Accelerating digital talent readiness in Malaysian banking sector: A study on technology adoption through the intention to use customer-focused digital solutions

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the digital transformation of the banking sector, both globally and locally. As the adoption of new technology relies on the perception and behavior of users towards the system, bank employees need to have the intention to use digital solutions implemented by the organization. The purpose of this research is to examine the influence of job relevance, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and perceived self-efficacy on the intention to use digital solutions. A quantitative approach using a purposive sampling technique was carried out, where a survey was conducted involving 313 employees at a local retail bank’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur. The results showed that job relevance and perceived usefulness had a significant positive influence on the intention to use digital solutions, with job relevance being a unique and important predictor. However, perceived ease of use and perceived self-efficacy did not have a significant impact on the intention to use digital solutions among the retail bank’s employees. These findings suggest that the employees are already adept and comfortable in using digital solutions as they have developed the necessary skills and aptitude. This research contributes to the understanding of factors that can influence the intention of banking employees to use digital solutions, based on an extended Technology Acceptance Model developed for this study. This research further recommends the implementation of change management strategies, focus on acquiring on-premise database management and developing a digital talent readiness roadmap for talent acquisition & retention