ancshares, thus, had a rather complex leadership and managerial structure. On the surface, it appeared that the company operated largely with a bottom up structure, when, as a more substantive level, the company leadership structure was better described as top down in character.
Mark Twain Bancshares was created and to the case time frame largely operated in an environment wherein there was little cross over in segment targeting. The very large banks largely targeted major corporations and wealthy individuals. Smaller banks tended to be located in neighborhoods to provide commercial depositing and checking services and consumer loan services to the general population. A few, niche banks, such as Mark Twain Bancshares, targeted upper middle income individuals and small businesses. At the time frame of time frame of the case, the pace of the incorporation of technological innovation in the commercial banking industry was accelerating; however, niche banks, such as Mark Twain Bancshares, thought that such innovation could be resisted because it was not demanded by their target segment, and, thus, the bank did not find itself in a competitive situation that made essential the attainment of operating economies through the incorporation of technological innovation.
The deregulation of the financial services industry heralded major changes in the competitive environment within which commercial banks operated.
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