Mapping the Risks and Risk Management Practices in Islamic Banking

Abstract

Although risk management in Islamic banking is one of the major as well as controversial issues of the sector, it is still an under-researched area of study. A lot of uncertainties still exist in risk management in Islamic banking, for which the answers are not yet necessarily clear, but which will play a part in shaping the industry’s future. Effective risk management in Islamic banking, thus, deserves priority attention: unless the industry develops its own genuine risk management architecture, it cannot achieve the dynamism that provides the viability needed for a more resilient financial system than the failing Wall Street model. Therefore, the study of risk management issues of the Islamic banking industry is an important but complex area.

This study, hence, explores and analyses risk management practices in the Islamic banking industry through the perceptions of participants who were drawn from the banking and finance industry. The research maps out the opinions and attitudes towards risk and locates the practices of the industry related to risk management. This study provides an up-to-date overview of current market practices, issues, and trends in risk management for Islamic banks. It focuses on practical applications and discusses a wide range of unique risks facing Islamic banks from the perspective of different range of practitioners.

To fulfil the aims of the research study, first, the present thesis analyses a number of issues concerning the subject using secondary data. Second, the unique risks facing Islamic banks and the perceptions of banking professionals regarding these risks are surveyed through a questionnaire. The final survey sample comprised 72 surveys from 18 countries. The data were analysed using various statistical analysis techniques ranging from simple frequency distribution analysis to the more advanced analyses such as non-parametric statistical analysis, factor analysis, and MANOVA multivariate analysis of variance. Third, semi-structured interviews were subsequently conducted with 33 leading Islamic banking professionals from 9 countries in order to develop an in-depth understanding of the underlying issues. Focused coding technique is used to analyse and sort the findings.

In general, the findings from this study identified weaknesses and vulnerabilities among Islamic banks in the area of risk management and governance. Risk management, monitoring, reporting, and mitigation need to be enhanced across the entire industry. The study has also shown that the majority of respondents consider liquidity, asset-liability management, and concentration risks as the top risks facing Islamic banks. In addition, regional risk perceptions were crystallized by conducting inferential statistical analysis. The findings also show that, although Islamic banks have shown resilience, they are not immune to financial shocks. The study asserts that the root drivers of the prevailing financial system have to be challenged and replaced by a more transparent and ethical alternative, for which Islamic finance is a serious yet underdeveloped option. The real issue in Islamic banking is the excessive reliance on form at the expense of substance.

It should also be noted that the findings of the study have policy-making implications which could benefit regulators, policy makers, Shari’ah scholars, practitioners, academia, and institutional stakeholders. Furthermore, this study has filled a gap in the literature by empirically exploring risk management issues from an Islamic banking perspective.