Purpose: This article explores how anthropomorphized service robots shape consumer risk perceptions and risk behavior via uncanniness as a function of individual differences in banking.

Methodology: An online between-subjects experiment (N = 293), set in a fictitious bank, featuring four levels of service robot anthropomorphism (low, medium, high, human), measured risk perceptions (psychological, functional, privacy, time), and risk behavior as DVs, uncanniness as mediator, technology readiness, and behavioral inhibition as moderators.

Findings: Risk perceptions are the lowest for medium (vs. high) anthropomorphism and are mediated by uncanniness. Risk behavior remains unaffected by the manipulation. Technology readiness overall attenuates the main effect on time risk perception but amplifies it for high anthropomorphism, whereas high behavioral inhibition increases risk behavior under the exposure of low anthropomorphism.

Implication: Banks who plan to place robots in service functions should be mostly concerned about experiential rather than behavioral consequences and are advised to use medium anthropomorphism robots since they appear to qualify as viable substitutes for human bank tellers.

Value: We contribute to the service robot and anthropomorphism literature by (1) distinguishing between dimensions of risk perceptions, (2) measuring actual risk behavior, and (3) setting our study in a business and marketing relevant context: banking.

Purpose: The success of a firm often largely depends on its employees. Therefore, we propose and test the possibility of influencing affective and normative commitment by transactional, transformational, and passive leadership styles.

Implications: Demographic change is progressing slowly but steadily; here lies the crucial point. Our results show that only transformational leadership influences the commitment dimensions positively. That can help make the best use of scarce human resources to remain competitive in the long term.

Originality/Value: The article provides new information concerning the relationship between transformational and transactional leadership style and their influence on commitment within the banking and consulting sector of the German service industry. It highlights the need for further research into this topic across industries and demographics. For cross-cultural (USA-Germany) comparisons, the article might help to understand differences and trends within globalization.

Methodology: To address this question, we conducted interviews with 197 employees of the financial service sector in Germany to confirm the relationship between leadership styles and employee commitment. In order to verify and extend previous research, we planned an explanatory study. We used the multiple regression analysis to examine this relationship.

Findings: The results provide new evidence for German participants, which show (1) that transformational leadership is the “optimum” to facilitate commitment and is completely decoupled from the other leadership styles. (2) Preliminary studies revealed a preference toward transactional leadership, which correlated positively with affective and normative commitment. The present study cannot confirm this correlation. (3) Passive leadership correlates negatively with commitment, which indicates that the avoidance of passive leadership is essential. In sum, the correlation for different leadership styles (except transactional leadership style) is higher than in the preliminary studies. This indicates that the relationship between leadership styles and affective and normative commitment is exceeding the assumptions.

Purpose: The goal of the paper is to analyse the determinants of the level of ROE (return on equity) for two groups of banks, interrelated by capital links, and their banking sectors.

Methodology: For the case study, we chose companies that, in 2011–2013, were designated by the Financial Stability Board as global systemically important banks (G-SIBs) and their subsidiaries operating in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe (CESEE) as well as their banking sectors. We sought to identify differences in the performance drivers, taking into account bank-specific and country- (or sector-) specific factors.

Findings: We found no significant differences in the level of ROE among the analysed groups; however, we identified a different set of determinants and their impact on ROE.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to empirically understand whether Islamic banks have a positive
relationship to economic growth in Indonesia.

Methodology: This study examines the causal relationship amongst several selected variables: real
GDP (RY), total deposit (TD), the change in the Consumer Price Index as an inflation proxy (INF),
and the ratio of total imports and exports to nominal GDP (OE). In order to accomplish the research
objectives of this study, a time series quarterly data spanning from the first quarter of 2003 to the
last quarter of 2011 comprising of 36 data points has been used to perform an effective analysis.

Findings: The inference deduced here is twofold; First Islamic banks in Indonesia are still unable
to contribute significantly to Indonesia’s economic growth. Second, the relationship between Islamic
banks and economic growth in Indonesia is positively but weakly correlated.

Research Limitations: For this time series research, the researcher is limited by the small amount
of data (2003.Q1 to 2011.Q4).

Purpose: The aim of the paper is to answer the questions (1) whether the reforms of the regulations in the banking sector were effective and (2) which mechanisms discipline the behavior of banks. Moreover, we also raise a question how the behavior of banks depends on the institutional environment.

Methodology: To achieve the objectives, the article uses probit analysis on panel data covering the years: 1995–2006 for the entire period, and for years: 1999–2004 and 2004–2006 for 350 banks from OECD countries.

Findings: The quantitative results clearly argue for banking regulation, rather than leaving the supervision of the banking sector market discipline. However, the survey results also show that the behavior of banks depends largely on the institutional environment. Therefore, we questioned whether the currently proposed regulatory reforms that are homogeneous in nature will be effective in disciplining banks.

Practical implications: Among many reforms that are proposed the most important concerns are ones on banking regulation. Some believe that regulation of the banking sector should not be such useful, others believe that regulations are needed, which showed the fi nancial crisis in 2007–2011.

Purpose: In the past several decades of Islamic banking and fi nance (IBF) activity in many countries, notable literature on this topic has been produced all over the world. By analyzing this IBF literature, this study investigates and highlights some ignored aspects of IBF activities.

Methodology: Academic IBF literature includes defending the plausibility of IBF as a part of Islamic economics; theoretical analysis regarding some advantages of IBF compared with conventional systems, suggesting some methods for performing IBF; and concentration on introducing fi nancial instruments and innovations in Islamic fi nancial markets. After reviewing them, they are classifi ed as high ranking journal papers and graduate dissertations that were written on Islamic economics in I.R. Iran during the past three decades. Then they are analyzed via analytical methods and descriptive statistics to investigate the ignored aspects of IBF.

Findings: Through this systemic study of Islamic banking, real and not skeletal adaptation of Islamic contracts, Islamic goals of Islamic economy, Islamic and ethical values, and justice and poverty reduction are some of the more important neglected aspects in IBF activities.
Research Implications: Focusing on these areas in future research could improve the
performance of IBF as part of the Islamic economic system and guide IBF activities to the real nature of Islam (Islamicity).

Originality: Besides reviewing and classifying the academic literature on IBF, the study is unique in focusing on the neglected aspects of IBF because it is very important and infl uential to distinguish IBF from non-IBF activities.

Purpose: the essay focuses on some important instruments and measures supporting the desired actual (and not just declared) ethical behavior in banking practices.

Methodology: the essay first used a combination of comparisons to show similarities and differences between 10 banking codes of ethics in EU countries. Then qualitative analysis of indicators and scales assigned to bank rankings was also used to identify some possibilities to promote the ethical behavior of banks in more efficient ways.

Findings: ethical behaviors in the banks, despite a high awareness of moral norms, are largely declarative rather than actual. In order to approximate the actual behaviors to the declared ones, further improvements need to be introduced in the methods and instruments of education (codes of ethics, bank rankings), along with encouraging the implementation of management practices consistent with ethical behavior. This should start with redefinition of the functioning of the bank, i.e. broadening the task of achieving ambitious outcomes by adding respect for ethical standards.

Practical Implications: not every instrument of ethics education can be treated as directly useful in the process of training actual ethical behavior in banks. Some particular conditions must be taken into account that it should fulfill.

Originality: the author has distinguished three levels in business ethics education: ethical awareness and ethically oriented behaviors, both declared and actual. The essay described the necessary conditions for utilization of some educational instruments of ethics in the process of implementing actual ethical behaviors in the banks.. Such an approach has not been found previously in the subject literature.