Purpose The study aims to investigate the role of fintech adoption on the social performance of banking institutions and the mediating role of voluntary pro-environmental behavior and employee engagement in the relationship between fintech adoption and social performance. Design/methodology/approach The study applied partial least squares structural equation modeling for analyzing the survey data, which was obtained from 301 respondents who worked in the banking industry in Bangladesh. Findings The findings revealed that fintech adoption significantly impacts social performance, voluntary pro-environmental behavior and employee engagement in banking institutions. The study also found a significant impact of voluntary pro-environmental behavior and employee engagement on social performance. The study confirms that voluntary pro-environmental behavior serves as a substantially significant mediator, while employee engagement acts as a partially significant mediator in the relationship between fintech adoption and social performance. Originality/value The study is one of the first that recognizes fintech adoption as a social enabler in the literature and also reveals its behavioral outcomes within the banking sector. The research proposes a robust framework for management and policymakers to improve the social performance of financial institutions in the competitive financial market, particularly in emerging economies.
Rahim et al. (2026) studied this question.