Towards an M-Banking Framework for Rural Smes in Bangladesh

Abstract:

This research aims at discovering factors which impact on the intention of rural SME owners/managers to adopt m-banking in Bangladesh. Over the last ten years, a wide spectrum of m-banking frameworks has emerged that offers new insights into the adoption and acceptance of m-banking. However, m-banking has still not extended to rural Bangladesh. To fill the gap this research surveys 550 SMEs owners/managers in four rural villages. The survey is analyzed using Chi-square test and multiple logistic regressions analysis. The result indicates that poor banking facilities, cost, credibility, gender, education and SME category are some factors that significantly influence the intention to adopt m-banking. The analysis is based on a large sample and introduces three factors which are rarely used in prior literature. The study broadens our understanding of m-banking and provides insights into developing m-banking strategies in Bangladesh. This research will be of potential value in accelerating the development of m-banking in Bangladesh.