Internationalisation Of Operations And Competitiveness Of Commercial Bank Of Africa In Kenya

Abstract

Removal of trade barriers by the East African community to enhance business amidst regional countries has resulted to internationalization of operations by commercial banks for example CBA, in order to boost their positioning strategies and open new branches within the region. This research was set out to determine the influence of internationalization of operations on competitiveness of CBA in Kenya. The choice of this design is because was because it allowed the researcher to do an in-depth investigation of CBA. Primary type of data was collected with the help of an interview guide. The decision to use an interview guide was because the population in question was small hence it would have been easier for the researcher to get first-hand information. Both primary and secondary sources of data were used. Primary data was obtained through interviewing four heads of departments namely operations, business development, finance and marketing. Secondary data was retrieved from the hospital’s repository, annual reports and the organization’s handbook. Data was analyzed using content analysis since the research was qualitative in nature. Using content analysis, the researcher applied textual data and presented it inform of an essay, responses obtained from primary data were discussed to ensure that they were in line with the research objective. The study found that the bank expanded its operations to five countries, with mobile-centric technology driving growth in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. With a Shared Service Centre, its executive management was committed for grow the bank in the regional markets and internationally through providing world class financial services and products. The study established that; previously untapped markets, digitization, large customer base from mobile subscribers, unique products and a robust brand offered the bank a competitive edge by internationalizing its operations. CBK ought to craft policies that give commercial banks a good environment to grow and expand their businesses in the regional markets and beyond. It is desirable for local banks to sponsor their staff for trips to benchmark with other established banks, on some of the practices they adopt when internationalizing their operations. One of the key limitations for this research is that, the researcher lacked control over data collection. It is impossible to control the attitudes and perception of the interviewees and this might interfere with the quality of the research findings since the researcher could end up getting biased results. It would be meaningful for future scholars to consider doing a replica of this research in other sectors like insurance or manufacturing firms then compare findings after which a more plausible conclusion can be drawn.