Search results

This study examines whether income diversification moderates the relationship between intellectual capital and bank performance among East African banks.

The study uses a sample of 53 East African banks and a panel dataset for the period 2010–2018. The hypotheses are tested through a hierarchical regression model.

The regression results indicate that intellectual capital (IC) significantly affects bank performance. Further, the study finds that income diversification has a negative and significant effect on bank performance. The results indicate that income diversification reduced the overall impact of IC (Value Added Intellectual Capital (VAIC)) efficiency on bank performance for the moderating influence. However, the moderating role of income diversification on the relationship between individual components of VAIC (HCE, SCE and CEE) varies. While income diversification enhanced the impact of structural capital efficiency (SCE) on bank performance, it also reduced the effect of human capital efficiency (HCE). Additionally, income diversification did not moderate the impact of capital employed efficiency (CEE) on bank performance.

This study contributes to the literature by demonstrating that non-traditional banking activities influence the IC and bank performance relationship, which is scanty in the existing literature.

This paper aims to empirically investigate the impact of bank diversification on performance and risk-taking behavior. The analysis uses an unbalanced panel data set covering the period between 2007 and 2015 for a total of 1,397 banks from ASEAN-5 and BRICS economies.

Dynamic panel generalized method of moments (GMM) has been used primarily to examine the relationship between bank diversification on performance and risk-taking and later, validate the core results by incorporating two-stage least squares (2SLS).

Similar to the results of previous studies based on the developed economy, this study also confirms the hypothesis of the portfolio diversification. The key robust result is that the benefits from revenue and assets diversification are heterogeneous and the BRICS banks achieve higher benefit from using both diversification strategies. On the other hand, ASEAN-5 banks fail to show the significant advantage from assets diversification. Among the diverse sources of income, interest is not a major determinant of efficiency and bank’s stability, while ASEAN-5 banks should foster commission and others income as mechanisms for diversification benefit in the region.

A few studies are available in the current literature which examines the impact of revenue and assets diversification on either bank performance or risk-taking in the developed economy’s context. However, very few studies are found that examine the relationship between bank diversification, performance and risk-taking together. Moreover, to the best of the author’s knowledge, there is a dearth of literature on this topic that built on the comparative analysis between two regions, i.e. ASEAN-5 and BRICS. As a result, the empirical results of this research provide useful information to the stakeholders so that they can enhance bank diversification strategy and implement them successfully by considering the other factors.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of revenue diversification, non-interest income and asset diversification on the performance and stability of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) conventional and Islamic banking systems.

The authors implement a panel of 69 conventional and Islamic banks listed in six GCC markets over the period of 2003–2015, using the System Generalized Method of Moments methodology.

Non-interest income diversification has a negative impact on GCC banks’ performance, while asset-based diversification affects banks performance positively. However, Investors tend to penalize the value of the banks’ assets, which are highly diversified. Government intervention, lack of competition, legal protection and high control of Central banks on GCC banks’ have positive impact on performance. Contrary to the results on conventional banks, asset diversification adds value to Islamic banks. Overall, both banks’ revenue and non-interest diversification have negative impact on GCC banks’ stability, while asset diversification improves Islamic banks’ stability.

The analysis is limited to a sample of banks, which are listed in the GCC stock exchanges. The lack of data on private and foreign banks operating in the region made the analysis and, consequently, the results specific to shareholding companies. Also, the authors’ measures of bank stability might not be appropriate to use for Islamic banks, given their banking models implemented.

Research results provide important implications for regulators, bank managers and policy makers, as to the expected ways to support economic diversification through bank diversification strategies.

Unlike related studies, the authors’ sample of homogeneous banks has a market structure that is different from the samples in the literature covering either developed countries or heterogeneous samples from both developed and developing countries. Furthermore, using an efficient econometric methodology, the authors deal with two types of banks: conventional banks and Islamic banks. The research determines which type of bank is more able to benefit from different types of diversification. Unlike previous research, this research explores the sensitivity of the results both to the regulatory environment of the GCC market and to general market conditions.

This study explores the effect of income diversification strategy on credit risk and market risk of microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Ghana as an emerging market.

The study is based on quarterly data of averagely 271 MFIs that have operated from 2016 to 2018. The dataset is unbalanced and pooled cross-sectional with 3,259 data points. The study measures the diversification strategy using income diversification indices, and accounting ratios to measure the other variables. We utilised the weighted least squares (WLS) approach to explore the nexus.

The findings show that income diversification is associated with better loan quality and credit risk management. Market risk increases with the level of income diversification of microfinance firms. It is evident that large MFIs can manage their credit risks well and can have a low default rate, depicting an overall U-shaped nexus. On the other hand, the effect of size on market risk is an inverted U-shaped. The effect of asset tangibility on credit risk is positively significant while the effect on market risk is negatively significant. High profitability enhances credit risk management leading to lower loan losses while in the case of diversified and profitable MFIs, they tend to invest more in government securities. The results suggest that MFIs that hold more cash and cash equivalents tend to have high loan loss provision and more government securities suggesting much attention should be paid to optimal cash management.

The results throw light on the credit risk and market risk profile of the firms and the effect of diversification strategies on them. The findings are relevant for effective macroprudential regulation, market regulation and prudential regulation of the microfinance sector.

The findings reveal the nature of income diversification strategy of MFIs in emerging markets such as Ghana, pointing out how they affect the risk exposure of MFIs that lend to the pro-poor population.

This is a premier formal assessment of the nexus between income diversification strategies and risk management among MFIs that serve the pro-poor population in the emerging market context.

The purpose of this paper is to examine whether income diversification moderates the relationship between human capital and bank performance.

The study uses a sample of 53 banks and panel data for the years 2010–2018. The hypotheses are tested through hierarchical multiple regression and the choice between fixed effect and random effect estimation is based on the results of the Hausman test.

The study finds that human capital and income diversification significantly influence bank performance; however, the direction of the causality varies. While human capital has a positive effect, income diversification has a negative effect. Additionally, the interaction term has a negative and significant effect on bank performance, inferring that income diversification has an antagonistic effect on the human capital and bank performance relationship. For the control variable, liquidity and asset quality negatively affects bank performance while capitalization has a positive effect.

Human capital was measured as human capital efficiency (HCE), which is a quantitative measure of human capital, hence future studies can use qualitative measures. Also, the study focused on commercial banks in East Africa, future researcher may possibly consider other regions and industries, which would shed more insights.

The results of this paper provide valuable insights. Bank managers can get a better understanding of the impact of human capital on bank performance, and the need to invest more in human capital development. Further, the study cautions bank managers that engaging in non-lending activities might destroy the economic value of human capital and ultimately lower performance. The study also recommends that policymakers should address the obstacles to banks' income diversification, for instance relaxing regulations restricting diversification; this might enable banks to leverage related financial service activities for optimal utilization of human capital and improve banks' profitability.

While a good number of previous studies investigated the direct effect of human capital and income diversification on the performance of banks, this study examines the moderating role of income diversification on the relationship between human capital and performance of banks in East Africa.

This study investigates implications of crop and income diversifications on consumption expenditure (welfare) of rice-producing households in Ghana. It further compares diversification by three rice production systems: two-season rain-fed, two-season irrigated and one-season rain-fed rice production.

Primary data were sourced from 225 rice farmers. Margalef index and three-stage least-squares were employed.

Majority of rice-farming households in Ghana diversify livelihoods. The extent of livelihood diversification differs among two-season rain-fed, two-season irrigated and one-season rain-fed rice-producing households. Credit, distance to district capitals, production purpose and number of farming seasons influence crop and income diversifications, and consumption expenditure of rice-producing households. While crop diversification reduces consumption expenditure, income diversification increases it. Crop and income diversifications positively influence each other. Consumption expenditure reduces crop diversification but increases income diversification.

Policy should be directed towards the promotion of more livelihood activities to boost rice farmers' welfare. There should be awareness creation and training programmes to enable rice farmers realize different economic activities within and outside the agricultural value chain.

Crop and income diversifications were measured as continuous response variables, unlike previous studies that used a binary response variable. The authors established a synergy among crop and income diversifications, and consumption expenditure (welfare). The authors further compared crop and income diversifications by three rice production systems: two-season rain-fed, two-season irrigated and one-season rain-fed rice production systems.

This study aims to explore the determinants (bank-specific, industry-specific and macroeconomic) of income diversification across interest income and non-interest income as well as for non-traditional income sources (non-interest income) from 2004–2005 to 2021–2022.

An unbalanced data set comprising 110 Indian commercial banks with 1480 observations is sampled in this study. Because of the bounded nature of the dependent variables (proxies of income diversification), the panel Tobit regression model is used.

The findings reveal that income diversification is positively influenced by bank size, technological advancements, cost–income ratio, return on assets, market competition and inflation in the economy. However, the decision to diversify income sources is adversely impacted by the capital ratio, GDP and financial intermediation ratio. Moreover, factors such as asset quality (loan loss provisions) and liquidity ratio do not directly influence the diversification strategies in the Indian banking industry.

The present study uses an extensive set of variables to provide insights into key factors for bank managers, regulators and policymakers to consider before developing diversification strategies.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to examine the various bank-specific and macroeconomic determinants that affect income diversification in the Indian banking sector. The current study also investigates new variables such as technological advancements and a market concentration index for measuring competition, which have not been investigated in existing literature concerning bank income diversification in the Indian context.

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of crop diversification in increasing the income of farm households. In addition, this study introduces the impact of natural disasters in the analysis to determine how diversification helps mitigate the negative effect of disasters on farm income. More importantly, the study also analyses the effect of diversification on farm income by farm class to see where the benefits of diversification are concentrated.

This study uses a linear model, in which agricultural income is expressed as a function of diversification, natural disasters and several control variables. Diversification is measured using the Simpson index of diversification. The linear model is enhanced with the inclusion of an interaction term of natural disasters with the diversification index to shed light on the role of diversification in negating their harmful effect on agricultural income. Finally, to analyze the impact of institutional variables on farm income, the interactions of diversification with irrigation, insurance, usage of technical information and formal training are incorporated in the linear model.

The study highlights the importance of demographic, farm and institutional variables in raising farm income. The study suggests that an increase in education level, irrigation, usage of technical information and possession of Kisan Credit Card (KCC) have a positive impact on agricultural income. The study reveals that crop diversification has a positive impact on farm income and the benefits of diversification are conditioned by institutional factors. Thus, there is a need for policy intervention to ensure increased irrigation facilities along with extension services to provide information to the farm households. It has been found that small farmers gain more from crop diversification than larger farmers. Furthermore, the results show that natural disasters negatively impact farm income, but their impact can be mitigated by higher levels of diversification.

The results of the study are based on the recent unit-level data from the 77th Round of the National Sample Survey Office survey. The survey covers a large number of farm households and reports information for the year 2018–2019.

The study examines the impact of income diversification on cost efficiency of Vietnamese commercial banks over the period 2005–2017.

Income diversification indicators are designed based on measures of diversifying loan portfolio. Besides the traditional model, we use the Fractional Regression to estimate the model with dependent variables defined on the unit interval.

Through the two-stage DEA analysis, we find that the income diversification has a positive impact on the cost efficiency of banks. In addition, this impact is stronger for unlisted banks and in the phase of banking system ongoing restructuring.

The use of a variety of income diversification measures and estimation methods for models with bounded dependent variable has provided a reliable empirical evidence of the advantages of implementing a strategy on structural diversity of both interest and non-interest income in the emerging banking markets such as Vietnam.

The purposes of this paper are twofold. First, it analyses the income structure in cooperative financial institutions and examines how traditional and non-traditional incomes are related. Second, it evaluates whether increasing diversification towards non-traditional incomes facilitates or hampers the benefits of financial cooperative owners.

Data are collected from over 3,100 US credit unions over the period of 1994–2016. A number of modern econometric techniques are employed throughout the analysis, including the use of panel fixed effect, generalised method of moments (GMM) and two-stage least square (2SLS) methodologies.

Using US credit unions as the empirical setting, the empirical results reveal that the expansion of traditional income leads to a corresponding increase in income from non-traditional activities. However, an increasing reliance on non-traditional income causes a significant drop in interest margins. The authors also find that the extent to which income diversification affects owner benefit varies across credit union types and period of time. While income diversification negatively affects owners' benefits in single common bond credit unions, it has no significant influence on multiple common bond and community credit union owners' benefits. Third, diversification can be beneficial during crisis time, but can be detrimental to owner benefit during normal time.

This paper provides some of the first empirical investigations on the diversification strategy of cooperative financial institutions. Therefore, the results offer significant policy implications for policymakers and market participants on whether financial cooperatives should diversify or specialise.