Bank Performance and Credit Availability in the Bulgarian Banking Sector, 1997-2001

Abstract

The 1997 financial crisis wiped out 30% of the Bulgarian banking sector and created severe strains on corporations. With the establishment of the currency board in 1997 and the new Banking Law, which set the legal framework for proper bank supervision, major Bulgarian banks were rapidly privatized through sales to foreigners, now controlling around 80% of bank assets. Since 1997, the Bulgarian banking sector has recovered from the crisis by improving its profitability and efficiency and adopted a legal framework compatible with the European Union standards. Based on a regression analysis of bank balance sheets and income statements, this paper shows that low level of credit volume during 1997-1999 derived from banks' cautious stance towards credit making reflecting both the ongoing risks in the real sector, and the stringent new banking regulations. Large banks, however, benefited from scale economies in improving profitability in the same period.     

The New Retail Banking Revolution

This paper examines the modern evolution of retail banking in a European setting and with a particular emphasis on the UK. Regulation, competition and IT developments are found to be particularly important change drivers in most European retail banking systems. Two broad strategic themes are explored. The first is the evolution of retail banking in a strategic marketing context from a supply (inward-looking) focus towards a much greater demand (outward-looking) orientation. The second theme explored is the intensifying strategic imperative towards a shareholder value culture. The key features and strategic challenges of the ‘new’ retail banking revolution are finally summarised.     

Zone of tolerance for banks: a diagnostic model of service quality

Service quality has become an increasingly important factor for success and survival in the banking sector. Provision of high-quality service aids in meeting several requirements such as customer satisfaction and its consequent loyalty and market share, soliciting new customers, financial performance, and profitability (Cui, C.C., Lewis, B.R., & Park, W. (2003). Service quality measurement in the banking sector in South Korea. International Journal of Bank Marketing, 21(4), 191–201.). This paper presents the bank service quality measurement in its extended form. It deals with the concept of ‘zone of tolerance’ in judgments of service quality proposed by Zeithaml, Berry, and Parasuraman (1993, The nature and determinants of customer expectations of service. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 21(1), 1–12.). The ‘zone of tolerance’ is recognized in the service quality literature as representing a range of expectations and an area of acceptable outcomes in service interactions. The present study describes the zone of tolerance for young customers’ service expectations and determines the customer satisfaction level for banks. The study focusses only on the youth market to formulate long-term strategies because young customers tend to keep themselves up to date with latest technological developments. A conceptual model BANKZOT is presented in this study, and the results demonstrate that evaluation of services can be scaled according to different types of expectations – ‘desired' and ‘adequate’ – and that customers use these two types of expectations as a comparison standard in evaluating bank services. The findings reveal that young customers have a narrow zone of tolerance with regard to the services provided by the banks. The results with respect to gap analysis reveal that there was a shortfall in the service quality provided by the banks in the sample, with the largest gap being found in tangibles and empathy of service quality dimensions. The results of exploratory factor analysis reveal that the SERVQUAL model is found to be uni-dimensional in this study. The results, managerial implications, and future research implications are discussed in detail.     

Financial Restructuring in European Banking and Foreign Expansion

ABSTRACT

This paper examines the main structural and performance features of European banking. It demonstrates that while banking markets have become increasingly concentrated and bank numbers have fallen, competition appears to have intensified. Given the large number of banks and branches in many countries, there still remain indicators of possible excess capacity in the system and that the consolidation trend, especially with the advent of the EMU, will continue. The paper considers ways in which banks have diversified to add to their revenues, and also discusses market power and competition issues relating to increased market concentration. Finally, we briefly discuss the foreign expansion strategies of European banks, particularly the Spanish banks in South America. The strategic emphasis of the top Spanish banks has primarily been based on building market power and a name presence in a region that has massive market potential.

RESUMEN. Este documento examina las principales características estructurales y de desempeño de la banca europea. Demuestra que, mientras que los mercados bancarios se han ido concentrando cada vez más determinando la disminución del número de bancos existentes, la competencia parece haberse intensificado. De acuerdo al gran número de bancos y sucursales que existen en muchos países, esto parece mostrar que todavía existen indicadores de posible exceso de capacidad en el sistema, y que la tendencia hacia la consolidación, especialmente con la llegada del EMU, continuará. El documento considera las formas en que los bancos se han diversificado para aumentar sus ingresos, así como el poder del mercado y temas relacionados a la competencia para aumentar su concentración. Por último, traza rápidamente las estrategias de expansión extranjera de los bancos europeos, especialmente los bancos españoles en Sudamérica. El hincapié estratégico de los principales bancos españoles se basó, primordialmente, en aumentar su poder de mercado y la presencia de la marca en la región que tiene un potencial de mercado masivo.

RESUMO. Este estudo analisa as características estruturais e o desempenho do sistema bancário europeu. Ele demonstra que, enquanto o mercado bancário tornou-se cada vez mais concentrado e o número de bancos diminuiu, a competição parece ter se intensificado. Apesar do grande número de bancos e de filiais em muitos países, ainda permanecem indicadores de excesso de capacidade do sistema, e que a tendência de consolidação continuará, especialmente com o advento da Unidade Monetária Européia. Este trabalho considera as diversas estratégias utilizadas pelos bancos para aumentar a sua receita e, também, discute o poder de mercado e os aspectos competitivos relacionados à maior concentração do mercado. Finalmente, discutem-se, sucintamente, as estratégias de expansão estrangeira dos bancos europeus, particularmente dos bancos espanhóis, na América do Sul. A ênfase estratégica dos maiores bancos espanhóis baseia-se, principalmente, na construção do poder de mercado e da presença da sua marca em uma região com grande potencial de mercado.     

Understanding registration influences for electronic banking

Abstract

The growth in online or e-banking has resulted in customers interacting with their banks through remote technological channels to a greater extent. That said, there is much variation in online banking registration and adoption levels and little is understood about actual customer motivators and perceived barriers to registration for online banking services. As part of a larger study exploring the impact of the Internet on bank – customer relationships, this paper reports on key findings which shed light on such motivators and inhibitors for online banking registration. The results show that convenience (through 24-hour banking access) and reassurance about security are the most important considerations for customers in registering for e-banking within the case bank. Marketing implications for the case bank, as well as the broader industry, are discussed.     

Nationale Geldsch?pfung zersetzt den Euroraum

The Eurosystem has been operating in crisis mode for more than four years now. Massive quantitative and qualitative easing in its monetary policy stance are the visible marks of its response to the turbulence in the financial sector. This policy aims primarily at maintaining financial stability in the euro area by providing vast liquidity support to commercial banks that are operating in nationally segmented banking systems. The sovereign debt crises in some member countries further exacerbate the segmentation problem along country borders. As a side effect, cross-border capital flows are substituted by money market operations by the national central banks. The latter are engaging more and more often in substantial balance-of-payments financing, and financial risks are shifted from investors to European taxpayers via the Eurosystem. Symptomatically, this shows up in exploding TARGET2 positions in the national central banks’ balance sheets. The longer this process continues, the stronger the centrifugal forces become that ultimately might burst the single currency. A solution requires a euro area-wide regulatory approach for the financial sector. Next to a uniform scheme for banking regulation, supervision and resolution, we recommend the comprehensive introduction of contingent convertible bonds (CoCos) as a major refinancing source for the banking industry. As this proposal cannot be introduced overnight, national and European banking resolution funds are necessary in the short run. The latter do not rescue banks, but they kick in as soon as a bank’s equity is depleted in order to wind down failing banks in a systemically prudent way.     

Pricing of card payment services in Scandinavian banking: a comment

Willesson [(2009). Pricing of card payment services in Scandinavian banking. The Service Industries Journal, 29(3), 387–399] purports to demonstrate that when it comes to pricing of card payment services, Scandinavian banks with foreign operations will typically align themselves with the ‘pricing tradition’ in their foreign market(s). Unfortunately, a problem with Willesson's approach is that for several banks in his sample the foreign pricing tradition happens to coincide with the pricing strategy that the bank uses in its home market. As a result, it is impossible to determine whether these banks have really opted for a strategy of national responsiveness.     

民营化、国有化与中国国有银行改革

国有银行自上世纪70年代中期以来出现了民营化的国际趋势,一些国家因此发生了银行危机.而此前全球曾有过国有化浪潮.虽然国有银行效率比民营银行低,但经验研究却表明,国有银行与银行危机之间没有或很少有因果关系;而且由于有政府信誉担保不易发生挤兑.中国国有银行改革过程实际上是政府逐步放弃控制权的过程,但切不可因效率而忽视金融稳定;简单地依靠所有权变更无法解决国有银行脆弱性问题;而且,与境外战略投资者合作时要谨防金融主权失控风险.     

Determinants of retail bank choice in Nigeria: a focus on gender-based choice decisions

As the Nigerian retail banks customers become more sophisticated, it is now very important that retail banks determine the factors that are important and relevant to the customers’ retail bank choice decisions. By using a survey of retail bank customers, this study evaluates the relative importance attached to retail banks’ choice criteria used by male and female customers in Nigeria. The results show that there are some differences in choice factors used by male and female customers in selecting a retail bank for patronage. The recommendation is that bank managers should take both female and male market segments into consideration when making retail bank strategic planning in order to become competitive. The findings can assist retail bank managers in refining their marketing strategies as a means of overcoming the intense competition that exists in the Nigerian banking system.     

Exploring manager’s perspective of service quality strategies in Malaysian Banking Industry

In service industry, the subject of service quality remains crucial as business strive to maintain a comparative advantage in the marketplace. In aftermath of globalization, the operating environment for banking industry has become more dynamic and competitive. Banks have evolved to become diversified financial providers instead of traditional banking-only service providers. With bank placing emphasis on a mutually beneficial bank–customer relationship, customer loyalty must be pursued through repeat purchases. Central to achieving this is often the quality of services offered by the bank should satisfy the customer’s needs. This article attempts to identify any service gaps in Malaysian banking industry and to recommend effective strategies to close these service gaps from bank mangers’ and executives perspectives based on GAPs Model of Service Quality (GAPs Model). Using qualitative data collected from interviews with 30 bank managers and executives, this article provides effectives strategies to close each of the gaps in GAPs Model. It is hoped that the empirical evidences and recommendations provided in this article shed some light to management of banks to improve upon their customer service quality in order to benefit from customer satisfaction, customer loyalty and other behavioural outcomes which will lead to greater competitive advantage and profitability to the banks concerned.     

Re-examining the risk–return relationship in banks using quantile regression

Financial data for the US banks listed during 2001–2007 are analysed to re-examine the risk–return relationship in the banking industry. A key feature of this study is the analysis of the changing distribution of return on equity across banks and over time by the quantile regression (hereafter QR) model and a meaningful comparative analysis with the results of the ordinary least squares estimates is examined. The following conclusions are drawn from the empirical results. First, while a positive risk–return relationship is presented for the profitable banks, the risk–return relationship is negative for the profitless banks. Second, the ‘V’ shape relationship between bank risk and profitability identified by this study could satisfactorily explain the existing risk–return puzzle among the prior empirical studies.     

The Measurement and Importance of Service Quality in the Retailing of Recreational Services

ABSTRACT

In this article it is argued that the dealings between small companies and their banks consist of a number of relationship elements. Because today most banks employ some kind of relationship banking, there is a need to further conceptualise the relevant dimensions in implementing such an approach. In a study ten small companies in the Stockholm area were interviewed. The results indicate that the account manager in the bank proved to be the crucial person in the customer-bank relationship and that banks should organise their activities and promotion in a supportive way. There is a large potential for improvements in banks regarding their relationships with small companies.     

Bank Competition and its Determinants: Evidence from Indian Banking

Abstract

This paper measures the degree of bank competition in India using a sample of 70 commercial banks over the period 1996–2016. To assess the degree of competition, we estimate the market power of each bank in our sample employing three nonstructural measures: the Lerner index, the adjusted Lerner index, and the Boone indicator. Bank-wise and year-wise estimates of the marginal cost required in all these measures are obtained using the semi-parametric method. The paper further attempts to undertake a comprehensive assessment of competition in Indian banking and identifies various bank-specific, macroeconomic, structural, and contestability indicators, which are supposed to explain level and variation of the degree of competition over time. Empirical findings reveal that public-sector banks in India exercise a relatively higher degree of bank competition compared to private and foreign-sector banks. However, aggregate results support that the Indian banking system is competitive in general. Unlike the structure-conduct-performance paradigm, which advocates that a concentrated banking system impairs competitiveness, our findings reveal that concentration measures hardly exert any effect on bank competition. Rather, contestability measures play a significant role in the determination of bank competition.     

Hidden in plain sight: Correspondent banking in the 1930s*

Abstract

We present novel quantitative evidence on the number and location of correspondent banking relationships in the 1930s, a neglected area of international banking. Our data, collected from Thomas Skinners’ Bankers’ Almanac, captures over 2000 correspondent banking connections primarily based on London and New York and a smaller cohort of multinational banks. We draw on the new institutional economics and international business literature to explain the relative ubiquity of correspondent banking and the relative scarcity of multinational banks. Our argument that bilateral trade flows drive correspondent banking is tested empirically using an instrumental Poisson pseudo-maximum likelihood estimation.     

Loyalty,naivety and powerlessness among Norwegian retail bank customers

The quantitative analysis presented in this paper builds on a qualitative focus group study of mobility among bank customers. The main finding from the focus group study was that mobile bank customers had a reflective – often critical ? relation to their banks, while the immobile bank customers had an unreflective – often trusting – relation to their banks. The study also resulted in a typology identifying different bank customer orientations. In the present paper, this typology has been operationalized and modified for further quantitative estimation and investigation. Nine different bank orientations are distinguished, and the results indicate that at least two of three bank customers do not regularly monitor their banking terms and conditions. In other words, it is reasonable to believe that the ordinary bank customer is not acting as expected according to the theory of well‐functioning market mechanisms. Resourceful consumers, with high incomes and education levels, tend to be more financially oriented than others. When people with meagre financial resources tend to end up in the more unfavourable banks, this is not solely a result of the banks’ own discrimination of the poor; it is also due to the fact that people with high incomes and education levels are more likely to monitor their banking conditions than people with low incomes, irrespective of whether or not they have bank loans. The quantitative material analysed was collected in February 2007 by computer‐assisted telephone interviews. One thousand randomly selected respondents answered the questions.     

Expansion Strategies of European Banks to Brazil and Their Impacts on the Brazilian Banking Sector

ABSTRACT

This paper aims at analyzing the main determinants and impacts of the recent wave of European banks entering Brazil. The principal hypothesis of the paper is that this wave can only be understood if one considers both external and internal determinants. External determinants concern the process of banking consolidation in the European financial system under the EMU that has stimulated some banks to expand abroad. Internal determinants are mainly related to the gradual flexibilisation of legal restrictions with respect to the presence of foreign banks in the Brazilian banking sector. Finally, the paper evaluates the impacts of the recent entry of European banks into the retail banking market in Brazil. In this particular matter, it shows that foreign entry has affected the national banking market forcing domestic banks to operate more efficiently, and also to expand their activities organically or by mergers and acquisitions. The paper concludes that there is no clear evidence that foreign banks have been more efficient than domestic banks in Brazil in the recent period, but there is some evidence that the big private Brazilian banks have reacted positively to the entry of foreign banks.

RESUMEN. Este documento tiene el propósito de analizar los determinantes más importantes de los impactos de la reciente onda de bancos europeos que llegaron al Brasil. La principal hipótesis del texto és que la onda sólo puede entenderse si se consideran ambos determinantes: los externos y los internos. Los determinantes externos conciernen el proceso de la consolidación bancaria en el sistema financiero europeo bajo el EMU, que ha estimulado a algunos bancos a expandirse en el exterior. Los determinantes internos son especialmente aquellos relacionados a la flexibilización gradual de las restricciones legales con respecto a la presencia de los bancos extranjeros en el sector de la banca brasileña. Finalmente, el texto también evalúa los impactos de la reciente entrada de los bancos Europeos en los mercados de la banca minorista en el Brasil. Cuanto a esta preocupación particular, parece que la entrada de los bancos extranjeros ha afectado el mercado banquero nacional, forzando a los bancos domésticos a operar con mayor eficiencia y también a expandir sus actividades orgánicamente, o por medio de fusiones u adquisiciones. El documento concluye que no existe ninguna prueba clara de que los bancos extranjeros son más eficientes que los brasileños en el período reciente, pero sí existen evidencias de que los grandes bancos privados brasileños han reaccionado positivamente a la entrada de los bancos extranjeros.

RESUMO. Este artigo objetiva analisar os principais determinantes e impactos da recente onda de bancos europeus que se instalaram no Brasil. A hipótese principal deste trabalho é de que esta onda só pode ser entendida se forem considerados os determinantes externos e internos. Os determinantes externos tratam do processo de consolidação bancária no sistema financeiro europeu que, sob o sistema da Unidade Monetária Européia, estimulou alguns bancos a se expandirem para o exterior. Os determinantes internos estão relacionados, principalmente, à flexibilização gradual das restriç[otilde]es legais no que diz respeito à presença de bancos estrangeiros no setor bancário brasileiro. Finalmente, o artigo também avalia os impactos da recente entrada de bancos europeus no mercado bancário de varejo do Brasil. Neste particular, ele mostra que a entrada estrangeira afetou o mercado bancário nacional, forçando os bancos nacionais a operarem com mais eficiência e, também, a expandirem suas atividades, organicamente ou através de fus[otilde]es e aquisiç[otilde]es. O artigo conclui que não há evidência clara de que os bancos estrangeiros sejam mais eficientes do que os bancos nacionais no Brasil no período recente, mas há alguma evidência de que os grandes bancos privados brasileiros reagiram positivamente à entrada dos bancos estrangeiros.     

Does ICT adoption improve access to credit for small enterprises?

Using data at the bank–firm level collected through the 9th UniCredit Survey conducted in 2012 on a large sample of small businesses, we investigate the extent to which a large international bank offers better credit conditions to enterprises that use ICT more extensively. The results, which are robust to selection and endogeneity issues, show that banks tend to grant increasing volumes of credit to such enterprises. We interpret this evidence as the ceteris paribus effect of ICT adoption by small businesses on the quality of information transmitted to banks. Another possible interpretation is that banks consider ICT adoption as a signal of firms’ willingness to innovate. We also discuss implications concerning the key role that technology plays in changing the ‘arm’s length’ versus ‘relationship’ lending paradigms.     

Realising Central Banks’ Climate Ambitions Through Financial Stability Mandates

This paper discusses how financial stability governance has evolved and how central banks and financial regulators are coping with the threats posed by climate uncertainty, providing an overview of G20 countries’ green central banking experiences in the past 20 years. The analysis shows that most central banks realise their climate ambitions through financial stability mandates, leaving the monetary stability mandate unaffected. Considering the debate on market neutrality, the concerns on the risk of overstretching the central banks’ mandate, violation of Tinbergen’s principle and threats posed to central banks’ independence, the provided evidence reveals a mismatch between the observed policy practice and its theoretical underpinnings. Drawing on these findings, we argue that effective green central banking governance should be based on a synthesis between monetary and macroprudential policymaking.

     

中国货币政策对银行风险承担行为的影响研究——基于异质性视角

国际金融危机的爆发引发了理论界对货币政策是否影响银行体系稳定更为广泛的关注。文章基于异质性视角构建动态面板数据模型对货币政策与银行风险承担行为之间的关系进行估计,研究结果表明：2003-2011年,货币政策变量对银行风险偏好的影响具有时滞性,贷款利率提高有助于抑制银行风险,货币供应量增加会刺激银行更加冒险;不同银行对货币政策冲击会做出异质反应,随着资本充足率的提高,货币政策对银行风险承担行为的影响效果减弱。因此,加强中国人民银行在宏观审慎监管中的主导作用、建立逆周期的货币政策和资本监管协调机制是后金融危机时代我国监管当局的重要议题。     

The color revolution

Our text does not intend to develop a history of French banks' Europeanisation, but instead to scrutinise the mentalities of French bankers, in order to determine whether they were confined to relationships with French business or embedded within networks of personal relations with their European colleagues. Did some French bankers follow a career more oriented\ towards international activities and were they involved in international travels? Were some bankers committed to designing European strategies and thereafter to implement them through a direct presence in those foreign countries? Did some bankers emerge as key managers of Europeanised strategies and what was their influence within their banking firms? Of course, answers will be relevant to the chronological stages, to assess, for example, whether the decline of the Haute Banque houses was unfavourable to Europeanisation, to analyse how the new joint stock banks adopted a Europeanised business model, and whether deposits banks and investment banks (banques d'affaires) reacted differently in response to Europeanised strategies and a new way of life.