Integrative Innovation Strategy : a case study of Guaranty Trust Bank plc (GTBank)

Abstract

Since starting in 1990, Guaranty Trust Bank plc (GTBank) has emerged as one of the strongest players in the African Banking space despite the challenging business climate. Firms operating in similar conditions - geographies, industries and markets; leveraging similar sets of resources - capital, skill and technology; and having identical organizational designs do not always demonstrate similar corporate performance. The situation could be likened to a normal distribution curve where a few of the firms are the industry leaders who outperform the rest on all metrics including profit. At the other end of the spectrum is another group who returns less than stellar performance. The majority however usually lies somewhere in the middle with acceptable performance, forming the industry average. The question which then arises is what constitutes the distinction between the great firms and other players within an industry or market? This is despite the similarity in operating conditions, resources at their disposal and organizational designs. There have been extensive academic and practice-based efforts to explain the likely causes of the gaps in performance among firms. While each attempt seems to present a valid position, it is likely that the success does not depend on any one effective management situation or strategy but rather in a novel combination of existing management, strategic and operational components in an innovative manner. I call this combination an "Integrative Innovation Strategy (IIS)" and use it to describe the distinctive advantage of GTBank. The research examines how Guaranty Trust Bank plc (GTBank) has emerged as a dominant player in the African banking landscape.