The Moderation Effects of Demographic Variables on Trust of Mobile Phone Banking Services; a Case Study of Smallholder Farmers in Dodoma Region, Tanzania

This study analyzed the moderation effect of demographic variables on the trust in mobile phone banking services among smallholder farmers in the Dodoma Region. The study employed a quantitative research design with cross-sectional field surveys and structured questionnaires were employed as the research methods. The study employed a sample size of 355 smallholder farmers who were drawn by simple random sampling from grapes farmers. SPSS was used as an analytical tool for quantitative data analysis. Multiple linear regressions and Fisher’s Z-transformation were involved to test the moderating effect of demographic variables.

Results show that demographic factors namely sex, age, experience, level of income, level of education, and marital status were significant moderating variables. However, the level of education did not show any moderating effect. Our results suggest that by integrating the accessibility and ease of use from the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), age, sex, and experience from the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), and security and privacy from the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT), the research provides insights into the factors influencing consumers’ trust in mobile phone banking services. Besides, the results of moderating effect improve our understanding of the demographic differences, which influence the degree of mobile banking adoption. Besides, the results of moderating effect improve our understanding of the demographic differences, which influence the degree of mobile banking adoption. This study will help researchers and service providers to come up with improved mobile phone trust frameworks with a greater understanding of the influence of demographic variables.

No similar study had been done in sub-Saharan African countries. Therefore, the study provides new knowledge and insight into the influence of demographic variables on the trust in mobile phone banking services.