The increase in electronically mediated self-service technologies in the banking industry is changing the way banks service consumers. Despite a large body of research on electronic banking channels, no study has been undertaken to explore the importance of the fit between electronic banking channels and banking tasks. Nor has there been research into how task-channel fit and other factors influence consumer intentions to use electronic banking channels.
Integrating task-technology fit theory with acceptance and adoption research, this research develops and tests a research model that explains how the task-channel fit (TCF) and other factors impact on consumers' intentions to use electronic banking channels. An exploratory study was first conducted, investigating industry experts' perceptions towards the concept of task-channel fit of electronic banking channels. The findings demonstrate that the concept was perceived as being highly relevant by bank managers. A research model was then developed drawing on the existing literature on electronic banking channels. Following this, five exploratory focus groups were conducted in order to assess the initial conceptualization of the research model.
Subsequently, a survey questionnaire instrument was developed using judgment rounds and two pretest evaluations. Central to the scale development was the measurement of the TCF construct. Drawing on IS strategy and alignment literatures, a parallel instrument was created in order to determine TCF across several unique dimensions.
A pilot study assessed responses from 280 consumers using Internet banking for two different banking tasks. Overall, the scales demonstrated high reliability and showed adequate construct validity. The analysis of the pilot study suggested that the TCF construct and other antecedents of consumer intentions to use Internet banking explained a substantial amount of variance in the dependent variable.
The scales were refined in light of the pilot study. In the main study, 340 responses were collected from consumers using Internet banking for account inquiries or financial loans. The results showed that the TCF construct was a strong predictor of consumers' perceptions on the usefulness of Internet banking and their attitudes towards these services for both banking tasks. Overall, the TCF construct and other identified variables accounted for at least 63% of variance in the dependent variable