Mobile banking usage and gamification: the moderating effect of generational cohorts

Abstract

PurposeThe extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT2) model has been adapted and applied by scholars to gain insight into mobile banking (m-banking) usage. By combining three perspectives, UTAUT2, gamification (GM) and generational cohort theory, this study aims to investigate the factors which impact m-banking usage and examine the moderating effect of generations Y and Z on the relationship between GM and intention to use m-banking.Design/methodology/approachThe adopted model was tested in a quantitative study by using partial least square structural equation modelling. A total of 380 valid questionnaires from a transition country, Albania, have been examined.FindingsIn the study, scientific evidence concerning the UTAUT2 model and GM elements are provided. Thus, facilitation conditions, habit and hedonic motivation were found to be significant determinants of GM. Moreover, the results revealed that age moderates the relationship between GM and behavioural intention (BI). Compared to generation Z, individuals born prior to 1996 (generation Y), exhibited a much stronger relationship.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough Albania bears similarities with other transition countries in terms of regional, economic and political environments, the generalisation of these results to another context is rather limited.Practical implicationsThis paper offers a model integrating UTAUT2, GM and generational cohorts in the context of a transition country. The findings can be applied in the form of guidelines for a number of financial institutions.Originality/valueBesides identifying the determinants of m-banking adoption and GM, this study notably reveals the importance of generational cohorts because it governs the effect of GM on m-banking BI.