Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) has trained Bachelor of Business Administration graduates (Bachelors of Science majoring in Banking and Finance) for a number of years. Up to now it has lacked a teaching guide for the introductory module on Banking Management. Therefore, the lecturing team from the Institute for Banking and Finance at ZHAW has taken the decision to incorporate their many years of professional and teaching experience into new teaching materials. Compendio Bildungsmedien AG supported the idea of the book project. This has resulted in a comprehensive Banking Management course guide which takes due account of the peculiarities of the Swiss banking industry. It is published in German and English because the ZHAW offers advanced studies in Banking and Finance in both languages.
The first section focuses on the Swiss banking sector with its structures and how it is embedded in the institutional environment (macroeconomic assessment). The structure and history of the banking sector in Switzerland are explained, from its early days to the recent crises and consolidation trends. A separate chapter is given over to the peculiarities of Swiss financial market infrastructure, principally the Swiss Value Chain, as well as to the economic significance of the banking sector in relation to the monetary economy and monetary policy. The macroeconomic assessment is rounded off with the international accords on banking regulation and the so-called “Swiss Finish”, i.e. how international rules are transposed and supplemented in Switzerland.
The second part looks at the most important areas of activity for individual banks (microeconomic assessment). The most important approaches in banking theory are presented and linked to the performance and value-added claim of banking organisations. The different business models, the organisational and informational-technology challenges, the services offered to meet clients’ heterogeneous needs, and approaches to creating client segments are explored in detail. Risk management, which is of immense importance to the success and survival capability of banks, is examined in a separate chapter. Finally, a bank’s accounting and controlling procedures are explained in detail; they differ significantly from those in other companies. Mapping banking transactions externally and in internal accounting also harbours particular conceptual challenges
