Exploring factors affecting mobile-banking app adoption: a perspective from adaptive structuration theory
| Date | 08 March 2022 |
| Pages | 773-795 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/AJIM-08-2021-0216 |
| Published date | 08 March 2022 |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Information behaviour & retrieval,Information & knowledge management,Information management & governance,Information management |
| Author | Ahsan Ali,Abdul Hameed,Muhammad Farrukh Moin,Naseer Abbas Khan |
Exploring factors affecting mobile-
banking app adoption:
a perspective from adaptive
structuration theory
Ahsan Ali
School of Economics and Management, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University,
Hangzhou, China
Abdul Hameed
Department of Computer Science, Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology,
Karachi, Pakistan
Muhammad Farrukh Moin
Rabat Business School, International University of Rabat, Rabat, Morocco, and
Naseer Abbas Khan
Noon Business School, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan
Abstract
Purpose –The study has two aims: first, it aimed to investigate the impact of contextual factors (such as
information quality, service quality, system quality, trust in applications (app) and COVID-19 health anxiety)
on the intention to use the Mobile Payment (MP) app, and subsequently, the actual use of the app. Second, the
aim of this study is whether the COVID-19 threat has a moderating influence on the relationship between
customers’intent to use MP app and the actual use of MP app.
Design/methodology/approach –The data are collected through an online survey from 341 Mobile
Banking (MB) app users from Pakistan to empirically analyze the relationship between service quality, system
quality, information quality, trust in the app, COVID-19 health anxiety and COVID-19 threat, intentions to use
MB-app and actual use of MB-app.
Findings –The empirical analysis of the data collected from MB-app users from Pakistan shows that service
quality, system quality, information quality, trust in the app and COVID-19 health anxiety positively related to
intentions to use MB-app, consequently affect the actual use of MB-app. Furthermore, the results demonstrate
that the COVID-19 threat positively moderates the relationship between intentions to use MB-app and actual
use of MB-app.
Originality/value –Although, prior research established a positive impact of mobile apps on customer
service and consumer satisfaction. Yet, it is not clear which factors influence customers to adopt MB-app.This
study contributes to the research on MB-apps based on adaptive structuration theory and examines the
technological factors and contextual factors that collectively explain when and how individuals decide to adopt
MB-app.
Keywords Service quality, System quality, Information quality, Trust in the app, COVID-19 health anxiety,
COVID-19 threat, Intentions to use MB-app, Actual use of MB-app
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
The world is currently dealing with one of the most dangerous pandemic outbreaks,
“Coronavirus Disease 2019”(COVID-19), which has already changed people’s personal, social
and professional lives (Yuan et al., 2021). Where, modern technologies have aided people in
better communication and sustaining social bonds with their loved ones and coworkers at
work, as well as facilitating their shopping needs during the current pandemic, which
necessitates social distancing as a measure to rescue people (Islam et al., 2021). These
Factors
affecting
mobile-banking
app adoption
773
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
https://www.emerald.com/insight/2050-3806.htm
Received 9 August 2021
Revised 1 December 2021
15 January 2022
Accepted 26 January 2022
Aslib Journal of Information
Management
Vol. 75 No. 4, 2023
pp. 773-795
© Emerald Publishing Limited
2050-3806
DOI 10.1108/AJIM-08-2021-0216
technologies, particularly mobile phone apps, have aided businesses in sustaining consumer
relationships (Islam et al., 2020). In the banking industry, for example, mobile banking has
supplanted traditional transaction methods (Khan and Ali, 2018). Early research suggests
that by providing ubiquitous payment solutions, mobile banking will rapidly revolutionize
the methods of consumer services. MB-app is currently a highly advanced and versatile
mobile application that allows consumers to conduct banking transactions using their mobile
phones. As a result, MB-app is viewed as an innovative technological development in the
banking sector that can meet customer needs beyond time and location boundaries, as well as
provide lucrative opportunities to customers and businesses (Ver
ıssimo, 2016). In the context
of the COVID-19 pandemic, mobile users are increasingly using MP-app to conduct financial
transactions and pay utility and electricity bills (Rafdinal and Senalasari, 2021). Furthermore,
technologies are directly related to the virus’s cure, as well as those that have been employed
to adapt to life amid the COVID-19 crisis (Brem et al., 2021).
The banking sector is preparing to integrate MB-apps in to their systems by producing and
deploying MB-apps that can increase banking effectiveness and service efficiency (Kala
Kamdjoug et al.,2021), owingto the popularityof such digitaltechnologiesduring the COVID-19
crisis era. Prior research has shown that mobile apps have a positive impact on customer service
andsatisfaction(Ver
ıssimo, 2016). However, it is unclear which factors influence customers’
adoption of the MB-app, which requires further examination, particularly in light of the COVID-
19 crisis. The study attempts to bridge that gap by examining the factors that lead to customer
intent to usethe MB-app, which then leads to actual useof the MB-app.
Nevertheless, research has noted that MB-app is directly related to smartphone
penetration in society (Sharma and Sharma, 2019). A report published by Statista (2021)
noted that about 3.8 billion people are using smartphones all over the globe in 2021. An early
study predicted that about 1.5 billion people would adopt banking via mobile phones by 2019.
More precisely, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (2021) reported that with an
increasing number, by January 2021, 178 million people are using mobile phones in Pakistan.
These reports suggest that Pakistan is among the leading smartphone users in terms of the
population around the world. Apart from the penetration of smartphones in the global
societies and increasing trends of banking through smartphones in the developed countries,
there is growing acceptability of MB-app in other developing countries, such as Pakistan
(Khan and Ali, 2018;Kala Kamdjoug et al., 2021).
With the encouraging fact that mobile phones have largely entered the global market and
mobile banking is a developing trend, Pakistani mobile phone users are more likely to switch
from cash transactions to Internet banking to transactions using the MB-app. Despite the
benefits of the MB-app for clients, banks face challenges in retaining existing users and
attracting new MB-app users. Technical requirements, the advent of competing technological
products, user education, security concerns regarding the MB-app and synchronization
amongst enabling entities are all potential obstacles for banks (Sharma and Sharma, 2019).
Despite these obstacles, banks, MB-app developers and service providers must recognize that
millions of consumers worldwide rely on their smart mobile devices. As a result, narrowing
the gap is required to encourage and increase the effectiveness of online banking by enabling
efficient banking via the MB-app.
According to a past study, a variety of factors influence the adoption of mobile apps. For
example, Picoto and Pinto (2021) investigated the impact of culture on mobile app adoption.
Others have pointed out that the adoption of mobile apps is influenced by technological,
social and contextual factors (Kim et al., 2009;Kala Kamdjoug et al., 2021;Sharma and
Sharma, 2019). However, it is widely acknowledged in the field of information technology,
particularly in the context of mobile apps, that technological features alone cannot build a
user-acceptable artifact. Rather, several factors influence whether or not a technical
application is accepted and useful. As a result, technology is integrated with an environment
AJIM
75,4
774
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