IRANIAN JOURNAL OF INSURANCE RESEARCH (SANAAT-E-BIMEH)
Year:2012 | Volume:27 | Issue:3 (107)|Papers Count:8

We estimate marine insurances and their impacts on Iranian economic growth in a macroeconomic model for the period 1971-2006 using the VAR method. Explanatory variables include premiums received for ship insurance and premiums received for cargo insurance. Our results show that there exists a long-run equilibrium between these variables. According to our findings, premiums received for ship insurance and premiums received for cargo insurance have positive impacts on gross domestic product in Iran and hence the economic growth. The results of our stability tests indicate that these results are stable for the Iranian economy.

In this paper we investigate two main hypotheses to examine sources of profitability in Iranian insurance markets, the structure-Conduct-performance (SCP) paradigm and the efficient structure hypothesis (ES). This study examines the validity of these hypotheses for 15 incumbent firms during 2003-2009. Iranian insurance industry yearbooks have been used for the necessary data. The results of our study confirm the validity of SCP hypotheses. The findings of our study also indicate that higher profitability is associated with higher concentration in Iranian insurance industry.

This study presents an FMADM approach for the evaluation of insurance companies’ branches. Based upon four principal points of view regarding the BSC, we calculate indices relating to the performance evaluation of insurance companies and then considering industry experts’ views, we determine 23 key indices for insurance branches. In addition, the relative weights of these indices and their criteria were calculated using experts’ views and FAHP. Then using VIKOR technique, we categorize branches under review. The analyses of our results show strengths and weaknesses of each branch. The results show financially that the most important criteria are prosperity, and the index of premiums collected which play important roles in branches’ growth. Finally, the proposed methodology is compared to other common methodologies and offers recommendations for insurance companies.

In this paper we examined the impact of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) in view of Lumpkin and Dess (1996) in five dimensions of innovation, risk taking, pro-activeness, competitive aggressiveness, and autonomy on the performance of private insurance companies of Iran. We selected the head office and branches of an insurance company in Tehran and developed standard questionnaires to measure entrepreneurial orientation and firm performance. Data collected were analyzed using SPSS18 and VPLS statistical software. The findings suggest a relatively strong impact of EO on the performance of the insurance company. However, the dimensions of EO were highly correlated with each other, but they did not have the same impact on company performance as risk taking, innovation and competitive aggressiveness. While pro-activeness and autonomy had less impact on performance. In addition we also determined for this company the average degree of risk taking, pro-activeness, innovation, competitive aggressiveness and the degree of autonomy.

Brand equity as a global international brand is measured each year by international authoritative institutions, but customers’ evaluation is ultimately important for the success and sustainability of an organization. Therefore, brand equity is more valuable than physical assets. In this study we adopt the Aaker model with respect to price, advertising and promotion factors (including association of brand, awareness of brand, brand loyalty and perceived quality) that impact on brand equity. The statistics we use is car insurance policyholders in insurance companies as follows: Iran, Alborz, Asia and Persian using cluster sampling. Pearson correlation and path analysis are used for examining variables on brand equity. This study shows that advertising, promotions and prices affect on brand awareness, brand associations and perceived quality of their brand value and impact these three factors, along with brand loyalty factor on brand equity.

The purpose of this study is to compare the real versus desired statuses of learning processes in Dana, Asia, Alborz and Iran insurance companies. The population under study includes all participants at training courses in the above companies during the year 1388 A.H. (2010). The study utilized a random sample taken from participants with 313 responses required according to Morgan table. Here 305 participants responded the questionnaires.The research was carried out using a descriptive-survey method. The survey instrument for the present study was a researcher-made questionnaire. This questionnaire had four components: need assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation. It was ordered according to Likert scale and finalized by the corresponding professors for the approval of its validity. The reliability coefficient of the questionnaire was 0.93 where descriptive and inferential statistics were used in this study. Data analysis was performed using Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) to test questions and hypotheses. Descriptive statistics included frequency tables, percentages, and various graphs. The inferential statistics included Kolmogorov-smirnov test, one sample t-test, variation analysis, post-hoc Tuckey test and Pearson rho correlation coefficient. The findings of this study at 5% level with 304 d.f. show that there are differences between real and desired states of learning processes in all four insurance companies. However, in Asia insurance company the best learning process with a mean gap of 1.22 was observed with the corresponding values for Dana, Albroz, and Iran insurance companies equal to 1.37, 1.37, and 1.76. Finally after studying and comparing different models of learning processes, ISO 10015 is suggested for this study.

Concluding an insurance contract for leased aircrafts involves many complicated problems with respect to the rights and obligations of each party in the insurance policy. Managing the relationship between the insuring parties and the other party to the lease contract to avoid possible future disputes, has caused aviation insurance industry to create a uniform endorsement for all aircraft leasing contracts (AVN67B). We discuss this uniform contract according to the general rules of aviation insurance.