How Culture Influences Mobile Banking

How Culture Influences Mobile Banking
For wide acceptance of mobile banking, the social surroundings and culture of users are important. A high level of acceptance of the use of the latest technology affects the acceptance of mobile banking (Samaneh Barati, 2009). Cultural and social factors corresponding with mobile banking will give an optimistic view of the behavioural intention to use mobile banking and vice versa (Samaneh Barati, 2009).

There is a long-standing discussion on m-banking/m-payment use from a social and cultural perspective. Both cultural and social factors on the macro and micro levels have been discussed among friends and families, especially when money is involved (Zelizer, 1994). As illustrated in a survey conducted in Manila (Donner, 2007) people normally prefer to transfer money as a gift to a family member, but they do not like to transfer money to a stranger or less familiar person.

In a technical sense, the working procedures for both are similar, but socially, they are different. Policy-makers and practitioners intend to legalise m-transactions related to particularly common behaviour (“Micro-payment Systems and Their Application to Mobile Networks,” 2006) where two users are using the same mobile device.

However, few recommend that m-banking/m-payment systems should change the system related to family transfers, which give more authority and independence to women in managing household savings (von Reijswoud, 2007).