Identifying Different Forms of Innovation in Retail Banking

To be competitive and capture new customers, banks must develop continuous innovations that can reduce costs, enhance existing service quality, expand current service offerings, and increase market share. This article proposes a typology of different types of innovation in the retail banking sector on the basis of a case study of the leading French credit institution, Crédit Agricole. This bank does not innovate just incrementally, and radical innovations resulted from the launch of a new distribution channel, though several innovations are unrelated to new technology. This study adds to literature on innovation services by enhancing understanding of the different types of innovation. The empirical investigation further shows that the banking sector can develop process innovations, which give the bank a longer term competitive advantage. To innovate radically, the bank should anticipate the impact of its new offerings on different areas of the system.

The Impact of Internet Adoption on the International Marketing of the Jordanian Banking Sector

The research aims are to explore the extent of the banking sector's adoption of Internet applications in Jordan for marketing products and to identify the impact of such adoption on developing international markets. This study also aims to determine the major obstacles restraining banks marketing their products internationally through the Internet and to make recommendations conducive to an effective and optimal implementation of Internet applications for marketing bank products locally and internationally. The statistical software package SPSS was used to analyse data and test hypotheses and from the findings a series of recommendations were formulated for upgrading the banking industry in Jordan. A population frame included banking organisations in Jordan and a research sample of 19 banks was used involving an inclusive field survey. For the unit of analysis, the study analysed information and data gathered through the questionnaire which was distributed to managers and other personnel involved in marketing at banks. Statistical methods used to analyse data and test hypotheses were frequency rates and percentages relevant to the questionnaire, standard deviations and means, and multiple regression analysis. The key results from the statistical analysis have shown that the Jordanian banking sector's adoption of the Internet has had an impact on the international clients' commitment towards the banks.

Analysis of the Analytical Balance Sheet of Central Bank of Republic of Turkey During 2000 - 2009 Period in Terms of Crises

Today, Central Banks' primary target is to maintain the price stability. In that context, through their monetary policy, they intervene in the money market with different tools. The Analytical Balance Sheet was created upon summing up and offsetting Balance Sheet of the Central Bank of Republic of Turkey (CBRT) in order to represent specific monetary aggregates. By means of that, CBRT aims to make the balance sheet more understandable and simple. In this chapter, firstly the sub items of the Analytical Balance Sheet are explained; secondly, the economic crises of Turkey during 2000-2009 is mentioned; finally, effects of these crises on the CBRT's Analytical Balance Sheet, changes in monetary aggregates which are Currency Issued, Reserve Money, Monetary Base, and Central Bank's Money, and in this context structure of the monetary policy of the CBRT in this period is analyzed.

The Adoption Process of Payment Cards

The authors investigate the payment adoption rate under consumers' and merchants' awareness of network externalities, given two levels of interchange fees in a multi-agent card market. For the purpose of their research, in multiple instantiations of the model (scenarios) the investigated effects are analyzed over the complete process of adoption, until the market's saturation point is achieved. Then, for each scenario, a comparison is made between two different levels of interchange fees and different degrees of consumers' and merchants' awareness. To this end, the authors model explicitly the interactions between consumers and merchants at the point of sale. They allow card issuers to charge consumers with fixed fees and provide net benefits from card usage, whereas acquirers can charge fixed and transactional fees to merchants.

An Uncertain Decision Making Process Considering Customers and Services in Evaluating Banks

In today's changing environment two properties are required to service namely good relation with customers and service quality. Nowadays no organization can get great achievement unless it can attract sufficient customers providing better service quality is important for service firms. This paper proposes a novel combined approach utilizing group decision making process to evaluate and rank criteria influencing the customer relationship management and service quality of four banks in Iran based on fuzzy decision making trial and evaluation laboratory (Fuzzy DEMATEL) and fuzzy analytic network process (Fuzzy ANP). Defuzzification of decision makers' judgments is handled by Converting Fuzzy data into Crisp Scores (CFCS) method. Fuzzy DEMATEL is applied to deal with inner dependencies among criteria. Fuzzy ANP is used to compute final ranking of four banks as an empirical example. An empirical study is presented to illustrate the application of the proposed method.

An Investigation into the Risk of Construction Projects Delays in the UAE

The growing rate of delays in project delivery is considered a major criticism of the construction companies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This paper aims to investigate the causes and effects behind the delays pertaining to delivery of construction projects in the UAE. The study is exploratory in nature, and incorporates a pilot questionnaire survey and interviews. An extensive literature review indicates potential factors that have possible effects on construction completion delay. The questionnaire forms were sent to 50 construction companies. Thirty-five (70%) completed responses were received. Analysis of the survey data has revealed that about 42 potential causes and effects of delay relate to various groups of stakeholders. The results show the top fifteen factors relate to clients, project managers and finance aspects. It was found that cost and time overruns are the most significant effects. These results are in partial agreement with previous studies. The paper argues that the key determinant in ensuring project control is on-time project delivery. The results of the study can provide moderate support for a suggested hypothesis, through a framework of project success factors. It should be of high concern to knowledge managers in various roles and decision-makers.

Impact Evaluation of Customer Knowledge Process on Customer Knowledge Expansion

The article aim is to investigate how Customer Knowledge Processes used in practice by Jordanian banks to achieve customer knowledge expansion. The empirical study is based on a sample of the data collected from 165 respondents, drawn randomly from six banks. The results show that the seven selected factors (Customer Knowledge Codification, Customer Knowledge Representation, Customer Knowledge Sharing, Customer Knowledge Application, Design of Customer Knowledge, Execution of Knowledge from Customer, and Verify of Knowledge from Customer) have a significant impact on Customer Knowledge Expansion. The findings did reveal the potential relationship between the customer knowledge processes and customer knowledge expansion. It also provides advice for the Information Technology (IT) Industry as to how an analytical knowledge process from customers should be taken into account in developing countries to attain proper customer knowledge expansion because of cultural, social and educational disparities.

The Behavior Intention of Tunisian Banks' Customers on using Internet Banking

This paper examines empirically the factors affecting the adoption of internet banking in Tunisia using the Theory of Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Security and privacy construct were selected as additional factors because of their potent influence on the use of internet banking system. For this purpose, a Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) is employed to examine the inter-correlations among the seven proposed constructs. A survey involving a total of 284 respondents is conducted and confirmatory factor analysis used to determine the measurement efficacies. This study confirms the appropriateness of TAM, TPB, and the security and privacy construct in predicting intention to use internet banking in a Tunisian banking environment. This research reveals that TAM and TPB could be used to provide a solid theoretical foundation of internet banking in Tunisian acceptance case. The study contributes to the literature of internet banking in Tunisia.

Self-Service Technology Banking Preferences

Technology-enabled banking services are currently being implemented in developing countries. This research examines how citizens of developing countries adapt to these changes in their banking services. Technological expansion has been occurring in the Arabic region since the 1980s; however, the focus has been on trade and services offered by industries. The banking sector is an information intensive industry and should be at the forefront of advanced use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). The banking sector has started to utilize technology-enabled services through the Internet and mobile devices, with the goal of improving customer relationships by empowering customers. One common trend is increasing the use of self-service technologies, which are facilitated by ICTs. This study discusses how Libyan banks should focus their technology strategies to relate to customers, reduce costs and improve services, achieved through the use of a survey completed by customers who have become accustomed to technology-enabled banking services in the developed world. The current availability of technology-enabled banking services in Libya is limited. This paper presents a comparative review of the use of technology-enabled banking services by Libyans when they are in Libya and whilst they are in Australia (a foreign developed country where Libyans are furthering their education).

ICT Infrastructure Framework for Microfinance Institutions and Banks in Pakistan

Information and communication technology (ICT) can be termed as a reagent for the microfinance sector. It has contributed significantly for the growth of this sector, which is clearly depicted from the reviewed literature as well as the market evaluation. The paper analyzes the impact of technological advancements within the microfinance industry from academic as well as practitioner's point of view. The true advantage of that advancement in the technology is yet to be realized by this sector. The paper proposed that ICT components on an optimized approach can be beneficial for a new as well as an experienced microfinance player for the efficient and cost effective delivery of its services to the masses without any major hindrance.