Bank employees’ perception of Islamic finance in a non-Islamic developing country: the case of Cameroon
Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research
ISSN: 1759-0817
Article publication date: 31 May 2023
Issue publication date: 2 July 2024
Abstract
Purpose
The perception of Islamic finance by its various stakeholders is not always reconcilable. Its foundations and attributes are subject to a plurality of perceptions making it almost impossible to reach a consensus about them. This paper aims to understand the perception of Islamic finance by bank employees in Cameroon.
Design/methodology/approach
This research follows the interpretativist paradigm and is qualitative and exploratory in nature. The data are collected through semi-structured face-to-face interviews with bank employees, mainly branch managers. These interview data are analysed using the thematic analysis method.
Findings
Bank employees in Cameroon perceive Islamic finance as a finance that: targets everyone, regardless of religion, but Muslims first (Islamic finance is both inclusive and exclusive); offers original products and services; has a religious anchor that may hinder non-Muslim economic agents; has many advantages, mainly for financial institutions, and some limitations for financial institutions and their customers; is full of opportunities for its stakeholders; and is not yet fully practiced in Cameroon.
Originality/value
This study mobilises a qualitative approach, provides new insights into the research on the perception of Islamic finance and reaches a consensus on the perception of certain aspects and attributes of Islamic finance, namely, for the perception of the target and the Shariah compliance of Islamic finance. Furthermore, this study is a pioneering effort to understand bank employees’ perception of Islamic finance in non-Islamic and developing countries where Islamic finance is underdeveloped.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to express their heartfelt gratitude to all the members of the research laboratory LREGOA (Laboratoire de Recherche et d’Études en Gestion des Organisations en Afrique) for their invaluable guidance and encouragement throughout the research process. They are also grateful to all of the research participants who generously shared their time and perceptions with them for this project. Finally, they also wish to thank the reviewers of the JIABR (Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research) for their useful comments.
Funding: No funding.
Citation
Ngaha, R.P. and Moungou Mbenda, S.P. (2024), "Bank employees’ perception of Islamic finance in a non-Islamic developing country: the case of Cameroon", Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research, Vol. 15 No. 6, pp. 897-910. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIABR-06-2022-0142
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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