Operating Environment

Connecting with Stakeholders

In a rapidly changing environment, maintaining a constant dialogue with all our stakeholders is pivotal to shape our strategy to be fit for the time and for the future. The emerging trends, some of which are unprecedented in terms of magnitude and impact, affect our ability to sustainably deliver value to our stakeholders and in turn derive value from them.

When an individual or a group is significantly impacted by our actions, products, or services, we consider that party a stakeholder. At the same time, we are keenly aware that the stakeholders’ perceptions and behaviour can powerfully impact our ability to carry on our activities and meet strategic goals.

Accordingly, we consider the following to be our stakeholders –

  • Investors
  • Customers
  • Employees
  • Society and environment
  • Business partners
  • Government institutions and regulators

Though the range of stakeholders that may directly or indirectly impact our performance are vast, above grouping helps the Bank to effectively manage the interactions with the stakeholders that matter most in our operations.

While formal mechanisms are in place to connect with our stakeholder groups (Figure 04), responsibility for such engagement is shared across the Bank at every stakeholder point of contact.

We strongly believe that by engaging with our stakeholders we are able to better gear ourselves for the future, adapt our business model, drive innovation, and garner invaluable insights for our strategic planning process for long-term value creation.

The mechanisms through which we engage with our stakeholders and our understanding on their aspirations are given in Figure 05.

Our stakeholder engagement process

Figure – 04

How we connect with our stakeholders

Figure – 05

 
  Investors Customers Employees
Stakeholder aspirations
  • Financial performance
  • Governance
  • Transparency and disclosure
  • Business expansion plans
  • Risk management
  • Sustainable growth
  • Swift service
  • Customer security and privacy
  • Service quality
  • Financial inclusion
  • Affordability of services and convenience
  • Grievance handling mechanism
  • Financial education and literacy
  • Financial support for revival of business
  • Performance and reward management
  • Training and development
  • Career advancement opportunities
  • Work-life balance
  • Retirement benefit plans
  • Value driven corporate culture
  • Diversity and inclusion
  • Perception of a prosperous future for the Bank
Mode and frequency
Engagement mechanism Frequency
Annual Reports and AGMs Annually
Extraordinary General Meetings As required
Interim financial statements Quarterly
Investor presentations As required
Press conferences and releases As required
Announcements to CSE As required
One-to-one discussions As required
Corporate website Continuous
Feedback surveys As required
Engagement mechanism Frequency
Customer visits As required
Complaints received As required
Complaints resolution officer, relationship managers As required
ComBank Biz Club Continuous
Branch network and call centre Continuous
Media advertisements As required
Corporate website Continuous
Customer workshops As required
Engagement mechanism Frequency
Manager’s Conference Annually
Town hall meeting Annually
Regional review meetings Quarterly
Branch marketing meeting Monthly
Training programmes As required
Intranet Continuous
Special staff events Annually
Trade union discussions As required
Employee satisfaction survey As required
 
  Society and environment Business partners Government institutions and regulators
Stakeholder aspirations
  • Responsible financing
  • Commitment to community
  • Financial inclusion, recruitment
  • Microfinance and SME
  • Ethics and business conduct
  • Environmental performance
  • Employment opportunities
  • Contractual performance
  • Future business opportunities
  • Maintaining healthy relationships
  • Timely settlement of dues
  • Ease of working
  • Growth potential
  • Collaboration for new technological advances in the financial sector
  • Compliance with directives and codes
  • Local and overseas expansion
  • Microfinance and SME development
  • Supporting economic growth
Mode and frequency
Engagement mechanism Frequency
Delivery channels Continuous
Press releases, conferences and media briefings As required
Informal briefings and communications As required
Public events As required
Corporate website Continuous
Engagement mechanism Frequency
Supplier relationship management As required
On-site visits and meetings As required
Engagement mechanism Frequency
On-site surveillance Annually
Directives and circulars As required
Meetings and consultations As required
Press releases As required
Periodic returns As specified
Submissions to policymakers As required
Responses to consultation papers on Directions and other regulations As specified
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