Service quality in the Albanian banking sector Bachelor Thesis for Obtaining the Degree Bachelor of Science (BSc) in International Management Submitted to Prof.Dr. Horst Treiblmaier Aldi Ruli 1221001 Vienna, Austria, 14th of February 2018 Affidavit I hereby affirm that this Bachelors Thesis represents my own written work and that I have used no sources and aids other than those indicated. All passages quoted from publications or paraphrased from these sources are properly cited and attributed. The thesis was not submitted in the same or in a substantially similar version, not even partially, to another examination board and was not published elsewhere. 14/ 02 / 2018 Aldi Ruli Date Signature 2 Abstract In this study, I analyze service quality in the Albanian commercial banking sector. An empirical survey was used to gather primary data. The questionnaire developed for this study is based on the SERVPERF model which is made of 22 items that identify the influence of five dimensions (i.e., tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy). The questionnaires also includes additional items such as ‘age’, ‘education’, ‘profession’, ‘monthly income’. A total of 175 customers of Albanian commercial banks have been surveyed. The empirical analysis was carried out in PSPP. The objectives of this study include gaining insights on how customers perceive service quality and it’s five dimensions. The results of the survey were ranked from the most important dimension to the last important one. The two main research questions are ‘ How do clients perceive the attributes of quality?’ and ‘How do customers differ regarding the five categories of SERVPERF?’. This study will serve bank executives in improving the attributes and dimensions that are most important to banking customers. Part of this thesis will thoroughly discuss the evolution of the Albania banking system. The results can help to better understand the banking system in Albania. Keywords: Albanian banking sector, SERVPERF, questionnaires, dimensions, PSPP 3 Acknowledgments First of all, I would like to thank my family for making it possible that I study at a prestigious university like Modul University. Thank you for all the support you have given to me, in becoming a better version of myself. I am very happy of all I have learned and achieved throughout my entire academic career at Modul. A big thank you goes to my girlfriend, for always being supportive and bearing with me in those late nights I needed her the most. A special thank you goes to my Professor, Dr. Horst Treiblmaier, without your invaluable help and continuous assistance this thesis wouldn’t be possible. Your guidance and friendly approach have enlightened me in an exceptional way. 4 Table of Contents Affidavit ............................................................................................................. 2 Abstract .............................................................................................................. 3 Acknowledgments .............................................................................................. 4 Table of Contents ............................................................................................... 5 List of figures ..................................................................................................... 6 List of abbreviations .......................................................................................... 7 1. Introduction .................................................................................................... 8 1.1. Structure of the thesis .................................................................................. 9 1.2. Research questions and objectives of the study ........................................ 11 2. Albania and its financial market development through different periods .... 14 2.1. The Albanian banking system after the retreat of the Ottoman Empire ... 18 2.2. The Albanian banking system under the rule of Ahmet Zogu .................. 20 2.3. The Albanian banking system during World War II ................................ 24 2.4. The Albanian banking system and the communist regime ....................... 26 2.5. The Albanian banking system in a free market economy ......................... 30 3. Introduction to Service Quality .................................................................... 34 3.1. Reviewing service quality models ............................................................ 37 4. Methodology ................................................................................................ 40 4.1. Analysis of results ..................................................................................... 41 5 5. Conclusion ................................................................................................... 59 Limitations of the study ................................................................................... 60 References ........................................................................................................ 61 Appendix 1 ....................................................................................................... 65 Appendix 2 ....................................................................................................... 68 List of Figures Figure 1. The statue of the dictator Enver Hoxha ........................................... 16 Figure 2. Gender of the respondents ................................................................ 42 Figure 3. Age groups of the respondents ......................................................... 43 Figure 4. Profession of the respondents ........................................................... 44 Figure 5. Monthly income ................................................................................ 45 Figure 6. Education of the respondents ............................................................ 46 Figure 7. Banks that are most frequently visited by respondents .................... 47 Figure 8. Descriptive Statistics for “Tangibles”: Gender, Age, Education, Profession, Monthly Income, Choice of Bank ................................................. 48 Figure 9. Descriptive Statistics for “Reliability”: Gender, Age, Education, Profession, Monthly Income, Choice of Bank ................................................. 50 Figure 10. Descriptive Statistics for “Responsiveness”: Gender, Age, Education, Profession, Monthly Income, Choice of Bank ............................... 52 6 Figure 11. Descriptive Statistics for “Assurance”: Gender, Age, Education, Profession, Monthly Income, Choice of Bank ................................................. 54 Figure 12. Descriptive Statistics for “Empathy”: Gender, Age, Education, Profession, Monthly Income, Choice of Bank ................................................. 56 Figure 13. Which of the five categories of dimension is perceived as the most important? ....................................................................................................... 58 List of Abbreviations NBA – National Bank of Albania ABC – Albanian Bank of Commerce ASB – Albanian State Bank UBA – United Bank of Albania DB – Dardania Bank 7 1. Introduction Service quality and customer satisfaction are crucial concepts that firms must grasp if they want to grow and remain competitive in today’s world. Satisfied customers create the foundation of any successful business. “It is known that higher service quality leads to more satisfied customers,” and more satisfied customers lead to higher profits; therefore, to be able to differentiate from competitors, firms need to offer superior quality of service (Ozatac, Saner & Sen, 2016). “Thus, organizations pay special attention to factors such as customer knowledge, customer relationships, and determination of methods for meeting customer satisfaction and for providing suitable goods and services to meet customer needs because Customer is the most important asset of an organization.” (Iranzadeh & Chakherlouy, 2012, p.87) As Iranzadeh & Chakherlouy, (2012) write in their paper on ‘Service Quality Dimensions in the Banking Industry,’ organizations nowadays are paying special attention to what customers need and what they expect from the bank. Recognizing the customer’s needs will allow them to remain competitively superior. Banks that want to offer the highest quality of service should know how to identify these expectations and should do their best to meet them to the customer satisfaction. Service providers should always strive to understand customers by analyzing factors that influence customer satisfaction for the better. Being consistent in meeting customer satisfaction is therefore a fundamental concept. Firms that have satisfied and loyal customers generate steady income for any organization. In a competitive marketplace like the banking sector in Albania, banking firms are competing for customers daily. The key differentiator is customer satisfaction. Businesses who are succeeding in these harsh environments are the ones that have set-top priority in meeting customer expectation by providing them with better quality of service. An exceptional bank should implement customer-satisfaction strategies because it will be a key element when it comes to being competitive. These strategic approaches are also important for the banking sector in Albania, where competition is relentless considering most banks are offering 8 nearly the same products or services as the competition. Banking firms are