Over the past decade, its transformation from a snooty commercial bank into a market-oriented investment bank has fostered a more outward-looking and less separatist culture.

ECONOMIST: Wall Street��s old order changes

One classic cultural success is the example of Bankers Trust, where Alfred Brittain and Charlie Sanford formed a team that changed the corporate culture from that of a traditional commercial bank, highly valuing a measured pace of decision making, to that of a more transaction-oriented global merchant bank, emphasizing fast reactions, state-of-the-art communications, and sophisticated controls.

FORBES: Cultural Change is a Team Effort

The bank also estimates that profit-oriented investors (including trust banks, investment trusts, individuals and foreign funds) now own a greater proportion of those shares than do cross-holding banks and business partners who frequently prop up bad managers.

ECONOMIST: Japanese shareholder activism

"The right direction for Indonesia is universal or supermarket banking, " says Okkie, who notes that two other corporate-oriented players, Bank Niaga (No. 324) and Bank Bira (No. 427), are going the retail banking route.

CNN: The Asiaweek Financial 500

Bank of America's retail-oriented approach carries risks.

FORBES: Money For The Masses

The typical bank, said Cox, is a risk-oriented environment where bankers want to limit their exposure.

FORBES: BBVA Pursues Profits Among The Unbanked Using Nontraditional Data

Lincare received an upgrade from analysts at Deutsche Bank Tuesday, and certainly this will make the stock far more attractive to income-oriented investors.

FORBES: Dividend Breathes New Life Into Lincare

For Thai Farmers Bank's billionaire boss Banthoon Lamsam, it means only one thing: Build a service-oriented staff.

CNN: The Asiaweek Financial 500