STRATEGIC ANALYSIS OF EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT IN BANKING SYSTEM

Bankarski sektor predstavlja jedan od temeljnih oslonaca globalnog gospodarstva, s obzirom da znaĉajno olakšava prijenos novĉanih tokova od suficitarnih strana prema deficitarnim stranama. Nadalje, banke predstavljaju vaţne strateške partnere, ujedno graĊanstvu i poslovnim subjektima, s obzirom da velikim djelom kreditiraju osobne potrebe stanovništva te istovremeno investicijske projekte kojima je cilj rast i razvoj poduzeća. Rast i razvoj bankarskog sektora uvjetovalo je povećanje broja konkurenata te koncentracije kreditnih institucija, što znaĉi da banke moraju biti konkurentnije kako bi zadrţale ili ojaĉale trţišnu poziciju te ostvarile dugoroĉni odrţivi rast. Uz to, razvoj suvremenih tehnologija povećao je poslovni doseg banaka, no istovremeno znaĉajno povećao ţelje i oĉekivanja klijenata, što znaĉi da se banke u digitalnom okruţenju moraju mnogo brţe prilagoĊavati da bi ostale konkurentne. Uz to, financijske krize i trţišni šokovi uvjetovali su intenzivnu regulaciju banka, što za kreditne institucije stvara veliki regulatorni pritisak, kako od nacionalnih regulatora, tako i od meĊunarodnih regulatornih tijela. Uzimajući u obzir navedene faktore koji imaju utjecaj na bankarsko poslovanje, moguće je zakljuĉiti kako su banke pod velikim utjecajem eksternih uvjeta, odnosno uvjeta iz vanjske okoline, koje tek djelomiĉno ili ni u kojoj mjeri ne mogu kontrolirati. Stoga je vaţno da menadţment banaka kvalitetno dizajnira te implementira poslovnu strategiju kako bi se osiguralo postizanje svih definiranih ciljeva. U sklopu poslovne strategije, menadţment banaka mora provesti ekstenzivnu analizu vanjskih utjecaja na poslovanje banke, kako bi se banka mogla obraniti od rizika koji se javljaju u poslovnom okuţenju, te istovremeno biti u mogućnosti iskoristiti prilike koje se javljaju na trţištu. U sklopu predmetnog diplomskog rada detaljno će se razmotriti strateška analiza vanjske okoline u bankarskom sektoru, kako bi se pruţio uvid u kljuĉne prilike i prijetnje s kojima se banke suoĉavaju, te razloţile kljuĉne aktivnosti koje banke moraju poduzimati kako bi zadrţale konkurentsku poziciju na trţištu.The banking sector is one of the most important sectors of the global economy, since it significantly facilitates the transfer of cash flows from surplus parties to deficit ones. Furthermore, banks represent important strategic partners, both to citizens and businesses, since they largely lend funds to private individuals for personal needs, and at the same time support various investment projects aimed at the growth and development of businesses. However, the growth and development of the banking sector has led to an increase in the number of competitors and a concentration of credit institutions, which means that banks need to be more competitive in order to maintain or strengthen their market position and achieve long-term sustainable growth. In addition, the development of modern technologies has increased the business reach of banks, but at the same time significantly increased the client expectations, which means that banks in the digital environment need to adapt much faster to remain competitive. In addition, financial crises and market shocks have led to intense bank regulation, which creates strong regulatory pressure, both from national regulators and from international regulatory bodies. Taking into account mentioned factors, it is possible to conclude that banks are heavily influenced by external conditions, which they can only partially control. Therefore, it is important for the bank's management to design and implement a business strategy in a high quality manner, to ensure that all the defined goals are achieved. As the part of its business strategy, bank management must conduct an extensive analysis of external influences on the bank's operations, so that the bank can defend itself against risks that arise while being able to seize market opportunities. This master thesis will discuss in detail the strategic analysis of the external environment in the banking sector in order to provide insight into the key opportunities and threats that banks face and to explain the key activities that banks must undertake in order to maintain their competitive position in the market