Barriers to Service Quality in the Banks of Pakistan: A Comparative Study of Islamic and Conventional Banks in Pakistan with Qatar

By Malik Shahzad Shabbir and Awais Ur Rehman

Abstract:

Service quality has become crucial to the banking institutions due to fierce competition. Banks may have their own environment specific barriers in procuring it. This study was the first-ever attempt to compare these barriers between Islamic and conventional banks. Primary data was collected through pretested adopted questionnaire, from the higher ranked banker. Through the technique of Cronbach Alpha, the data validity was ascertained. One sample states that biggest barrier to service quality in banking industry is Human Resources (HR) environment. While independent sample test results that Islamic financial institutions are fortunate to face expressively less barriers than Interest bearing counterparts. Except in the case of personnel hiring, Islamic banks are having less meritocracy conventional banks. It was recommended that Islamic financial institutions must hire the staff with dual intellect of finance and Sharia to serve better quality. In Pakistan the Islamic banks are having an advantage and a disadvantage as compared to those in the Arab world. Advantage is the better empowerment of its employees and the experience sharing culture in the banks while the low level of economic development in Pakistan is responsible to bring about the financial constraints to augment the barriers in their way to deliver quality of service.