Losing their war : Using Service-Dominant Logic To Assess The Market Position Of Traditional Swedish Banks

Abstract: Being influenced by advanced technology solutions, modern business is undergoing significant transformations. This is also true about the financial services sector, where innovative solutions are being actively used and new fintech companies are emerging. Against this background, the market share of large traditional banks reduces steadily. These trends are also observed in Sweden, which has one of the highest levels of digitalization of banking services in Europe. The described trends may indicate that Swedish traditional banks are unable to compete with fintech companies and adapt to the new business environment. Consequently, the purpose of the research is to assess the current and potential positions of large traditional Swedish banks in the financial services market. In particular, when considering the situation through the prism of service-dominant logic, it is necessary to understand the place that large traditional banks occupy in the overall process of value creation with the participation of the consumer. In this regard, the following questions have been examined within the research: RQ1. How can the largest traditional banks in Sweden preserve their market positions in the overall value creation process? RQ2. What services offered by the traditional banks are the most exposed to customer outflow? To answer the questions posed, the exploratory research has been carried out, which is based on a case study and an in-depth study of a specific example, namely the development of Swedbank in a changing market context. The research data has been mostly derived from the interview, although, to reduce its bias and subjectivity, the secondary data, providing an idea of market trends, has been also analyzed. As a result of the research, it has been determined that the main advantages of fintech companies are high specialization, seamless processes, and reduced government control. Against this background, traditional banks are losing market share, but in the future, the situation should stabilize. The reason is that traditional banks have the scale, infrastructure, and operant resources to deliver comprehensive financial services that require a customized approach and cannot be automated. In addition, large traditional banks could potentially act as a platform for the technological development of the entire industry. These circumstances determine the specific advantages and the development of incumbent banks in Sweden, although the involvement of consumers in the co-creation process through social media and mobile applications is still the problem.