A unified perspective on the factors influencing usage intention toward mobile financial services

This research proposes that the factors influencing the intention to use mobile financial services (MFS) include general technology perceptions, technology-specific perceptions, user characteristics, and task-user characteristics. Most previous research examines customer satisfaction with MFS. However, this research does not explain why MFS is expanding relatively more slowly than Internet financial services in general. Therefore, this study investigates this issue by determining the key drivers of MFS usage intention. Specifically, the research model includes five exogenous variables: task-fit, monetary value, connectivity, personal innovativeness, and absorptive capacity. Perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use both serve as mediators between the first four of these five factors and usage intention. Connectivity influences perceived ease-of-use directly. In addition, perceived monetary value has a significant effect on perceived usefulness, inferring MFS is not only useful for a firm, but also is useful from a time and monetary value standpoint. Personal innovativeness significantly influences perceived ease-of-use, so innovative users can take advantage of MFS more frequently. Absorptive capacity also directly affects usage intention. Finally, perceived task technology, versus a task characteristic view, significantly influences perceived usefulness. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.