Teaching bank management by the case study method.

Abstract

A perennial problem confronting instructors in business courses is the dichotomy between theory and practice. This issue is particularly relevant to banking courses because the financial environment has changed so drastically since deregulation. Cases can make the transition easier, allowing students to relate theoretical material to actual decision making. Banking schools have long incorporated case studies in their curriculum to aid students in the acquisition of bank management skills and decision making abilities.

Because the banking environment is changing so quickly it is difficult to obtain timely case material for banking courses. The problems are becoming much more specialized and my dissertation research involved developing new cases on some highly specific but very pertinent topics.

Each of the cases is accompanied by discussion questions and an instructor solutions unit. All of the studies are suitable for use in a graduate or undergraduate management of financial institutions course.

Following are brief overviews of the instructional case study topics: (1) Bank of New York's Hostile Battle for Irving Bank. On September 25, 1987, Bank of New York shocked the banking industry with a {dollar}1.4 billion hostile bid for Irving Bank. After eighteen months of battle, Irving finally ended its opposition making it the highest-priced acquisition in banking history. (2)~The Impact of the Corporate Alternative Minimum Tax on Commercial Banks. The Tax Reform Act of 1986 includes many significant rulings affecting banking institutions, the most complex being the new corporate alternative minimum tax (AMT). For banks, the most commonly incurred item of AMT is tax-exempt income. (3)~Strategic Audit: CNB Bancshares, Inc. CNB Bancshares, Inc. is a regional interstate bank holding company, serving portions of Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky through 7 subsidiary banks, 31 banking locations, and 705 employees. The audit includes a summary of CNB's business background, strategic managers, financial structure, corporate structure, and corporate resources. (4)~The Impact of Tax Reform on Commercial Banks' Municipal Investment Holdings. Under the new rules of the Tax Reform Act of 1986, banks can no longer deduct the interest expense for municipal issues acquired after August 7, 1986. Consequently, banks have been aggressively divesting in municipal securities.