Munich Personal RePEc Archive

Developing Strategies for Islamic Banks

to Face the Future Challenges of
Financial Globalization
Ahmed Al Ajlouni
Amman Arab University for Graduate Studies
November 2004
Online at [Link]
MPRA Paper No. 13581, posted 23. February 2009 05:22 UTC
Developing Strategies for Islamic
Banks to Face the Future Challenges
of Financial Globalization
Ahmed Al-Ajlouni

E-Mail : Ajlouni69@[Link]

Key terms: Islamic Financial Institutions, Islamic Banking,
Financial Liberalization, financial globalization,

Dr. Ahmed Al-Ajlouni. Assistant Professor of Finance, Finance & Accounting
Dept. Amman Arab University for Graduate Studies-JORDAN.
Tel : 00962779784569
Developing Strategies for Islamic Banks to Face the Future
Challenges of Financial Globalization
Ahmed Al-Ajlouni
This study aims at forming strategic response to assess
the ability of Islamic banks in benefiting from the
opportunities that may be provided by financial
globalization and limits its threats, through assessing the
capability of Islamic banks to meet the requirements and
challenges of financial globalization, then suggests the
suitable strategies that may be adopted by Islamic banks
to maximize and limit the expected opportunities and
threats respectively .

Key terms: Islamic Financial Institutions, Islamic Banking, Financial
Liberalization, financial globalization,
1. Introduction
Islamic banks are faced by enormous challenges that are the financial
Globalization and liberalization, where the financial openness nationally and
internationally took various deep dimensions and effects that affect economic
and financial systems worldwide.
The study concluded results such as: the financial globalization will have
negative effects on Islamic banks autonomy, profit margin and competitive
position. It will also enhance the Islamic banks ability to create new investments,
liquidity management instruments and methods, and develop the existing ones. In
addition, to increase its ability to take advantage of the openness IBs will expand its
operations into new markets.
The researcher developed some strategies to be adopted by the IBs. These
strategies were divided into three categories: single bank level (survival strategies,
confrontation strategies), operational strategies on the functional activity level, and
then the overall strategy for world wide Islamic banks (Globalization strategy).
After that, the researcher explained the nature, execution requirements, and the
abilities of Islamic banks to adopt each of them.
Finally, the researcher provided some recommendations related to the
suggested strategies, In addition to other recommendations such as: strengthen the
cooperation ties between JIBs and other Islamic banks abroad, and reinforce the role
of young employees in the desired strategic leadership change, in addition to moving
the responsibilities of (Shari ah committees) from the Islamic banks to the central
banks to become (Central Shari'e Supervision).
2. Literature Review
The issue of financial globalization and its effects on the economic regimes and
financial institutions has been discussed thoroughly (Hellmann& Murdock &
Stiglitz,2000; Kaminski & Shmukler ,2002; El Issa,2002).Besides ,the Islamic
Banks' as financial institutions along with their products in facing liberalization and
openness took some of the interest in the recent years (El-Gamal ,1998; Errico &
Farahbaksh,1998; Ali,2002; Sundararjan & Errico ,2002).

3. Methodology and Research Design
The hypothesis is formulated to know the extent to which IBs were affected
by financial globalization, in order to explore the opportunities and threats to these
banks due to the financial liberalization and globalization; in addition to determine the
ability of them to benefit from the opportunities to be achieved or limit the threats
resulted from exposure to the consequences of financial liberalization and
globalization.
In order to test the study's hypothesis, a questionnaire was distributed among
the objective sample of personnel in the senior management in each of the IBs
included in the study (Jordan Islamic Bank & the International Arabic Islamic Bank ),
in accordance to availability of some characteristics such as experience, academic
status, and seniority, so that they are considered representatives of their banks.
To analyze the responses and comments of the sample, the researcher used the
averages; he also used T-test to test the study's hypothesis.
4. Main Findings
The study concluded results such as: the financial globalization will have
negative effects on Islamic banks autonomy, profit margin and competitive position.
It will also enhance the Islamic banks ability to create new investments, liquidity
management instruments and methods, and develop the existing ones. In addition, to
increase its ability to take advantage of the openness IBs will expand its operations
into new markets.
Depending on the derived results, the researcher developed some strategies to
be adopted by the IBs. These strategies were divided into three categories: single bank
level (survival strategies, confrontation strategies), operational strategies on the
functional activity level, and then the overall strategy for world wide Islamic banks
(Globalization strategy).
The Main Body of the paper was devoted to discussing these strategies

Strategies of Islamic Banks to Face Financial Globalization
This division of the paper Contains:
Part one: Overall Strategies (Single Bank Level)
Part tow: Operational Strategies
Part three: Globalization Strategy
Policy Implementations Part Four

Part one
Overall Strategies
(Single Bank Level)
In this part, five kinds of strategies to be developed; Consolidation, Cost leadership,
Merger & acquisition (Survival strategies).Market development and Diversification
(Confrontation Strategies).
Such division of these strategies is done in order to enhance the Islamic Banks (IBs)
to focus first, on the existence, then to improve its positions in the current markets
within the current environmental circumstances. These strategies will be prerequisites
of the other strategies which are devoted to face the financial globalization.

Survival Strategies
Adopting these strategies will be vital for IBs to stay as life-capable economic
units, able to stay standing, at least, in the current markets.
a. Consolidation Strategy (Johnson and Scholes, 1999)
This strategy is concerned with protecting and strengthening the current
competitive position in the current markets of IBs, with the current product mix .This
doesn't imply that the IBs will stand still watching the market changes or the invasion
of the traditional banks on their financing or investing sectors. What's needed
according to this strategy is to focus on the core competences which are encapsulated
in the Shari'ah commitment, the capital structure and the abundance of funds, which
give the IBs a better competitive position against the traditional ones.

The awareness of these competences and developing them will help IBs to increase
and strengthen their resources.
b. Cost Leadership Strategy ( Cole,1994)

In order to help IBs to adopt the consolidation strategy, it must increase the
competitive ability via achieving ratios of return for the stockholders and the
depositors higher than the current ones. The best way to do so within decreasing cost
of the services is provided by IBs.
Since the capital structure of IBs doesn t contain any kind of debt, this means
that there's no fixed interest payment for the depositors or any other lenders, which
provide them with a competitive advantage compared to the traditional banks .This
releases the pressure on its management regarding risk-taking and investment
decisions, hence, there will still be the managerial expenses which can be handled by
a way easier than interest expenses.
Merger and Acquisition Strategy. c.

According to the past experience of financial and non- institutions, this
strategy considered as one of the most common recommended strategies, because its
positive effects on the consolidated firms regarding economics of scale, competitive
ability, and synergy.
In spite of the vast advantages of this strategy, it is worth taking into consideration
these tow points before recommending this IBs strategy:
1. The result of just merging tow weak
2. The different nature
IBs (for example) will not produce a strong one, the opposite will happen.
(i.e. the nature of sources and uses of funds, and cost structure), between IBs and
conventional banks which have a good record in this must be taken into consideration
before recommending this strategy for IBs.

Confrontation Strategies
These strategies are devoted to be adapted by IBs in order to take the initiative in
facing the financial globalization to maximize its opportunities and minimize its
threats.
a. Market Development Strategy ( Burns,1996 )
The financial globalization will provide IBs with a good opportunity to enter virgin
markets (in the middle east and abroad), beside the availability of new sectors of
customers as micro finance projects, women financing, private banking, investing in
the privatized projects, and meeting the financial needs for governmental agencies,
who are not currently served by conventional banks .This will give IBs a great
advantage to win these sectors.
Besides, IBs can expand its investment activities and diverse fund resources
by establishing new branches or affiliate banks in the virgin markets.
b. Diversification Strategy ( Burns,1996 )

IBs can develop its current products in addition to innovate new financial products
compliant to Islamic Shariah as a result of financial globalization; this can go
concurrently with introducing new non traditional markets. This strategy includes
shifting IBs toward developing new products and new markets in the same time. It
can be undertaken as a related diversification or unrelated diversification. According
to the first kind, IBs can navigate in new markets and new products in the finance
industry, like establishing or investing in Islamic insurance companies, investment
companies, or financial security dealer companies ....etc.
According to unrelated diversification, IBs can apply the concept of Islamic
Comprehensive Bank by diversifying its investments beyond the financial sector, by
direct investment in the economy; this is applied by Dubai Islamic Bank & Jordan
Islamic Bank who is investing in factories, hospitals, and other industrial firms.

Part tow
Operational Strategies
The division of the operational strategies will be according to the functional activities
undertaken by IBs, i.e. Finance, Marketing, Human resources, and Information
management.
Investment & Financing Strategies
These strategies are related to money procurement from different resources and
investing funds through proper allocation in order to achieve an acceptable profit.
According to fund raising, IBs will face a kind of disintermediation as a result of
financial liberalization and openness which encapsulate more profitable choices for
the depositors of IBs. Hence, IBs are invited to reduce operational costs in order to
attain greater returns for the depositors as the stockholders.

Diversification of fund resources according to Liability Management Theory will be
a wise arrangement that can be followed by IBs; this can be realized by relying on
non-conventional resources that are supplied by Islamic financial system as Sukok
(Muqarada Bonds) which can be issued in the international financial markets.
Besides, IBs can benefit from the financial liberalization to issue and list its own
stocks in these markets.

In addition, IBs can maximize the opportunities of financial globalization by starting
to make particular arrangements to establish money market between them
domestically and globally.

On the investment side, Comprehensive Banking concept considered as a viable
strategy which is compatible with IBs nature as comprehensive financial institutions,
this needs to decrease the dependence on fixed return modes. Murabaha (Sale
Financing) for the benefit of Profit-Loss-sharing (PLS) modes. Such diversification
of investment modes can be achieved by direct investment or trading on the current
Islamic financial instruments that are available in the international financial markets,
beside investing in Islamic-acceptable mutual funds, or establishing special mutual
funds belongs to IBs.

Marketing Strategies

IBs will be faced by the problem of increasing the complications of
customers' needs as a result of financial openness and availability of alternative
choices for them in finance and investment.
These threats needs strategic response from IBs to face and reduce its
negatives .IBs have to adopt a Customer- Oriented strategy instead of Product
Oriented one ,because the contemporary trend in bank marketing focuses essentially
on the customer, the availability of a wide range of banking services is not enough
alone.
Such challenge requires reviewing the current marketing strategies of IBs
by pricing it properly and dissemination it to a targeted sectors of customers in a
better way.
The second threat that faces IBs is the hostile propaganda against IBs in the
aftermath of 11 September events, were the IBs are connected in a stereotype way to
the so called terror ". This campaign should be encountered through adapting
defensive informative strategy to explain its nature and economic role .These efforts
will not be confined to the efforts of the IBs individually, rather, it must be one of the
key axes of "Globalization Strategy" of all IBs around the world, which is to be
discussed later on.
Human Resources Strategy

Human resources constitute the corner stone in delivering banking service
in all banks and IBs in particular. This element is of a great importance for the IBs to
face the future challenges of financial globalization, because adopting and
implementing the other strategies depend heavily on human resources. IBS strategies
in this regard rest on tow props (elements):
- Development and training

This requires the IBs to meet its increasing need for employees whom have
the professional abilities as bank employees, beside a good knowledge of economic
matters of Islamic Shariah. Preparation efforts are needed to qualify new employees
before taking place in doing their jobs, current employees are to be subject to
intensive training courses to empower their professional and religious knowledge .IBs
can do so by establishing specialized departments or training centers.
The other face of training and development IBs' employees are to concentrate on
educating themselves to create a well- shaped perception about the phase of financial
globalization and its importance, in order to prepare themselves practically and mentally
to cope with the opportunities and threats that will face IBs as consequences of it.
- Change leadership

As the targeted change for IBs to be deep and structural, the leaders of
such changes must have unique traits like awareness, knowledge, and enough
flexibility to adopt the overall and operative strategies, and to lead their banks to be
part of Globalization Strategy" which will contain all IBs.
The current traditional leaders of IBs are invited to take brave strategic decisions
as a proper response of the degree of globalization challenges, by giving young
leaders the opportunity to lead IBs in navigating toward the future and manage
strategic change.
Informative strategy

The vast technological developments in computer science and
telecommunications, beside the developments in management science have lead to a
great dependence on information, computerized activities and computerized
information systems in particular. Banking industry is one of the biggest customers of
these technologies. Financial globalization and information explosion enhance the
abilities of banks to depend heavily on producing computer - based financial services
as ATM, money transfer, automated banks...etc, and doubled the need to develop
banking industry and improve its services.
The ability of IBs to adopt and implement the mentioned strategies must
stand basically on a solid information structure. Hence, implementing information
strategy must be pre and parallel to implementing the other strategies.
Part three
Globalization Strategy

Unifying the efforts of IBs and orienting it toward dealing properly with the
phenomenon of financial globalization in an integrated way constitutes the main issue
of this strategy in order to globalize IBs practices beyond local geographical
boundaries.
As a conclusion of the study, the cooperation between IBs has a great
importance in facing the future challenges of financial globalization to maximize its
opportunities and minimize its threats.
Globalization strategy gain a special importance as a means for translating the
awareness of the forthcoming era to an actual cooperation, a comprehensive strategy
that unify all IBs in one front to face the challenge of financial globalization;
moreover , merging IBs as a natural and effective element in the current global
financial system. The role of IBs on the global economic scene depend essentially on
the degree of " globalization " of Islamic financial modes and instruments which are
provided by IBs, and its contribution to meeting the finance and investment needs for
the different sectors world wide ( Ali,2002 ) .
Globalization strategy is to be distinguished out from the individual pre-discussed
strategies in its comprehensiveness and global-wide range, which it covers. Besides,
this strategy has clear features and well identified principles which are established by
IsDB solely or with cooperation with other international establishments to enable IBs
to adapt with the requirements of financial globalization, alongside with merging in
the global financial environment
The main landmarks of this strategy include:
1- Institutional framework

Many international organizations have been founded to organize the works of IBs,
besides helping them in accounting aspects, liquidity management, and control...etc.
The Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions
(AAOIFI), the International Islamic Rating Agency (IIRA), the Islamic Financial
Services Board (IFSB), and the General Council of Islamic Banks and Financial
Institutions (GCIBFI) are examples of these organizations.
These organizations represent an infrastructure to build on by IBs in its attempt to
be part of the international financial environment. Unifying accounting standards, and
availability of an international auditing and supervision body, for example; will ease
and organize the process of controlling, supervision, and revision the performance of
IBs. Besides, availability of Islamic financial markets can be a great opportunity to
enhance the ability of IBs regarding liquidity management effectively.
2 - Religious (Shariah) framework

This side of globalization strategy is related to unifying (or converging) religious
viewpoints regarding a lot of new dilemmas and problems related to investment,
financing instruments, and modes that currently face IBs, and is still unsettled.
International religious standards can be prepared by Assembly of Islamic
Jurisprudence to be followed by local IBs.
3 - Human resources

All professionals and scholars agree that IBs are in need for employees
who have the required qualifications as bank professionals beside the Islamic
background and religious commitment .Preparation of IBs employees for this will be
a first class priority for it in the globalization era.
In fact, it's not expected nor needed from each individual bank to build a
university or institute to qualify its employees, because this is not feasible .Hence,
collaborative work in this side which can be achieved by establishing research and
training centers in a country or region will be with a great usefulness in preparing IBs
employees scientifically and practically.

Promotional framework
Promotional efforts had taken its importance in the aftermath of 9/11 events, since all
IBs are subject to a hostile propaganda that distrusting goals and activities of IBs
through linking it with terrorism ".

IsDB and other IBs are working in an opposite media campaigns via conferences,
seminars, press releases, and other ways to correct this view about IBs' goals and
activities. The positive results of such efforts became obvious through consideration
of the government agencies in the west (US & UK in particular) for the goals and
activities of IBs. Moreover, the monetary authorities in these countries promised to
adapt its financial legislations to cope with the IBs and other Islamic financial
institutions and accept them as ordinary members in their financial systems.
5- Research & studies

Scientific research and strong approaches that IBs can rely on to develop its
abilities in facing financial globalization is essential .The need for creating new
financial instruments and modes, and developing the current ones; besides,
amelioration employees skills and knowledge can be met by scientific research.
Expected Success of Globalization Strategy depends on:

Degree of cooperation that IBs can achieve between them, compliance to
principles and instructions passed by international establishments that organize its
activities, and overcoming the problems of " Sensitive (negative) Competitiveness "
(especially in the same country ) to look forward to a strategic relationship based on "
Cooperative Competitiveness " .
Flexibility of monetary authorities in adjusting its legislations to consider the
unique nature of IBs, and the cooperation in monitoring and imposing IBs to obey the
instructions of the International Islamic institutions that organize Islamic financial
activities around the world.
The extent to which international financial society can accept Islamic finance &
banking, and cooperate with its institutions.
The efficiency of IsDB of playing its role as an international Islamic financial
organization.
The IsDB can be the leader in this strategy, supported by the following factors:
1 - IsDB has a great degree of flexibility that helps in working beyond local and
regional borders.
2 - IsDB is far away from dominance of a single or a group of countries
(politically autonomous).
3 - IsDB is a non-profit organization; hence, it doesn't compete with other IBs.
4 - Most of IBs are working in member countries of Islamic Congress
Organization, which IsDB belongs to. This helps in enhancing further acceptance
and confidence in IsDB more than any international financial organization.
5 - IsDB have built a deep-rooted and solid network of cooperative relations with the
international financial organizations and gained their confidence, which made it seen
as an ambassador of the Islamic financial institutions, through which they can deal
with IBs

Part Four
Policy Implementations
First: About the suggested strategies
I - On the individual level, each of IBs MUST adopt consolidation and cost-
leadership strategies in order to stay alive, viable as banking financial institutions -
at least - in its current markets.
2 - A strategic change must be done in performing the functional activities through
adopting the suggested operational strategies.
3 - IBs must adopt globalization strategy and work seriously to implement it in an
effective way.
4 - Individual strategies implementation should be parallel with globalization
strategy implementation to maximize expected benefits from strategic change.
Second: Other recommendations
1 - The role of IsDB as a leader of IBs in facing future challenges of financial
globalization should be supported and developed to play the role of the International
Central Islamic Bank (ICIB) for other IBs.
2 - The previous point evokes the need for restructuring IsDB by splitting it for tow
organizations, the first as an International Central Islamic Bank for other IBs, and the
other is to be devoted for development. The example of dividing roles between IMF
& WB can be helpful in this regard.
3 - In order to play the role of ICIB , IsDB must be assisted by local central banks via
establishing departments specialized in supervising and auditing the works of IBs ,to
insure it's compliance with Islamic principles , which will produce ( Central Shari'ah
Supervision ) that will occupy the place of the current Shari'ah committees of IBs.
This will lead to reducing the conflict in religious opinions about dealing with
financial instruments and modes between IBs in different countries.
4 - Making room for the young professional bank leaders to lead the anticipated
strategic change, through adopting them by the current administrations.
5 - Building a new kind of relationship between IBs through establishing a
Cooperative Competition " based on a religious and economic interest between
them.
6 - Establishing departments for research & development in IBs will be essential,
along side inviting specialized scholars to conduct studies in marketing, finance, and
other areas related to IBs activities, and supporting these studies financially from IBs
sources.
5. Conclusion
The study concluded results such as: the financial globalization will have negative
effects on Islamic banks autonomy, profit margin and competitive position. It will
also enhance the Islamic banks ability to create new investments and liquidity
management instruments and methods, and develop the existing ones. In addition to
increasing it s ability to take advantage of the openness by expanding its operations
into new markets. The researcher developed some strategies to be adopted by Islamic
banks. These strategies were divided into three categories: single bank level (survival
strategies, confrontation strategies), operational strategies on the functional activity
level, and then the overall strategy for world wide Islamic banks (Globalization
strategy).
After that, the researcher explained the nature, execution requirements, and the
abilities of Islamic banks to adopt each of them. Finally, the researcher provided some
recommendations related to the suggested strategies, In addition, to other
recommendations such as: strengthen the role of the Islamic Development Bank as a
fundamental financial institution, and reinforce the role of young employees in the
required strategic change of leadership in addition to relocating the responsibilities of
( Shari ah committees ) from the Islamic banks to the central banks to become
the(Central Shari ah Supervision).


References

Books
Burns ,Bernard , 1996, Managing Change , Pitman Publishing , London.
Cole, Ga.,1994, Strategic Management, Dp Publications Limited, London.
Johnson, G and Scholes ,K , 1999,Exploring Corporate Strategy, 5 th ed . ,
Prentice Hall Europe.
Published Articles
El-Gamal , M, , 1998, "Can Islamic Banking Survive ? : A Micro evolutionary
Perspective", Islamic Economic Studies, Vol. 5, no. 1,2 pp. 1-22 .
Errico, L and Farahbaksh, M, ,1998, Islamic Banking : Issues in Prudential
Regulations & Supervision IMF working Paper WP/98/30, Washing, D.C :
International Money Fund.
Hellmann, T and Murdock,K [Link], J,2000, Liberalization,Moral Hazard in
Banking and Prudential Regulation:Are Capital Requirments Enough? , American
Economic Review,Vol 90 , Issue 1, Marsh.
Kaminsky ,G and Shmukler,S ,2002 "Short-Run Pain ,Long-Run Gain : The Effects
of Financial Liberalization", The world Bank working paper ,No : 2912, Washington,
DC.
Sundararjan, V and Errico, L, 2002, " Islamic Financial Institutions and Products in
the Global Financial System : Key Issues in Risk Management and Challenges A
head", IMF working paper WP/01/192Washington, D.C : International Money Fund.
Unpublished Articles
Ali, A, 2002,

The State and Future of Islamic Banking on the World Economic
Scene".Luncheon co

hosted by the Arab Bankers Association of North America and
the Middle East Institute. Washington D.C.,. PP12-13.
El Issa, N,2002," Globalization of Financial Markets:Its Development, Indicators and
Effects". Dept. of Banking and Finance. College of Economics and Administrative
Sciences. Amman University Amman, Jordan
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