The cost of banking services and the technical efficiency of a South African bank

Does the performance of one of the four largest banks in South Africa justify the customers’ complaints about the higher bank fees? Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) was used to estimate the technical efficiency and returns to scale of one of the largest banks in South Africa. The intermediation appro...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Gert J van der WSesthuizen, Chris van Heerden
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: AOSIS 2008-04-01
Series:The Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.td-sa.net/index.php/td/article/view/160
Description
Summary:Does the performance of one of the four largest banks in South Africa justify the customers’ complaints about the higher bank fees? Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) was used to estimate the technical efficiency and returns to scale of one of the largest banks in South Africa. The intermediation approach was applied to classify the inputs and outputs and the analyses were conducted with both input- and output- orientation under variable returns to scale. Returns to scale efficiency and technical efficiency for 37 districts over a period of 22 months were estimated. The analyses indicated that 19 districts out of the 37 districts were never fully technically efficient during the 22 months (input- and output-orientated). It appears that customers’ complaints about high service fees are justified.
ISSN:1817-4434
2415-2005