Canais digitais, fidelização e custos de mudança em contextos bancários: um estudo aplicado

Abstract

Title: Digital channels, loyalty and cost of change in banking contexts: an applied study. Objective: This work seeks to fill a gap in the Brazilian literature by investigating the impact of banking technology on customer relationships. The advent of the use of technology in banking environments changes how clients relate with financial institutions. From 2015, Brazilians started to transact more through digital channels (internet banking and apps) than through traditional channels (branches and ATMs). Since then, there has been a growth in the preference for transactions through these channels. The acceptance of digital channels is related to the perceptions of loyalty and cost of change, and is evaluated from the perspective of the four service channels most used by Brazilians: bank branches, ATMs, internet and apps. Thus, this research aims to analyze the relationship between digital channel acceptance, cost of change and customer loyalty. Procedures/method for solving the problem: The model proposed to measure the relationship of these variables integrates three theories through the execution of a quantitative exploratory research. Net Promoter Score – NPS is used to identify loyalty; the Technology Acceptance Model – TAM to quantify technology acceptance; and Transaction Cost Analysis – TCA to analyze the cost of change. Results were obtained through a survey applied to a sample of 269 clients from a given financial institution. The research took place in a city in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Data were initially analyzed by Pearson’s correlation in the software SPSS 23.0. Subsequently, the causal model is evaluated in Path analysis using the software AMOS 23.0, examining the causal relationships between the variables. Results: Looking at Person’s correlations, it is concluded that bank customers have technology acceptance profiles that interfere with loyalty and cost of change, and that customers with higher digital channel acceptance have lower perceptions of cost of change and lower loyalty to the bank. The trail analysis showed a stronger causal relationship between perceived utility and loyalty. This relationship proved to be the most significant between both digital and non-digital channels. Regarding the perceived ease and loyalty, a distinct relationship between digital and non-digital channels was identified: positive relationship between loyalty and perceived ease on non-digital channels; negative relationship between loyalty and perceived ease on digital channels. The cost of change presented a stronger causal relationship in relation to the perceived utility of digital and non-digital channels. Demographic aspects also differ in banking technology acceptance profiles. Practical implications: This research resulted in an analysis model of the variables cost of change, loyalty and technology acceptance. The study executed its measurement in a financial institution, but other areas that suffer technological interference can adapt this model to their needs. The relevance of the relationship with customers to keep the institutions relevant is also emphasized, as well as the importance of solid financial institutions for the balance of the economy in the country. Originality and contributions: This study contributes to the area because it innovates by proposing a model that measures technology acceptance, loyalty and cost of change. The model can be applied not only to the banking sector, but to other markets that suffer significant technological interference in their relationship with customers. The study also contributes by generating content related to the impacts of technology acceptance on banking customer relationships, which had not yet been explored in researches in Brazil. Technical/Technological Production: The integration of the techniques Net promoter score (NPS), Technology acceptance model (TAM) and Transaction Cost Analysis (TCA) in the presented model is a technical product derived from the present study. The applicability of the model is tested and validated in the present study, concluding that it is a model of low complexity and easy practical use. It is also characterized as an innovative model because there is no proposal of an antecedent model for such measurement.