Factors and issues affecting electronic insurance adoption in an emerging market

This study examines the factors and issues affecting the adoption of electronic insurance (EI) in the Jordanian insurance sector. The methodology of the study is based on convenience sampling, thus, the sample consists of 175 respondents familiar with E-services, with different backgrounds, professions, businesses, income groups, sectors, and regions. Questionnaires were distributed and disseminated electronically using SurveyMonkey. The study employs both descriptive and ANOVA analyses to analyze the responses. The results show that EI promotes sustainability, reduces costs, saves time and holds some operational benefits beneath. The ANOVA results show that the impact of income and age on sustainability, cost-effectiveness, and operational benefits is significant at least at the 5% significance level. Respondents are also aware that EI may involve issues and challenges related to security and privacy, customer-related issues such as lack of knowledge about repositories, and insurer-related issues such as data shifting. The ANOVA results indicate that gender affects customers’ perceptions of EI adoption regarding customer-related issues; its effect is significant at the 5% level of significance. On the other hand, age and income level are important factors that shape respondents’ perceptions of EI in Jordan. Age is only significant for security-related issues, and income level is a deciding factor in insurer-related issues; their effect is strong and highly significant at the 5% and 1% levels, respectively

Predicting intention to adopt B2B electronic commerce in Jordan: The moderating role of trust and dependency

Business to Business Electronic Commerce (B2B EC) has great potentials to extend firms’ competency and efficiency. As such, Jordan has an objective to increase the diffusion of this technology. Despite extensive government efforts, the adoption of B2B EC is still limited. Consequently, there have been extensive efforts to better understand the phenomena. Yet, documented findings regarding the determinants of the adoption are not altogether consistent. To provide more insight, this study developed a research model utilizing the Technological, Organizational, and Environmental (TOE) framework to identify the determinants of the firms’ propensity to adopt B2B EC. Since B2B EC is an inter-organizational phenomenon supporting transactions of partnerships, this study emphasizes the context of partnership characteristics. Grounded on inter-organizational theories, this study hypothesized that partnership characteristics, namely trust and dependency, moderate the role of TOE motivating factors. Moreover, given that B2B EC is used on both sides of the buyer/seller relationship, this study examined the differences and similarities in the perception of the marketing and purchasing departments regarding the determinants of the B2B EC adoption. A total of 798 questionnaires were self administrated to marketing and purchasing managers in 462 firms that have large registered capital in Jordan. In total, 114 marketing and 125 purchasing managers participated in this study. Marketing and purchasing responses were analyzed separately using the Partial Least Squares approach. The result revealed that the marketing and purchasing departments do have different views regarding the determinants of the adoption, specifically in terms of the role of Relative Advantage and Competition Pressure. Moreover, the results showed that the moderating role of trust was less pronounced. Meanwhile, the moderating role of dependency was partially supported particularly in the purchasing perspective. These findings have demonstrated how dependence asymmetries between trading partners may change the adoption motivations. They further explain the importance of considering the views of the business partner for the adoption to be done successfully

Effects of Insurance Services on the National Economic Growth of Tanzania.

One of the main macroeconomic indicators of each country is economic growth that is measured by factors such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The study examined the effects of insurance services on the national economic growth. The secondary data from World Bank database was used for objective number one and Questionnaires were distributed to respondents for the uses of objective number two, three, four and five. The study used OLS for a time series data from 1976 to 2017 for objective number one and probability sampling design for other objectives that was involved 40 respondents as sample size. The overall result shows that the insurance and all insurance services provided by insurance companies based on objectives of study through financial intermediary, education, investment and professional liabilities & compensation services have positive relationship, improve productivity and significant on the economic growth. The study concludes that, the insurance companies as a part and parcel of financial institutions has the role of providing a better and quality services to customers for the purposes of promoting the national economic growth. The study also recommended that insurance companies in the country should formulate a strategy that will reduce the legal and regulatory framework in order to increase number of registered customers either individual or corporate as a way of expanding business of insurance companies that result the national economic growth to increase. Also, the study suggests that there is a need for insurance companies to expand its services not only in urban areas but also in rural areas. Keywords: Insurance Services, Insurance Company and Economic Growt

Análisis de la logística de amazon en la distribución de productos a través del comercio electrónico en España. Una revisión sistemática de literatura

En el presente trabajo se analiza la logística de Amazon, como una de las empresas de comercio electrónico mejor posicionadas a nivel mundial, destacando a su vez su crecimiento empresarial e innovación tecnológica que la han caracterizado. El enfoque de Jeff Bezos, fundador de Amazon, ha sido desde sus inicios como empresario la satisfacción del cliente, por ello, todo esfuerzo, inversión y trabajo en conjunto le han permitido alcanzar grandes resultados en todos los lugares donde hace presencia y sus alrededores. Por este motivo, se realizó una investigación documental con base en un diseño no experimental transversal, relacionando la recolección de datos e información cualitativa y cuantitativa que permitieron obtener un conocimiento más profundo y extenso de su exitosa trayectoria. Los resultados reflejan un contexto claro de los principales procesos logísticos empleados en el comercio electrónico, los factores claves de éxito de Amazon que le ha permitido posicionarse a nivel internacional y el realce de su logística a través de la distribución que produjo su expansión en España, país donde se ha destacado como una de las empresas más importantes e influyentes para el crecimiento de las pymes

Digital strategies for market dominance: empirical evidence from the insurance industry

Internet, Web 2.0 and digital and mobile technologies have fundamentally changed the way firms perform, conceive, develop and deliver services, leading to the development of personalized relationships with customers, increasing quality, improving lead time, and enabling more customization at a lower cost. These channel proliferation has increased the complexity of firms’ operations because it opens up new customer contact points. In today's rapidly changing environment, firms need to diversify, adapt, and even reinvent themselves to match evolving market and technological conditions and to turn themselves into multichannel organizations. The multichannel model may generate more sales and profit when channel benefits are well identified and integrated to provide service transactions across channels. Thus, the success of multichannel service bases on how companies capitalize optimizes digital touch points to interact with consumers. The goal of this dissertation is to further develop our understanding of the impact of digital channels on multichannel attribution and devise effective multichannel strategies that increase synergy effects to reach consumers across channels. In the first paper, I examined how managing seamless service transactions across channels impact competitive advantage. A great amount of literature has focused on multichannel distribution strategies but there is a little theory or systematic research on the relationship between multichannel strategy and competitive advantage. In this vein, scholars have called for specific research efforts to better understand how the use of digital, online and offline distribution channels could lead to sustainable competitive advantage. Based on the dynamic capability and IT capability literature, this essay aims to contribute to this body of knowledge by first conceptualizing a new IT capability named multichannel capability that is “the ability of an organization to effectively integrate and manage multiple distribution channels through data integration and coordination enabled by IT”. I used a quali-quantitative research design to 1) to investigate what are the main dimensions that comprise multichannel capability and 2) to understand how the relationship between multichannel capability and competitive advantage emerges. This study allows understanding how the firm's multichannel capabilities influence the creation and sustenance of competitive advantage in turbulent environments. In the second paper, I examined the ways in which companies manage their reputation in social media, focusing on the role of communication strategies. Previous literature has demonstrated that corporate communication has a direct impact on corporate reputation, although little is known about the link between firms’ social media communication strategies and the formation of firms’ reputations in an online environment. This essay aims to contribute to this body of knowledge by studying the impact of social media communication strategies on firms’ reputations. To explore how firms manage corporate reputation in online environments, I employed a longitudinal explorative multiple-case study (Eisenhardt, 1989). The setting for our study is the insurance industry. The analysis led to the recognition that, among the various types of companies (high, medium, and low reputation), the differences in reputation are attributable to four basic dimensions: categories of communication strategies, the evolution of communication strategies across three years (2011-2013), the timing of interaction, and the number of interactions. These results offer insights into the challenges of developing online communication strategies that affect corporate reputation. In the third paper, I examined the main difference between business models exploited by European insurance companies. A business model describes a formula of unique value creation. It consists of a unique value proposition and profit-making formula as well as key resources and process coupled together as a system to operationalize value creation. Research on business model in global competition has not yet prominent in academic discourse. In particular, how some firms operating in multiple international markets adopt "one for all" business models while others opt for heterogeneous business models that work for multiple international market settlements is not fully understood. This paper attempts to fill this gap by proposing a maturity model that enables observations of how the same company creates value distinctively in the global marketplace. I employed a multiple case study in the European insurance market. This research makes several contributions to insurance companies. First, the components of e-business models identify in my framework of industry leaders serve as benchmarks for e-business models of competitors. Secondly, we offer some practical guidance to managers to develop a successful business model in different markets

An exploratory study to identify the concerns that New Zealand consumers have about business-to-consumer e-commerce

To date much of the literature on consumers' concerns about business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce has described findings from quantitative research. As a result, much of that literature has focused on specific previously-identified concerns (e.g., privacy of personal information, use of credit cards for on-line payment). Also, there has been little research into the concerns of New Zealand consumers, and all of it has been quantitative. In order to gain a broader understanding, this study took a qualitative approach. Three focus groups were conducted, in order to identify consumers' concerns. The concerns that were thus identified were combined with those that a review of the literature had previously identified, and were used to draw up a set of guidelines to be used in semi-structured interviews. Fifteen interviews were then conducted, in order to gain consumers' views about each concern. It seems that at a higher level, consumer's concerns have shifted. The literature suggests that in the past consumers' concerns about Internet shopping have focused on the fact that Internet shopping is conducted via the Internet – as a result of which consumers have, for example, been concerned about the privacy of their personal information ('if I give them my e-mail address, will I get spam?') This study suggests that now consumers' concerns focus on the fact that Internet shopping is a form of shopping – as a result of which they are now only prepared to use the Web sites of 'reputable companies', and they now require to be able to evaluate an item adequately before buying it. And it seems that another result of this is that consumers now expect that the 'reputable companies' whose Web sites they visit will – as a matter of course - address to their satisfaction issues such as the privacy of their personal information. While there are some types of products that consumers are prepared to buy on-line (e.g., air travel), there are many about which they are reluctant. Concerns were expressed about a wide range of potential purchases, and for a variety of reasons; also, some data was inconsistent (for example, some consumers were not prepared to buy clothes on-line, but others were). This appears to be an area in which consumer attitudes are still evolving. It is suggested that it may be helpful for further research on this matter to consider both demographic factors and the degree of consumer involvement in particular types of purchases

Digital strategies for market dominance: empirical evidence from the insurance industry

Internet, Web 2.0 and digital and mobile technologies have fundamentally changed the way firms perform, conceive, develop and deliver services, leading to the development of personalized relationships with customers, increasing quality, improving lead time, and enabling more customization at a lower cost. These channel proliferation has increased the complexity of firms’ operations because it opens up new customer contact points. In today's rapidly changing environment, firms need to diversify, adapt, and even reinvent themselves to match evolving market and technological conditions and to turn themselves into multichannel organizations. The multichannel model may generate more sales and profit when channel benefits are well identified and integrated to provide service transactions across channels. Thus, the success of multichannel service bases on how companies capitalize optimizes digital touch points to interact with consumers. The goal of this dissertation is to further develop our understanding of the impact of digital channels on multichannel attribution and devise effective multichannel strategies that increase synergy effects to reach consumers across channels. In the first paper, I examined how managing seamless service transactions across channels impact competitive advantage. A great amount of literature has focused on multichannel distribution strategies but there is a little theory or systematic research on the relationship between multichannel strategy and competitive advantage. In this vein, scholars have called for specific research efforts to better understand how the use of digital, online and offline distribution channels could lead to sustainable competitive advantage. Based on the dynamic capability and IT capability literature, this essay aims to contribute to this body of knowledge by first conceptualizing a new IT capability named multichannel capability that is “the ability of an organization to effectively integrate and manage multiple distribution channels through data integration and coordination enabled by IT”. I used a quali-quantitative research design to 1) to investigate what are the main dimensions that comprise multichannel capability and 2) to understand how the relationship between multichannel capability and competitive advantage emerges. This study allows understanding how the firm's multichannel capabilities influence the creation and sustenance of competitive advantage in turbulent environments. In the second paper, I examined the ways in which companies manage their reputation in social media, focusing on the role of communication strategies. Previous literature has demonstrated that corporate communication has a direct impact on corporate reputation, although little is known about the link between firms’ social media communication strategies and the formation of firms’ reputations in an online environment. This essay aims to contribute to this body of knowledge by studying the impact of social media communication strategies on firms’ reputations. To explore how firms manage corporate reputation in online environments, I employed a longitudinal explorative multiple-case study (Eisenhardt, 1989). The setting for our study is the insurance industry. The analysis led to the recognition that, among the various types of companies (high, medium, and low reputation), the differences in reputation are attributable to four basic dimensions: categories of communication strategies, the evolution of communication strategies across three years (2011-2013), the timing of interaction, and the number of interactions. These results offer insights into the challenges of developing online communication strategies that affect corporate reputation. In the third paper, I examined the main difference between business models exploited by European insurance companies. A business model describes a formula of unique value creation. It consists of a unique value proposition and profit-making formula as well as key resources and process coupled together as a system to operationalize value creation. Research on business model in global competition has not yet prominent in academic discourse. In particular, how some firms operating in multiple international markets adopt "one for all" business models while others opt for heterogeneous business models that work for multiple international market settlements is not fully understood. This paper attempts to fill this gap by proposing a maturity model that enables observations of how the same company creates value distinctively in the global marketplace. I employed a multiple case study in the European insurance market. This research makes several contributions to insurance companies. First, the components of e-business models identify in my framework of industry leaders serve as benchmarks for e-business models of competitors. Secondly, we offer some practical guidance to managers to develop a successful business model in different markets