Customer type and bank efficiency in Poland: Implications for emerging market banking

Bank efficiency studies on emerging markets tend to show that foreign banks are more cost-, profit-, and operationally efficient than state-owned or domestic private banks. They also show that large banks are more efficient than small banks. Using a parametric approach to measuring efficiency, this article finds that foreign banks servicing foreign and business customers are more cost-efficient and less profit-efficient than other banks in Poland. Additionally, evidence of cost economies and profit diseconomies of scale are found. These results have implications for regulatory policies focused on promoting efficiency in the banking systems of emerging markets.