DETERMINANTS OF CUSTOMERS BANK SELECTION DECISION IN GURAGE ZONE: THE CASE OF BANK CUSTOMERS IN WOLKITE TOWN

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the determinants of customers’ decision on selection of banking services in Gurage Zone Wolkite Town. Therefore, the study was intended to identify determinants of customers bank selection decision, prioritize determinants factors affecting customer bank selection decision based on their importance and assess the role of customer socio-demographics variables on bank selection decision. The study used quantitative and qualitative research approach and employed descriptive & explanatory research survey design. A total of 384 (96.48%) students, business man and employees out of 398 respondents were participated in the study. Seven bank managers and seven customer’s officers were included as a sample through purposive sampling and others included through stratified random sampling technique. Questionnaire and interview were the main instruments of data collection. The analysis of the quantitative data was executed through descriptive and inferential statistical methods. Exploratory factor analysis is computed to reduce the number of variables, interpret the results and identify the underlying relationships between measured variables. Accordingly, 34 of the itemswere maintained and grouped in to eight components. In addition, the Kendall’s Wall’s coefficient of concordance model is computed to make rank order analysis and it revealed that significant level of agreement is found in ratings of bank image, service quality, convenience, technological, promotional, and social and proximity whereas, no significant agreement was found between the respondents in ratings of financial factors. Accordingly, convenience, proximity, bank image, technological, service quality, promotional and social were significant whereas, financial factor was found to be insignificant factors in determining customers bank selection decision. Hence, banks are recommended to give more emphasis for significant factors to hold and satisfy their existing and new entrant customers.