Financial stability management in banks: strategy maps

In the turbulent environment of modern business, attracting and retaining valuable human resources have become one of the main means of competitive edge. The satisfaction of current employees and talent retention are essential elements of organizational success. Against this background, this study aims to examine whether the process approach to internal employer branding, including internal branding activities (IBA) and conducting intra-organizational research (CIR), allows for the improvement of the current employee involvement. The study used the method of regression analysis. In addition, a survey was used as to collect necessary data. The sample included 120 personnel, selected by a convenience sampling method. In the light of the conducted analysis, it was confirmed that CIR significantly increases the employee value proposition (EVP). Likewise, IBA directed at current employees has a significant impact on EVP shaping. In this context, assuming EVP as a measure of employee involvement, it has been shown that the adoption of a process approach to employer branding can lead to the improvement of the current employee commitment and productivity. Thus, employer branding seen as a process in line with the human resource management and corporate strategy can contribute to building a competitive advantage.

While consumers play a very crucial role in the marketing strategies of companies, effective development of strategies must satisfy their needs and wants. Therefore, an evaluation and understanding of the underlying factors and/or dimensions influencing consumer buying behavior are critical for supermarkets to both retain and acquire new customers. The article reports on factors impacting the consumer buying behavior and the relationship among the factors. The study uses data from a cross-sectional survey conducted within a random sample of 699 customers at 17 supermarkets in Nairobi, Kenya. Reliability and factorial validity of the self-administered questionnaire were evaluated and considered satisfactory, while structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to test several hypotheses. Social characteristics were a good predictor of the consumers’ inclination to patronize a supermarket, thus directly influencing the buying behavior. A strong positive connection between psychological factors and buying behavior was ascertained based on income, which suggests that although psychological characteristics impact consumer attitudes towards the supermarket, income and education levels may well play a determining role in this regard. Retail marketers in general and in Kenya in particular are encouraged to be cognizant of the above when developing strategic marketing programs to increase the level of patronage. As a research paper, the study is limited to the data and prior empirical research. It offers the benefit of new research directions for marketing managers in understanding and satisfying the consumers. The main contribution of the present research, interdisciplinary in nature due to combining elements linked to both marketing and psychology, is its focus on consumer buying behavior towards supermarkets in a developing country, thus producing revealing insights.

In a global pandemic, there is a need for banks to improve service delivery through financial technologies. Since the fight against COVID-19 is the community responsibility, the role of banks in channeling cash to all stakeholders is essential for the contemporary human race. This study investigated the impact of the government response to COVID-19 on the resilience of banks. A multivariate Structural Equation Model (SEM) was used to specify the links between the exogenous factors (government’s social and financial responses) and the endogenous variables (resilience of bank customers, employees and investors). A research survey approach was used where 543 respondents were sampled. A self-constructed online questionnaire was used to harvest responses from customers, employees and investors of the selected banks. The result of the analysis showed a significant relationship between government’s social response and the resilience of bank customers. However, such a relationship does not hold between government’s social responses and other resilience indicators (employees and investors). Furthermore, the result revealed that government’s financial responses do not affect the resilience of banks. The study concluded that the government’s social response during the COVID-19 pandemic influenced bank customers’ resilience in Nigeria. It was recommended that banks, as part of the policy, develop tools to complement government actions during the pandemic, thereby ameliorating its impact on their customers.

Acknowledgment
The authors will like to acknowledge all respondents who took part in the survey.