Research Context: Today's dynamic environment has caused severe changes in almost all industries around the world. The rapid growth of technology has created fundamental changes in the financial technology market and given rise to a new concept called Fintech. These developments have forced banks to reconsider their service models and have turned the adoption of modern financial technologies into a strategic necessity.
Research Objective: To investigate the antecedents and consequences of Fintech service adoption by bank customers (Case: Maskan Bank customers in Semnan city).
Research Methodology: The present study is applied in terms of purpose and falls within the interpretive paradigm in terms of philosophy. The research method is exploratory mixed-methods. In the qualitative phase, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 14 managers and employees of Maskan Bank in Semnan city, who were selected through purposive judgmental and snowball sampling. The data were analyzed using the grounded theory method, and open codes were categorized into 24 concepts and 5 categories. In the quantitative phase, a researcher-made questionnaire based on the qualitative findings was designed. The statistical population of the quantitative phase consisted of Maskan Bank customers in Semnan city, of whom 295 were selected through simple random sampling. For quantitative data analysis, the structural equation modeling method with the partial least squares approach and SmartPLS software was used. The designed model includes five main dimensions: Fintech service adoption, competitive pressure, digital infrastructure, customer adoption drivers, and service quality improvement. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed through convergent and discriminant validity, and its reliability was confirmed through Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability.
Research Findings: The results of structural equation modeling showed that all four variables—competitive pressure, digital infrastructure, customer adoption drivers, and service quality improvement—have a positive and significant effect on Fintech service adoption. Furthermore, the calculated GoF value is 0.697, indicating a strong overall model fit.
Conclusion: The present framework indicates that the adoption of Fintech services requires the simultaneous integration of technological, competitive, and customer-oriented dimensions. To succeed in this area, banks must first strengthen their digital infrastructure, then analyze competitive pressure and identify drivers affecting customer adoption, and finally offer services that both improve quality and create a sustainable competitive advantage.
Research Innovation: Providing a comprehensive and indigenous framework (including five key dimensions) for Fintech adoption in Iranian state-owned banks, which theoretically tests the antecedents and consequences in an integrated model for the first time, and practically provides a basis for strategic planning for Maskan Bank and other banks in the country regarding the development of Fintech services.