The digital banking transformation put to the test by the triad: Resistance, Dematerialization, and Fintech pressure

Abstract

This study investigates the strategic determinants of digital transformation in the banking sector by analyzing the interactive and often conflicting dynamics between organizational resistance to change, the dematerialization process, and the impact of FinTechs. Employing a quantitative approach and drawing on a sample of banking professionals in Tunisia, this research distinguishes itself by proposing and validating an original triadic model that captures the complexity of these interdependent factors. The findings reveal that resistance to change is a major impediment to digitization, while dematerialization emerges as the most critical driving factor. The influence of FinTechs, although significant, is found to be more limited within this specific context. The analysis demonstrates that these three dimensions jointly explain a substantial share of the variance in the observed digital transformation. From a theoretical perspective, this study enriches the literature by providing an integrative framework to analyze digital transformation not as an isolated phenomenon, but as the outcome of a strategic tension between internal and external forces. From a managerial standpoint, the results underscore the critical need for banking institutions to move beyond a purely technological approach. The key conclusion calls for leaders to implement proactive change management strategies to overcome internal resistance, while cultivating organizational agility to adapt to FinTech disruption and effectively steer the shift towards dematerialization.