From marketplace to marketspace: Investigating the consumer switch to online banking

Even though scholars have placed considerable focus on studying the attitudes and intentions towards using the virtual market (marketspace), there are still few studies that examine the potential effect of the physical market (marketplace) on the virtual market. The physical and virtual markets have some substitution effects; as users utilize the virtual market more frequently, they use the physical market less regularly. Under this premise, factors relating to the physical market may have a potential effect on the user’s acceptance of the virtual market. The primary goal of this study was to explore the factors that affect the attitude and intention towards switching from the physical to the virtual market in the context of online banking. In total, 400 questionnaires were sent out and 250 effective questionnaires were returned, for an effective recovery rate of 62.5%. Factor analysis and regression analysis were used to examine the hypotheses. The results showed that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and offline trust have positive effects on attitude towards switching. Additionally, offline loyalty and switching costs had negative significant influence on attitude towards switching. Moreover, attitude towards switching had a positive effect on the behavior intention to switch. Finally, computer self-efficacy moderates the effect of attitudes and behavior intention towards switching to online banking. 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.