EFFECTS OF INTEGRATING ICT AS A TOOL TO ENHANCE PERFORMANCE OF SALES STAFF IN THE BANKING SECTOR: A CASE OF BARCLAYS BANK

Abstract

The purpose of this research study was to establish the effectiveness of ICT as a tool for enhancing the performance of employees in commercial banks in Kenya. The study adopted a case study design approach. To achieve its objectives the researcher targeted employees of Barclays bank who were working in the sales and marketing departments within Nairobi and Narok Counties. The research study was guided by four key research questions: Establish the forms of ICT used by the sales staff of Barclays bank in relation to easy retrieval of information, examine the effect of using ICT tools in relation to market size in Barclays Bank, Determine the effect of ICT on the efficiency of sales staff service delivery and Determine the extent to which ICT has enabled sales staff to enhance customer satisfaction. Data collection was through the use of a structured questionnaire which had both open ended and closed questions. A total of 146 respondents out of the 231sales personnel working in the sales departments were targeted. A drop and pick up method was used for the distribution and collection of the questionnaires. The response rate obtained for the research study was 134(91.6%). Collected data was analyzed by using spss (version 17). A chronbach alpha coefficient of reliability on the questionnaires was found to be 0.71, implying the data was reliable and adequate for analysis and reporting. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to summarize and report on the findings. Correlation and regression analysis were used to establish the relationships between effect of ICT and sales staff performance. The study revealed that to a great extent the bank had incorporated ICT in their sales and marketing activities with majority of the sales staff124(92.54%) agreeing that they used ICT in their sales activities on a daily basis. The mostpreferred mode of marketing was found to be the internet 84(62.69%).other marketing strategies using ICT platform were ATM, telephone, and electronic point of sales which were 38(29.2%,),13(10%) and 21(15.5%)respectively. The overall effect of ICT on market expansion was found to be 71.5%.ICT the respondents indicated was responsible for increased efficiency in their wok 72.3 %. The study revealed that ICT had not contributed effectively to the improvement of customer satisfaction. The study revealed that the bank needs to do more to improve on customer perceptions due to ICT as this was low at majority of the respondents 84(62.69%) reporting that it was difficult to change customer perceptions through ICT. The study revealed that despite the ability of ICT making it possible for the staff to provide accurate information, reach a wider clientele base, customers had reservations in taking up new products because of mistrust held by customers. It is therefore recommended that banks seek to be more transparent and do more to capture customer confidence. The regression analysis done on the performance of sales staff due to ICT integration revealed that their effectiveness and efficiency was 42% dependent on the type of ICT used, with p<0.001.The extent of market share was 23.7% with p<0.05, effective service delivery was 6.2% with p <0.05, while the level of customer satisfaction was found to be 13.5%, with p<0.05.The greater percentage of performance can be explained by moderating variables such as the bank products, management , motivation of workers and competition, market positioning. It is therefore recommended that for effectiveness, the bank should address those components outside ICT which account for reduced effectiveness of sales staff