Canadian banks and global competitiveness

Abstract

Darroch believes that knowledge of how the activities of these banks in international markets removed growth constraints from both the banks and the economy is vital to understanding the development of Canadian banking and the Canadian economy. In Canadian Banks and Global Competitiveness he surveys the strategies that produced the banks' high rankings. Using a case study approach, he examines the history of each bank from its founding to the passage of the 1992 omnibus financial services legislation, evaluating how its strategies have evolved in changing environments and exposing the long-term effects of corporate decisions and the profound effects of public policy on this regulated industry. Darroch shows that each bank has made an important and distinctive contribution to the competitiveness and development of the Canadian economy. From his analysis it becomes clear that the banks were not so much leaders or followers as key enablers for Canadian firms and the Canadian economy.