This paper analyses the impact of global financial megainstitutions on the Polish banking market in 1998-2005: a period of a dynamic economic growth, connected with Polish accession to the EU and a new wave of foreign capital inflow, coming mainly into medium-sized banks. The research question posed is whether size and ownership structure matter when it comes to the strategies and profitability of banks? The paper, analysing various balance sheet ratios computed by the Authors, offers a positive answer to this question, particularly when analysing the group of medium-sized banks, belonging to global mega-institutions. For them, the support from owner's technology, operations, human capital and corporate culture seems to constitute an important competitive advantage, resulting in a dynamic growth and superior financial results.

Keywords: megabanks, bank strategies, bank profitability, foreign capital in banks.

  Ewa Miklaszewska, Katarzyna Mikołajczyk, Global Megabanks in Poland in 1998-2005: Do Size and Ownership Matter? - plik pdf; (504 KB)