Research Proposal: Financial Performance of HSBC Bank in Oman Study

This research proposal aims to analyze the financial performance of HSBC Bank in Oman over the past 10 years, understand its impact on customers, and recommend strategies for enhancing financial performance. It outlines the background of the study, research questions, objectives, and scope, along with a hypothesis regarding the impact of financial performance on the bank's operations. The research methodology is descriptive, based on a positivism philosophy, utilizing surveys of 100 HSBC employees in Oman through simple random probability technique. Data collection will involve primary and secondary methods, with statistical analysis of survey responses using MS-Excel. Ethical considerations are addressed, ensuring respondent confidentiality and data destruction after the research. Limitations include cost and time constraints.

Running head: RESEARCH PROPOSAL
A study on the Financial Performance of HSBC Bank in Oman
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Table of Contents
1. Introduction............................................................................................................................2
a. Introduction about the selected organization......................................................................2
b. Background of the study....................................................................................................2
c. Key terms used...................................................................................................................3
d. Objectives of the research..................................................................................................3
e. Research questions.............................................................................................................3
f. Scope of the research..........................................................................................................4
g. Hypothesis..........................................................................................................................4
2. Research Methodology...........................................................................................................5
a. Type of the research...............................................................................................................5
b. Research Philosophy..........................................................................................................5
c. Sample Characteristics (Sample size, features, scope, etc)................................................6
d. Limitations of the study.....................................................................................................7
e. Data collection methods.....................................................................................................7
f. Ethical issues of the research..............................................................................................8
Reference List............................................................................................................................9

2RESEARCH PROPOSAL
1. Introduction
a. Introduction about the selected organization
HSBC has been established in Oman and has been in operation since 1948 and was
one of the only banks that were operating the country for the next 20 years after its
establishment. The company also assisted in introducing the Omani currency in the market
during the 1970s. The bank was the first in opening the ATM services in Oman along with
the provision of withdrawals from the international ATM as well (Al-Musali and Ismail
2014). It also introduced the online system for the banking services so that the customers can
use the service in an efficient way. The bank was also responsible in establishing the
electronic banking system on a commercial scale through the Hexagon product. In the recent
market, the bank is responsible for providing a wide range of services to the retail as well as
the corporate customers located in Oman (Malik and Nadeem 2014).
The bank is run by Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles who is the Chairman of the branch
located in Oman along with Waleed Omar Al Zawawi who is the Deputy Chairman of the
bank. The bank provides many opportunities to the customers by introducing many facilities
so that it can help them in transacting in a proper manner.
b. Background of the study
The banking history dates to the 14th century during the renaissance period that took
place in Italy. The main objective of the banks was to serve as a link between the customers
who have lesser amount of capital and the customers who have an increased wealth in the
market. The principles of the banks were to provide innovative products so that it can help in
fulfilling the demands of the customers along with coping to the changes during the period of
globalization (Ongore and Kusa 2013).

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HSBC is one of the largest financial institutions in the world and their strategy is to
become the international leader in the financial sector on a global scale. The financial
performance of the banks can be understood through the needs that the bank caters for the
customers. The banking ratios have to be positive so that it can gain a higher rate of capital in
the market along with the financial gains. The bank also needs to take in to consideration the
future prospects of the customers so that it can help in retaining them towards the institution.
The provision of superior services will result by increasing the promotional and the
marketing activities. This will result in increasing the level of branding of the bank as well
(Mallin, Farag and Ow-Yong 2014).
Failure of proper financial performances will affect the capital, as it will lead to a loss
in the market. This needs to be taken in to consideration by the bank so that they can maintain
a better level of operation in the market. The use of the latest technologies will help the banks
in gaining a competitive advantage in the market, as more number of customers will trust
them in keeping the money in safe hands (Ongore and Kusa 2013).
c. Key terms used
HSBC Bank, Financial Performance, Oman, Business ratio, Descriptive, Positivism, Survey.
d. Objectives of the research
The objective of the study would be as follows:
 To analyse the financial performance of HSBC Bank in Oman for the past 10 years
 To understand the level of impact that the bank creates on the customers in Oman
 To recommend strategies to the bank so that it can help in increasing the financial
performances in the region
e. Research questions
The research will be based on the following questions:

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1. How has the bank performed financially in the past 10 years in Oman?
2. What level of impact did it create on the customers through the services?
3. What are the strategies that can be taken up by the bank in the future so that it can
increase its level of financial performance in the Oman market?
f. Scope of the research
The research that will be conducted for the company will help them in analysing the
financial performance in the market so that it can be able to understand the level of
competitive advantage it will have in the market. This will allow the company in attracting
more number of customers so that the level of investment can increase to a greater level. It
will also help in providing better suggestion to the bank so that the performance of the
financial matrix can be increased as well.
g. Hypothesis
The research will be based on the following hypothesis:
H0- The financial performance of the HSBC Bank does not create an impact on their
operations in the Omani market.
H1- The financial performance of the HSBC Bank create an impact on their operations in the
Omani market.

5RESEARCH PROPOSAL
2. Research Methodology
a. Type of the research
There are three types of research that can be taken up by the researcher in completing
the study in a proper manner. They are known as descriptive, exploratory and explanatory.
The exploratory type of research will result in the hypothesis test, which has been taken up in
the process of research with the aims and objectives that are present in the research. The use
of various concepts and theories will be done by the researcher so that it can result in testing
the hypothesis in a proper manner (Mackey and Gass 2015). It will also allow the researcher
in collecting necessary information regarding the topic so that the research can be done in an
effective manner. The explanatory type of the research will result in describing the incidences
that are taking place during the research is being conducted. It will allow the researcher in
providing justification regarding the events that are taking place so that the process can be
efficient. The descriptive type of research is a combination of the other types, which allows
the researcher in testing the hypothesis and provide explanation for the incidences that are
happening in the process of the research (Taylor, Bogdan and DeVault 2015).
This research will be based on the descriptive type, as the researcher will be testing
the hypothesis that has been taken up for the process along with the objectives that has been
framed. This will allow the research to be carried out in a proper manner.
b. Research Philosophy
The research will be based on certain philosophies and the most common type of
philosophies that are used in the research process are known as pragmatism, positivism and
interpretivism. The interpretivsim philosophy considers the various opportunities that are
present to the researcher so that the different opinions and point-of-views of the people can
be considered with respect to the topic that has been taken up. It is also based on the various

6RESEARCH PROPOSAL
opinions that are provided by the people and proper justification is also provided (Glesne
2015). The philosophy known as positivism is based on observations that are quantifiable in
nature so that the scientific approach can be taken up by the researcher. This philosophy
allows the researcher in validating and verifying the tests before they are conducted so that
the process can be efficient. The pragmatic philosophy is based on the combination of the
above philosophies, which allows the researcher in making the observations quantifiable and
meaningful as well (Brinkmann 2014).
This research will be based on the positivism philosophy, which will allow the
researcher in understanding the objectives and the aims that has been taken up for the
research process, as the research will be based on the facts that will be collected and tested in
a scientific manner.
c. Sample Characteristics (Sample size, features, scope, etc)
The research will be based on survey that will be conducted among the employees of
HSBC Bank located in Oman. This is due to the fact that the employees will have a better
knowledge regarding the performance of the bank in the Omani market. This will also result
in assessing the financial performance by comparing the figures of the past 10 years with the
present year.
The survey will be based on simple random probability technique where the
participants will have an equal opportunity to be included in the process of the survey. This
will result in removing the biasness of the researcher towards any respondent (Flick 2015).
The size of the sample will be kept to 100 employees so that the research can be conducted in
an authentic manner. This will also allow the researcher in conducting the process of research
in a limited period so that the time of the process can be saved (Silverman 2016).

7RESEARCH PROPOSAL
d. Limitations of the study
The researcher has to limit the study to a certain level, as the level of cost does not
increase. The main limitation of the researcher will be the factor of cost, as the researcher has
a limited amount of source and the project will not be funded by the university. This will also
hamper the study, as the source of fund available to the researcher will have helped in gaining
necessary information for the websites that cannot be accessed (Smith 2015).
Another major limitation for the researcher will be the time constraint. The limitation
of time will hamper the study of the research, as it will not help in conducting the survey for a
long period of time. If the time would have been more for the researcher, it would have
resulted in surveying more number of employees so that the process of research can be
conducted in an authentic manner (Panneerselvam 2014).
e. Data collection methods
The research will be based on primary and secondary methods, as the secondary
sources will help in conducting the review of literature in a proper manner. It will help in
getting more insights regarding the factors that affect the financial performance of the banks.
The primary sources will be the survey that will be conducted. This will help the researcher
in recording the responses from the employees so that its analysis can be done properly. The
primary data that will be collected will be analysed in a statistical manner so that it can make
the research look authentic (Neuman and Robson 2014).
The data that will be collected will be analysed using bar graphs that will be done
through MS-Excel so that the representation of the data can be done through statistics. It will
then be interpreted by the researcher so that the findings can be stated according to the
analysis that was done (Gast and Ledford 2014).

8RESEARCH PROPOSAL
f. Ethical issues of the research
The researcher has to abide by certain rules and regulations, which will help in
carrying out the research process properly. The researcher will not apply pressure on the
respondents to take part in the survey process. The survey that will be conducted will not be
used for any commercial purposes and will be destroyed after the research has been
conducted successfully (Toarone, Gass and Cohen 2013).

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Reference List
Al-Musali, M.A.K. and Ismail, K.N.I.K., 2014. Intellectual capital and its effect on financial
performance of banks: Evidence from Saudi Arabia. Procedia-Social and Behavioral
Sciences, 164, pp.201-207.
Brinkmann, S. 2014. Interview. In Encyclopedia of Critical Psychology (pp. 1008-1010).
Springer New York.
Flick, U. 2015. Introducing research methodology: A beginner's guide to doing a research
project. Sage.
Gast, D. L., and Ledford, J. R. (Eds.). 2014. Single case research methodology: Applications
in special education and behavioral sciences. Routledge.
Glesne, C. 2015. Becoming qualitative researchers: An introduction. Pearson.
Mackey, A., and Gass, S. M. 2015. Second language research: Methodology and design.
Routledge.
Malik, M.S. and Nadeem, M., 2014. Impact of corporate social responsibility on the financial
performance of banks in Pakistan. International Letters of Social and Humanistic Sciences,
10(1), pp.9-19.
Mallin, C., Farag, H. and Ow-Yong, K., 2014. Corporate social responsibility and financial
performance in Islamic banks. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 103, pp.S21-
S38.
Neuman, W. L., and Robson, K. 2014. Basics of social research. Pearson Canada.
Ongore, V.O. and Kusa, G.B., 2013. Determinants of financial performance of commercial
banks in Kenya. International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, 3(1), p.237.

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Panneerselvam, R. 2014. Research methodology. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd..
Silverman, D. (Ed.). 2016. Qualitative research. Sage.
Smith, J. A. (Ed.). 2015. Qualitative psychology: A practical guide to research methods.
Sage.
Tarone, E. E., Gass, S. M., and Cohen, A. D. (Eds.). 2013. Research methodology in second-
language acquisition. Routledge.
Taylor, S. J., Bogdan, R., and DeVault, M. 2015. Introduction to qualitative research
methods: A guidebook and resource. John Wiley and Sons.
Vaioleti, T. M. 2016. Talanoa research methodology: A developing position on Pacific
research. Waikato Journal of Education, 12(1).