Regulatory Influence on Business Model and Individual Behaviour in a European Multinational Bank

Purpose: In response to the 2007-2008 financial crisis, regulatory requirements have increased over the years, forcing banks, employees and regulators to act in a sustainable manner. This thesis investigates the change and transformation process of major banks from an external and internal perspective. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis is to explore the implications of the regulatory influence on the banking business model and personal behaviour and motivations of bank employees and regulators from a multinational systematically important bank in the European Union. Design/methodology/approach: The researcher’s epistemology concentrates on facts (positivist) and thinking (interpretivist), but with a focus on thinking. Also, researcher’s axiology is not value free and it has biased opinions with possible generalizations. For the research philosophy, critical realism is chosen by bridging the existing and independent reality with individual views. As this research concentrates on opinions and attitudes of involved participants, the mixed method approach is applied. The choice of the research design is a case study. For the research methods, secondary data is collected for the quantitative part and semi-structured expert interviews are used for the qualitative part. Originality/value: This thesis contributes to knowledge in the field of change and transformation process for multinational banks, due to the growing regulatory requirements of previous years. It provides a unique analysis of the changes of the banking business model and the related changes of human behaviour and job motivation. In particular, the employees of a bank (ranging from new staff to established experts and from managers to members of the regulatory authorities) who give personal and deep insights into the challenges they face in their workplaces and reflect on the reasons for their actions and expectations