Evaluating customers' behavioral intentions in less significant financial institutions

Purpose - External and internal pressures are undermining the traditional bond between less significant financial institutions (LSFIs) and their local markets. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impacts of service quality (SQ), motivation, satisfaction, and perceived value on customers' behavioral intentions (BI) in LSFIs. Design/methodology/approach - A conceptual framework of the relationship, either direct or indirect, between SQ, basic motivational determinants in consumers' bank selection, satisfaction, and repurchase intentions of the customers is developed. The framework is tested with data from a sample of 600 customers of LSFIs in Italy. The hypotheses were tested with structural equation modeling techniques. Findings - Consumers' decision-making process is a complex path and a more holistic view of its determinants should be considered to face those weaknesses that negatively affect a balanced management of LSFIs in the future. Research limitations/implications - The study is focused on a specific context, the Italian LSFIs' sector, and the results from other countries or other banking sectors should be added before a generalization of the findings can be made. Practical implications - The findings will be useful to policy makers and banks to improve strategies for enhancing customer satisfaction and purchase intentions in LSFIs. Adopting a simultaneous, holistic, and multivariate approach can also help LSFIs to better understand the main factors which are able to increase consumers' purchase intentions. Originality/value - This is the first study to examine customers' BI in LSFIs even if they represent about 96 percent of the European banking industry.