Framework of contradictions shaping bank management: a conceptual paper

Purpose: The paper is an attempt to enter the discussion in the subject literature on elucidating problems in the non-systemic approach to managing the bank as an organization. The purpose of the paper is to identify the contradictions within which banks are managed, and which are aggravated in contingency situations. Due to the sensitive matter of the services they provide, banks are institutions that require special attention particularly now, when the COVID situation is radically testing management quality. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is the result of a literature review. Findings: The epistemological studies conducted have culminated in a framework of contradictory determinants shaping bank management during fast-paced changes in market conditions. The theoretical construct proposed may be a point of departure for empirical verification and further analytic work on the capacity of banks to reconcile the antinomies identified in the paper. Originality/value: The study makes it possible for managers to fill the knowledge gap with respect to areas and implications of the identified contradictions. Awareness of their existence and, as a result, management that supports processes for responding to a volatile environment is particularly useful in crisis situations. The proposed theoretical concept may be applied to identify antinomies or their lack in other areas of management research for various organization types.