How managerial perceptions reflect media criticism of the Czech banking sector

Conducted in: 2009

The Czech press's negative coverage of certain issues related to the Czech banking crisis led us to conduct a survey of the impact of the negative coverage on the views of Czech opinion leaders. The survey addressed topics ranging from the stability of the banking sector to the level and range of services provided by Czech banks, as well as the way the largest banks and their products are perceived.

Main findings

Dominating among respondents is the opinion that the current crisis does not immediately threaten the Czech banking market and that none of the risks facing the market are critical in nature. Foreign owners of Czech banks represent a rather stabilizing element, but the risk of capital being taken out or of a bank being sold is not negligible.

Most respondents expect further consolidation in the banking sector. The greatest threat to the established banks in terms of the retail market is thought to be low-cost banks. On the corporate side, loans from within multinational groups are thought to pose the greatest threat.

In terms of banking services, respondents expressed extremely critical opinions, with a significant majority agreeing with statements that were formulated aggressively. For example, more than three-quarters of respondents said they agree or somewhat agree with the statement, “Clients are banks' prisoners, and banks abuse this.” Almost 80 percent of respondents thought that banks' “unwillingness to make corporate loans is due to the inability to identify promising clients and projects.” As far as the assessment of individual banks and their services is concerned, there are only small differences in the way they were perceived, with the exception of responses related to the “stability” and “comprehensiveness of services” parameters.

Kontakt: Tomáš Jelínek

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