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PurposeMulti-directional efficiency analysis (MEA) is an alternative methodology to data envelopment analysis (DEA) that investigates the improvement potentials in each input and output dimension and identifies a benchmark proportional to these potential improvements. This results in a more nuanced picture of the sources of the inefficiency providing opportunities for additional conclusions about which variables the inefficiency is mainly located on. MEA provides insights into not only the level of the inefficiency but also the patterns within the inefficiency, i.e. its sources and location. This paper applies this methodology to Bangladeshi banks to understand the differences in the inefficiency patterns between different subgroups.Design/methodology/approachThis paper analyses the difference in the pattern of inefficiency between the older family-dominated banks and the newer non-family-owned banks in Bangladesh using the recently developed MEAs technology, which enables analysis of patterns within inefficiencies rather than only levels of (in)efficiency. The empirical results show that whilst there are few significant differences in the levels of variable-specific efficiency scores between the two subgroups, there are clearer differences on the inefficiency contributions from particular outputs in most of the study period and also on most variables in the time window of 2007–2009. This finding provides clues to differences in business models and management practice between the two types of banks in Bangladesh.FindingsThe empirical results show that whilst there are few significant differences in the levels of variable-specific efficiency scores between the two subgroups (older family-dominated banks and the newer non-family-owned banks), there are clearer differences on the inefficiency contributions from particular outputs in most of the study period and also on most variables in the time window of 2007–2009, during the Global Financial Crisis (GFCs). This finding provides clues to differences in business models and management practice between the two types of banks in Bangladesh.Practical implicationsDEA is a conventional tool for benchmarking in management science. However, conventional benchmarking exercises based on DEA do not reveal significant differences in the sources of inefficiency that show differences in business models. While DEA remains the most utilized technique in the efficiency literature, we think that a more flexible and deeper analysis requires something like MEA.Originality/valueThe contribution is twofold. First, examination of performances of family-owned firms is a well-established but analysis of performances of family-dominated banks is relative scarce. Secondly, isolating the sources of inefficiency which differs between types of banks even if there is no difference in inefficiency levels is absolutely new for a complete data set of conventional banks in Bangladesh. It turns out that there are few (significant) differences between the groups in terms of the inefficiency levels, whereas clear patterns emerge in terms of differences in inefficiency contributions between family-dominated and non-family-owned banks, during the Global Financial Crisis

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The COVID-19 pandemic has hastened the changes in patterns of service delivery worldwide, including banking. Lockdown and restricted physical presence posed formidable disruptions and challenges to the overall banking industry that required them to adopt a sustainable and innovative business model promptly to continue operations and to protect financial stability. In response to this crisis, all banks effectively reset their agenda by incorporating less human-interactive, a digital mechanism where the marketing team of the banks played a pivotal role by shifting their traditional marketing practices to digital techniques. The study examines the effect of this alteration and its implications by undertaking a survey of bank personnel of all the listed Private Commercial Banks (PCBs) in Bangladesh. A non-parametric Mann-Whitney Wilcoxon test identifies strong differences in expectations of marketing formats in the pre-pandemic and present periods. The analysis reveals statistically significant demographic differences of preference between older and younger marketing personnel in all banks; as well as between Islamic and Conventional Banks. The findings are a wake-up call for banks’ policymakers that have multifaceted implications in formulating alternative digital based marketing strategies to continue sustainability and to remain competitive in the long run.

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