The role of OSL in mobile banking application discontinuance: A technological innovation dilemma

Discontinuance usage of mobile banking application has been a great concern for banks. Yet, little attention in existing literature is directed toward understanding the underlying reasons why some customers stop using or rarely use mobile banking. Meanwhile, banking research shows that mobile banking is a highly welcomed innovation which has received substantial investment and has numerous benefits. This study argues that customers, in the quest to fulfilling their control beliefs, perceptions of social expectations, and attitudinal perceptions, tend to discontinue using mobile banking. Moreover, their intrinsic needs for stimulation through exploratory behaviors on mobile banking application determine the degree of fulfilling these beliefs and perceptions, leading to Mobile Banking Discontinuance Usage Intentions (DUI). The study adopts the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) with respect to discontinuance and the Optimum Stimulation Level (OSL) theory for the investigation. Covariance-based structural equation modeling technique is applied using web-based survey data, collected from 628 bank customers between April 2022 and June 2022 in a Far East Emerging Market. The results show that TPB predictors have positive significant relationships with DUI. Moreover, significant and non-significant moderating impacts of OSL on these relationships are revealed through the lenses of high and low OSL customers. Specifically, increased perceived behavioral control leads to stronger DUI among high OSL customers, increased subjective norms lead to stronger DUI for both high and low OSL customers, and unfavorable attitude toward mobile banking positively influences DUI regardless of customers’ OSL. The empirical findings offer key theoretical contributions and relevant practical implications for overcoming the dilemma confronting this technology, revamping mobile banking, and management of a range of major mobile financial services.