Analysis of the SME-Bank Relationship in the Context of Digital Financial Services in Bukavu

Abstract

This research proposes to analyze how SMEs in the city of Bukavu adopt the NFS provided by banks. It also verifies the explanatory factors of the adoption of these services capable of explaining the SME-bank relationship. Finally, it assesses the model for developing a long-term SME-bank relationship. We started with a survey of 352 SMEs in the city of Bukavu taken at random. Through principal component analysis (PCA) and structural equations using the PLS technique, the results show that in the adoption phase, expected effort, convenience and perceived risk have a positive effect on the intention to use NFS by SMEs in Bukavu. Similarly, these variables explain 92% of the variance in intention to use NFS versus 8% of current intention to use NFS. On the other hand, the gender of the manager, the sector of activity and the age of the SME have a moderating effect on the intention to use NFS. It was observed that the gender of the leader has a moderating effect on the relationship between expected effort, perceived usefulness, perceived risk, and social influence with the intention to use digital financial services. While SME age has no moderating effect on the relationship between expected effort, perceived usefulness, perceived risk, and social influence with the intention to use DFS. Industry has a moderating effect only on the relationship between expected effort and current use of NFS. Similarly, SME age, executive gender, and industry have a moderating effect on the relationship between convenience and current SFN use. The post-adoption model was confirmed with a better prediction. The results also provided evidence that expected convenience, perceived usefulness, and perceived risk influence the adoption intention of SFNs and also the current use of these services in the post-adoption phase, especially the trust of SMEs. In doing so, we validated the existence of a positive and significant relationship between SME trust and satisfaction on the one hand, and between SME satisfaction and their commitment to their bank in the context of SFNs on the other. Finally, the results did not establish the relationship between SMEs’ commitment and the level of the relationship established with their bank. Therefore, these results could not identify or show the appropriate relationship chain in the context of NFCs.