Factors Influencing Bank Customers’ Orientations toward Islamic Banks: Indonesian Banking Perspective

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Indonesian banking industry showed positive performance, high profitability, sustainable growth, and stability. Islamic banks grew by 9.50% and had a market share of 6.52 percent as of September 2021. This study aims to examine the industrial sector perspective on the factors that prevent consumers from becoming customers of Islamic banks, in particular the factors that influence consumer decisions not to become Sharia bank customers. This study used descriptive qualitative methods and in-depth interviews to confirm and obtain input from industry representatives regarding Islamic banks. Primary data collection was performed using a purposive sampling technique. Informants were head office officials, managers, heads of individual retail product development units, product features and policies, market education, marketing, customer acquisition, and individual retailers. The findings of this study are the existence of passive resistance of consumers to become customers of Islamic banks. In addition, there are obstacles for prospective customers of Islamic banks in responding to marketing stimuli due to the perception of risk, image, and weak marketing reach that have dominated passive resistance to Islamic banks (blocking effects). As a result, consumers prefer conventional banks and are less interested in becoming customers of Islamic banks. This means that there is no opposition to Islamic banks.