Evaluation of a Model for Enhancing Users’ Utilization of Electronic Banking Systems: The Moderating Role of Gamification in Bank Melli

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate a model for enhancing users’ utilization of Bank Melli’s electronic banking system and to determine the moderating role of gamification in the relationship between customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Methodology: This applied quantitative study employed a descriptive-correlational design. The statistical population consisted of managers and experts working in the electronic banking sector of Bank Melli, from whom 384 participants were selected using simple random sampling. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire. Content validity was assessed by electronic banking experts, while reliability and convergent validity were confirmed using Cronbach’s alpha, composite reliability, and convergent validity indices. The hypothesized structural relationships were examined using partial least squares structural equation modeling in SmartPLS3.

Findings: Organizational commitment (β=0.611), corporate social responsibility (β=0.987), corporate image (β=0.801), trust (β=0.800), service quality (β=0.940), interactive marketing (β=0.961), switching cost (β=0.709), and gamification (β=0.768) had significant positive effects on customer loyalty. Organizational commitment positively affected service quality (β=0.997), while corporate social responsibility positively predicted trust (β=0.497). Corporate image significantly predicted satisfaction (β=0.557) and trust (β=0.697), trust positively affected satisfaction (β=0.812), and satisfaction strongly predicted loyalty (β=0.887). Moreover, gamification significantly moderated the relationship between satisfaction and loyalty (β=0.771, t=6.899). The model explained 93.9% of the variance in satisfaction and 94.7% of the variance in loyalty. The overall goodness-of-fit index was 0.838, indicating strong model fit.

Conclusion: The proposed model demonstrated substantial explanatory power, indicating that the integration of organizational, perceptual, and marketing factors with gamification can enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty in electronic banking. Strategically incorporating gamified features into digital banking services may therefore strengthen user engagement, improve customer experience, and promote sustained use of electronic banking platforms.