Mobile Banking Services Effect On Financial Performance On Commercial Banks In Kenya

ABSTRACT

Despite the continued adoption and implementation of mobile banking by various banking institutions in Kenya, evidence showing how mobile banking influences financial performance of these banks remains limited. The general objective of this study was to establish the impact of mobile banking services on the financial performance of commercial banks in Kenya. The specific objectives guiding this study included to assess the influence of short message service (SMS) banking on the financial performance of commercial banks in Kenya, to establish the effect of person to person payments on the financial performance of commercial banks in Kenya, to determine the effect of bill payments on the financial performance of commercial banks in Kenya and to find out the effect of airtime top up service on the financial performance of commercial banks in Kenya. The research design that the study adopted was a descriptive research design employing quantitative research strategies. In this study the target population under investigation was all the 40 commercial banks in Kenya and two participants from each bank giving 80 participants from all the 40 commercial banks in Kenya where a census inquiry method was the best method used. Primary data for this study was collected through the use of a questionnaire that was given senior managers from all the departments of these organizations. Both quantitative and qualitative data was generated in this study. Qualitative data was analysed using content analysis whereby content of responses was looked at and responses were grouped together in relation to common patterns or themes for coherent categorization. Descriptive statistics included measures of central tendency and dispersion thus standard deviation and mean and use of absolute and relative percentage frequencies. Presentation of quantitative data was in form of graphs and tables and explanation given in prose. The study findings show that short message service had an above average positive correlation with financial performance of commercial banks and was statistically significant. Person to person had an average correlation with financial performance of commercial banks and was statistically significant. Bill payments had a strong positive correlation with financial performance of commercial banks and was statistically significant. Airtime top up service had an strong positive correlation with financial performance of commercial banks and was statistically significant. The study concludes that short message service banking has become an important part of banking, more and more people prefer to receive banking alerts through short message service which has not only improved service delivery but has had a positive impact on financial performance. Commercial banks have experiences large revenues from different activities with the banking system core among them the bill payments activities. The study recommends that it is important for commercial banks to focus more on short message service banking to lower operational costs thereby improving financial performance. Commercial banks need to consider using person to person payments to improve on their performance, they need to enhance their bill payments to get more clients paying bills using their systems so as to improve on their financial performance and that it is important for commercial banks to put more effort on airtime top up service so as to improve on their financial performance.