International Expansion of Nigeria Banks: Constructing the Winning Business Model in Sierra Leone-A Case Study of Guaranty Trust Bank

The research study is aimed at examining the degree to which Business Model adopted impact corporate performance particularly in a low-income economy, identify the Business Model variables and suggest the best Business Model to operate in Sierra Leone. Exploratory research was conducted on Guaranty Trust Bank (SL) Ltd with findings compared and contrasted with that of notable competition, United Bank for Africa and Zenith Bank. The aim of the research was to facilitate understanding of the factors responsible for the successes recorded by the subsidiaries of Nigerian banks in one location and how these success factors could be replicated in other subsidiary locations. The research entailed gathering of qualitative data from the senior executives of these banks and quantitative data from the financial performances of the banks over a three-year period. The analyses of the qualitative and quantitative data were used to test the viability of the Business Models adopted by the sampled multinational banks based on identified features inherent in a viable Business Model. The study found that the competitive advantage of case study bank was due to the effectiveness of its Business Model in terms of alignment with the goals of the organization, reinforcement, virtuousness, and robustness. The study also revealed that the characteristics of an organization and inherent resources could be evaluated and assessed from the Business Model features and structured to deliver optimal results. The study demonstrated that a well-crafted Business Model is capable of providing a competitive advantage even in low-income economy and aid the replication of success in one location to another. The research findings provide practical implications to guide businesses in the designing of the most appropriate Business Model for optimal performance. The research study can help business leaders to develop a template for driving performances in their organizations, communicate performance actions and monitor performance objectives.