A model explaining perceived investment value and switching intentions toward FinTech: the case of crowdlending

Abstract

This study aims to validate a new model that explains the switching intentions of banking customers toward crowdlending based on the perceived investment value, the quality of the crowdlending platform, and two comparative technology adoption factors. The empirical investigation was conducted by conducting an online survey of a sample of 201 potential and actual users of two crowdlending platforms in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The findings of the study highlighted that the switching intentions of potential crowdlenders was affected by perceived emotional and economic investment values, which may in turn be influenced by the relative advantage of this kind of investment and the platform’s information quality. The perceived relative complexity, however, had no significant impact on perceived investment value. This study extends our body of knowledge about the adoption of FinTech and specifically crowdlending by considering that the perceived investment value may include an emotional dimension, something that has been ignored in prior research. Finally, this investigation highlights the need for crowdlending platforms to employ communication strategies based on the notion of promoting the hedonic and economic values of this kind of investment and its relative advantages over traditional forms of investment, namely banking deposits.