Determinants of students' loyalty in the Ghanaian Banking Industry

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the determinants of students’ loyalty in retail banks in Ghana.

Design/methodology/approach – A review of the literature identified four determinants of customer loyalty which were used to survey 624 students from five universities in Ghana. Data were analysed using exploratory factor analysis and multiple regression.

Findings – The study found satisfaction with bank services, image of the bank, availability of electronic bank services and perceived service quality as the determinants of students’ bank loyalty. Perceived service quality was, however, not significant in predicting students’ loyalty to their banks.

Practical implications – The study highlights the importance of understanding students’ behavior with regard to banking services. The three factors identified as significant predictors of students’ loyalty could be used by retail banks to design effective marketing strategies to attract and retain the student cohort in Ghana.

Originality/value – The study was the first of its kind that investigates students’ loyalty in retail banks in sub‐Saharan Africa. The study provides practical leverage to enable bank marketers to identify students’ financial needs in order to design an appropriate value proposition to satisfy them.