Strategic Issues in Financial Services Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Strategic Issues in Financial Services - Essay Example There are 13 banks that were involved in the annual JD Power and Associates Retail Banking Customer Satisfaction Survey (O'sullivan 2010, pp. 2). Out of these, the Cooperative Bank of England performed exemplarily and emerged tops. Abbey was rated as the worst bank in the UK. In addition, Bank of Scotland, HSBC, Clydesdale and Barclay’s banks were considered as performing below par. The National Building Society and RBS were the other banks that were considered as being best performers. The rating of the banks was done based on six distinct parameters. The ease of problem resolution, convenience to the customer, transactions, the offering of products like account openings, account statements and the fees that the bank charged were the six parameters used. The overall confidence in the banking sector is considered to have improved, this despite the fall of the Northern Rock as well as the recent credit crunch. The survey further stated that only a quarter of the respondents wou ld not recommend their bank to others and the same number believed that the stability of the banking sector had changed little. Despite the overwhelming support that the sector has regained in the last year, a sizeable number of the 3,300 respondents in the survey stated that the fees charged by their banks were the major factor for their withheld support. In the last couple of years, the credit crunch has negatively affected the performance of the banking sector with some international banks requiring bailout. The collapse of the sub-prime lending bubble led to a fallout that affected many banks globally. However, some banks managed the crisis considerably well, assisted by sound strategies. In this discussion, the focus is on the leaders and laggards that emerged from management of the economic crisis. The leader in the discussion will be the Cooperative Bank that was considered as the best bank in the UK by the JD Power and Associates survey. The same survey pit HSBC as performin g below average and this will be the laggard in the subsequent discussion. Formerly, people did not consider the extent of global integration. However, the multiple collapse of many institutions in the global scene presented a picture of how much integrated the world really is. Governments intervened with massive bailouts and other monetary regulations that were aimed at stabilizing the financial situation. As if to worsen matters, the effects were further strained by the recession that followed. It is in this background that the best strategies for survival and growth are tested. Both the Cooperative Bank and HSBC operated against this backdrop. What was regarded as the norm had to change drastically in order to guarantee business considering the mistrust that the crisis created. The Cooperative Bank was not spared. It made losses on its risky investments but the amount it made in losses cannot be equated to the amount that private banks like HSBC incurred (Cogan 2008, p. 7). The c haracteristics of the bank that made it suffer less involve the fact that its customers are also its members and are the ones that own it. The strength in this principle is that all approaches must be driven by consensus and are not reliant on a single stakeholder as is the case with HSBC. There is also a concomitant view that is for the long-term and also a stance that is risk-averse that allow the bank to be more conservative in terms of the strategy adopted towards retail banking. The Cooperative

Analyse the corporate governance statement of NewsCorp Essay

Analyse the corporate governance statement of NewsCorp - Essay Example With the help of the board which ought not have less than three members, it is expected that the director of the company hold office for only a year (NewsCorp 1). The director also needs to be elected through a majority vote and must enjoy their independence. Under the guideline of the corporate governance, NewsCorp indicates that board meetings are mandatory and reviews of the previous meetings must be done at all times (1). Executive sessions of the non-executive members of the board must also be held without the interference of the board members. Through the board meetings and headship, NewsCorp indicates that it becomes easy for the company to run its affairs (1). The board leader also feels free to manage the affairs of the company as an independent person; thus, effectual consultations and communication with the concerned stakeholders. It is also recommended that the members be keen whilst selecting their leader as leadership determines the kind of performance from the company. Additionally, the board is charged with the responsibility of coming up with various committees to assist the running of the company’s affairs. The committees include the Audit, the Nominating and Corporate Governance; and the Compensation Committees (NewsCorp 1). The committees involve independent directors who operate under Exchange Act and NASDAQ listing standards (NewsCorp 1). It is important to note that these committees have been given the mandate of retaining, deciding and terminating the fees by the consultants and other legal advisors based on their discretion. For instance the compensation & succession committee reviews on compensation issues of the CEO based on their performance as well as his/her compensation. This is done by assessing the potential of the existing members in the company, and who would be the best suitor in the company’s next management (NewsCorp 1). In terms of ethical standards of the company, the corporate governance does not hesitate t o specify its requirements from its members. NewsCorp indicates that the Board of Directors of the Company are keen to ensure that its members act in utmost integrity and respect to all employees in the company regardless of their affiliation (1). With the adoption of the Standards of Business Conduct, the board ensures that all the employees comply with the code of conduct. The company can therefore be argued to comply with the utmost standards of ethics. However, compliance with the ethics would not be achievable if the company did not have a chain of communication. The board then ensures that all the members have access to the ethics code and that they understand its contents well. For instance in relation to conflicts in the company, the members are aware of the procedures to follow, the same case applies in terms of property information and interaction with other persons such as government officials (NewsCorp 1). Employees are also conversant with what needs to be done in the e vent of harassment and safety of the workplace (NewsCorp 1). The CEO and financial officers are also not exempted from the code of conduct. Through its board, the Company felt the need for protecting its whistleblowers. However, stockholder communication has also been provided for, since it allows for effective communication with all the stakeholders of the company (NewsCorp 1). This