TY - JOUR

T1 - Can the business model of Handelsbanken be an archetype for small and medium sized banks?

T2 - A comparative case study

AU - Kousgaard Larsen, Morten

AU - Lange Nissen, Jacob

AU - Lueg, Rainer

AU - Schmaltz, Christian

AU - Røjkjær Thorhauge, Joachim

PY - 2014/4/24

Y1 - 2014/4/24

N2 - The Danish Banking sector faces increasing requirements regarding regulation and profitability, which especially threatens small and medium sized banks. This study analyzes whether the successful business model of Handelsbanken ('The Handelsbanken Way') can serve as a blueprint for small and medium sized banks. We conduct a comparative case study by interviewing Handelsbanken and the disguised 'Danish Local Bank' (DLB). The DLB is a representative example of small and medium sized Danish banks. This study is structured according to the frameworks from business model implementations and from implied organizational structures. Using the notion of Osterwalder and Pigneur (2010), this study reveals only minor differences in the business models of Handelsbanken and DLB. Despite the supposedly obvious advantages of 'The Handelsbanken Way,' this study suggests that the financially troubled small and medium sized banks in Denmark will not necessarily benefit from the tactical choice of decentralization unless they incorporate specific adjustments. This study contributes to the existing theory if Handelsbanken's approach to banking can improve the situation of financially troubled small and medium sized banks.

AB - The Danish Banking sector faces increasing requirements regarding regulation and profitability, which especially threatens small and medium sized banks. This study analyzes whether the successful business model of Handelsbanken ('The Handelsbanken Way') can serve as a blueprint for small and medium sized banks. We conduct a comparative case study by interviewing Handelsbanken and the disguised 'Danish Local Bank' (DLB). The DLB is a representative example of small and medium sized Danish banks. This study is structured according to the frameworks from business model implementations and from implied organizational structures. Using the notion of Osterwalder and Pigneur (2010), this study reveals only minor differences in the business models of Handelsbanken and DLB. Despite the supposedly obvious advantages of 'The Handelsbanken Way,' this study suggests that the financially troubled small and medium sized banks in Denmark will not necessarily benefit from the tactical choice of decentralization unless they incorporate specific adjustments. This study contributes to the existing theory if Handelsbanken's approach to banking can improve the situation of financially troubled small and medium sized banks.

KW - Management studies

KW - Banking

KW - Business model

KW - Decentralization

KW - Financial crisis

KW - Handelsbanken

KW - Organizational structure

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84899150655&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/d092f0f8-31cd-394b-a430-dfeab9b1088b/

U2 - 10.19030/jabr.v30i3.8572

DO - 10.19030/jabr.v30i3.8572

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 30

SP - 869

EP - 881

JO - Journal of Applied Business Research

JF - Journal of Applied Business Research

SN - 0892-7626

IS - 3

ER -