Adoption of internet banking: proposition and implementation of an integrated methodology approach

Purpose – This study proposes a new method to investigate adoption of new technologies and tests this method by looking into the determinants of internet banking adoption in Brazil. Design/methodology/approach – A total of 600 respondents living in one of the biggest cities in Brazil were sampled for interviewing: 300 were internet bank users, 150 were internet but not internet bank users, and 150 were neither internet nor internet bank users. Findings – The adjusted coefficient of determination in the multiple linear regression equation (dependent variable: intention to use/continue to use IB) was 60 percent and the main effects of the eight variables proved significant (relative advantage of control, compatibility with lifestyle, image, subjective norm, self‐efficacy, relative advantage of security and privacy, results demonstrability, and trialability). The McFaden pseudo coefficient of determination in the multinomial logistic regression equation (dependent variable: a dummy variable for each of the three groups analyzed) ranged from 45 percent to 69 percent. The findings show that the variables that influence the intention to use/continue to use IB are not exactly the same as those that influence actual adoption. Specifically, the results seem to suggest that intention to use IB is influenced solely by people's beliefs about IB, while its actual adoption is influenced also by individual characteristics. Originality/value – The findings herein suggest that the proposed integrated model offers superior ability to explain adoption of internet banking to that of the models elected by previous studies. Furthermore, the model looks not only into the intentions but also into actual adoption.