Dutch Banking Culture Six years after the Fall of ABN AMRO Bank

This article presents the results of a survey among more than six hundred bankers in the Netherlands about banking culture. It addresses the question why trust in banks remains so low (45% of clients trust banks in the Netherlands). The key findings indicate that the problem is not so much immor- al bankers or a few rotten apples but rather the dominance of a competitive banking culture. The findings suggest that clients’ trust may be regained when banks leave behind their focus on performance targets, financial incentives, and behavioral regulation and move instead to a caring culture with a focus on relationships and open discussion of ethical dilemma’