With bank deregulation and more sophisticated customers, it has become very important that banks and other financial institutions determine the factors which are pertinent to the customer′s selection process. Through a survey of households, evaluates the relative importance attached to selection criteria used to choose a financial institution. The results provide the basis for a demographic and behavioural profile which is used to examine the emphasis of some criteria over others.

Owing to increased competition resulting from a decade of deregulation of the financial services industry, banks find themselves faced with the task of differentiating their product as a method for attracting new customers. The importance of bank image is examined as a competitive strategy for increasing customer traffic flow. A survey of 60 business undergraduates and 46 MBA students measured attitudes relating to bank size, atmosphere, innovativeness, and attributes relating to good service. Some significant differences in response by certain demographic characteristics were also measured. Implications of the findings and suggestions for further research are provided.

This section is based on a selection of article abstracts from a comprehensive business literature database. Marketing-related abstracts from over 125 journals (both academic and trade) are reviewed by JM staff. Descriptors for each entry are assigned by JM staff. Each issue of this section represents three months of entries into the database. JM thanks UMI for use of the ABI/INFORM business database. Each entry has an identifying number. Cross-references appear immediately under each subject heading. The following article abstracts are available online from the ABI/INFORM database, which is published and copyrighted by UMI. For additional information about access to the database or about obtaining photocopies of the articles abstracted here, please call (800) 626-2823 or write to UMI, 300 N. Zeeb Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48106.

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