Bankfranchising als Organisationsform für die genossenschaftliche FinanzGruppe in Deutschland

This dissertation elucidates the repercussions of bank franchising as an organizational form on the German co-operative banking group. The objective of this thesis will be achieved through three research questions. A literature review is employed to answer the first, theory-based, sub-question, enabling us to identify and evaluate the current organizational form of the co-operative banking group. The network of this group is characterized by decentralization. Local decision making ensures higher production and transaction costs within the network. The core authority of the organization lies in the local membership. Although continual adaptations of the corporate governance structure have been made, the relationships between primary and secondary levels are marked by information asymmetry. The second, empirical, sub-question is addressed by means of an international case study covering Poland and Belgium. This examines how credit institutions can generate advantages with the aid of bank franchising. As a niche strategy bank franchising appears to have advantages. The market area should have a low concentration. A low level of penetration of the concept augments the success. The bank should already have comprehensive market shares and large numbers of private customers at its disposal in order to create advantages with the aid of bank franchising. For the main research question a constructive research approach is employed, which has previously been only seldom used in the area of economics. To evaluate the model developed, twelve interviews with experts are assessed. Bank franchising facilitates a high degree of standardization within a company network. This inhibits decentralized decision-making powers and reduces the individuality of the primary banks. Power structure and responsibility shift to the central level, the DZ Bank AG, making the credit cooperatives dependent on secondary institutions. The primary banks act solely as retail banks, leading to reductions in costs. The sales orientation of the franchising concept combined with the stationary customer proximity creates increases in yield. Co-operative values remain in the form of membership. The variabilization of cost structures resulting from comprehensive outsourcing Stand: 22.01.2020 Seite 2 von 2 enables the continuation of rural company branches. In a regulatory context, the franchising network guarantees high expenditure in the credit co-operatives