The influence of demographic variables on relationship banking: an international study

The purpose of this study was to conduct an empirical investigation among clients and managers to identify the influence of demographic variables on relationship banking. Primary data was collected from respondents in South Africa, Canada and the UK. Convenient snowball sampling was used to select the sample which comprised 637 banking clients and 67 bank managers. The two research instruments were structured seven-point Likert-type scale questionnaires, one distributed to clients and the other to managers. Quantitative statistical data analyses were conducted as descriptive statistics, reliability tests and linear modelling were performed. The empirical results show that, in addition to the bank-related aspects of personalisation and fees, various demographic characteristics of clients influence a bank's relationship marketing. This study could be of significant value to South African retail banks in order to consider the relationship marketing strategies of Canadian and UK banks. In terms of practical banking strategies, the study adds value in respect of personalised offerings and the development and implementation of fair fee structures relating to different client categories, which would ultimately improve bank-client relationships.