EFFECT OF DIGITAL BANKING SERVICE ON FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF COMMERCIAL BANKS: A CASE OF SELECTED COMMERCIAL BANKS IN ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Analytically this study determines the effects of digital banking services on the banks performance of selected commercial banks in Ethiopia. Mainly focuses on the roles of; Automatic Teller Machine (ATM), Internet Banking (IB), Tell- birr (TB), Agent Banking (AB) and Mobile Banking (MB) services. Banks performance is evaluated using various indicatorsbut for the purpose of this study, the researcher uses the following two main indicators like, Return on Assets (ROA) and Return on Equity (ROE) as key indicators. A panel dataset was collected from nine purposively selected both conventional and IFB commercial Banks such as: Commercial Bank of Ethiopia, Awash Bank S.C., Bank of Abyssinia, Dashen Bank, Hibeet Bank, Amara Bank S.C, Cooperative Bank of Oromia, Nib Bank, and Zamzam Bank S.C. covering the period from 2020 to 2024. Using a quantitative approach and employing both descriptive and explanatory research designs, the study applies fixed and random effects regression models estimated with SPSS Version 23. The findings indicate that, ATMs, and internet banking services exhibit a significant positive effect on both profitability measures, highlighting their effectiveness in enhancing bank performance. Remarkably, mobile banking shows a mixed effect; it positively influences ROA but negatively and significantly affects ROE, indicating potential inefficiencies or cost challenges in mobile banking deployment. This study contributes original insights to the existing literature by providing context-specific findings from Ethiopia, particularly regarding the differing effects of mobile banking services compared to previous research. It enriches the discussion on the strategic role of digital banking technologies in shaping the financial outcomes of banks operating in emerging markets.