The Approach of Local Firms towards E-Banking

Abstract

The Objective – This paper aims to identify the critical dominant incidents and key instigators that influence usage or lack of usage of e-banking by the business clients.

Methodology/Approach – The research at hand utilizes the Grounded Theory of Barney Glaser and Anselm Strauss (1967). It also utilizes the Critical Incident Technique in order to identify the factors that influence on the (dies) satisfaction of the business clients in using the e-banking. For the purpose of this paper, the empirical data were gathered through interviews by using open ended questions. Among 63 interviews with the representatives of the small and medium enterprises (SME), nongovernmental organizations and other business organizations, 23 of those interviews were deemed as invalid for the purposes of this research, given that they declared that they do not use the e-banking.

Findings – The empirical results highlight the need to raise the consciousness regarding the efficacy and the advantages that e-banking offers to small enterprises; on the other hand, many other enterprises cannot conceive the possibility of running their business without e-banking, given that in the past their personnel spent so much time in traffic, or waiting in line for hours in order to execute payments, or they had to carry large amounts of cash money and they were concerned in that process by the feeling of insecurity until they performed the delivery of such money.

Limitations of research – The research is limited only to the description of one critical incident that occurred in a particular bank. There are cases, however, when the business clients utilized the e-banking with several banks. In the future all these cases need to be identified and registered appropriately.

The originality/value – The present findings form the basis for a more extended research in order to evaluate the satisfaction of the business clients with the service of e-banking and to offer further suggestions which a bank needs to follow in order to be successful in attracting and retaining the business clients.