FIDE Congress 2020 - EU Competition Law and the Digital Economy: United Kingdom Report

This report was prepared for the 29th biennial Congress of the International Federation of European Law (FIDE) to be held in The Hague in May 2020. It is the national report for the United Kingdom in response to Topic 3 of the 2020 FIDE Congress, titled ‘EU Competition Law and the Digital Economy’. This report offers an overview of UK competition enforcement in digital economy markets by answering twelve questions organised into four sections. Part A summarises key UK antitrust and merger decisions, agency publications, priorities and goals of enforcement in digital economy markets. Part B focuses upon the definition of markets and conceptualisation of market power by UK authorities in digital economy cases in light of their challenges and particularities. Part C offers a detailed overview of the issues underpinning UK antitrust and merger scrutiny in this field: the types of conduct investigated, relevant factors and concepts, theories of harm, efficiency justifications and remedies in digital economy cases. Finally, Part D identifies the potential for incoherent enforcement in this field from two different sources: the overlap between UK competition law and ex ante regulatory regimes (e.g. consumer protection, data protection); and the overlap between the powers of various UK competition decision-makers (e.g. sectoral regulators, the Competition Appeal Tribunal, and the courts)

U.S. Multinational Services Companies: Effects of Foreign Affiliate Activity on U.S. Employment

This working paper examines the effect that U.S. services firms’ establishment abroad has on domestic employment. Whereas many papers have explored the employment effects of foreign direct investment in manufacturing, few have explored the effects of services investment. We find that services multinationals’ activities abroad increase U.S. employment by promoting intrafirm exports from parent firms to their foreign affiliates. These exports support jobs at the parents’ headquarters and throughout their U.S. supply chains. Our findings are principally based on economic research and econometric analysis performed by Commission staff, services trade and investment data published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, and employment data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In the aggregate, we find that services activities abroad support nearly 700,000 U.S. jobs. Case studies of U.S. multinationals in the banking, computer, logistics, and retail industries provide the global dimensions of U.S. MNC operations and identify domestic employment effects associated with foreign affiliate activity in each industry

The value of e-banking services in the Egyptian environment : an integrated model

Introduction: Driving the introduction of e-banking services in Egypt are structural changes, which have intensified competition across the banking sector. The value (net benefits) of e-banking services to their suppliers lies in their ability to attract new customers and retain those interested in using them. To achieve these objectives, requires an understanding of the value management process in e-banking services specifically within the Egyptian environment.Study Problem: Extant literature lacks an integrated model of value management relevant to the e-banking services. Empirical studies addressing the value of e-banking services in terms of antecedents and consequence in general and in the Egyptian environment are limited. Moreover, customer relationship management (CRM) literature disagrees on the factors reflecting the role of the internal operating environment and overlooks the role of the external environment in affecting the ability of service suppliers to create and deliver the value of e-banking services.Aim and objectives: This study sought to develop an integrated model for managing the value of e-banking services in the Egyptian environment through the following objectives. First, to identify the antecedents (requirements) and consequence of e-banking services perceived value from the demand side of e-banking services. Second, to explore factors shaping banks' ability to create and deliver value of offered e-banking services.Paradigm and research methods: This study adopted the critical realism paradigm, an anti-positivist paradigm, which supports the exploratory and the abductive nature of this research. To identify the antecedents and consequence of e-banking services perceived value from the demand side of e-banking services, an exploratory sequential strategy, in which in-depth interviews preceded the survey phase, was conducted. To explore factors shaping the banks' ability to create and deliver the value of e-banking services, semi-structured interviews were used.Key Findings: Findings related to the demand side indicated that improving e-banking services perceived value can significantly and positively strengthen the relationship between banks and customers. Antecedents of value were identified to be a combination of the explicit involvement of service suppliers in supporting face-to-face service encounters, e-banking services quality, and the role of external environment in promoting e-banking services.The ability of banks to create and deliver value of e-banking services is affected by their positioning strategy, bank branch design, employment scheme, criteria of recruiting front-office employees, and criteria of evaluating front-office employees' performance. The nature of the Egyptian economy, output of education system and legal system development were defined as highly influential within this process.Conclusion: It could be concluded that, managing the value of e-banking services is a dynamic process between service users and service suppliers

E-Marketing and its Influence in the Delivery of Services at Guaranty Trust Bank (GT Bank Cape Coast)

This paper specifically looks at how electronic marketing is affecting and contributing to the service delivery in Guaranty Trust Bank (GT Bank Cape Coast Branch). The study uses questionnaires to investigate the level of influence the internet has on consumers in their choice and decision-making on financial service and also to determine the amount of expenditure GT bank spend annually on the use of electronic marketing. In terms of GT Cash Machine (ATM), clients were satisfied about, how the machine works, always is on good condition and perfectly working. From the statistics it can be seen that 90% of the clients approved of their service through the ATM machine. Overall, the management of GT bank should increase its activities on the internet and more sensitisation should be given to clients about its operation on the internet, so that clients will patronize its electronic services

Remote channels as an opportunity in redesigning Portuguese banks’ business model – an empirical study in Lisbon metropolitan area

Facing an unfavorable economic environment since 2007 the Portuguese banking sector has been unable to generate profitability levels capable of ensuring the industry's attractiveness to investors. The solvency adequacy measures required by regulatory authorities forced the paradigm change in the banking business model. The widespread diffusion of technological innovation in Portuguese society enhances the use of remote banking access channels such as internet banking service (IB) and the ATM, while the traditional branch channel usage is decreasing. A study conducted in the Lisbon area, with 191 responses obtained, revealed that the channels with greater usage intensity are the ATM and IB. It further revealed that there are behavior dimensions on the IB use with direct effect on customer retention. Satisfaction with IB service, perceived switching costs and favorable price perception affect customer retention in their IB service. The findings of this research also confirm that satisfaction with IB service and perceived service price have a direct effect on repurchase intention

Attitude and satisfaction with internet banking of Bank of Ayudhya Public Company Limited, Thailand

The purpose of this study is to gather information for the management of the Bank of Ayudhya to improve its internet banking service. It explored customer satisfaction, customer attitudes, and the correlation between the frequency of Internet banking usage and customer demographic data

An investigation of the internet banking (IB) adoption, use, and success in Saudia Arabia (SA)

This thesis attempts to empirically investigate the different factors that have relation with the adoption, use and success (Dependent variables) of Internet Banking (IB). It extended the previous marketing literature and TAM model by investigating different factors that might have relationship with the adoption and use of the IB. In addition to that, and since the success of IB has not been found in the reviewed literature, this study introduces the success variable following the DeLone and McLean (2003) IS success model. This thesis responds to several researchers’ calls by conducting an investigation in Saudi Arabia (SA), where it has special socio-economic motives and social values such as Islamic Banking (IsB).The data of this study were collected through a survey (postal questionnaires), sample (n=1000), which has been conducted randomly using SA’s Residential Telephone Directory. A total of 228 usable questionnaires were returned (22.8% response rate). The data were analysed using descriptive statistics method, and a factor analysis was also used to classify the variables into a set of dimensions. Moreover, multiple regression analysis was performed to test the research hypotheses. As a result, the researches’ models of adoption, use and success have shown high, good and fair prediction powers (R²=62%, 39.4% and 30%, respectively), which are comaparable to other studies in the area.The research findings suggest that awareness, resistance to change, satisfaction, perceived ease of use, self-efficiency, high cost, availability of IsB services online, and income (independent variables) were affecting the IB customers’ adoption, use and success in different degrees. The awareness and self-efficiency of the IB were found to significantly affect the adoption of IB, whereas self-efficiency and satisfaction “convenience” significantly affect the use of IB. However, frequency and wide range of the used IB services, satisfaction “time saving and customers’ needs fulfilment”, income and the availability of IsB services were found to also affect the success of the IB services. Surprisingly, the research findings indicate that security does not contribute significantly to the adoption, use, and success of IB services and that is due to some reasons which is recommended for future studies. It is also essential to highlight that IB customers’ satisfaction was found to be a very significant factor in motivating the new adopters to use the services frequently, which will lead to a successful competitive performance. This thesis concludes with implications for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers in addition to research limitations and recommendations for future studies

Service-Channel Fit Conceptualization and Instrument Development - A Mixed Methods Study in the Context of Electronic Banking

Electronically mediated self-service technologies in the banking industry have impacted the way banks service consumers. Despite a large body of research on electronic banking channels, no study has been undertaken to empirically explore the fit between electronic banking channels and banking services. To address this gap, we developed and validated a service-channel fit conceptualization and an associated survey instrument. We applied a mixed methods approach and initially investigated industry experts’ perceptions regarding the concept of ‘service-channel fit’ (SCF). The findings demonstrated that the concept was highly valued by bank managers. Next, we developed an instrument to measure the perceived service-channel fit of electronic banking channels. The instrument was developed using expert rounds and two pretests involving approximately 300 consumers in New Zealand. Drawing on IS alignment literature, we created a parallel instrument allowing us to calculate SCF across three unique fit dimensions, including service complexity-channel fit, service importance-channel fit, and service routineness-channel fit. To explore the nomological validity of the SCF construct, we linked SCF to customers’ intention to use a specific channel for a particular banking task. We tested our model with data from 340 consumers in New Zealand using Internet banking applications for two different banking tasks. The results of our study have theoretical and practical implications for how clients should be serviced through electronically mediated Banking channels