Munich Personal RePEc Archive Organisational change and the computerisation of British and Spanish savings banks, 1965-1985 Batiz-Lazo, Bernardo and Maixe-Altes, J. Carles June 2006 Online at https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/804/ MPRA Paper No. 804, posted 13 Nov 2006 UTC The computerisation of British and Spanish savings banks, 1960-2000 Bernardo Bátiz-Lazo and J. Carles Maixé-Altés Bernardo Bátiz-Lazo is a senior lecturer at the Bristol Business School, Frenchay Campus, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol BS16 1QY, United Kingdom (tel +44 (0)117 328 36 10; fax +44 (0)117 328 22 89); e-mail:
[email protected]. J. Carles Maixé-Altés is a senior lecturer of Economic History at Departamento de Economía Aplicada I - Universidad de A Coruña , Campus de Elviña s/n, 15071 A Coruña, Spain (tel +34 981 167000 ext. 2569; fax +34 981 167070); e-mail:
[email protected] Abstract In this article we explore organisational changes associated with the automation of financial intermediaries in Spain and the UK. This international comparison looks at the evolution of the same organisational form in two distinct competitive environments. Changes in regulation and technological developments (particularly applications of information technology) are said to be responsible for enhancing competitiveness of retail finance. Archival research on the evolution of savings banks helps to ascertain how, prior to competitive changes taking place, participants in bank markets had to develop capabilities to compete. Keywords : comparative financial markets, United Kingdom, Spain, market structure, technological change, regulatory change, savings banks, banks. * WORK IN PROGRESS. DO NOT QUOTE * 1 Introduction Alton Gilbert’s landmark compilation warned that, conspicuously absent from the analysis of structure-conduct-performance in banking, was an assessment of the effects regulatory change has had in determining bank performance (Gilbert, 1984).