By Nwachukwu, Angela Amaka
The study is on competitive advantage of multidimensional knowledge acquisition in Nigerian banking industry. The theoretical frameworks for the study are value-based management strategy, blue ocean management strategy and business intelligent approaches. The objectives of the study are: to ascertain the extent to which the level of improvement in international standard performance rating of Nigerian banks is enhanced by multidimensional acquisition of banking knowledge; to determine whether acquisition of diversified banking knowledge is compatible with the quality of services Nigerian banks offer to the satisfaction of customers; to evaluate the impact of adequate multidimensional knowledge acquisition on financial strength, robustness and competitiveness of a bank; to determine the rate of commercial banks financial contribution to industrial sector growth in Nigeria through diversified knowledge acquisition in banking; to determine the extent to which financial support of Nigerian banks to commercialization of agricultural sector of Nigerian economy is enhanced by acquisition of multidimensional knowledge in banking; and to determine the degree to which the social development services of the Nigerian banking firms can be facilitated by the acquisition of multidimensional banking knowledge. The research design for the study is longitudinal survey. The population of the study is one thousand and forty five (1045) staff of the selected banks (Zenith bank, First bank and Oceanic bank) in Imo, Rivers and Enugu States. The sample size of six hundred (600) was drawn from the study population using Cochran Systematic Sampling. Data were obtained from primary and secondary sources. The research instrument was subject to content validity. For reliability of the research instrument, a test-retest method was adopted using Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient and the calculated result gave reliability coefficient of 0.81. Six hypotheses were proposed and tested using simple percentage analysis and regression analysis. The findings reveal that the level of improvement in international bank standard performance rating is greatly enhanced by multidimensional knowledge acquisition among Nigerian banks, diversified knowledge acquisition in banking is not compatible with the services provided to the satisfaction of Nigerian banks’ customers, adequate knowledge acquisition has positive impact on financial strength, robustness and competitiveness in Nigerian banking industry, acquisition of diversified banking knowledge in Nigerian banks has significant rate of financial support in Nigerian industrial sector growth and development, the level of financial support of Nigerian banks to commercialization of agricultural sector of Nigerian economy is greatly enhanced by acquisition of multidimensional knowledge in banking and social infrastructural development services of Nigerian banking firms is greatly facilitated by the multidimensional banking knowledge acquired by Nigerian banks.