Corporate Identity and Corporate Website: Quantitative Evidence from Selected Banks in Nigeria

Research establishing the mediation of corporate identity and corporate website is still at its infancy. Researchers have established the necessity to have stakeholders' confidence through the creation and maintenance of functional website, while others concluded that it is an organisational strategy for success in the market place. The failure of Nigerian banks to have a univocal corporate identity definition and understanding of how to construct a corporate website that can communicate desired corporate identity for stakeholders confidence hold sway. This study examined how banks in Nigeria developed their corporate identity through their corporate website. The theory of social construction was used to discuss the relationship among corporate identity and corporate website. A quantitative approach was adopted using questionnaires to customers of three selected banks based on their international status. 520 copies of the questionnaire were distributed to selected customers of the three banks who use electronic banking applications via the corporate website. 473 copies of the questionnaire were returned and found useful for the study giving a 79% response rate. Data were analysed using correlation analysis. Findings revealed that the banks use their website to disseminate generic, distinctive, transformative and innovative corporate personalities. Also, there is a significant relationship between corporate identity and corporate website (r=0.616; P=0.000). Based on these findings, Management of firms should strive for higher commitment and guarantee from the stakeholders through a continuous communication and feedback using the websites that offer quality and timely information that maximize their welfare and wealth. There is a need for firms' management to pay adequate attention to the nature of corporate identity that will be reflected by their websites in terms of culture, ethos and philosophy guiding their operations and expectations. Further studies can consider other aspects of corporate websites that can influence corporate identity and image in Nigeria while the use of websites in promoting corporate identity and image should be encouraged as a means of creating deeper deliberations on how several measures of corporate websites can influence the development of corporate identity and image.