Reasons for the Coexistence of Different Distribution Channels: An Empirical Test for the German Insurance Market

Private insurance markets in Germany are characterized by the coexistence of different distribution systems. Insurance products are mainly distributed both by independent and dependent agents. Economic theory provides different explanations for the coexistence of distribution channels: the product quality hypothesis states that independent agents provide both insurers and customers with higher service intensity and product quality and, therefore, remain on the market. We sent a written questionnaire to German insurance intermediaries designed to measure service quality. Our analysis shows that a higher level of service quality among independent agents supports the product quality hypothesis. The Geneva Papers (2008) 33, 389–407. doi:10.1057/gpp.2008.16

Determinants of Efficiency and Productivity in German Property-Liability Insurance: Evidence for 1995–2006

This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of efficiency and productivity in the German property-liability insurance industry, a market that has experienced significant change in recent years. Using data envelopment analysis (DEA) and covering the period 1995–2006, we find that there is potential for the market to improve by about 20 percentage points in terms of technical efficiency and about 50 percentage points in terms of cost efficiency. Furthermore, the analysis shows moderate total factor productivity growth and low efficiency growth during the sample period. A major contribution of the paper is its analysis of six efficiency determinants – firm size, distribution channels, ownership forms, product specialisation, financial leverage and premium growth – using a truncated regression and bootstrapping approach to avoid invalid inference. The Geneva Papers (2009) 34, 483–505. doi:10.1057/gpp.2009.10

A Comparison of Bancassurance and Traditional Insurer Sales Channels

[[abstract]]Although various sales channels exist for insurance products, no existing research compares their sales efficiency. This study offers a comparison of bancassurance and traditional sales channels in Taiwan. Using a data envelopment analysis approach, this study first computes the efficiencies of bancassurance and traditional sales channels separately. The efficiency score of the traditional sales channel is significantly higher than that of a comparable bancassurance channel. Furthermore, the efficiency relationship between the bancassurance and the traditional sales channels is independent. These findings have significant implications for the insurance industry and ongoing research in this field.[[notice]]補正完畢[[journaltype]]國外[[incitationindex]]SCI[[ispeerreviewed]]Y[[booktype]]紙本[[countrycodes]]GB