Purpose In an era of rapid digital transformation, understanding the role of financial innovation in strengthening bank stability is increasingly vital for policymakers and regulators in emerging economies. Thus, this study aims to investigate the impact of financial innovation on bank stability in emerging markets, focusing on how various technological advancements affect risk and stability across different regions and institutional settings. Design/methodology/approach Utilizing a comprehensive dataset of 2,461 banks across 91 countries from 2014 to 2023, the study analyzes the influence of key financial innovations ‒ including automated teller machines (ATMs), point of sale (POS) systems, internet banking, national electronic fund transfers (NEFT), and mobile money payments (MMO) ‒ on bank stability, measured by Z-scores and risk, assessed through non-performing loans (NPLs). Advanced econometric methods are employed to ensure robustness and account for endogeneity. Findings The results indicate that financial innovations significantly enhance bank stability and reduce risk, with effects being more pronounced in regions with advanced regulatory frameworks like Europe and Latin America. Institutional factors, such as regulatory quality and corruption control, further amplify these benefits. Financial innovations, especially digital channels, were found to be crucial for stabilizing banks in the post-COVID-19 period. Larger banks, low-leverage banks and state-owned institutions benefit the most from these innovations. Practical implications The findings underscore the importance of integrating financial technology to improve bank stability and operational efficiency. Regulators and financial institutions in emerging markets should focus on strengthening institutional frameworks and embracing technological advancements to enhance resilience and reduce risk. Originality/value This study offers a novel, large-scale cross-country analysis of how financial innovation affects bank stability in emerging markets. By employing dual proxies for bank stability, incorporating the institutional environment as a moderating factor and capturing post-pandemic dynamics, it provides fresh empirical evidence and contributes significantly to the literature on FinTech, financial development and banking stability in underexplored regions. The differentiated effects across bank types and regions further enhance its theoretical and practical relevance.
Purpose This study aims to investigate the nature and effects of cognitive dissonance among customers who experience loan rejections in the South African banking sector. It examines how cognitive dissonance influences customer satisfaction and loyalty within a demarketing context and explores the extent to which customers maintain loyalty despite transaction-specific dissatisfaction. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative research design was employed using a vignette-based scenario followed by a structured survey. After data screening, 505 usable responses were analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM) to test the proposed relationships among cognitive dissonance, satisfaction and loyalty. Findings The results indicate that loan rejections evoke moderate cognitive dissonance, which negatively impacts satisfaction. However, the influence on loyalty is less direct, as many customers remain with their bank despite experiencing dissatisfaction. This suggests a complex relationship between dissonance, satisfaction and loyalty in demarketing situations. Practical implications Banks can enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty by providing clearer explanations for loan decisions and offering supportive alternatives to rejected customers. This will assist in mitigating cognitive dissonance, fostering positive customer experiences and enhancing loyalty levels. Therefore, by strengthening transparency and post-decision engagement, cognitive dissonance may be reduced and result in more positive customer experiences. Social implications The results from this study provide financial institutions with insights into how they can implement consumer support mechanisms. A clearer understanding of consumer responses to loan rejections can contribute to improved financial resilience and well-being among banking customers. Originality/value This study contributes to the limited literature on cognitive dissonance within demarketing contexts in the South African banking sector. It examines behavioural responses to loan declines and advances the understanding of how customers deal with cognitive dissonance when their loans are declined. It further responds to calls for deeper insights into how demarketing affects customer relationships with banks.
Purpose This study aims to examine how financial anxiety is shaped within a system of interrelated cognitive, behavioural and contextual factors, with particular attention to the role of financial literacy and its relationship with financial behaviour and financial well-being. Design/methodology/approach A Bayesian network model is employed to analyse conditional independencies among financial literacy, financial behaviour, financial well-being and contextual stressors using survey data from a nationally representative sample of USA adults. Bayesian networks enable the estimation of direct and indirect relationships and support scenario-based probabilistic simulations. Findings The results show that financial anxiety emerges from interrelations among socio-demographic aspects rather than from isolated determinants. Financial literacy reduces the likelihood of extreme financial anxiety and improves financial well-being. The findings also highlight the relation between financial anxiety and financial well-being and the increasing role of contextual stressors. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature by conceptualising financial anxiety as an emergent system-level outcome and providing a theoretical reconciliation of mixed evidence on financial literacy. Methodologically, it demonstrates the value of Bayesian networks for modelling complex interdependencies and supporting probabilistic analysis in consumer finance research.
Purpose The research explores how vulnerable consumers experience the challenges of AI credit scoring (AICS). Within the broader context of algorithmic capitalism, the research examines consumer emotions and coping mechanisms to AI-driven systems in financial services. Design/methodology/approach Using the theory of constructed emotion, the qualitative study uses semi-structured interviews with 17 low-income Black workers. Participants were shown an experimental video to identify how AICS disrupts consumers' mental models, triggers emotional responses and impacts their coping mechanisms. Findings The research uncovers the systemic challenges faced by vulnerable consumers in an age of algorithmic capitalism. Scepticism towards AICS is driven by opaque algorithms and systemic bias, while compliance, resistance, avoidance and disengagement are key coping mechanisms. Originality/value The research contributes to macromarketing and bank marketing literature by conceptualizing AICS. We introduce “algorithmic rupture” to describe the moment when consumers' established mental models are challenged, and we identify a process-based model that explains how this disruption unfolds.
Purpose This study examines the relationships among social comparison, financial anxiety and financial satisfaction. It explores the mediating role of financial anxiety in the relationship between perceived relative financial disadvantage, specifically the feeling of being financially worse off than peers and satisfaction with one's financial life. This study also investigates whether objective financial knowledge moderates the effects of social comparison on self-perceived financial anxiety and financial satisfaction, recognizing that individuals with different levels of financial knowledge may interpret and emotionally respond to unfavorable financial comparisons in distinct ways. Design/methodology/approach The analysis in this study drew on data from the first available wave of the financial planning longitudinal study (FPLS), using a sample of 4,027 working and retired Americans aged 25 to 65 who identified as primary or joint financial decision-makers in their households. Structural equation modeling with full information maximum likelihood estimation was employed to test the proposed moderated mediation model. Findings Perceived financial disadvantage compared to peers was positively associated with financial anxiety directly and negatively associated with financial satisfaction, both directly and indirectly through elevated anxiety. Objective financial knowledge moderated these relationships by weakening the positive association between perceived disadvantage and financial anxiety, while strengthening the negative association between perceived disadvantage and financial satisfaction. Originality/value This study draws on social comparison theory and conservation of resources theory to develop its conceptual framework. It represents an early effort to examine how upward financial comparisons influence financial anxiety and satisfaction among decision-makers in moderate-to high-income American households. The dual role of objective financial knowledge as a moderator in the relationships between social comparison and both financial anxiety and satisfaction is explored in greater depth. The findings offer important implications for financial professionals, highlighting that social comparison tendencies may be an overlooked source of financial anxiety and a potential barrier to financial satisfaction.
Purpose This study examines how South Africa’s emerging middle-class households use formal and informal financial instruments in combination. While prior research often explains informal-finance use in terms of exclusion, low income or limited access to formal services, less is known about why banked and financially included middle-class consumers continue to use informal instruments alongside formal ones. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a qualitative design based on 25 interviews with emerging middle-class South African participants who used both formal and informal financial instruments. The data were analysed thematically. Findings The findings show that financial inclusion does not produce a simple transition from informal to formal finance. Instead, participants used formal and informal instruments in parallel, with formal products serving structured and long-term financial goals, while informal instruments remained valuable for flexibility, speed, trust, social embeddedness and crisis response. Informal finance therefore persisted not because respondents lacked formal access, but because it fulfilled needs that formal services did not fully meet. Originality/value The study contributes to household-banking and financial inclusion research by showing how financially included middle-class consumers maintain hybrid financial practices across sectors. It develops a 7Cs framework: convenience, cost, community, control, culture, credit availability and crisis to explain how households evaluate and combine formal and informal financial instruments.
Purpose Financial fraud remains a pervasive threat to consumer well-being and market stability. Despite growing research interest, significant gaps persist in understanding how financial knowledge and education influence individuals' vulnerability to fraud. This study contributes to the literature by providing a robust assessment of the protective roles of financial capability, specifically distinguishing between perceived targeting and actual financial loss.Design/methodology/approach Drawing on nationally representative data from the 2024 National Financial Capability Study, this study employs logistic regression analyses to examine how objective and subjective financial knowledge, along with formal financial education, relate to two distinct fraud-related outcomes. To ensure the robustness of our findings and address potential sample selection bias, we also estimated a bivariate probit model with sample selection.Findings Higher levels of objective financial knowledge are significantly associated with a reduced likelihood of financial loss, whereas subjective financial knowledge shows no consistent effect. Formal financial education is positively associated with perceived targeting, suggesting greater fraud awareness, but only high school-level instruction is linked to reduced financial loss. Subsample analyses of individuals targeted by fraud further support the protective effect of objective financial knowledge. Additionally, demographic variables such as race, income, and household structure significantly influence fraud-related outcomes.Research limitations/implications This study has a few important limitations. The dataset does not include detailed contextual information on fraud incidents, which may somewhat constrain the scope of interpretation. The cross-sectional design restricts causal interpretation, and the relatively small subsample of fraud-targeted individuals may reduce the robustness and generalizability of some results. Future research using richer data and longitudinal methods can further strengthen these findings.Practical implications The results highlight the value of early, targeted financial education programs that build consumer capability and reduce vulnerability to fraud.Social implications The findings highlight the societal value of early and accessible financial education. By equipping individuals - especially young people - with foundational financial knowledge, society can build stronger collective resilience against fraud, reduce vulnerability, and promote financial inclusion. Broad-based education can also increase public awareness of fraudulent activities, contributing to a more informed and vigilant population.Originality/value This study introduces a dual-outcome framework that captures both the psychological (perceived targeting) and material (financial loss) dimensions of fraud victimization. The findings underscore the differentiated roles of financial knowledge and education in shaping consumer awareness and resilience.
Purpose Rotating Savings and Credit Associations (ROSCAs) are critical community-based/informal financial mechanisms, especially in underserved markets. Despite their enduring relevance, ROSCAs remain underexplored. This study aims to systematically map and synthesize 50 years of ROSCA-related scholarship, highlighting intellectual structures, thematic trajectories and emerging research opportunities relevant to financial inclusion and grassroots finance. Design/methodology/approach A bibliometric analysis was conducted using 177 peer-reviewed articles indexed in Scopus from 1973 to 2024. We employed the PRISMA protocol for article selection and utilized Bibliometrix (R package) for performance, network and thematic evolution analysis. Key indicators such as citation trends, co-authorship patterns and co-word clusters were visualized and interpreted. Findings Four dominant thematic clusters emerged: (1) informal financial practices and saving behavior; (2) ROSCAs as vehicles for social capital and gender empowerment; (3) developmental finance in low-income economies and (4) trust, reciprocity and group enforcement mechanisms. The analysis also traces the field's intellectual progression from descriptive ethnographies toward theoretical and digital financial inclusion discourses. Practical implications Findings offer insights for marketers and financial service providers targeting unbanked populations. ROSCAs provide scalable models for inclusive financial innovation, relationship marketing and culturally embedded service design. This study supports the integration of ROSCAs into mobile banking, agent banking and trust-based community outreach strategies. Originality/value This is the first comprehensive bibliometric review focused exclusively on ROSCAs. By bridging informal finance and banking marketing, it offers a strategic roadmap for future academic inquiry and innovation in inclusive financial services.
Purpose As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in financial services, concerns are growing about less visible forms of exclusion embedded within algorithmic decision-making. Existing research has largely examined algorithmic bias as isolated decision-level outcomes, with limited attention to how disadvantage accumulates and persists over time. This paper develops the concepts of algorithmic vulnerability and compound algorithmic vulnerability to explain how exclusion emerges within AI-mediated financial service ecosystems. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on Transformative Service Research, Service Ecosystem Theory and literature on AI and consumer vulnerability, this conceptual study develops a multi-level framework comprising algorithmic structuration, experiential vulnerability and ecosystemic mediation. The framework identifies four generative mechanisms: algorithmic redlining, behavioural misclassification, dark nudging and exploitation and identity and privacy risks. Findings Introduces compound algorithmic vulnerability as an ecosystem-level condition in which multiple vulnerabilities interact, accumulate, and reinforce one another through recursive feedback processes. The framework demonstrates that exclusion in AI-mediated financial services is not simply the result of isolated bias but emerges from interconnected socio-technical mechanisms operating across systems, consumers, and governance structures. Practical implications Highlights the need for fairness auditing, inclusive design, explainability and coordinated governance to mitigate algorithmic exclusion and promote financial inclusion. Originality/value Advances theory by introducing compound algorithmic vulnerability as a novel lens for understanding how digital disadvantage accumulates within AI-mediated financial services, shifting attention from isolated algorithmic bias to recursive and systemic patterns of exclusion.
Purpose This study examines the determinants of non-bank credit card adoption using nationally representative household data from Chile. While prior research has largely focused on bank-issued credit cards, non-bank credit cards, particularly those issued by retailers and non-bank institutions, have expanded significantly in emerging markets. This paper investigates whether financial ecosystem engagement, including digital financial use and financial depth, plays a more important role than traditional demographic characteristics in explaining non-bank credit card ownership. Design/methodology/approach Using data from the 2024 Chilean Household Financial Survey, the study estimates survey-adjusted probit models to analyze non-bank credit card ownership. Independent variables include financial access, financial depth, digital financial use, traditional financial use and sociodemographic characteristics. Factor analysis is used to construct behavioral financial use indices, and sequential model specifications, robustness checks and Wald tests are employed to assess model stability and variable contributions. Findings The results show that financial ecosystem engagement, particularly digital financial use and financial depth, is more strongly associated with non-bank credit card adoption than traditional demographic characteristics. Income, age and household size are positively associated with adoption, while education becomes statistically insignificant and turns negative after controlling for financial engagement variables. These findings suggest that non-bank credit cards are primarily adopted by households already integrated into formal financial systems rather than serving as entry-level financial inclusion tools. Originality/value This study contributes to the household finance and financial inclusion literature by distinguishing between bank and non-bank credit cards and emphasizing financial ecosystem participation as a key determinant of adoption. It also provides new empirical evidence from Chile, a relevant emerging market with a strong retail credit presence, offering insights for policymakers, retailers and non-bank financial institutions.
Purpose Against the backdrop of India's SDG commitment with SEBI introducing BRSR and allowing different ESG categories in mutual funds, this paper aims to analyse the determinants of retail investors' intention for ESG investment through Fintech platforms in India. Design/methodology/approach We employ the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), extending it with context-specific antecedents to attitude while including moral norms and information quality as determinants of intention. A two-stage analysis was conducted with PLS-SEM followed by necessary condition analysis (NCA) applied to survey data of 416 respondents. Findings Awareness, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and perceived risk are significant determinants of Attitude towards ESG investments through Fintech platforms. Further, Attitude, PBC, Moral Norms and Information Quality significantly affect adoption intention. Attitude, PBC and IQ emerge as prominent necessary conditions. Originality/value We propose a comprehensive model for predicting retail investors' intention of ESG investment through fintech platforms. To the best of our knowledge, this is one of the first studies to investigate investor intentions for ESG investment via fintech using theoretical lens of TPB extended with attitudinal antecedents, moral norms and information quality. This study provides novel insights by integrating investor values and technological aspects with attitudinal, social and control beliefs in investment decisions. Combining PLS-SEM with NCA provides additional uniqueness and a richer understanding of the necessary and sufficient conditions for retail ESG investment intention in the era of digital finance.
Purpose The objective of this study is to analyze how relationship banking, application costs, and information-acquisition behavior impact borrowing discouragement among farmers seeking subsidized loans offered by the BADR Bank in Algeria.Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 282 farmers using a structured survey in the Tlemcen region, Algeria. Probit regression and the Karlson-Holm-Breen decomposition method were used to analyze the data.Findings Over half of the surveyed farmers were found to be discouraged from applying for subsidized credit. The results show that discouragement was significantly more likely among farmers living farther from bank branches, those with shorter banking relationships with the BADR, and those who relied on peer farmers rather than official channels for credit-related information. In contrast, consulting the BADR for guidance has the opposite effect. Furthermore, the mediation analysis reveals that the effect of off-farm income is partially mediated by the duration of the bank-farmer relationship.Practical implications The findings of this study are of relevance to policymakers and financial institutions seeking to improve access to agricultural credit. Effective interventions should extend beyond supply-side measures to address information asymmetry and application costs through streamlined application procedures and online platforms to reduce application frictions.Originality/value This research is among the first to explore borrowing discouragement in the agricultural credit market under zero-interest-rate conditions. It contributes to the literature by identifying previously underexplored factors that influence farmers' borrowing behavior in a developing economy.
Purpose -Customer experience (CX) is a key driver of cost efficiency, revenue growth, and competitive advantage in the banking industry. From a service-dominant logic and relationship marketing perspective, experience emerges through repeated interactions in which value is co-created over time. However, traditional tools such as surveys and Net Promoter Score (NPS) provide only partial insights into value-in-use and relationship value and often fail to capture customers' lived experiences. This study addresses this limitation by proposing a data-driven approach that directly captures customer experience from unstructured conversational data. Design/methodology/approach -The study combines competitive learning and generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) to analyze 10,062,406 customer-agent conversations collected monthly by a financial institution between July 2023 and July 2025. The proposed system allows customer experience specialists to query a conversational agent in natural language and receive context-rich responses, enabling exploratory customer experience analysis. Findings -The results show that a conversational agent created through competitive learning and GenAI yields richer, more actionable insights into customer experiences than conventional methods. The framework demonstrates strong validity based on human evaluation and AI benchmarking against Gemini and DeepSeek (human scores >4.4; similarity >0.9 with Gemini; similarity >0.85 with DeepSeek). Compared with BERTopic and Top2Vec, it achieves higher computational efficiency, lower costs, and scalable, interpretable outputs for managerial use. Originality/value -This study is among the first to apply competitive learning and GenAI to customer experience analytics in banking, offering a scalable pathway to improve service performance and competitive positioning.
Purpose An increasingly digitized banking market needs agentic consumers. Although many customers intend to switch banks, annual churn rates are considered low by policymakers. A possible explanation for this intention-behavior gap is that customers lack the necessary mastery beliefs when switching banks becomes a digital-only process. This article examines the effects of customer satisfaction, bank-switching intention, and bank-switching self-efficacy enhancement in relation to bank-switching behavior in a digitized market.Design/methodology/approach A longitudinal study that uses moderated mediation analyses and logistic regression analyses to examine how satisfaction, bank-switching intention, and self-efficacy enhancement may explain and predict mortgage bank-switching behavior 12 months ahead (n = 272).Findings Customer satisfaction was significantly associated with bank-switching intention. Intention significantly predicted bank-switching behavior with a large effect (Cohen's d = 1.21). Self-efficacy enhancement increased switching behavior 12 months ahead among consumers with weak switching intentions. Consumers with moderate to strong intentions were less affected. The effect of satisfaction on behavior operated indirectly through intention. Increasing self-efficacy enhancement dampened the mechanism through which satisfaction impacted switching behavior through intention.Practical implications Customers with strong switching intentions had a higher predicted churn rate than customers with weak switching intentions did. However, among consumers with weak switching intentions, the model predicted an annual churn rate of 5.4% if they also had a high score on bank-switching self-efficacy enhancement, compared with a meagre 0.5% if they had a low score on this index. These findings suggest that increased churn in the banking market can be achieved through two distinct policy approaches: Measures that strengthen consumers' switching intentions and initiatives that contribute to enhancing consumers' self-efficacy when switching banks.Originality/value This article contributes to the literature by employing a longitudinal design to examine the effects of satisfaction, intention, and self-efficacy enhancement on partial switching behavior in banking, utilizing a sample representative of the adult population in a highly digitized market.
Purpose The purpose of this research is to identify the psychological factors influencing personal loan repayment intention. The concept is examined in an exploratory study within the context of perception under the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Design/methodology/approach Guided by the TPB, this study examines attitude, injunctive and descriptive norms, and reconceptualizes perceived behavioral control as financial self-efficacy to explain personal loan repayment intention. Construct validity and reliability were assessed using confirmatory factor analysis. To test the research questions, 462 responses were collected, of which 443 were valid and included in this study. Findings The study shows that working adults’ attitudes and financial self-efficacy strongly influence their intention to repay a personal loan. The most preferred descriptive norms directly influence attitude and financial self-efficacy. Similarly, financial self-efficacy also influences attitude. Observing peers’ and family members’ repayment behaviors appears to influence borrowers’ attitudes and enhance their confidence in managing finances, thereby strengthening their intention to repay. Research limitations/implications The study relies on self-reported, cross-sectional data, which may be affected by social desirability bias. Practical implications The paper provides important insights for the financial institutions, social networks and borrowers in understanding and improving the intention of loan repayment behavior in the financial markets. Social implications Financial institutions and policymakers could implement interactive budgeting simulations or mastery-based financial workshops that directly enhance individuals’ confidence in managing debt. Next, public awareness campaigns should shift from prescriptive to descriptive messaging. Originality/value This paper contributes to the personal finance and banking literature by refining the TPB by including financial self-efficacy to better explain personal loan repayment intention.
PurposeIndividuals experiencing financial anxiety often struggle with decision-making, feel financially helpless, and are less likely to seek support for informed decision-making, which can result in prolonged financial distress. This study investigates how financial literacy influences financial anxiety, drawing on the transactional theory of stress and coping (TTSC).Design/methodology/approachWe utilize the data from the 2018 and 2021 waves of the National Financial Capability Study. The potential influencing factor (financial literacy) is the participants' answers to five objective financial literacy questions. Ordinary least squares regression models are used to detect potential factors associated with financial anxiety.FindingsResults reveal a significant negative correlation between financial literacy and financial anxiety among respondents. Improved financial literacy promotes planning ahead and curbs overspending, which helps lower anxiety. The effect is particularly pronounced among men, highly educated individuals, and those with higher incomes.Practical implicationsThe findings underscore the importance of enhancing financial literacy to alleviate financial anxiety and improve financial well-being, particularly through targeted education programs. The government and NGOs may put more effort into enhancing the residents' financial literacy through a financial education program.Originality/valueThis study is the first to explore how financial literacy relates to financial anxiety using TTSC. We also provide evidence on the mediating roles of planning ahead and reduced overspending in the negative relationship between financial literacy and financial anxiety.
Purpose Despite the rapid growth of QR-based mobile payments, little is known about whether mobile payment adoption changes consumer spending uniformly or reallocates spending toward specific purchase segments. Using data from South Korea, we examine how adoption of QR-based mobile payments reshapes spending composition along two dimensions: purchase value (low-vs. high-value) and purchase type (discretionary vs. non-discretionary). Design/methodology/approach Using large scale transaction data obtained by financial management platform, and a difference-in-differences framework, we empirically compare consumers who adopted a widely used QR-based mobile payment with non-adopters. We use propensity score matching to ensure the comparability of treated and control group. Findings QR-based mobile payment adoption increases frequency of low-value purchases and spending on discretionary categories, while not affecting high-value or non-discretionary purchases. Additionally, the increase in discretionary spending is concentrated on low-cost purchases, with no significant change in high-cost discretionary purchases. These effects are more pronounced among younger consumers and those with higher baseline discretionary spending. Research limitations/implications The results highlight the need to align mobile payment system with consumer protection and long-term financial well-being, given its effects on low-value discretionary purchases. This study is based on a single-country, single-platform setting in South Korea, which limit the generalizability. Originality/value Rather than characterizing mobile payment effects as a general increase in spending, this study provides transaction-level evidence on which purchase segments drive the change by decomposing purchase value and purchase type. Also, by documenting heterogeneity across age and baseline spending patterns, we identify boundary conditions of the effects.
Purpose While corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been extensively scrutinized in the banking sector, its specific link to customer citizenship behavior (CCB) remains relatively underexplored. This paper aims to propose and assess an integrated conceptual framework that positions customer-bank identification (CBI) and emotional brand attachment (EBA) as key intervening mechanisms in the relationship between CSR authenticity and customer citizenship behavior (i.e., advocacy, feedback, tolerance, and helping) in an emerging market context (i.e. Morocco).Design/methodology/approach For practicality, a non-probability sampling approach, combining self-selection and snowball sampling techniques, was employed. Data were collected over a four-month period (February to May 2023) from 681 retail banking customers in Morocco. Structural equation modeling (SEM) and bootstrapping techniques with 5,000 resamples were used to test the proposed conceptual model and assess the significance of the direct and indirect effects.Findings Our findings indicate that CSR authenticity significantly strengthens both customer-bank identification and emotional brand attachment, which subsequently drive customer citizenship behaviors (i.e., advocacy, feedback, tolerance, and helping). The mediation analysis further indicates that the direct effect of CSR authenticity on emotional brand attachment increases after the inclusion of customer-bank identification, thereby confirming its role as a suppressor in the relationship between CSR authenticity and emotional attachment.Practical implications Banks, particularly in emerging markets, should prioritize transparent and authentic CSR communication to strengthen customer identification and emotional connections. These emotional bonds serve as a catalyst for voluntary, value-adding extra-role behaviors that go beyond transactional interactions, ultimately improving brand loyalty, advocacy, and customer retention.Originality/value This research provides a novel perspective on how CSR authenticity influences customer citizenship behavior in a banking era dominated by mobile banking. By integrating emotional and relational mechanisms into the CSR-CCB framework, our findings convey fresh insights for promoting sustainable customer relationships, particularly in a context that has received limited attention in prior CSR research.
