ADOPTION BEHAVIOUR OF CRYPTOCURRENCY: THE UTAUT 2 FRAMEWORK EVIDENCE (MODERATING EFFECT OF GENDER IN PAKISTAN)

Abstract

It is based on the previous findings, and the study confirms the direct correlations between the primary independent variables, hedonic motivation, and ABC and adds new insights to the existing literature by analysing age as a continuous moderating variable. Through the use of a greater dataset of 532 participants who participated in a period of one year, the study increases the strength and the power of the statistics of the previous studies which were designed on a smaller group of participants. The study uses a two-step partial least squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to measure direct and interaction effects. Although some research has previously considered innovativeness as a moderating variable, the empirical study has not been extensive enough to support this idea, the current research enriches the literature by operationalizing age as a continuous moderator, thus the research can consider individual differences more carefully. The results also support known indirect effects and prove that gender is a significant moderator of important relationships in the model, providing a more profound understanding of behavioural mechanisms underlying ABC. Such findings narrow the gap in theoretical knowledge by outlining the role of demographic factors in PLS-SEM models and offer practical value to the tailoring of strategies in different age groups.