Rural Banking In Ghana Essay

UNIVERSITY OF GHANA BUSINESS SCHOOL

DEPARTMENT OF OPERATIONS AND MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS

The effects of inter-organizational boundaries in the delivery of banking services: The case of rural banking in Ghana by Emmanuel Tachie-Menson

(10442463)

A Long Essay Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies, University of Ghana, in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of Master of Business Administration (MBA) Degree in Management Information Systems

2015

Supervisor : Dr John Effah

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Research Background

Information systems have revolutionized financial services and their delivery. Banking is no longer confined to branches where one has to visit, to withdraw cash, deposit a cheque or request a

(Melissa Di Marco, 2011; Gantman et al., 2014; Gil-Ad Ariely, 2011; Steve Sawyer et al., 2013; Gregor et al., 2000). Di Marco assessed the role of boundary spanners and boundary objects in global engineering project networks. Supply chain management in the beef industry in Australia has benefited from Gregor 's research on inter-organizational interactions.

In Ghana however, empirical research to explain inter-organizational banking delivery channels across diverse cultural, structural and economic boundaries remain limited.

Effectively integrating banking systems with other information systems are mostly rocket science tasks in Ghana. Communication defects inhibit collaboration between stakeholder communities (Abraham et al., 2013). Particularly, the intricate inter-organizational network architecture, regulatory policies, economic and socio-cultural framework of rural banking in Ghana pose integration

What are the effects of boundaries in the delivery of rural banking services in Ghana?

2. What are the boundary enablers and constraints of rural banking services delivery in Ghana?

3. How can the communication between rural banks and other related communities be enhanced?

1.4 Philosophical Stance

This research employs an interpretive case study, an inter-organizational framework and the concepts of boundary spanning and boundary objects to explain service delivery interactions in Ghana 's rural banking system.

Interpretive research assumes that reality is socially constructed and the researcher becomes the vehicle by which this reality is revealed (Cavana, Delahaye, & Sekaran,2001; Walsham, 1995a, 1995b). This approach is consistent with the construction of the social world characterised by interaction between the researcher and the participants (Mingers, 2001)” (Andrade, 2009, p. 42).

1.5 Proposed Methodology

This research will use a qualitative approach to assess boundaries of rural banking in Ghana.

DATA COLLECTION

Primary data will be collected from participating members of selected RCBs and ARB Apex Bank. This will be done via semi-structured interviews, questionnaires and participatory observation. Other data will be collected from publications and journals of relevant subject