Is trust about more than just money? Insight into South African banking customers

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explore how trust guides retail banking customers’ behavioural intentions considering monetary and non-monetary drivers of trust and the moderating roles of corporate image and shared values on the relationships between these drivers and trust. Design/methodology/approach – Non-probability purposive and quota sampling were used to select a sample of South African banking customers. A self-administered questionnaire was fielded and 352 respondents participated in this study. Findings – All the proposed monetary and non-monetary drivers have a positive and significant influence on trust, except for calculative commitment. Trust mediates the relationships monetary and non-monetary drivers have with behavioural intention; and corporate image and shared values moderate all but one of the relationships between trust and its monetary and non-monetary drivers. Research limitations/implications – This study enhances knowledge of the role of trust, considering monetary and non-monetary drivers as antecedents and behavioural intention as an outcome of trust. Practical implications – This study guides retail banks in emergent markets on the mediating role of trust and its influence on behavioural intention through the application of selected monetary and non-monetary drivers. Furthermore, this study emphasises the importance of corporate image and shared values on selected relationships. Originality/value – The importance of trust as a mediating variable between its monetary and non-monetary drivers and behavioural intention is confirmed in an emerging economy setting. The moderating effects of corporate image and shared values in the relationships between these drivers and trust are also highlighted.