“BIG DIGITAL BANK” VS "LOCAL BANK": HOW TO COPE WITH THE CONTROVERSIAL SITUATIONS?

The Italian banking system has changed profoundly and nowadays banks have to adapt their strategies to attain an adequate level of profitability (Mattei, 2019). Digitalization and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are useful to obtain this result. However, at the same time, they can have a negative impact on the relationship between the bank and the territory, compromising the local economic growth (Caporale, Di Colli, Di Salvo, & Lopez, 2016). The objective of this work is to understand if any strategies could be undertaken to maintain the territorial relationship even when M&A and digitalization have become necessary. The methodology used is an ethnographic exploratory single case study (Yin, 1984). The information collected using semi-structured interviews is interpreted through qualitative inductive content analysis (Elo & Kyngäs, 2008). The interviews suggest that even when M&A and digitalization have a negative impact on the relationship between bank and territory, these two processes, if well-managed, could both improve the bank‟s profitability and the contact with the local reality. Therefore, if a strategic management process is defined in advance, it is possible to maintain, or, even gain profitability.