Adoption of Mobile Banking Applications: Effects of Short-Term Thinking Mindset and Serial Mediation of Perceived Risk, Usefulness, and Trust

Abstract

In contemporary business environments, a short-term thinking mindset that prioritizes immediate outcomes often undermines long-term planning and may impede the adoption of emerging technologies. Although prior research on mobile technology adoption has emphasized functional and cognitive factors, limited attention has been given to mindset-driven explanations. This study adopts a mindset–perception–behavior framework to examine how individuals with a short-term thinking orientation adopt mobile banking applications, with a particular focus on the mediating roles of perceived risk, trust, and usefulness. Using SEM on data collected from 207 university students, the results show that short-term thinkers exhibit heightened concerns about data privacy and security, which in turn diminish their perceived trust and usefulness of mobile banking services. Consequently, individuals with a short-term thinking mindset are unlikely to adopt mobile banking applications unless they consciously evaluate these mediating perceptions. Specifically, perceived risk exerts a sequential influence on both perceived usefulness and trust, which mediate their decision to adopt these applications. The findings offer practical insights for financial institutions aiming to better serve customers with a short-term thinking orientation. The study concludes by discussing its limitations and suggesting directions for future research.