The Impact of the Application of Information technology governance on financial performance through the mediating role of Banking governance A survey of sample of Iraq banks listed in the Iraq stock exchange

Abstract

The current study aimed to measure the long-run impact of IT governance in the COBIT framework on the financial performance of Iraqi banks within the framework of banking governance as a mediating variable. by running balanced panel data for a sample of 19 listed Iraqi banks during the period (2018-2020) using the path analysis method. The study concluded that there is a direct positive impact of IT governance on financial performance, as opposed to an indirect, negative impact of IT governance on performance through banking governance. Thus, banking governance plays a mediating role "partial mediation" in the relationship of IT governance with the financial performance of Iraqi banks. Also, this direct effect has a medium practical importance, in contrast to a large practical importance for the indirect effect, while there was no effect size (practical importance) for the total effect. This is because the negative impact of banking governance cancels any direct impact of IT governance on financial performance. Hence, any overall impact of IT governance on financial performance vanishes, and any practical importance of this relationship in the Iraqi accounting and administrative environment vanishes with it. Thus, Iraqi banks must rely on one element of governance only, whether banking governance or information technology governance. Finally, the study also concluded that there is no inverse circular causal relationship between financial performance and the level of banking governance.