Financial Literacy and Beyond: A Multidimensional Analysis of FinTech Adoption Behavior in Emerging Economies

Research analyzes multiple factors affecting FinTech Behavioral Adoption (FBA) selection by Pakistani MSME managers by evaluating digital financial literacy levels and business operational experience, and perceived behavioral control abilities. This study fills a significant model's deficiency that ignores financial literacy's complex behavioral characteristics, even though it excludes its psychological and behavioral aspects. The research explored three mediation effects of knowledge, attitude, and behavior on the connection between business experience and FinTech usage, together with the adoption influence of perceived financial control within lower literacy evaluation settings. A quantitative cross-sectional research approach was used to gather data from 356 SME business managers who then performed PLS-SEM analysis through SmartPLS version 4. Research data indicates FBA receives business experience input through digital financial knowledge (β = 0.81), attitude (β = 0.47), and behavior (β = 0.36). Managers with lower financial literacy have reduced perception of control (β = 0.78), which leads to a decreased adoption behavior (β = 0.32). The research establishes its value through characterization of a FinTech adoption model, which sequentially links TPB to Financial Literacy Theory.