Risk management in banking: the case of Greek banking industry

Abstract

Risk Management is a main strategy used by the companies in order to minimize business risks, avoid adverse outcomes and assure their development and success as organization in their field. Risk Management strategy is an every day process of identifying, evaluating, operating and monitoring risks and aim to immune the company from the potential hazards. This strategy can be effectively achieved with the utilization of the appropriate methodologies and ‘tools’. Greek banks are among the companies that are willing to follow and adopt this strategy and for this reason they invest a lot on new developments and innovations. The objective of this study is to examine whether the risk management process is adopted and how is managed by the Greek banks. For the purpose of this study a quantitative research method is used and more specifically a posted questionnaire which has been distributed to banks of Thessaloniki, one of the biggest cities in Greece. The quantitative method is deemed the most appropriate for this study because the quantitative research is about a statistical analysis that can prove whether a concept or idea is better than the alternative. Moreover, the questionnaire was chosen as the proper data collection method since it is less expensive, less time consuming, it can not lead to biased interviewers and the respondents can answer it in convenience and discretion. Concerning the findings of the research, they reveal almost whatever is stated in the literature review which is about the secondary data that already exist. The literature review and the analysis of the Risk Management concept are confirmed since the findings prove that the Greek banks implement widely the risk management with a range of methods and ‘tools’ which lead to the effective and enhanced management. The results of the research can lead to managerial implications that are about the ability of the managers to create more advanced models, to train personnel so as to have skilled and expertise employees, to adopt a more responsible attitude against the financial products and put as priority the long run profits which would lead to a more stabilized and safer financial environment.