The efficient operation of financial intermediaries - banks, insurance and pension fund firms, government agencies - is instrumental for the efficient functioning of the financial system and the fuelling of the economies of the twenty-first century. But what drives the performance of these institutions in today's global environment? The interdisciplinary and international perspective of this volume offers a deep understanding of the drivers of performance in financial institutions. World-renowned scholars from economics, finance, operations management and marketing, and leading industry professionals, bring their expertise to bear. Among their concerns are: the definition and measurement of the efficiency of such institutions; benchmarks of efficiency; identification of performance drivers and measurement of their effects; the impact of financial innovation and information technologies on performance; the effects of process design, human resource management policies and regulations on efficiency; and interrelationships between risk management and operational efficiency.