TITLE:
Exploring the Moderating Effects of Socio-Demographic Variables on Consumer Acceptance and Use of Mobile Money Transfer Services (MMTs) in Southern Zimbabwe
AUTHORS:
John Marumbwa
KEYWORDS:
Mobile Money; Mobile Penetration; Money Transfer Services; Socio-Demographics; User Acceptance
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Industrial and Business Management,
Vol.4 No.2,
February
11,
2014
ABSTRACT: The changing competitive landscape for
mobile telecom service companies in Zimbabwe has significantly contributed to
the launch of innovative market offerings, in particular, the mobile money transfer services
(MMTs). The high uptake of mobile phone technology has triggered intense
competition amongst the three major players: Econet, Telecel and Netone along with
traditional banking and financial institutions. The purpose of the study was to
explore the moderating effects of socio-demographic variables: age, gender,
income, education and employment status on frequency of use (FOU), use of MMT
applications and the actual user acceptance of MMT services. The survey results
were obtained from a sample of 350 respondents. A semi-structured interview
guide was used to gather primary data on FOU, use of MMT applications and
acceptance of MMT services in Southern Zimbabwe. Data on consumer
socio-demographic profiles were recorded during the interviews. The major findings were that age, gender
and income negatively affect MMT user acceptance whilst education levels and
employment status are key socio-demographic variables that predict FOU, use of
MMT applications and actual user acceptance of MMTs.