Licensed digital bank has become the hot topic in Asia and there are primed for growth. However, the path for licensed digital bank remains challenging as it is hard to gain customer affinity, trust and loyalty without human interaction. The establishment of licensed digital bank is significantly affected by the changes of technology and consumer preference in accepting banking innovation that operates fully digital without human interaction. This study integrates Diffusion of Innovation Theory and Anthropomorphic Theory into Stimulus-organism-response framework in investigating consumer perception on licensed digital bank that motivated by consumer innovativeness and humanness features of licensed digital bank. Since trust is crucial in getting consumer affinity in digital environment, the moderating effect of trust will be investigated. Quantitative research method will be used to facilitate the deductive approach for concepts and hypothesis testing. The population of study is scoped into Malaysian who are eligible to own bank account and use mobile banking application for banking activities. They represent diversity in gender and culture as well as people who are deemed likely to adopt licensed digital bank services with the aid of mobile internet. The findings of study will help stakeholders to develop their go-to-market strategy. This will help them to move this innovation from niche to mainstream strategically. Moreover, it provides a framework as a baseline for future research for a deeper knowledge and understanding related to financial technology innovations adoption in emerging countries.
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