The Importance of Service Providers’ Perceived Benevolence in the Segment of Mobile Banking

The focus of the research is aimed at establishing a theoretical model derived from the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), adapted to specific crisis conditions and analysed in a real-life scenario – pandemic crisis related to COVID-19. In the described environment and in the mobile banking segment, the purpose of the study is to develop a conceptual framework based on the TAM and to find out impact of the variables analysed (perceived usefulness, perceived benevolence, and perceived risk) on customer advocacy as well as behavioural intention. Within field research the survey was conducted and the gathered data analysed by means of structural equation modeling (SEM). The key findings emphasize that perceived benevolence plays the key role in the model, stressing the importance of having clients’ interests and their wellbeing in the focus of service providers, especially in the times of crisis. Perceived benevolence has a positive impact on customer advocacy and customer advocacy has a positive impact on behavioural intention. Moreover, perceived benevolence is a mediator between perceived usefulness and perceived risk on one side and customer advocacy on the other, further reflecting on behavioural intention. The research findings shed light on the concept of perceived benevolence of service providers and show its important role, especially in times of crisis.