An integrative view of knowledge processes and a learning culture for ambidexterity: Towards improved organisational performance in the banking sector

Banks are the backbone of the financial sector and catalysts in the economic development of any country. Current changes in their global business ecosystem make of knowledge about the fund-supplying and fund-demanding parties of the society a key resource for the fulfilment of banks’ investment and saving functions. This research addresses the relationship between performance and a learning culture that is supported by knowledge processes within the organisation. Given the relevance of this subject for organisations from most knowledge-intensive domains, this research has focused on the Spanish banking sector. Using a structural equation model, feedback received from 215 employees from 142 individual branches from a major banking institution in Spain was studied. The results of the data analysis show that in addition to maximising on what is already known about the customer base, employees’ learning about the potential new stakeholders and also about the internal strategies, tools and techniques is directly related to the bank’s performance which, in turn, influences economic recovery and socio-economic development. Results support that an active pursuit of learning within the context of the organisation is required for banks to remain competitive in the dynamic, global business ecosystem where international, national and local banking sectors operate.