Organisational change and the computerisation of British and Spanish savings banks, circa 1965-1985

In this article we explore organisational changes associated with the computarization of British savings banks while making a running comparison with developments in Spain. This international comparison addresses the evolution of the same organisational form in two distinct competitive environments in the late 20th century. Changes in regulation and technological developments (particularly applications of information technology) are said to be responsible for enhancing competitiveness of retail finance. Archival research on the evolution of savings banks helps to ascertain how, prior to competitive changes taking place, participants in bank markets had to develop capabilities to compete. Moreover, assess the response of collaborative agreements to opportunities opened by technological change (in particular resolve apparent scale disadvantages to contest bank markets). Of particular interest are choices made between applications of computer technology to redefine the relation between head office and retail branches as well as between staff at retail branches and customers.comparative financial markets, United Kingdom, Spain, market structure, technological change, regulatory change, savings banks, banks, TSB, cajas de ahorro

Organisational change and the computerisation of British and Spanish savings banks, 1965-1985

In this article we explore organisational changes associated with the automation of financial intermediaries in Spain and the UK. This international comparison looks at the evolution of the same organisational form in two distinct competitive environments. Changes in regulation and technological developments (particularly applications of information technology) are said to be responsible for enhancing competitiveness of retail finance. Archival research on the evolution of savings banks helps to ascertain how, prior to competitive changes taking place, participants in bank markets had to develop capabilities to compete

Financial services for the urban poor : South Africa's E Plan

Much of the research on financial services in low-income countries has focused on micro-credit programs. Much less attention has been paid to the design of depository services, although many more low-income people use depository services than get access to credit. Having access to depository services is important for household well-being: to safeguard funds, to save for large purchases, and as insurance against unexpected expenditures. Economic reform programs in recent years have encouraged banks to push up nominal interest rates to keep deposit rates positive in real terms, and to motivate savings in financial assets. But once deposit rates are positive in real terms, banks typically increase minimum deposit size or find other ways to discourage small depositors because of the high costs of maintaining and servicing low-balance accounts. Traditional passbook savings accounts, the main product used by low-income households, are being phased out because of high costs. After South Africa's move to democracy in 1994, it was politically imperative that the country's major financial institutions help redress the historically weak system of services for low-income people. The authors describe one of the more interesting experiments. In 1993 Standard Bank of South Africa created an affiliate, called E Bank, to deliver basic banking services to the urban poor. E Bank provides a package of financial services designed specifically for low-income clients, offering greater convenience for the user while keeping under control the costs to the bank of providing services. E Bank combines the innovative technology of modified ATM services with staff available to help all clients. By rethinking the needs of the basic banking customer, E Bank was able to bundle services valued by poorer clients to justify a fee high enough to cover costs.Fiscal&Monetary Policy,Payment Systems&Infrastructure,Banks&Banking Reform,Health Economics&Finance,Environmental Economics&Policies,Banks&Banking Reform,Health Economics&Finance,Payment Systems&Infrastructure,Environmental Economics&Policies,Economic Theory&Research

Corportate strategy, centralisation and outsourcing in banking: case studies on paper payment processing

This is an empirical review of IT outsourcing as an emerging tool for corporate strategy after deregulation and other phenomena changed the suitability of the global/universal bank model. Case studies of UK commercial banks are used to focus on cost management of paper and electronic processing through insourcing and outsourcing arrangements to change the size/efficiency equation in banking. The analysis discusses the corporate strategy and corr capabilities ussues behind a number of innovations and illustrates how outsourcing and other third party arrangements alters strategic balance albeit as a component of overall strategy. The paper establishes why outsourcing decisions have been concentrated in particular aspects of banking and discusses the competitive and environmental forces which have contributed to this focus.

Fighting Poverty, Profitably: Transforming the Economics of Payments to Build Sustainable, Inclusive Financial Systems

The Gates Foundation's Financial Services for the Poor program (FSP) believes that effective financial services are paramount in the fight against poverty. Nonetheless, today more than 2 billion people live outside the formal financial sector. Increasing their access to high quality, affordable financial services will accelerate the well-being of households, communities, and economies in the developing world. One of the most promising ways to deliver these financial services to the poor -- profitably and at scale -- is by using digital payment platforms.These are the conclusions we have reached as the result of extensive research in pursuit of one of the Foundation's primary missions: to give the world's poorest people the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty.FSP conducted this research because we believe that there is a gap in the fact base and understanding of how payment systems can extend digital services to low income consumers in developing markets. This is a complex topic, with fragmented information and a high degree of country-by-country variability. A complete view across the entire payment system has been missing, limiting how system providers, policy makers, and regulators (groups we refer to collectively as financial inclusion stakeholders) evaluate decisions and take actions. With a holistic view of the payment system, we believe that interventions can have higher impact, and stakeholders can better understand and address the ripple effects that changes to one part of the system can have. In this report, we focus on the economics of payment systems to understand how they can be transformed to serve poor people in a way that is profitable and sustainable in aggregate

Keynote address: the networked bank

Technology ; Banks and banking - Customer services ; Automated tellers

Organisational change and the computerisation of British and Spanish savings banks, 1965-1985

In this article we explore organisational changes associated with the automation of financial intermediaries in Spain and the UK. This international comparison looks at the evolution of the same organisational form in two distinct competitive environments. Changes in regulation and technological developments (particularly applications of information technology) are said to be responsible for enhancing competitiveness of retail finance. Archival research on the evolution of savings banks helps to ascertain how, prior to competitive changes taking place, participants in bank markets had to develop capabilities to compete.comparative financial markets; United Kingdom; Spain; market structure; technological change; regulatory change; savings banks; banks

Understanding smart contracts as a new option in transaction cost economics

Among different concepts associated with the term blockchain, smart contracts have been a prominent one, especially popularized by the Ethereum platform. In this study, we unpack this concept within the framework of Transaction Cost Economics (TCE). This institutional economics theory emphasizes the role of distinctive (private and public) contract law regimes in shaping firm boundaries. We propose that widespread adoption of the smart contract concept creates a new option in public contracting, which may give rise to a smart-contract-augmented contract law regime. We discuss tradeoffs involved in the attractiveness of the smart contract concept for firms and the resulting potential for change in firm boundaries. Based on our new conceptualization, we discuss potential roles the three branches of government – judicial, executive, and legislative – in enabling and using this new contract law regime. We conclude the paper by pointing out limitations of the TCE perspective and suggesting future research directions

Information technology innovations and commercial banking: A review and appraisal from an historical perspective

Technological innovation in general and information technology (IT) applications in particular, have had a major effect in banking and finance. Following Garbade and Silber (1978), this research reviews the effects on banking organisations with reference to front office or external changes as described by the nature of product and service offerings. Following Morris (1986) and Quintás (1991), the research also considers innovations in the back office or internal (operational function) changes brought about to banking organisations. Outstanding IT-based innovations are considered and grouped into four distinct periods: early adoption (1864-1945), specific application (1945-1965), emergence (1965-1980) and diffusion (1980-1995). The research then discusses the potential impact of more recent innovations (i.e. electronic purses, digital cash and Internet banking). As a result, the research provides an historical perspective on the main drivers determining adoption of technological innovation in retail banking markets.Banks, competition, IT innovation

Investment and Usage of New Technologies: Evidence from a Shared ATM Network

When new technologies become available, it is not only essential that firms have the correct investment incentives, but often also that consumers make the proper usage decisions. This paper studies investment and usage in a shared ATM network. Be- cause all banks coordinate their ATM investment decisions, there is no strategic but only a pure cost-saving incentive to invest. At the same time, because retail fees for cash withdrawals are regulated to zero at both branches and ATMs, consumers may not have the proper incentives to substitute their transactions from branches to the available ATMs. We develop an empirical model of coordinated investment and cash withdrawal demand, where banks choose the number of ATMs and consumers decide whether to withdraw cash at ATMs or branches. We find that banks substantially underinvested in the shared ATM network and thus provided too little geographic coverage. This contrasts with earlier findings of strategic overinvestment in networks with partial incompatibility. Furthermore, we find that consumer usage of the avail- able ATM network is too low because of the zero retail fees for cash withdrawals at branches. A direct promotion of investment (through subsidies or other means) can improve welfare, but the introduction of retail fees on cash withdrawals at branches would be more e¤ective, even if this does not encourage investment per se.