Performance and Effort Expectancy toward Employee Loyalty in Mobile Banking: The Moderating Role of Educational Level

This study aims to analyze user loyalty toward mobile banking using variables based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), focusing solely on performance expectancy and effort expectancy as key variables. Additionally, the study examines the moderating role of educational level in the relationship between these variables and user loyalty among employees in Batam City, Indonesia. In today’s digital banking landscape, understanding what drives continued use and loyalty is essential, especially among employed users who depend on mobile banking for daily financial transactions. A quantitative approach was employed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The sample consisted of 274 employees who actively use mobile banking, selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using structured online questionnaires. The findings reveal that both performance expectancy and effort expectancy significantly influence mobile banking user loyalty. Furthermore, educational level was found to moderate these relationships, either strengthening or weakening their effects depending on user characteristics. This study contributes to the theoretical development of the UTAUT model by highlighting the selective influence of its core constructs on loyalty. Practically, the findings offer valuable insights for banking institutions in designing targeted strategies to enhance user retention based on the educational profiles of their users, especially for users who are employees.