Organisational Structure and Decision-Making Speed in Nigerian Commercial Banks: A Survey

This research investigates the relationship between organisational structure configurations and decision-making speed in selected Nigerian commercial banks, drawing respondents from both centralised and decentralised bank branches across South West and North Central geopolitical zones. Decision-making speed is a critical competitive variable in commercial banking, influencing credit approval cycles, product launch timelines, and customer response quality. This study employs a comparative survey design with data collected from 110 branch managers and operations supervisors through structured questionnaires. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, t-tests for group comparisons, and regression analysis. The study examines structural dimensions including degree of centralisation, span of control, formalisation of procedures, chain of command depth, and cross-functional team usage. Results indicate that banks with flatter hierarchies and lower centralisation degrees report significantly faster operational decision-making speeds compared to their deeply hierarchical counterparts. High formalisation of procedures was found to support consistency but negatively moderated speed in novel customer situations. Cross-functional team usage was associated with faster strategic decision-making at the branch level. Recommendations include revisiting branch authority delegation frameworks, streamlining approval chains for routine transactions, and investing in cross-functional team training. Keywords: organisational structure, decision-making speed, commercial banks, centralisation, Nigeria.