Acceptance of mobile money technology by retailers in Accra, Ghana.

Abstract

Mobile Money technologies have become part and parcel of people's daily lives in developing countries, especially Africa. Much effort has been made in making Mobile Money technologies available, safe, reliable, and effective amongst people in Africa. One area where the technology seems to be gradually diffusing into is the business world. More and more businesses seem to be adopting the technology. However, little is known about the dynamics involved in retailers' acceptance and usage of Mobile Money. Hence, this study sought to explore the acceptance of Mobile Money in the retail business sector while also finding out factors that influence the acceptance. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) was selected as a theoretical framework for this study. Using a quantitative survey approach, retailers in the business area of Accra, Ghana, were sampled using convenience sampling. Findings revealed that all retail businesses were aware of Mobile Money supporting businesses. Most retail businesses are using Mobile Money in different ways to support their business. Basic transactions such as receiving payments from customers and payment payments or remittances were common. Factors such as performance expectancy, effort expectancy, price value, hedonic motivation, and habit were seen to impact the use of Mobile Money by retailers. Therefore, designers of Mobile Money services must consider these factors when developing these applications by ensuring it has functionality that is useful and easy to use. Furthermore, telecommunication companies that make Mobile Money services available to retailers and the government need to work together to decrease commission and transaction costs. These measures will results in increased acceptance of Mobile Money by retailers.