Title: Internet banking deployment in a sub-Saharan African country: a socio-technical perspective

Authors: John Effah; Michael Agbeko

Addresses: Department of Operations and Management Information Systems, University of Ghana Business School, P.O. Box LG 78, Legon, Accra, Ghana ' Department of Operations and Management Information Systems, University of Ghana Business School, P.O. Box LG 78, Legon, Accra, Ghana

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to understand how the socio-technical environment in a sub-Saharan African (SSA) country shapes internet banking functionality deployment. Research on internet banking in SSA has focused more on adoption, use and diffusion and less on how the socio-technical environment shapes functionality deployment. To address this knowledge gap, this study investigates the case of an internet banking functionality deployment in the SSA context of Ghana. The study employs socio-technical theory with external environment as analytical lens and qualitative interpretive case study as methodology. On the social side, low internet banking competition, unclear regulations, physical signature requirements and perceived online fraud were found to have shaped the functionality deployment. On the technical side, improved internet access and lack of online payment infrastructure were found to have shaped the functionality deployment. The conclusion offers implications for research, practice and policy as well as recommendations for further research.

Keywords: internet banking; functionality deployment; sub-Saharan Africa; SSA; socio-technical environment; Ghana; e-banking; electronic banking; online banking; bank competition; unclear regulations; physical signature requirements; perceived online fraud; internet access; online payment infrastructure.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEF.2015.070532

International Journal of Electronic Finance, 2015 Vol.8 No.2/3/4, pp.239 - 257

Received: 02 Oct 2013
Accepted: 20 Jan 2015
Published online: 09 Jul 2015 *

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