Abstract:
The following study analyses the effects of gamification in mobile banking applications about the factors of Usage Frequency, Features Effectiveness, Facilitating Conditions, and Social Influence. Furthermore, the understanding of the mediating influence of Behavioral Intention to analyze the connection between the variables associated with gamification and customer engagement is explored. In this study, data were collected through a quantitative research design whereby 234 respondents filled a close-ended structured questionnaire developed using a 5-point Likert scale. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, regression test, and moderation analysis were used to establish the relationship and the extent of the effects of theories, length of service, and staff turnover. All independent variables are identified to have a direct relationship with the level of customer engagement where Social Influence stands out as having the most extensive effect. Interaction effect analysis revealed that behavioral intention had a significant moderation role in the gamification-engagement relationship by enhancing engagement in otherwise less motivated users. The findings presented endorse the hypothesis that gamification, in conjunction with supportive features, facilitating conditions, and forces close to social ones, fosters user engagement, satisfaction, and loyal persistency in the context of mobile banking applications. This research enriches both theoretical and practical fields by applying and enriching the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model, and the Stimulus-Organism- Response (SOR) model in the context of gamification in mobile banking services. The provided practical implications accentuate the necessity of adapting the decision of gamification to the users’ needs, increasing the appeal to social proof and providing rather stiff facilitating conditions to enhance users’ engagement. The authors also identify the application of trust, security, and cross-cultural effects on gamification as worthy of future research. This exercise helps fill a gap in the current literature to contribute relevant findings and recommendations toward enabling digital customer experience excellence and retaining competitiveness in financial institutions.
