.............................................................................................................................. 22
3.2 Research Approach .................................................................................................................. 22
3.3 Research Design ....................................................................................................................... 22
3.4 Data Source and Collection Instrument .................................................................................. 23
3.5. Population, Sampling and Sampling Techniques .................................................................. 24
3.5.1 Target Population of the Study ......................................................................................... 24
3.5.2 Sampling Techniques and Sample Size of the Study ...................................................... 24
3.6. Method of Data Analysis ........................................................................................................ 25
3.6.1. Descriptive Analysis ......................................................................................................... 25
3.7. Inferential Analysis ................................................................................................................. 26
3.7.1. Pearson’s Correlation Analysis ........................................................................................ 26
3.7.2. Model Specification......................................................................................................... 26
3.8. Reliability and validity of instruments .................................................................................. 27
3.8.1. Reliability ......................................................................................................................... 27
3.8 .2 Validity.............................................................................................................................. 28
3.9 Ethical Considerations ............................................................................................................. 28

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 ACRONYMS

Adotb: Adoption of telebirr

AW: Awareness

DFS: Digital Financial Service

DPS: Digital Payment Service

EOU: Ease of Use

Fintechs: Financial technologies

GSMA: Digital System for Mobile communication Association

MFIs: Micro Finance Institutions

M.Money: Mobile money

MNOs: Mobile Network Operaters

NBE: National Bank of Ethiopia

Pkno: Prior technology Knowledge

PR: Perceived Risk

PU: perceived Usefulness

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 CHAPTER – ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1. Background of the Study

The convergence of telecommunication and banking services in the world has created opportunities
for the emergence of mobile commerce, in particular mobile money services which provide time
independence, convenience and promptness to customers, along with cost savings (Maitai &
Omwenga, 2016). Mobile money is one of the financial services that are offered through mobile
phones. It is the most promising technology to create cash less society.

African mobile money story is known to have started in Kenya in 2007 when Safaricom launched
its M-PESA solution for peer-to-peer money transfer. When we say M-PESA M means mobile and
Pesa means money or payment in the Swahili language. Before that, due to a low rate of banking,
sending money to a relative could be a big issue.

When we come to Ethiopia as the second-highest populous nation in Africa, Ethiopia has the lowest
financial inclusion rate as compared to Sub-Saharan African Countries and yet has an alarmingly
increasing mobile penetration rate which can be used as a tool for financial inclusion.
The country‟s first mobile money service, called M-Birr, was introduced in 2012 by five partnering
Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs) working in Addis Ababa and four regional states, and it became
operational in 2013. (Alemu, et al.2021)

Following the introduction of M-Birr, Lion International Bank and Somali Micro Finance
Institution, in partnership with Bel Cash, launched a mobile money service called Hello Cash in
February 2015. It offers deposits, withdrawals, transfers, and payments. The banks select, train,
and authorize agents to provide mobile money services on their behalf. In mid-December 2017,
the CBE launched a mobile phone-based money transfer platform called CBE-Birr, whose
customers enjoy additional functionalities, as they can deposit, withdraw, transfer, make payments,
buy mobile airtime, and pay bills using their mobile phones. In July 2018, Dashen Bank introduced
another mobile phone-based money transfer platform called Amole. The name
Amole comes from the salt bar currency used in ancient Ethiopia. (Alemu, et al.2021)
Up until recently, Ethiopia‟s regulatory framework for digital financial services was a bank -led
model; only banks and Micro Finances Institutions (MFIs) had exclusive rights to hold deposits,

1
be licensed as payment service providers, and manage agent networks. This did not allow Mobile
network operators (MNOs) and financial technology (Fintechs) to offer digital financial services
independently. Given the current priorities for Ethiopia, key players in the sector recognized the
urgency to revise this model and accommodate further participation of MNos and Finches. To
solve this problem Ethiopia ratified an electronic transaction proclamation No. 1205/2020 to use
digital transactions. The ratification of the payment instrument issuers‟ directive addresses this
and allows for MNOs and Financial technologies to operate as payment instrument issuers. (NBE,
2021)

As mentioned above the government of Ethiopia recognized the problem, and planned to correct
it, the regulatory authority issued new directives that allow nonfinancial institutions like the
telecommunication sector to engage in digital financial service (NBE 2021).

Following this, Ethio telecom provides a new mobile money service named ″telebirr‶ and birr is
the national currency of the federal democratic republic of Ethiopia. Telebirr is the first
telecommunication mobile money service which was launched by Ethio telecom in May 2021. The
solution allows customers to deposit, receive and transfer money using mobile number in areas
where mobile network is available. ( Ethio telecom, 2021)

According to Ethio telecom 2014 EFY (2021/22)first-half business performance summary report
the total subscribers reached 60.8 Million and an increase of 20% from the previous budget year
similar period. From which mobile voice subscribers reached 70 Million. But according to Ethio
telecom up to JUNE 2022, the company has only 27.2 million telebirr customers out of 70 million
mobile voice subscribers (Ethio telecom, 2022). This indicates that the adoption rate of telebirr
service still needs improvement when we compare it to its potential.

On the other hand, there are many studies conducted abroad to examine factors affecting the
adoption of mobile money services. But, adequate research has not been done in Ethiopia,
particularly on telebirr mobile money service and in this study area. Based on the above facts, the
researcher was interested to conduct this research on the ″factors affecting the adoption of
Telebirr mobile money service: in the case of ADDIS ABABA, NIFAS-SILK LAFTO ‶

2
1.2. Statement of the Problem

Mobile phone technology has had a profound effect on the life of the people. The ability to
communicate from almost anywhere has transformed the way we live as well as the way business
is done. This proliferation of mobile phone use has inspired the development of numerous value-
add service that have been widely adopted globally. For many, this platform has created a new
avenue to market, sell and deliver services to consumers across socioeconomic classes. Many
factors can influence the acceptance or non-acceptance of technical product innovations such as
mobile money service. User acceptance is a basic factor in determining the success or failure of
mobile money service (Anthony and Mutalemwa, 2014). Therefore, identifying such factors that
affect mobile money service was very important.
On the other hand, the financial system of Ethiopia is quite underdeveloped and economic
transactions are still largely cash-based. According to a World Bank report in 2017 out of the total
adult population who paid for utilities, 98.7 percent paid in cash (Alemu, et al.2021). Up until
recently, Ethiopia‟s regulatory framework for digital financial services was a bank-led model; only
banks and Microfinance institutions (MFIs) had exclusive rights to hold deposits, be licensed as
payment service providers, and manage agent networks. But recently National Bank of Ethiopia
open its service to the telecom sector (NBE,2021). Following this, Ethio telecom introduces a new
mobile money service named ‶telebirr″. Telebirr is an innovative mobile money service for Ethio
telecom customers launched on May 11, 2021. The service allows customers to buy airtime,
deposit, receive and transfer money and other services by using mobile numbers in areas where a
mobile network is available (Ethio telecom,2021).
According to Ethio telecom, the company has only 19.6 million telebirr customers as of JUNE
2022 out of 70 million mobile voice subscribers which constitute 33.8 per cent (Ethio telecom,
2022). From this, we can understand that the adoption rate of telebirr service still needs
improvement when we compare to its potential. Therefore, the focus of this study was to examine
the factors that affect the adoption of telebirr mobile money services.
Even though there are many studies conducted on this theme abroad, as per the best researcher‟s
knowledge adequate research has not been done in Ethiopia, particularly on telebirr mobile money
service and in this study area.

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The difference in the prediction of factors was an other motivating factor. Tesfaye, (2019) reported
a positive relationship between perceived usefulness and mobile money services Whereas, Gebisa,
(2021) reported a negative relationship.

Therefore, by considering the above-mentioned factors as a research gap, the researcher proposed
“Factors affecting adoption of telebirr mobile money service in ADDIS ABABA,NIFAS-SILK
LAFTO”.

1.3. Research objectives

1.3.1. General objective

The objective of this study is to examine the determinant factors affecting the adoption of telebirr
mobile money service with a particular focus on tele birr customers in Bahir Dar City and to come
up with different recommendations.

1.3.2. Specific objectives

 To identify the effect of Awareness on the adoption of telebirr service.

 To assess the effect of Perceived usefulness on the adoption of telebirr service.
 To measure the influence of Ease of use on the adoption of telebirr service.
 To identify the effect of prior knowledge on the adoption of telebirr service.
 To test the influence of perceived risk on the adoption of telebirr service.

1.4. Research Hypotheses

To achieve the general and specific objectives of the study, the researcher developed the following
hypotheses.

H1: Awareness has a positive and significant effect on the adoption of telebirr service in ADDIS
ABABA, NIFAS-SILK LAFTO .

H2: perceived usefulness has a positive and significant effect on the adoption of telebirr service in
ADDIS ABABA,NIFAS-SILK LAFTO.

4
H3: Perceived ease of use has a positive and significant effect on the adoption of telebirr service
in ADDIS ABABA,NIFAS-SILK LAFTO.
H4: prior technology knowledge has a positive and significant effect on the adoption of telebirr
service in ADDIS ABABA,NIFAS-SILK LAFTO.

H5: Perceived risk has a negative and significant effect on the adoption of telebirr service in
ADDIS ABABA,NIFAS-SILK LAFTO.

1.5. Significance of the study

This study would be very important for Ethio- telecom in identifying their real customer need and
adoption behavior which may help to position their service and generate a profit by achieving
superior customer satisfaction. It would be important for customers to be well informed about the
service. In addition, academicians/researchers can use the findings as a base to make a further study
on the issue. Furthermore, the research can also assist policy makers of the telecom service in
understanding the factors that influence the adoption of tele birr.

1.6. Scope of the study

Even if there are different determinant factors affecting the adoption of telebirr mobile money
service, addressing the whole factors is impossible due to the researcher constraint like; lack of
finance, time, researcher skill and ability. Therefore, this study has been geographically limited
only to ADDIS ABABA,NIFAS-SILK LAFTO city and telebirr customers. Although different factors
can affect the adoption of telebirr services, this study considered only five factors; awareness,
perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, prior technical knowledge and perceived risk and
investigated their impact on the adoption of telebirr customers in ADDIS ABABA,NIFAS-SILK
LAFTO.

1.7. Organization of the study

The study is organized into five chapters. Chapter one consisted of the introduction part, which
contains, the background of the study, statement of the problem, objectives of the study, research
hypotheses, scope or delimitation of the study, and significance of the research paper. Chapter two
included the literature review regarding the research area of the paper and set out the empirical as well as
theoretical frameworks for the research, and the conceptual framework. Chapter three consists of the

5
research methodology which contains the research approach, design, population study, data collection
instruments, and finally data analysis presented. The research results and discussion were discussed in
chapter four. Finally, chapter five presents the conclusion and recommendation of the study.

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEWS

2.1. Introduction

In this chapter, issues related to the study obtained from different sources including articles,
different books, thesis and websites are reviewed. The literature is based on theoretical definitions
and empirical reviews of past studies that have been done, which help to construct the conceptual
framework of the study in depth and width in ADDIS ABABA,NIFAS-SILK LAFTO on factors
affecting the adoption of telebirr mobile money service. The research addressed the 5 main
research explanatory variables; perceived usefulness, awareness, perceived ease of use, prior
technology knowledge and perceived risk. In addition, theoretical framework, empirical studies,
the conceptual framework of the study related to determinant factors affecting the adoption of tele
birr mobile money service and research gaps were mentioned.

2.2 Theoretical Review

The theoretical review section is the starting point for this chapter which presents the background
theories, upon which the study relies. The researcher presented the basic discussions related to
mobile money service adoption. Thus, mobile money services have been deployed in developing
and developed countries as a means of extending financial services. Mobile money services started
in Kenya in 2007 through M-PESA (“M” for “mobile”, “PESSA” for “money” in Swahili), a
popular mobile money service offered by a local mobile network operator, Safaricom (Hughes and
Lonie 2007)). When we come to Ethiopia's mobile money service was started in
2012 and M-birr is the first mobile money service in Ethiopia that was established by five
partnering microfinance institutions (Alemu, et al. 2021). Up to recent times, mobile money service
in Ethiopia was accomplished by only banks and micro finances. But recently it was opened to
telecommunication service and ‶telebirr‶ is the first telecommunication mobile money service like
M-PESA of Kenya which was launched by Ethio telecom on May 2021. When we say ″telebirr‶

6
birr is the national currency of the federal democratic republic of Ethiopia. The researcher
presented the basic discussions related to mobile money service adoption.

2.3 Definition of Mobile money

The definition of “mobile money” varies across the communication industry as it covers a wide
scope of overlapping applications. Owusu (2017) defined mobile money as a system of electronic
money. Mobile money refers to a broad spectrum of financial services which can be accessed
through a mobile phone. To date airtime purchases, bill payments and remittances are the leading
uses of most mobile money services.

Mobile money is a digital wallet service which runs through an app that is installed on the phone
and it works when the phone is connected to an internet connection. It is a means of storing and
managing money in an account linked to a phone number. Mobile money is a technology that
allows people to receive, store and spend money using a mobile phone.

According to the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (Aranda- et al. 2020), a
service is considered a mobile money service if (1) it enables transferring money and making and
receiving payments using the mobile phone; (2) it is available to the unbanked, that is, people who
do not have access to a formal account at a financial institution; and (3) it offers a network of
physical transactional points that can include agents, outside of bank branches and ATMs, that
make the service widely accessible to everyone.

2.4 The difference between mobile banking and mobile money

Mobile banking-- Mobile banking can be understood as a set of mobile banking services,
involving the use of portable devices connected to telecommunications networks that provide users
with access to mobile payments, transactions and other banking and financial services linked to
customer accounts, with or without the direct participation of traditional banking institutions. This
concept can also be regarded as the banking channel through which the digital mobile services are
provided by the institutions to their clients, i.e. by integrating the concepts of service and channel.

Mobile money-- Electronic money – being essentially digital – has attributes related to mobility
and portability, and is equivalent to mobile money or mobile cash. It can be differentiated from

7
other means of electronic payment (such as credit cards, debit cards, smart cards, etc.) because of
its ability to replicate the essential attributes of traditional money, such as liquidity, and
acceptability.

Mobile money may be related to a mobile wallet, which refers to a digital repository of electronic
money developed and implemented on mobile devices, allowing peer-to-peer transactions (P2P)
between mobile devices (M2M) from users of the same service. It is similar to a normal physical
wallet and can store money and credit and debit cards (Diniz, Porto de Albuquerque et al. 2011)

2.5 Benefits of Mobile Money

Socio-economic Benefits: - According to the (Mugambi et al. 2014) study, about 2.5 billion people
in the world do have access to financial services. Mobile money offers new channels and new
business models for increasing financial inclusion. With mobile money, there is increased
availability of financial services to all citizens, especially the unbanked. There is also improvement
in accessibility to rural areas due to the collaboration between mobile operators and stakeholders.

Mobile money improves investment in and allocation of physical investment due to its lower
international remittances and domestic money transfers (Aker, et al. 2011). More so, mobile money
enables the underdeveloped to receive money from economically active areas which could balance
economic disparities and reduce social tensions (Berg and Ostry 2011). Furthermore, m-money
reduces the risk of carrying cash; the risk of theft, accident, or robbery of carrying cash as it is
electronic, making it accessible when you need it without carrying it around (Gencer 2011).

Financial Institutions Benefit: - Mobile money has significantly reduced the cost of delivering
financial services. For example, the overhead cost of installing and maintaining ATMs. In addition,
m-money delivers cost benefits. It reduces the transaction costs of financial services for the poor,
especially those in rural areas where financial services seldom exist. Mobile money saves the cost
of travel and time spent visiting the nearest town to access financial services. It is relatively cheaper
than other cash alternatives (McKay and Pickens 2010).

The benefit to Mobile Operators: - With M-money there is an increase in revenue. The
transaction fees charged to send and withdraw money represent a very significant revenue source

8
for mobile money providers. For example, Safaricom in Kenya announced that mobile money
revenues for the first half of 2011 amounted to KSh 7.9 billion ($90 million). (Muthiora, 2015).

2.6 Mobile Money service development in the world

The mobile money industry of today has a host of seasoned providers with a broad set of
operational capabilities, a full suite of products and a global reach. With 290 live services in 95
countries and 372 million active accounts, mobile money is entering the mainstream and becoming
the path to financial inclusion in most low-income countries. The ratio of digital to cash-based
transactions has increased by nearly 50 per cent since 2017 as a larger proportion of money enters
and leaves the system in digital form. This is a signal that providers have taken major steps to
ensure digital transactions become a part of their customers‟ everyday lives. In 2019, the number
of registered mobile money accounts reached 1.04 billion (Pénicaud and Katakam 2019)

The mobile platform has transformed how many people around the world access and uses their
money. Mobile money services have existed for more than a decade, but since 2007, many mobile
money services i.e., services that allow users to access value transfer and payments via a mobile
phone, typically without needing a bank account have been launched in many countries across the
world. (GSMA 2017).

Thanks to the dramatic rise in internet and smartphone adoption, increased interoperability and
new business models, customers can now choose from a suite of tailored products. For customers,
this marks a shift away from cash towards digital payments for school fees, ecommerce,
international remittances, savings, credit, pay-as-you-go utilities and more. For the industry, it is
evidence that the „payments as a platform‟ model a strategic shift by the industry to encourage
more value to remain digital and to diversify revenue models is paying off. (Pénicaud and Katakam
2019). 1.7 billion People remain financially excluded, but the collective strength of the industry
could ensure that everyone can be part of the new digital economy. (Pénicaud and Katakam 2019).

2.7 Mobile money services in Africa

The mobile money services market has flourished on the African continent in recent years in
comparison to other parts of the world (taking under consideration among others number of total

9
mobile money services, mobile money accounts, agents offering mobile money services and
mobile payment users). It can be seen that Africa is at the forefront of the mobile banking
revolution, spearheaded by the mobile phone technological platform for financial services.
Furthermore, the number of mobile Internet subscribers is rising in Africa. Africa seems to become
the worldwide leader in mobile money services. The Africans have the willingness and ability to
absorb innovations in the area of mobile money services. Mobile money services in African
countries started to transform the domestic markets (Mitręga et al. 2018). Currently, there are two
main African mobile money service models: (Mitręga et al. 2018) a bank -led model with
additional services to existing customers through a mobile banking application a model by which
banks take over at least account provision and settlement; under a model for mobile payment
service, customers have a direct contractual relationship with a licensed financial institution;

A non-bank-led model with transformational outreach to the unbanked populations is a model by

which nonbank companies are responsible for all the basic functions except settlement; in this
model, they exchange cash for electronic value recorded in a virtual account on the server of a non-
bank organization, such as an MNO or an issuer of stored-value cards [African Development Bank,
2013].

African mobile money story is known to have started in Kenya in 2007 when Safaricom launched
its M-PESA solution for peer-to-peer money transfer. Before that, due to a low rate of banking,
sending money to a relative could be a big issue. Kenya is leading not only in Africa but also in
the world in mobile money-related services. Out of the 31 million, mobile subscribers in the
country, 83% translating to 26 million users use mobile money services ( (Ayiesa 2018).

2.8 Mobile money service in Ethiopia

The financial system of Ethiopia is quite underdeveloped. Economic transactions are still largely
cash-based, as digital financial services (DFS) have been introduced in Ethiopia only recently.
According to World Bank in 2017, of the total adult population who paid for utilities, 98.7 per cent
paid in cash. In addition, although 59 per cent of the adult population received payments for
agricultural products, only 0.47 per cent of these payments were through financial institution
accounts. Ethiopia is well above the average for sub-Saharan Africa in terms of using cash instead

10
of formal financial institutions to pay utility bills, receive wages, and receive government
payments. (Alemu, et al. 2021)

According to Alemu, et al. (2021), mobile money is an electronic account linked to a mobile phone
number (no need to open an account at the bank) that allows people to deposit, withdraw, and
transfer money as well as make and receive payments. As the digital payment service (DPS) in
Ethiopia is not telecom-based, DPS is not integrated with Ethio Telecom, the state-owned mobile
and Internet services. In Ethiopia, these services are provided only by financial institutions, in
particular by commercial banks and microfinance institutions (MFIs), a fact that may have
adversely impacted the growth and expansion of direct payment services in the country.

Commercial banks have an agent banking system whereby bank branches authorize agents to
provide mobile money services on their behalf. MFIs are also providing mobile money services.
The country‟s first mobile money service, called M-Birr, was introduced in 2012 by five partnering
MFIs working in Addis Ababa and four regional states, and it became operational in 2013. M-Birr
provides deposit/withdrawal services at an agent, as well as the ability to top up mobile airtime,
pay bills, buy goods, repay loans, check balances, and get statements using a mobile phone. It also
provides transfer services across the five MFIs, as they use one switch system. These MFIs provide
financial access for those with no access to banking services. As MBirr does not require an Internet
connection and works with low-quality mobile networks, it is critical to the country, where nearly
80 per cent of the population resides in rural areas with poor connectivity. (Alemu, et al. 2021)

As Alemu, et al. (2021) stated that following the introduction of M-Birr, Lion International Bank
and Somali Micro Finance Institution, in partnership with Belfast, launched a mobile money
service called HelloCash in February 2015. It offers deposits, withdrawals, transfers, and
payments. The banks select, train, and authorize agents to provide mobile money services on their
behalf. In mid-December 2017, the CBE launched a mobile phone-based money transfer platform
called CBE-Birr, whose customers enjoy additional functionalities, as they can deposit, withdraw,
transfer, make payments, buy mobile airtime, and pay bills using their mobile phones. In July 2018,
Dashen Bank launched a mobile phone-based money transfer platform called Amole. The name
Amole comes from the salt bar currency used in ancient Ethiopia.

11
2.9 Practice of telebirr in Ethiopia

Up until recently, Ethiopia‟s regulatory framework for digital financial services was a bank -led
model; only banks and Micro finances (MFIs) had exclusive rights to hold deposits, be licensed as
payment service providers, and manage agent networks. This did not allow Mobile network
operators (MNOs) and financial technology (Fintechs) to offer digital financial services
independently. (MNOs) and (Fintechs) are key players in the sector. The ratification of the payment
instrument issuers‟ directive addresses this and allows for MNOs and Financial technologies to
operate as payment instrument issuers. (NBE, 2021)

As mentioned above the government of Ethiopia recognized the problem, and aim to correct it, the
regulatory authority issued two new directives that allow nonfinancial institutions like the
telecommunication sector to engage in digital financial service (NBE 2021).

Following this Ethio telecom provide a new mobile money service named ″Telebirr. The name was
coined by joining the name of Ethiopian currency, birr, with the word Tele. Telebirr is the first
telecommunication mobile money service like M-PESA of Kenya which was launched by Ethio
telecom in May 2021. According to Ethio telecom telebirr.com, the solution allows customers to
deposit cash, receive and transfer money, buy airtime, pay with telebirr, withdraw cash, and pay
for goods and services.

Figure 2. 1 telebirr service --- Source: Ethio telecom, 2023

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As Ethio telecom 2015 EFY (2022/2023) first-half business performance report indicated that the
total subscribers reached 60.8 million and an increase of 20% from the previous budget year similar
period. Mobile voice subscribers reached 70 million, data and internet users 27.2 million, fixed
services 1.37M and Fixed broadband subscribers reached 743K.

The report also indicates that Ethio telecom has recently engaged in mobile money services by
introducing “telebirr” to meet the country‟s growing demand for digital financial services. telebirr,
exceeding the industrial trend, has reached over 19 million subscribers within such a short period
and with a total transaction value of ETB 15 Billion. To ensure service coverage as well as benefit
Ethio telecom partners with tele birr service, more than 71,000 agents and over 19,000 merchants
have been engaged so far. In addition, integration with Banks is completed enabling money transfer
from Bank to telebirr in 13 Banks and from telebirr to Bank in 11 Banks. CBE, Awash, Abyssinia,
Abay, Birhan, Hibret, Enat, Debub Global, Oromiya, Wegagen, and Dashen bank are the first
banks that are working cooperatively with Ethio telecom in sevices of telebirr (Ethio telecom,
2023).

How do customers sign up/register for telebirr service by themselves

To be a customer of telebirr customers can use different ways. Customers can register for telebirr
by themselves or visit the nearby Ethio telecom shops or agents. To answer the question, how do
customers sign up/register for telebirr service by them selves you can follow the following
procedure. (Ethio telecom,2023)

1. Self-registration by:

1. Dialling*127# and following the instructions or

2. Download the telebirr application from Google play/app store/ethio telecom app store and
install it.
3. Open the download telebirr app and then click on ″Create New Account”
4. The you will have two options to register your profile

Quick create account

 Enter your mobile number in the provided space and click on get verification code.
 You will receive an SMS from 127 with the verification code.

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 Then enter the verification code and click next.
 Then a new page will display to capture your personal information. This option will fetch most
of your personal information from our system as per the detailed information provided during
your first mobile service subscription. However, you might be requested to fill in certain
information like gender, region, zone, sub-city, woreda, Kebele, house number and nationality.
 After fulfilling the requested information click on submit and you will receive a confirmation
message and redirect to the first login page.
 Then enter your mobile number and a default PIN code you received from 127. On the first
login, it will allow you to change your PIN.
Self-create account
 If you choose this option, you will follow the same step as the above. However, you will fill in
all the required personal data by yourself. By uploading your identity card and recent photo,
you can complete a full registration.

2. Registration at Ethio telecom shop or agent:

• By visiting the nearest authorized telebirr retail agent or Ethio telecom shop.
• With Ethio telecom active mobile number and identity card.
2.10. Technology Adoption Theories and model

Adoption is defined as the act or process of beginning to use something new or different
(M.webster). Technology adoption is thus the process of beginning to use new technology or
different technology by customers, organizations etc. AS a result of the dynamism of the
information and communication technology innovative technological products are released. And
the growth of nations, organizations and individuals is highly dependent on how people can accept
or adopt technology various models are developed and used. In the following paragraph, some
technology acceptance models are discussed which include:
• The Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA)
• Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB)
• Innovations Diffusion Theory
• Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)
Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA)

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The theory of reasoned action is a widely studied model from social psychology which is composed
of attitudinal, social influence, and intention variables to predict variables(Fishbein 2008). It
hypothesized that behavioural intention is jointly determined by attitude toward performing the
behaviour and subjective norm. Attitude is defined as an individual negative or positive feelings
about performing a specific behaviour and can be determined by one's belief that performing the
behaviour leads to various consequences multiplied by the subjective evaluation of those
consequences. Subjective norm refers to the person's perception that most people who are
important to him think he should or should not perform the behaviour in question (Fishbein 2008).
The theory of reasoned action also hypothesizes that behavioural intention is the only direct
influence of actual behaviour

Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB)

The theory of planned behaviour (TPB) is an extension of the theory of reasoned action (TRA),
which is widely used in social psychology and marketing studies to explain the determinants of
intended behaviours (Giles and Cairns 1995). Both the TRA and TPB suggest that behaviour is
directly influenced by behavioural intention. But the TPB model adds “perceived behavioural
control” to the theory of reasoned action.

TPB postulates that attitude toward the behaviour refers to the degree to which people have a
positive or negative feeling toward the behaviour. Subjective norms are normative beliefs that refer
to the perceived social pressure to perform or not perform the behaviour (Ajzen, 1991). According
to (Ajzen, 1991), perceived behavioural control reflects beliefs regarding access to the resources
needed to perform a behaviour.

Diffusion of Innovation
The other widely used theory is (DI), which helps to understand customers' behaviour in the
adoption or non-adoption of an innovation. In the theory, diffusion is defined as the process by
which an innovation is communicated through certain channels over time among the members of
a social system (Sahin 2006) The theory highlights five perceived characteristics that influence
the adoption and non-adoption of an innovation which are: relative advantage, perceived
compatibility, simplicity or complexity of use, trialability and observability as the key
characteristics that enable innovation to be taken up by a population (Ghobakhloo and Tang 2013).

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Technological Acceptance Model (TAM)
TAM is one of the most extensively used models in information systems research, partly because
of its simplicity and understandability (King and He 2006). It examines the impact of technology
on human behaviour. The model was originally proposed by Davis (1989) and has its roots in
cognitive psychology.

According to Davis (1989), TAM has been validated as a powerful and parsimonious framework
for explaining the acceptance of Information Technology in different contexts. Davis, (1989)
further explained that acceptance of a new technology system is determined by the users‟ intention
to use the system, which is determined by the users‟ beliefs about the system. The two beliefs are
perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. Researchers have examined the two beliefs of the
Technology Acceptance Model as instrumental in explaining the difference in the intention to
accept information technology. In the view of Davis (1989), Perceived Usefulness (PU) is the
extent to which a person believes that using a particular system improved his or her job
performance, while Perceived Ease of Use (PEU) is the extent to which a person believes that using
a particular system will be free of effort.

The evaluation of the tele birr mobile money service adoption activity was carried out by using the
combination of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB).
These models will use for a more precise understanding of the determinant factors in the adoption
of tele birr mobile money service in ADDIS ABABA,NIFAS-SILK LAFTO city. The reason for
using this model is just to decide the determinant factors are perceived usefulness, awareness,
perceived ease of use, prior knowledge and perceived risk.

2.11. Factors affecting adoption of tele birr mobile money service

A review of the literature shows that many factors influence the adoption of mobile money services
across the world. As many research works revealed, there are many determinant factors affecting
the adoption of mobile money services. In terms of marketing, it is very important to examine
factors that affect the adoption of tele birr mobile money service. In mobile money services
including tele birr mobile money service, being able to know which factors influence the adoption
of mobile money service may be important in terms of businesses that want to become successful.
Because they can determine how to act in the future and what strategies they should implement,

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and how they can eventually achieve a superior position in the competition. Many factors are seen
to be influencing the adoption of mobile money services. This section presents a review of
literature about factors affecting the adoption of tele birr mobile money technology.

Perceived Usefulness

Perceived usefulness is said to be the degree to which a person thinks that, using a particular system
will enhance his or her performance (Van der Heijden 2004). Whereas the initial definition stated
was about the usefulness in performing a job function, PU in the adoption of mobile money services
is defined in a broader context to include how well consumers believe mobile services can be
integrated into their daily activities (Tobbin 2010). And in a mobile payment context, it can also
be defined as the degree to which the consumer believes that the mobile money transfer will
enhance his transaction (Tobbin and Kuwornu 2011). When this belief increases, the consumer‟s
intention to use mobile money transfer services will also increase.

Awareness

The level of information customers have on mobile money is one of the major factors impacting
the adoption and usage of online payment according to the author (Sathye 1999).

The research further states that the adoption rate of innovation could be determined by the level of
awareness of the customers. The use of mobile money services is new to many customers and the
banks to create enough awareness to capture the attention of the customers.

Perceived Ease of use

Perceived Ease of use is defined as the degree to which a person believes that using a particular
system would be free of effort. Prior studies show that Perceived Ease of use has a significant
effect on usage intention, either directly or indirectly or indirectly through its effect on perceived
usefulness (Davis 1989; (Venkatesh and Davis 2000). A system perceived to be easier to use will
facilitate more system use and is more likely to be accepted by users (Venkatesh, et al.2003).

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Prior Knowledge

Another factor that influences the consumer adoption of mobile money is the prior experience with
technologies, especially the prior experience with computers. Thus, the consumer‟s familiarity
with technologies. Prior computer experience is associated with the use of a PC, the Internet and
e-mail. Pikkarainen, et al. (2004) showed that prior experience with computers and technologies
and attitudes towards computers influence both attitudes and actual behaviours.

Perceived Risk

Consumer behavior studies define risk (PR) in terms of the customer‟s perception of the
uncertainty and potential adverse consequence of buying a product or service. The degree of risk
that customers perceive and their tolerance of risk taking are factors that influence their purchase
decision (Nasri,2011). Perceived risk can also cause customers to reject new technological
services. Customers are also worried that technology-based service delivery will not work as
expected and that problems can be solved quickly. (AlKailani and Kumar 2011)

2.12 Empirical Review related with factors affecting adoption of tele birr service

This part has empirically established factors that influence the adoption of mobile money services.
Accordingly, this study focused on examining the determinants of mobile money service adoption.
Several studies have been conducted to examine the relationship between Mobile money service
adoption and its determinants in developed and developing countries. Concerning the empirical
models, researchers in the past have widely considered the approach of evaluating the adoption of
technologies. Given the amount of empirical literature available on the topic of this research, it
would have been quite difficult to present the results of all the studies.

A study was conducted in Tanzania a mobile financial service by Lema, in 2017. This study
revealed that the adoption of mobile financial services by the unbanked is influenced by social
influence, perceived usefulness and perceived cost. Another study was also conducted in Nigeria
by Ezeh and Nwankwo (2018) at factors that influence the acceptance of mobile money. This study
shows that only three factors; perceived ease of use, perceived financial cost, and Amount of

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information or awareness affect the consumers‟ acceptance of mobile money. Anthony &
Mutalemwa, 2014, also studied Tanzania and the results indicated that Ease of use has a significant
effect on the use of mobile payment.

Another study was also conducted in Sri Lanka. According to (Sanjeewa & Yatigammana, 2021,
research that was conducted in Sri Lanka on the adoption of mobile money services and the results
show that Perceived Usefulness, Awareness and perceived knowledge have a positive and
significant influence, while Perceived Risk has a negative significant effect on adoption of mobile
money service.

When we come to Ethiopia few related types of research were conducted in the area of mobile
money technology. A study conducted by Yeshitla (2019) on the topic of ‶Assessing opportunities
and challenges of CBE-Birr mobile money service″ shows that Ease of use, perceived usefulness,
and perceived risk have a positive relationship with mobile money service adoption.

Another study was also conducted by (Wenda 2017), on ″Factors Affecting Customer‟s Adoption
of Internet Banking″. His study used the technology acceptance model (TAM) and Theory of
Planned Behavior (TPB) by integrating Perceived usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, Perceived
risk, prior internet knowledge, intention to use and convenience into the established models. This
study showed that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use, perceived risk, prior internet
knowledge, intention to use, and conveniences have a valuable or direct and indirect impact on
consumer adoption of digital money services.

All the above literature gives a context for understanding the background of digital money
technologies and many factors that influence the adoption of these technologies. The literature
review revealed that awareness, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, prior knowledge, and
perceived risk all influence the adoption of digital money services. The finding of the above studies
used as a good foundation for the current study which means to examine factors affecting the
adoption of telebirr service.

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2.13 Conceptual Framework of the Study

The term conceptual framework represents the relationship of the dependent variables with that of
independent variables. By considering the above-mentioned theories and related studies made on
the factors affecting the adoption of mobile money services in Ethiopia and worldwide, the
researcher tried to identify the determinant factors that influence the adoption of tele birr mobile
money services in ADDIS ABABA,NIFAS-SILK LAFTO. The conceptual framework is developed
by showing the relationship of these determinant factors against the dependent variable which is
the adoption of tele birr. The independent variables are the factors which affect the adoption of tele
birr mobile money services like; awareness, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, prior
knowledge, and perceived risk.

Based on the above information, the following conceptual framework is constructed.

Independent variable s

Awareness
Dependet variable
Perceived
usefulness

Perceived ease of Adoption of

use telebbirr service

Prior technology
knowledge

Perceived risk

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Figure 2. 2 Conceptual framework of the study Source: Adapted from (Yifred, 2017) and (Wenda, 2017)

2.14 Research Gap

According to the past research studies reviewed, it is evident that not much research has been
carried out in Ethiopia more so regarding factors affecting the adoption of mobile money service
and no research was conducted specifically on the adoption of tele birr mobile money service.

Even though some studies have been conducted concerning mobile money service adoption, there
is no agreement on the prediction of factors for adopting mobile money service users. For example,
a study conducted by Tesfaye (2019) found a positive relationship between perceived usefulness
and CBE birr adoption of mobile money services. However, a study by Gebisa, (2021) reported a
negative relationship between perceived usefulness and adoption of CBE birr mobile money
services. Therefore, there is a need to carry out this research to help financial and non-financial
institutions like the telecom sector that participate in digital money services understand the factors
affecting the adoption of mobile money services and hence package the mobile money service into
a form acceptable to customers. Hence this would mitigate the research gap in this regard.

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 CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY

3.1. Introduction

This chapter considers the research approaches, design, sources of data, target population, sample
size and procedure, sampling techniques, and data collection instrument, that the researcher used
in gathering and interpreting the data needed to achieve the research objectives. Data reliability
and validity instruments and ethical considerations were incorporated into the study

3.2 Research Approach

The study used a deductive research approach and examined the validity of assumptions
(theories/hypotheses) in hand, drew from various sources, and was structured to test this theory.
The main characteristics of deductive research approaches are an explanation of the interrelation
of concepts and variables and also it enables to the measurement of facts quantitatively (Reed
2012).

In this study, a Quantitative research approach was used. Quantitative research helps to analyse the
cause and effect relationship of the variable numerically. The study aims to know the extent to
which the independent variable influences the dependent one. The purpose of the study was to
examine factors affecting the adoption of telebirr services and the hypothesis were tested.

3.3 Research Design

This study aimed to measure correlations between independent and dependent variables because it
examined factors influencing the adoption of telebirr services in ADDIS ABABA,NIFAS-SILK
LAFTO. To identify the determinant factors influencing the adoption of telebirr services, a
descriptive and explanatory research design was used in this study. The descriptive research design
was used because it entails an investigation that provides a detailed picture of the current situation
and a detailed description of the findings. Explanatory research can also be used to examine the
cause and effect of independent variables (awareness, perceived usefulness, ease of use, prior
technology knowledge, and perceived risk) on the dependent variable ( adoption of telebirr

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service). The explanatory study aims to explain phenomena, issues, or behaviors that have been
observed.

In line with this, (Creswell 2002) contends that correlational research will use when the study seeks
to identify the extent to which two or more variables co-vary. In other words, a change in one
variable leads to a change in the other variable. The basic objective of correlational design is to
explain and predict the association between variables. (Lodico, et al. 2010) held a similar position
by stating that “the purpose of correlational research is to measure two or more variables and
examine whether there are relationships among the variables”. In addition to this, (Fraenkel et al.
2012) stated that the major purpose of correlational research is to clarify our understanding of
important phenomena by identifying relationships.

3.4 Data Source and Collection Instrument

For this study, the researcher collected the primary source of data from respondents who are living
in ADDIS ABABA,NIFAS-SILK LAFTO through a structured questionnaire directly by the
researcher and a secondary source was considered from related literature. According to (Biggam
2018), primary data is the information that the researcher finds out by him/herself regarding a
specific topic. The main advantage of this type of data collection is that it can be collected with
the researcher‟s purpose in mind and the information is more consistent with the research questions
and purpose.

The secondary data was consulted through document analysis from books, journals, and articles
on mobile money services and other related studies have been reviewed. The close-ended
questionnaire was administered to telebirr users simultaneously since it is less costly and less time-
consuming than other measuring instruments. The primary data was collected through
questionnaires with close-ended questions having a five Likert-scale where; strongly Agree (SA)
= 5, Agree (A) = 4, Neutral (N) = 3, Disagree (D) = 2 and Strongly Disagree (SD) = 1. The use of
the Likert scale is to make it easier for respondents to answer the question simply. The instrument
was adapted from research on the title of ‶Factors affecting adoption of mobile banking
technology‶ that was conducted by Yifred, 2017 and some other points were added by the
researcher. Yifred, (2017)

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The questionnaire had three sections. Section 1 of the questionnaire consisted of Biography data
about tele birr customers or respondents and sections 2 & 3 consisted of information about
independent variables like; perceived usefulness, awareness, ease of use, prior knowledge and
perceived risk and the dependent variable that is the adoption of tele birr service in ADDIS
ABABA,NIFAS-SILK LAFTO.

3.5. Population, Sampling and Sampling Techniques

3.5.1 Target Population of the Study

The target population is defined as the entire aggregation of respondents that meet the designated
set of criteria (Kothari, 2004). The researcher has selected a sample from the population because
it allows a speedy collection of data and low-cost data collection. The sample also allows for
reducing the time between information about need recognition and its availability, and lesser cost
of conducting a study on the sample than the entire population. It allows a proper choice and
approach of eligible respondents. Due to this, the researcher selected a sample from the target
population. According to the study, the target population included telebirr customers or
respondents who are living in ADDIS ABABA,NIFAS-SILK LAFTO.

3.5.2 Sampling Techniques and Sample Size of the Study

Sample size refers to the number of items or units selected from the population. Determining the
sample size is generally quite a complex procedure. As (Schurink, 2003) argue that the size of a
sample depends on the basic characteristic of the population, the type of information required for
the survey and the costs involved. The researcher has used a non-probability sampling technique
called Convenience sampling techniques to select the sample from a population for investigating
the study. Convenience sampling - is a type of non-probability sampling method used for data
collection from population members who are accessibly available to the study. In convenience
sampling, there are no inclusion criteria to identify before subject selection (Saunders, et al. 2012).
In the context of this study the respondents were customer of telebirr only. Therefore, in the time
of data collection to differentiate the users of telebirr from non-users and to select the appropriate
representative samples from the target population convenience sampling technique is an
appropriate sampling tool.

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In addition, studying factors affecting the adoption of telebirr services is very difficult because the
target population for this research has a large number of telebirr customers. To determine the
sample size of large populations and when it is unknown, Cochran (1963) developed Equation 1
to yield a representative sample for proportion.

Where;

 is the sample size.

 is the abscissa of the normal curve cut off an area α at the tails (1- α equals the desired
confidence level is 95%). The value of Z is found in statistical tables which contain the
area in the normal curve.
 e is the level of precision (allowable error commonly 5% = 0.05).
 P is the estimated proportion of an attribute that is present in the population.
 q is 1- p

3.6. Method of Data Analysis

A questionnaire was drafted and distributed to telebirr users who are living in ADDIS
ABABA,NIFAS-SILK LAFTO to identify factors that influence the adoption of telebirr service.
After the data was collected by the questionnaire, the data was properly fed by using Statistical
Package for Social Science (SPSS) software program that has been employed to analyse and
present the data. SPSS software version 26 was employed to analyse and present the data by using
different statistical tools. Descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, and multiple regression
analysis statistical tools were employed to analyse the data and briefly discussed as follows.

3.6.1. Descriptive Analysis

The descriptive statistical results were presented by tables, frequency distribution and percentages.
The mean and standard deviation were also used to analyse the demographic characteristics of
respondents and to identify determinant factors that affect the adoption of telebirr service in ADDIS
ABABA,NIFAS-SILK LAFTO.

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3.7. Inferential Analysis

3.7.1. Pearson’s Correlation Analysis

The researcher used Pearson‟s Correlation Analysis to conduct this study and to test the proposed
hypothesis magnitude and direction of relationships of variables specifically to check whether
there are positive and significant relationships between the five independent variables with the
adoption of telebirr service.

3.7.2. Model Specification

This study was developed by two sets of variables; these are the dependent variable (adoption of
tele birr mobile money service) and independent variables (perceived usefulness, awareness, ease
of use, prior knowledge and perceived risk).

The basic objective of using regression equation was to make the researcher more effective at
describing, understanding, predicting and controlling the stated variables. In this investigation, the
regression model consists of five independent and one dependent variables.

The regression equation model in the study is described as follows:-

Y= β0 + β1X1 + β2X2 + β3X3 + β4X4+ β5X5+ ε i

Where;

Y= dependent variable = telebirr adoption

β0 = coefficient (for constant)

βi = (β1, β2, β3, β4, and β5) are constant regression coefficients representing the condition of the
independent variables to the dependent variables.

Xi = (X1, X2, X3, X4, and X5) are the independent variables and ε i = error

Specifically, the model for this study will be expressed as follows;

Adotb = β0 + β1 PU + β2 AW + β3 PEOU + β4 Pkno + β5 PR + ε i.

Where

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Adotb = Adoption of telebirr

AW = Awareness

PU = Perceived Usefulness

PEOU = Perceived Ease of Use

Pkno = Prior technology knowledge

PR = Perceived Risk

3.8. Reliability and validity of instruments

3.8.1. Reliability
Reliability refers to a measure of the degree to which research instruments yield consistent results.
On the other hand, it is the extent to which results are consistent over time and an accurate
representation of the total population under study and if the result of the study can be reproduced
under a similar methodology then the research instrument is considered to be reliable or reliable
analysis is concerned with the internal consistency of the research instrument (Thatcher, 2010). In
quantitative research, the reliability of the tool is very essential for decreasing faults that would
arise from measurement difficulties in the research study. The reliability indicates how it is free
from random errors and can ensure consistency of the phenomenon and is designed to capture. In
this study, the researcher used Cronbach‟s alpha to check the reliability or internal consistency of
the questionnaire. Based on the Cronbach alpha rules of thumb; the reliability value for all variables
is greater than 0.7 it has considered reliable and accepted. Therefore, to estimate the reliability of
the questionnaires in this study work, a pilot test of 38 questionnaires was randomly distributed to
telebirr users who have lived in ADDIS ABABA,NIFAS-SILK LAFTO and Cronbach alpha was
computed through SPSS software program version-26. The reliability of the questionnaire was
tested by using Cronbach‟s alpha as indicated in the table below. An Alpha of 0.70 or higher is
generally considered acceptable for a reliable measurement tool.

Table 3. 1 Cronbach Alpha Value for the Reliability of Questionnaire

Cronbach alpha

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Items/variables Number of items 10% of the pilot Total sample
test sample

Awareness
Perceived Usefulness
Perceived Ease of Use
Prior Knowledge
Perceived Risk
Adoption of telebirr service
Source: survey data of 2022, SPSS V-26

3.8 .2 Validity

Validity refers to the quality that procedures or an instrument that has been used in the research is
accurate, true and meaning full. Validity determines whether the researcher truly measures what is
intended to measure and how truth full the research result are (Thatcher, 2010). On the other hand,
validity is achieved by having objective questions included in the questionnaire and by pre-testing
the questionnaire to be used to identify and change any ambiguous and offensive questions. In this
study,

3.9 Ethical Considerations

During the research process, participants may be harmed in different ways whether physically or
mentally. The researcher‟s responsibility is to make sure that no harm comes to the participants in
any way. Ethics refers to the appropriateness of your behaviour regarding the rights of those who
become the subject of your work. This was done so that the respondents were more likely to
provide an honest response to the questionnaire.
All the research participants included in the study were appropriately informed about the purpose
of the research. and their willingness and consent were secured before the beginning of the
distribution of the questionnaire. Regarding the right to privacy of the respondents, the study has
been maintained by all participants and briefed about the research to get their full consent.

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