1. ¹The Lancashire Business School, University of Central Lancashire, U.K.
2. ²Cranfield School of Management, Cranfield University, Cranfield, Bedfordshire, U.K.
3. ³Bocconi University and SDA Bocconi School of Management, Milano, Italy

Correspondence: Mahmood Hussain Shah, The Lancashire Business School, University of Central Lancashire, Greenbank Building, Preston PR1 2HE, U.K. Tel: +44 (0) 1772 894531; E-mail: Mahmood.Shah@ntlworld.com

^†The research was carried out while the author was at Brunel University.

Received 27 June 2005; Revised 24 February 2006; Re-revised 25 May 2007; Accepted 26 July 2007.

Abstract

We investigate organisational factors critical to the success of e-Banking (EB). Scholars report that a variety of factors are vital to EB success. A shortcoming in the extant EB literature is that much of the research focuses on a small subset of success factors and an overall ranking of factors is still missing. Our aim, therefore, is to synthesise and test the critical success factors (CSFs) identified in the existing literature, thus, substantiating or not the factors purported to be critical. To achieve our aim, we created a survey instrument from a synthesis of CSFs identified from existing EB and e-commerce literature. We draw upon the e-commerce body of knowledge to take in the widest set of CSFs that can affect EB. Data were collected from U.K.-based financial sector organisations that offer EB services. We found the most critical factors for success in EB are: quick responsive products/services, organisational flexibility, services expansion, systems integration and enhanced customer service. Our research shows that organisations need to manage their EB initiative at a strategic level and treat it as business critical rather than simply a technical or operational issue. They need to pay attention to internal integration, which includes channels, technology and business process integration, and improving the overall services to their customers.