Adoption and implementation of emerging digital financial solutions for financial inclusion in Ghana
摘要
This study investigated the adoption and implementation of emerging digital financial solutions and their impact on financial inclusion in Ghana, informed by the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2). A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was employed, involving 800 clients selected from four types of financial institutions: a commercial bank, a rural and community bank, a savings and loans company, and a microfinance institution. The results showed that all types of institutions rated perceived usefulness and ease of use highly. This indicates that users perceive new financial solutions as useful for accelerating transactions, reducing access costs, and supporting financial management. Facilitating conditions, such as network reliability, agent availability, customer support, transparency, and interoperability, were also found to be critical to sustaining usage. Comparative results demonstrated distinct institutional disparities, with microfinance institutions exhibiting the most favorable perceptions regarding usefulness, implementation support, and financial inclusion outcomes. In contrast, rural and community banks exhibited comparatively weaker performance, particularly in customer support and responsiveness to service failures. The study also demonstrated that the use of emerging financial solutions was associated with improved financial inclusion outcomes, including greater access to formal financial services, higher use frequency, broader product availability, and greater resilience to financial disruptions. The study concludes that emerging financial solutions can significantly enhance financial inclusion in Ghana when supported by user-centered design, strong facilitating conditions, and institution-specific implementation strategies. The findings provide practical and policy insights for improving inclusive digital financial service delivery, institutional implementation strategies, consumer protection, and financial inclusion regulation in Ghana.