Assessing the Investors' Acceptance of Electronic Stock Trading in a Developing Country: The Mediating Role of Perceived Risk Dimensions

This study explores the factors that reduce the impact of negative factors on investors' Behavioral Intentions (BIs) to use Electronic Stock Trading (EST) in Pakistan. It investigates the impact of awareness-knowledge and perceived trust on EST adoption. Using a questionnaire-based survey, data were collected from 347 experienced investors, and were analyzed through structural equation modeling. The results indicate that awareness-knowledge, perceived trust, and risk dimensions (including time, financial, performance, social, privacy, and opportunity cost risks) have a significant impact on BI. Moreover, all the risk dimensions partially mediate the relationship between awareness-knowledge and BI, as well as between perceived trust and BI. The study enriches theory and practice by providing implications for promoting EST in developing countries, especially in Pakistan.