Ebook: Competitiveness in Banking

"Once upon a longish time ago, Swiss bankers were solemn men to whom you took the money stashed under your mattress so Oliver Landmann they could stash it under theirs. Not now". (The Economist, February 2nd, 1991) As The Economist has recognized, the banking business is subject to thorough change. Traditional competitive advantages are lost, new ones must be sought. And above all, the rapid globalization of fmancial markets in the recent past has greatly intensified international competition in banking. In view of these developments, the issue of competitiveness in banking has become an urgent research priority. The contributions collected in this conference volume present the ftrst results of a joint research project of the Labour and Industrial Economics Research Unit at the University of Basel, the International Centre for Monetary and Banking Studies, and the Graduate Institute for International Studies in Geneva on the Swiss Financial Sector. TIle Conference was held in Basel on May 16 - 17, 1991. The research project, directed by Professors Alexander Swoboda, Niklaus Blattner and Hans Genberg, is part of the National Research Programme Nr. 28, commissioned by the Swiss Government and administered by the Swiss National Science Foundation. The programme is devoted to the external economic challenges faced by Switzerland. The notion of competitiveness is at the very core of this research programme.

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This study is devoted to competitiveness in banking. Con- ceptual, measurement, and interpretational issues are dis- cussed innovatively and indetail by a number of leading international experts in the field. Theoretical contributions from the area of international trade in services and from industrial economics are paired with econometric work on international cross-section and time-series data. Papers especially focus on banking in Switzerland. This should not reduce the interest of the publication to an international readership since Switzerland is one of the leading financial centres in the world. In addition, Swiss banking iscompared with banking in the most important other countries in a systematic way. Important results are of a comparative nature and, therefore, of international relevance. The main benefit to the reader will be his increased awareness of the complexity of the issue of competitiveness, combined with some thought provoking empirical results.

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This study is devoted to competitiveness in banking. Con- ceptual, measurement, and interpretational issues are dis- cussed innovatively and indetail by a number of leading international experts in the field. Theoretical contributions from the area of international trade in services and from industrial economics are paired with econometric work on international cross-section and time-series data. Papers especially focus on banking in Switzerland. This should not reduce the interest of the publication to an international readership since Switzerland is one of the leading financial centres in the world. In addition, Swiss banking iscompared with banking in the most important other countries in a systematic way. Important results are of a comparative nature and, therefore, of international relevance. The main benefit to the reader will be his increased awareness of the complexity of the issue of competitiveness, combined with some thought provoking empirical results.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages I-VIII
Introduction....Pages 1-5
Front Matter....Pages 7-7
Competitiveness in Banking: Selected Recent Contributions and Research Priorities....Pages 9-39
Comment on Niklaus Blattner: “Competitiveness in Banking: Selected Recent Contributions and Research Priorities”....Pages 41-50
Comment on Niklaus Blattner: “Competitiveness in Banking: Selected Recent Contributions and Research Priorities”....Pages 51-56
Front Matter....Pages 57-57
The Swiss Banking Sector: Development and Outlook....Pages 59-115
Comment on Andreas Bossard, Matthias Wirth, Niklaus Blattner: “The Swiss Banking Sector: Development and Outlook....Pages 117-120
Front Matter....Pages 121-121
Regulation and Technology as Determinants of International Trade in Banking Services....Pages 123-155
Comment on Thomas Helbling: “Regulation and Technology as Determinants of International Trade in Banking Services”....Pages 157-161
Front Matter....Pages 163-163
The Swiss Position in the International Market for Non-Bank Deposits....Pages 165-189
Explaining the Cross-Country Distribution of International Bank Deposits George Sheldon....Pages 191-220
Comment on Ulrich Camen: “The Swiss Position in the International Market for Non-Bank Deposits”....Pages 221-224
Comment on George Sheldon: “Explaining the Cross-Country Distribution of International Bank Deposits”....Pages 225-230
Comment on Ulrich Camen: “The Swiss Position in the International Market for Non-Bank Deposits” George Sheldon: “Explaining the Cross-Country Distribution of International Bank Deposits”....Pages 231-236
Front Matter....Pages 237-237
On the Attractiveness of International Financial Centres....Pages 239-272
Comment on Matthias Jeger, Urs Haegler, Roland Theiss: “On the Attractiveness of International Financial Centers”....Pages 273-280
Front Matter....Pages 281-281
Monopoly Power in Swiss Financial Markets....Pages 283-305
Comment on: Hans Genberg, Thomas Helbling, Salih Neftci: “Monopoly Power in Swiss Financial Markets”....Pages 307-311
Back Matter....Pages 313-316

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This study is devoted to competitiveness in banking. Con- ceptual, measurement, and interpretational issues are dis- cussed innovatively and indetail by a number of leading international experts in the field. Theoretical contributions from the area of international trade in services and from industrial economics are paired with econometric work on international cross-section and time-series data. Papers especially focus on banking in Switzerland. This should not reduce the interest of the publication to an international readership since Switzerland is one of the leading financial centres in the world. In addition, Swiss banking iscompared with banking in the most important other countries in a systematic way. Important results are of a comparative nature and, therefore, of international relevance. The main benefit to the reader will be his increased awareness of the complexity of the issue of competitiveness, combined with some thought provoking empirical results.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages I-VIII
Introduction....Pages 1-5
Front Matter....Pages 7-7
Competitiveness in Banking: Selected Recent Contributions and Research Priorities....Pages 9-39
Comment on Niklaus Blattner: “Competitiveness in Banking: Selected Recent Contributions and Research Priorities”....Pages 41-50
Comment on Niklaus Blattner: “Competitiveness in Banking: Selected Recent Contributions and Research Priorities”....Pages 51-56
Front Matter....Pages 57-57
The Swiss Banking Sector: Development and Outlook....Pages 59-115
Comment on Andreas Bossard, Matthias Wirth, Niklaus Blattner: “The Swiss Banking Sector: Development and Outlook....Pages 117-120
Front Matter....Pages 121-121
Regulation and Technology as Determinants of International Trade in Banking Services....Pages 123-155
Comment on Thomas Helbling: “Regulation and Technology as Determinants of International Trade in Banking Services”....Pages 157-161
Front Matter....Pages 163-163
The Swiss Position in the International Market for Non-Bank Deposits....Pages 165-189
Explaining the Cross-Country Distribution of International Bank Deposits George Sheldon....Pages 191-220
Comment on Ulrich Camen: “The Swiss Position in the International Market for Non-Bank Deposits”....Pages 221-224
Comment on George Sheldon: “Explaining the Cross-Country Distribution of International Bank Deposits”....Pages 225-230
Comment on Ulrich Camen: “The Swiss Position in the International Market for Non-Bank Deposits” George Sheldon: “Explaining the Cross-Country Distribution of International Bank Deposits”....Pages 231-236
Front Matter....Pages 237-237
On the Attractiveness of International Financial Centres....Pages 239-272
Comment on Matthias Jeger, Urs Haegler, Roland Theiss: “On the Attractiveness of International Financial Centers”....Pages 273-280
Front Matter....Pages 281-281
Monopoly Power in Swiss Financial Markets....Pages 283-305
Comment on: Hans Genberg, Thomas Helbling, Salih Neftci: “Monopoly Power in Swiss Financial Markets”....Pages 307-311
Back Matter....Pages 313-316
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