Determinants of Bank Selection: An International Student Perspective

While student bank selection has enjoyed overwhelming research attention over the past few decades, how international student determines and selects their banks has however, received little attention in the marketing literature. This study explored the determinants of banking selection, among international students in Malaysian public universities. To achieve an in-depth understanding of this phenomenon and their ranking, a qualitative research methodology was employed, along with Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). The findings revealed five determinants out of nine identified from the literature, as the principal determinants of banking selection, among international students. These are (i) the third-party influences, (ii) convenience of location, (iii) availability of the ATM, (iv) quality of service, and (v) financial benefits from saving. The thirdparty influence was considered as the most important determinant, and financial benefits from saving as the least important determinant of banking selection, among international students in Malaysia. The second most important was convenience of location, followed by availability of the ATM, and the quality of service respectively. The studies on international student bank selection determinant are scanty in literature, this study therefore, makes contribution to the existing knowledge in this field.