The impact of balanced scorecard in estimating the performance of banks in Palestine

PurposeThis study aims to see the influence of a balanced scorecard (BSC) to determine the performance of banks in Palestine. Among the institutions that influence the economy of any country is the banking sector. Despite the influence of this sector on the economic policies and implementation in Palestine, there appears to be the difficulty of the appropriate approach to measuring its performance. Various techniques have failed to be efficient and effective. It creates an impulse to investigate the impact of a BSC in estimating the performance of banks in Palestine.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopted a descriptive design of the ex-post facto type with a sample of 126 senior bank staff randomly selected from fourteen Palestinian banks. In total, 3 hypotheses were raised and tested using Pearson's product-moment correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis at 0.05 level of significance.FindingsThe result showed that bank performance positively correlated with internal business process perspective (r = 0.633, p < 0.01), followed by customers’ perspective (r = 0.338, p < 0.01), financial perspective (r = 0.321, p < 0.01) and learning and growth perspective (r = 0.230, p < 0.01). While regression analysis showed that the most potent factor was internal business process perspective (Beta = 0.670, t = 10.320, p < 0.01), followed by learning and growth perspective (Beta = 0.185, t = 2.812, p < 0.01) and customers’ perspective (Beta = 0.150, t = 2.469, p < 0.05) and financial perspective (Beta = 0.100, t = 2.200, p < 0.05). This implies that a unit increase in internal business process perspective, learning and growth perspective and customer's perspective will increase bank performance by 67%, 18.5%, 15% and 10%, respectively.Practical implicationsAmong others, it was recommended that employees be exposed to the BSC model and its principles through continuous train as to ensure adequate application and implementation for enhanced bank performance. Administrators and stakeholders should ensure that the properties of each dimension of the BSC model are adequately worked on for easy fulfillment of the potentials in the model. It creates an avenue for a full-fledge organization with a workable customer, financial, internal business process, learning and growth perspective.Originality/valueThis is an initial study that used a BSC to determine the performance of banks in Palestine. Prior researchers overlook BSC dimensions composite and relative effect on the prediction of bank performance in Palestine.