Issue #3 (Volume 17 2022)

M-banking is one of the services that Islamic banking provides to its users. With M-banking, customers can more easily obtain information without queueing at the bank. This study investigates the impact of Islamic mobile banking on customers’ interests. To explore the phenomenological impact, this study used a qualitative approach by applying in-depth interviews with 15 Islamic M-banking users from various backgrounds. This study analyzed the data by data reduction, display, and conclusion. The conclusion of this study revealed some positive and negative effects on the users. The positive effect is that it saves time, especially for students and workers who are busy with their daily activities. The available features and facilities such are credit purchases and online Islamic social payments ease them in saving time. However, there are also negative consequences for users. Some customers are susceptible to data theft by irresponsible people and face difficulties in using sophisticated mobile phones that not all customers have. Inconvenience telephone and text messages on behalf of a bank insulted users of Islamic M-banking and reduced their comfort. This study recommends that Islamic banks improve the data security system to ensure customer convenience when using M-banking.

The emergence of new players – fintech companies, neobanks and non-banking companies – changes the structure of competition in the banking sector, reduces the profitability of traditional banking activities, and therefore forces banks to look for new sources of income. The paper deals with the issue of improving relations with clients in the banking sector of Ukraine, which is proposed to be implemented through the development of priority digital banking products and services. The study used a survey method using a statistical apparatus of a small unique sample, the degree of representativeness of which was assessed using the Student’s test. Slightly higher, closer to the level that characterizes the significant impact on the client’s perception of the whole complex of digital activities in the case of Polish banks (3.81, with a maximum possible score of 5.0) than Ukrainian banks (3.75), which indicates greater involvement and willingness to accept the digitalization of the people of Poland. Generally, banks in both countries are recommended to use a customer-oriented approach in forming product policy using digital products and services, which should be implemented and developed in practice in specific areas identified during customer surveys.

The unprecedented Lebanese economic crisis and the global COVID-19 pandemic have taken their toll on the Lebanese banking sector. This led to the need to investigate this sector in times of dire uncertainty by highlighting six digital banking channels offered by Lebanese banks. This study reveals how the banking industry has adapted to this novel situation by embracing dynamic technological changes to attain higher levels of customer satisfaction with digital banking channels (DBCs). Consequently, the study investigates the extent of DBC adoption, their usage benefits, the resulting service quality, and their aggregate impact on overall customer satisfaction with DBCs. The study measures customer satisfaction with digital technologies implemented in Lebanese banks during the most unstable period of Lebanese history. This study supported the deductive approach generating significantly interesting results by analyzing Spearman’s correlations regarding DBC adoption and investigating customer satisfaction levels with DBCs showing satisfactory results such as high correlation for mobile banking adoption (0.544), internet banking (0.533), transactional call center (0.528) followed by ATM (0.455). A multiple linear regression study found a positive relationship between DBC adoption in Lebanese banks and overall customer satisfaction with DBCs with an adjusted R-squared value of 0.454 for DBC benefits and an adjusted R-squared value of 0.802 for DBC service quality in Lebanese banks on their customer satisfaction.
The final conclusion is that banks should invest in DBCs and develop them as they are the major determinants leading to improved customer satisfaction through higher adoption/diversification rates, improved service quality levels and greater benefits.

This research explored and examined the link between electronic word-of-mouth, corporate social responsibility, and loyalty of 282 customers using banking services in Vietnam (PLS-SEM) through the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling. The data were gathered using convenience sampling, with a sample of 282 customers who used banking services in Vietnam and interacted with the bank through social media. The survey is intended to include 16 questions separated into two parts: the first part contains 5 demographic questions, and the second part contains 11 questions divided into three sets of factors: corporate social responsibility, electronic word-of-mouth, and loyalty.
The survey was emailed to customers using banking services and interacting with banks via social media in Vietnam. According to the findings of the empirical study, there is a direct and indirect link between corporate social responsibility, electronic word-of-mouth, and customer loyalty in Vietnam’s banking sector. The results of empirical research in Vietnam’s banking industry indicate that corporate social responsibility has direct and positive impact on customer loyalty; corporate social responsibility has a direct and positive impact on customer’s word-of-mouth; electronic word-of-mouth has a direct and positive impact on customer loyalty; and finally, corporate social responsibility has an indirect impact on customer loyalty through customer’s electronic word-of-mouth.

Acknowledgment
The author would like to thank all the customers who completed the survey. The author would like to thank all parties and the Banking University of Ho Chi Minh City for their excellent support and assistance in completing this research.

In this paper, an investigation is conducted to estimate the effect of economic uncertainty on volume volatility, focusing on four systemic Greek banking institutions, including (i) Alpha Bank, (ii) Eurobank, (iii) National Bank of Greece, and (iv) Piraeus Bank. The purpose of this study is to explain in detail if the EPU is linked with volume volatility in the largest banking institutions in Greece. For the analysis of this paper, data used are monthly data of volume to explain the economic uncertainty on volume volatility. The analysis period covers the period from January 2001 to August 2018, incorporating various market phases, such as the global financial crisis of 2008, the European debt crisis, and capital controls in the Greek economy. The methodology used for the research is the well-known GARCH model. Based on the estimated regressions, the present research findings showed that economic uncertainty has various effects on the volume volatility of the four systemic Greek banking institutions. More specifically, when economic uncertainty receives a high value, then the volatility of the volume in Greek banking institutions increases, receiving a higher value. In conclusion, it is observed that economic uncertainty positively affects the volume volatility of the Greek banking system.

Digital Financial Services (DFS) have been growing steadily all over the world. The COVID-19 crisis has reinforced the need for DFS. This study aims to examine the growth of DFS in the global and Indian markets and to analyze the factors that change the mindsets and attitudes of adults towards the adoption of DFS during the pandemic. The growth of DFS is analyzed using secondary data. The changing customer mindset is studied and analyzed through primary data collected by a survey approach. The unit of analysis includes adults who use or prefer to use DFS. A total of 384 respondents, determined by Krejcie and Morgan formula, were personally interviewed. 384 is taken as sample size as this sample size avoids type II errors in the data analysis. The collected data were processed in SPSS21 software. The study results found that technological benefits (67.9%) have the most significant positive effect on changing people’s mindsets and attitudes towards DFS followed by the pandemic forces (50.7%). Peer influences (33.2%) and perceived trust (38.3%) have also affected the change in mindsets and attitudes of adults regarding DFS. But the change in mindset is significantly and positively influenced by perceived risk (50.1%) rather than affecting negatively. So, the factors are confirmed again. The factors that drive changes in mindsets and attitudes of adults towards the adoption of DFS are Pandemic Forces & Convenience, Perceived Safety and Security, User Benefits and Experiences, Peer Influences, and Perceived Trust during the pandemic.

Globalization processes define the modern trends in world economic development, including both international financial markets and the banking systems of different countries. The study aims to evaluate the efficiency of the banking systems of Ukraine and 17 European countries in order to choose the appropriate measures, concerning its increasing. The Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) was chosen as a tool for evaluating the efficiency of the banking systems; the calculations were made using the Banxia Frontier Analyst software. Also, the BBC and CCR models of linear programming were used to define the existing relationship between the studied indicators. As a result of the study, the groups of efficient and inefficient banking systems were identified, which allowed determining the existing reserves, possible managerial tools and decisions for improving the inefficient banking systems’ performance. Besides, graphical interpretation of the current position (rank) of certain country bank system in relation to other countries’ banking systems was presented. The developed approach is aimed at improving bank management at the macro level and enhancing the efficiency of banking systems.

Shariah supervisory boards are a key feature of shariah governance (SG), providing additional monitoring and oversight. A suitable SG mechanism enhances risk mitigation and improves Islamic bank (IB) performance without violating shariah principles. This study examines the impact of the shariah supervisory board (SSB), maqasid shariah, and risk-taking on Islamic bank performance globally. Quantitative research design with a Dynamic panel regression approach is used with a two-step generalized method of moments (GMM) with data from the Bankscope database for 2014–2018. The findings of this study show that characteristics of SSB and risk-taking have a significant impact on IB performance. This study proves that higher SSB characteristics in terms of size, expertise, level of education, cross-membership and reputation encourage the better performance of Islamic banks. Higher risk-taking illustrates that Islamic banks are more efficient, resulting in better financial performance. Compliance with maqasid sharia indicates that sharia banks comply with Islamic laws so that the resulting performance meets financial aspects and sharia principles. SSB functions as a monitor for Islamic banks so that they operate according to sharia principles, which are reflected in the maqasid sharia elements. Therefore, a higher quality SSB and a higher maqasid shariah index score positively affect the financial performance of IBs.

The market share of Islamic commercial banks in Indonesia is small despite the fact that Indonesia is a predominantly Muslim country. This paper investigates the asymmetric effect of the deposit rate of conventional banks on Islamic bank deposits in Indonesia applying a dual banking system. This study employs the Non-linear ARDL (NARDL), using monthly data and covering 2009:M1–2019:M7. The findings clearly confirm the long-run relationship between the Islamic deposit and conventional deposit rate for any maturity. Furthermore, the impact of conventional bank deposit rate is asymmetry on Islamic bank deposit for any maturity, implying that Islamic bank deposits react differently to up and down in conventional bank deposit rates, but it tends to weaken for longer maturity. More interestingly, based on asymmetric results, Islamic bank deposits adjust at a higher speed to an increase in conventional deposit rates compared to a rise in the Islamic deposit rates. The results imply that Islamic bank depositors may transfer their funds to conventional bank deposits as conventional bank deposit rates rise in a dual banking environment known as displaced commercial risk (DCR).

Acknowledgments
This work was funded by the Centre for Economic Studies, Department of Economics, Faculty of Business and Economics, Universitas Islam Indonesia, Yogyakarta, Indonesia under Grant Number: 164.a/Dir.PPE/VI/2020.

Notwithstanding the perceived global potentiality, how big data enhances decision-making quality prompts an intriguing inquiry, especially in an increasingly competitive banking environment in developing economies. Building on an industry data-driven framework, this study strives to understand the state of implementing big data in the Indonesian banking sector. A deductively organized descriptive method employing in-depth interviews was conducted with subject matter experts representing Indonesian banking-related areas. The result and the following analysis show the modest status of big data implementation across three major banks and two complementary companies, as indicated by many elements of the framework phases that were found during the early adoption stage. This denotes a steady buy-in across banking business processes as particularly reflected in the framework’s four phases – continuing push to meet the variety aspect (intelligence), structured data architecture domination (design), limited choice of performance indicator for big data value (choice), and customer–corporate vision decoupling (implementation). While Indonesian banks have evidently initiated the big data implementation, further improvement remains imperative for the decision-making process. Accordingly, big data should be tightly coupled with a strong data-driven vision that drives decision-making across intra-firm actors. Handling data omnipresence shall be viewed as the embodiment of a data-driven vision.

Mobile technology developments have altered the traditional financial services and retail banking sectors. Mobile banking is a popular and robust service delivery model, allowing consumers access to banking from anywhere and anytime. Irrespective of the benefits, usage intentions determine mobile banking success. As such, this paper attempts to test a structural model of the factors influencing mobile banking behavioral usage intention among a growing and essential segment of banking consumers, namely Generation Y. To this end, data were collected from a convenience sample of 334 South African Generation Y mobile banking consumers using a survey questionnaire. Using analysis of moment structures, the path analysis results indicated that perceived self-efficacy, behavioral control, structural assurance and trust have a statistically significant favorable influence on the target population’s mobile banking attitude, which, in turn, has a statistically significant positive effect on their mobile banking behavioral usage intention. In addition, all the model fit indices of this original and unique structural model were indicative of acceptable fit (IFI, TLI, CFI and NFI > 0.90). South African retail banks can use the study’s findings to add value to their mobile banking offering, especially when targeting the Generation Y banking cohort, which is believed to drive digital channels such as mobile banking.

The extensive use of electronic and mobile money causes additional risks, which complicates the work of electronic money issuers (EMIs) and the functioning of payment systems. The paper aims to investigate operational risk management in the process of using electronic and mobile money. A classification of operational risk types was carried out and the forms of their manifestation in payment systems using electronic and mobile money were characterized. The list of key risk indicators has been compiled to assess the operational risk factors of payment systems using mobile and electronic money; a classification of costs (losses) as a result of the implementation of operational risk events is proposed, dividing them into direct and indirect. Based on the statistics of the International Monetary Fund and the National Bank of Ukraine, the use of electronic and mobile money in certain countries of the world is analyzed. The results on the intensity of electronic money use are presented, and the value of the electronic money multiplier in Ukraine is calculated. To improve operational sustainability of EMIs, a general scheme for organizing the operational risk management process in payment systems using electronic and mobile money is presented. Particular attention is paid to the regulatory and supervisory measures aimed at supporting the operational sustainability of EMIs and payment systems under their control. The issues discussed in this paper are relevant for the debate directed at the implementation of balanced approaches to operational risk management in the process of using electronic and mobile money in developing and emerging economies.

Business organizations are facing ever-growing challenges in the competitive market regarding commitment, retention, engagement, and the belief of their employees. Employees are regarded as the lifeblood of every organization where the companies could not run their activities without skillful employees. The objective of this study is to explore the effect of job satisfaction, employee empowerment, and emotional intelligence on bank employees’ performance in the context of Bangladesh. In terms of the research purpose, non-probability convenience sampling has been used in this study. The targeted population was the commercial bank employees in Bangladesh. Regarding this study, total of 200 employees were asked to participate in this research. Among 200 employees, finally, 160 responses were received as complete with an 80% response rate. For analysis purposes, SPSS version 26.0 was used in this study. The study discovered that job satisfaction, employee empowerment, and emotional intelligence positively and significantly affect employee performance. The model explains 60 percent variance, and employee empowerment is found to have a higher impact on employee performance. Finally, this study will offer some extraordinary directions and implications for future research on commercial bank managers.

This study investigated the impact of IFRS on the relationship between risk management and financial disclosure in Jordanian banks in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. The study data were collected from Jordanian banks’ financial reports with the help of panel data to measure IFRS and risk management. The study depended on daily data, at a rate of (256) trading days from March 3, 2020 until April 29, 2021. Also, the study used questionnaires to measure financial disclosure in addition to interviews with eight Jordanian bank managers. Multiple regression was used to test hypotheses. The study found a positive statistically significant relationship between risk management and financial disclosure. The relationship was portrayed by a coefficient of 0.315. The result also showed the moderating role of IFRS in such a relationship, the effect reached 0.696. The conclusions have implications for both theory and practice. In fact, the findings elucidated the connection between risk management, IFRS, and financial disclosure. Finally, Jordanian banks should focus on IFRS and risk management, enhanced management, and employee skills as recommendations in this study. Thus, Jordanian banks pay particular attention to IFRS and risk management in order to achieve profitability through financial disclosure.

Acknowledgment
The publication of this research has been supported by the Deanship of Scientific Research and Graduate Studies at Philadelphia University – Jordan.

This study examines the impact of the implementation of the Indonesian Financial Accounting Standard, credit risk, and credit restructuring on the formation of Allowance for Credit Losses (ACL) of commercial banks listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange. The formation of ACL is regulated in PSAK 71 which is part of the Indonesian Financial Accounting Standard. The implementation of PSAK 71, and credit risk are expected to increase the ACL of commercial banks, however, credit restructuring programs will reduce the ACL. The research population is commercial banks listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange in 2019–2020. The research sample is the entire research population. This study uses panel data regression analysis to examine the effect of the application of PSAK 71, credit risk, and credit restructuring on ACL for commercial bank loans. The findings show that the implementation of PSAK 71 and credit risk have a positive effect on the ACL, meanwhile, credit restructuring has a negative effect on the ACL.

Financial stability is a statutory concern of the European Central Bank. Spreads of bank credit default swaps (CDS) indices are a reference for financial stability, but the literature is scarce in this respect. This paper poses the novel research question of which characteristics of investors in these derivatives are implied by the volatility behavior of the returns of financial CDS indices. Daily spread returns for the 5-year maturity iTraxx Europe Financials (subordinated and senior), for the period between June 2004 and March 2015, are used to estimate a GJR-M model with Student t innovations, and two MGARCH models (one with constant and the other with dynamic conditional correlations). The results show that investors in the index referring to subordinated debt are risk averse (risk premium estimate of 0.688) and liable to leverage effects, while investors in the index for senior debt do not have such characteristics. The degrees of freedom of the Student t innovations are estimated to be 4 for both indices, implying that returns have distributions with very fat tails. Population excess kurtosis diverges to infinity. The results show that the conditional correlation between the indices is dynamic. Although correlations vary widely, most of that variation occurs before the Euro Area crisis. It is concluded that the inclusion of both indices in a portfolio would be misadvised for bear markets with distressed financial entities: the correlations are always positive, above 0.75 since 2010. Moreover, both indices prove to be sensitive to the varying surrounding conditions as investors share market sentiments.

Acknowledgments
NECE’s research is funded by national funds through FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., Project UIDB/04630/2020
CEBER’s research is funded by national funds through FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., Project UIDB/05037/2020

The aim of this study is to explore the bank customers’ perceptions towards green banking practices. This study uses a convenient sampling method. Pre-tested questionnaires were employed to collect data. The data were collected conveniently from 358 bank customers. However, the final sample includes 304 responses after ignoring null responses (n = 304). The Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied for the analyses. The significant results of the study indicate that green banking practices positively influence green image (p = 0.001) and green trust (p = 0.025), while it does not significantly affect green loyalty (p = 0.642). The mediation analysis reveals that green image mediates the relationship between green banking practices and green loyalty, while green trust does not mediate the relationship between the same. The results have practical implications for banking institutions in India to recognize the importance of environmental initiatives in influencing the decisions of bank customers.

At present, marketers focus on the phenomenon of changing consumer behavior that influences consumer decision-making. This study aims to analyze the influence of experienced life events (affected by COVID-19), perceived risk, and anxiety on the continuance intention to use online banking in Thailand. The data were attained from 500 customers who had visited commercial banks in Thailand. The data were analyzed through Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The findings of the study suggested that both perceived risk and anxiety influenced the continued use of online banking services while experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic. More specifically, anxiety had a direct negative influence on the continuance intention to use online banking services; and the perceived risk had an indirect influence on the Continuance Intention to use online banking services caused by anxiety. From the research results, it is recommended that focus should be on policies and activities that help reduce consumers’ perceived risk and anxiety to motivate more consumers to turn to online banking and eventually into a cashless society with a willingness and sense of safety.

This paper analyzes the impact of internal factors on the profitability of commercial banks in Jordan in the period of 2009–2019. Bank size, capital adequacy, bank loans, bank and liquidity risk are taken as explanatory variables, with the rate of return on assets as a dependent variable. EViews software was used for regression analysis. This study highlights a significant and positive effect of f-statistics for SGBJ Bank, Kuwait Bank, Capital Bank, ABC Bank, and Arab Bank – 11.34, 5.46, 5.11, 5,14 and 5.62, respectively. This means that internal factors affect their profitability, there is a positive effect of internal factors on the profitability of SGBJ, Kuwait Bank, ABC Bank, and Arab Bank. SGBJ’s R-squared was 88%.This indicates that any change inthe bank’s profitability is 88% due to a change in internal factors, while R-squared of Kuwait Bank, Capital Bank, ABC Bank and Arab Bank was 78%, 77%, 77%, and 77%, respectively, indicating that changes in the banks’ profitability were caused by internal factors. This is due to the bank loan ratio, where SGBJ’s ratio 48.6 and the bank loan rate were 79% of total assets. Kuwait Bank 29.1, so bank loan rate is 56% of total assets, Cairo Bank 36.3, ABC Bank 11.8, and Capital Bank 16.37; f-statistics of Alethad Bank, Invest Bank, Arab Invest Bank, Housing Bank, Ahli Bank, Commercial Bank, Cairo Bank, and Jordan Bank were 0.75, 2.17, 1.61, 2.48, 2.26, 3.25, and 2.72, respectively. This indicates that internal factors do not affect the profitability of these banks.