Source: Untar Public Relations – VC
Ease of use has emerged as the primary factor encouraging Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to utilize peer-to-peer (P2P) online lending services. The study found that this factor has a greater influence on the adoption of digital financial services than either financial literacy or perceived risk.
These findings were presented by Priyanto during the open examination of the Doctoral Program in Management Science at Universitas Tarumanagara (Untar) on Friday (26/06/2026) through his dissertation titled “Determinants of SMEs’ Intention to Use Online Peer-to-Peer Lending Services (A Study of SMEs in Bandung City).”
The research involved 385 SME owners in Bandung City and employed a quantitative approach using the Structural Equation Modeling–Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) method to identify the factors influencing the adoption of P2P lending services.
The study was motivated by the growing use of online lending platforms among SMEs in Bandung, accompanied by an increasing risk of non-performing loans (NPLs). This situation prompted an examination of the effects of financial literacy, perceived risk, and perceived ease of use on the adoption of P2P lending services.
The findings indicate that perceived ease of use has a significant effect on actual system use, which subsequently has a positive impact on transaction intention. In contrast, financial literacy and perceived risk were not found to have a significant influence on the adoption of these services.
The dissertation also offers a novel contribution by positioning actual system use as a mediating variable in explaining the relationship between perceived ease of technology use and transaction intention in P2P lending services. These findings enrich the field of financial management, particularly in understanding financial technology adoption behavior among SMEs.
According to Priyanto, the findings suggest that digital financial services should prioritize systems that are easy to understand, accessible, and convenient to use. He hopes the research will serve as a reference for SME owners, P2P lending service providers, and regulators in formulating policies that encourage the effective, responsible, and sustainable use of online lending services.
At the conclusion of the examination, Priyanto was declared to have successfully completed the program and was officially conferred as the 28th doctoral graduate of Untar’s Doctoral Program in Management Science. (CS/YS)