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This study investigates the effect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on customer loyalty and explores the role of customer engagement. The moderating role of gender is also examined. A total of 348 valid responses collected via the intercept approach from life insurance customers in Ghana were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results suggest that CSR dimensions (economic, environmental, and social responsibility) positively impact customer loyalty. Also, the results indicate a partial mediating influence of customer engagement between CSR dimensions and customer loyalty. Further, the results establish the moderating effect of gender between economic and environmental dimensions of CSR and customer engagement. However, the study finds no moderating effect of gender between the social dimension of CSR and customer engagement. The study provides an empirical basis for CSR strategies that can drive customer engagement and customer loyalty in the insurance sector in many economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a variety of wearables and health applications available in the market allowing the tracking of various health and lifestyle measures like blood sugar, calorie counter, number of steps, sleep patterns etc. After the Covid-19 pandemic, people have become more aware about their health and are using these wearables to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Insurance companies in India are also eyeing the potential usage of these wearables in life and health insurance. The purpose of this research is to look at the emergence of wearables and health apps and their usage in the health insurance industry of India. This study also focuses on how these devices might benefit insurer's business models as well as some of the pitfalls to be considered. A market survey is conducted to understand customer opinions towards these wearable devices and the usage of wearables in insurance industry. Although the results of the survey show that a significant portion of respondents use these wearables to track their health but their views on the usage of wearables in health insurance industry are very different. The research would be helpful to the insurance companies as it would help them to understand the customer's viewpoint for usage of wearables in insurance industry. This study would also help insurers to understand new dimensions where the wearables can be used to provide better customer satisfaction and engagement. The study would be helpful for the customers as the appropriate usage of wearables and IoT, insurance companies can do better pricing which would ultimately help customers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health Insurance in India has a very low penetration with heavy out of pocket expenses which has risen phenomenally during Covid -19. As a result there has been a substantial increase in the interest generated towards health insurance. The study aims to analyse the impact of the main factors that are influencing the adaptability of health insurance during COVID 19 as there is a surge in the enquiries relating to health insurance. The study employed primary and secondary data. The study used a convenience sampling method. The total sample size of the study is 200. The study used frequency distribution, T-test for analysis. It observed that majority of the essential factors were found to have significant impact in case of adaptability of health insurance during COVID 19 except the factors 'Promise' and 'Planning'. This study would facilitate the health insurance sector to understand the influences on customer expectations and desired customer's perception towards the adaptability of health insurance. With the application of this study's result, the health insurance players would be able to get an insight into the variables influencing customer behaviour and they would be able to promote customer awareness and engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relationship marketing uses a strong relationship between seller and customer to offset limitations of selling an intangible service, such as insurance. Social media can facilitate interactions between agent and customer, thus strengthening the relationship. Customers willingly connect with companies via social media. This article examines the social media platforms' usage of insurance companies. Findings show Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to be most commonly used. Differences in social media usage were found between companies selling life and health insurance and those selling property and casualty insurance. Companies highly involved in social media possess higher profit margins than companies with low involvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The devastating impact of the global pandemic on all business sectors in the year 2020 is now widely known. While some sectors were resilient enough, there are other sectors that have faced major business disruption. There has been an uptick in the sales of life insurance and health insurance policies during the pandemic. However, it cannot be denied that the insurance sector is reeling with higher loss ratios and claims from business interruption. This research effort attempts to delineate the events that unfolded during the pandemic and their repercussions on policymakers' decisions that affected the insurance industry. The challenges faced by insurance sector and the opportunities that they are presented with are highlighted. The way the marketing function has evolved during the pandemic has been identified along with the resultant effect on the insurance industry's strategic marketing efforts in the era of "new normal". Finally a road map is presented to address the digital path that insurers need to follow to trigger greater customer engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The resources that customers have and are able to contribute or utilize may influence, shape, and determine the support that they receive from service providers. Yet, there is limited knowledge on the types of resources customers bring into the service process, that is, customer resource endowments and deficiencies, and how these relate to the service offered by providers. This study thus investigates the interplay and mobilization of specific resources between the customer and the service provider. Drawing on data from two online surveys in the financial planning and health-care contexts, the results demonstrate the fit between customer competencies measured in terms of sense of ownership, personal commitment, time availability, perceived complexity of situation, service-related skills, education, risk tolerance, and economic resources and the various service provider styles for value cocreation. Specifically, the discriminant maps show that service provider styles can best be differentiated not on the basis of a particular type of resource (i.e., physical, cultural, or economic) but rather according to a constellation of customer resource endowments and deficiencies. The insights provide unique opportunities for organizations to tailor support to customers' resources and thus enhance value cocreation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changing financial advisors during an advisor-intermediated stock-market game was more likely during periods of relative under performance. Immediately prior to changing advisors, brain activation was greater in areas associated with error detection (dorsal anterior cingulate cortex) and number comparisons (inferior parietal and middle frontal gyri). This combination of activations was analogous to those associated with choosing to stop chasing losses in a gambling task. Advisors may consider using heuristics from gambling research and investment practice that re-characterize loss experiences as something other than errors. During non-switching "quiet" periods, subjects were more likely to be focusing on the images of advisors, reflected by activation in face-specific visual regions. These results may support client-retention strategies emphasizing personal connections rather than pure numerical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experian Business Strategies has worked with the Future Foundation to develop a new consumer segmentation for the financial services industry which allows a detailed insight into financial behaviour. The methodology for producing the new Financial Strategy Segments (FSS2) involved combining wider trends in consumer attitudes and behaviour in the UK with the latest household and individual level data and new statistical techniques. The typology descriptions focus on key factors that affect financial behaviour, bringing the data to life and enabling customers to interpret and apply it more effectively. The resulting segmentation is at three levels (individual, household and postcode level) and can be used at every stage of the marketing and communications process from developing an initial strategy to defining a tactical campaign. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines attributes of customers for modelling the dimensions of confidence, convenience and affordability of services offered by financial services firms (FSFs) by applying a generalised least square (GLS) systems model to a cross-section of customers in Dubai. These three dimensions have become major drivers of long-run viability and survivability in the last 15–20 years, because of dynamic and competitive macroeconomic forces faced by the FSFs. Earnings stability, longevity of relationship and liquidity attributes significantly explain the confidence level of customers across FSFs. Core, tangible and relational attributes besides ambience and ATM network, positively significantly explained the convenience level of customers in FSFs. Home loans, credit cards, savings accounts, term deposits and insurance services are significant products that are affordable and valued by customers. The systems model was validated using a holdout sample. The study findings have implications for customer relationship management, customer insight and production/transaction processing competencies of FSFs in the study area and are equally applicable to FSFs in other developed and developing economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moneynet, launched in 1997, is the first UK website to provide an interactive, comprehensive and independent guide to products available in the personal finance market. The paper indicates how organisations such as Moneynet are now able to use a unique, patented technology enabling them to see, in real-time if required, just how well their website is performing and what kind of experience visitors (120,000 monthly in this case) to their site are having so that continuous improvements, based upon visitors actual experiences, can be made. Also outlined is how this technology enables Moneynet accurately to determine click-through fees owed and not rely upon questionable or conflicting data via third parties; this facility also results in significant reduction of click-through fees. The paper describes the provision of additional data and statistics including new versus repeat visitors, and reports on both visitors and campaign analysis. The conclusion indicates enhanced customer experience, increased online sales and increased revenues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper makes a detailed comparison of two major financial services in Singapore: life insurance and stockbrokerage. Relationships of perceptions and expectations of service quality, mean service adequacy (MSA) and mean service superiority (MSS) with service satisfaction and loyalty are examined. Results indicate that the reliability aspect of service quality is strongly related to satisfaction and loyalty in the stockbrokerage industry, while the assurance aspect of service quality enjoyed a similar status in the life insurance industry. Results also confirm that while MSA and MSS both drive satisfaction and loyalty, perceptions of actual service have the strongest correlations with those behavioural outcomes. The findings of this paper present some interesting managerial implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of automated service quality on bank financial performance and the mediating role of customer retention have received little attention, as scholars have focused on issues of usability and measurement. This study begins by showing the impact of technology on the way banks conduct business and proceeds to discuss automated service quality definitions and the potential influence of automated service quality on retention and financial performance. A mediating model that links service quality to bank financial performance through customer retention in the automated service context is proposed. The results of this empirical study confirm the role of customer retention as a mediator in the effect of automated service quality on financial performance. Implications of the findings are discussed and the limitations of the study and the potential for future research are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The split capital investment trust boom at the end of the 1990s demonstrated that product innovation and financial engineering can lead to the creation of dangerous products whose risks are not understood by investors. It also emphasised the need for careful marketing of investment products. This involves identifying the needs of investors, creating products to meet those needs, promoting and selling those products, and managing client relationships after the sale. Particular issues that should be addressed include the need to educate clients and adequate stress testing of new products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The political desire for further integration within the European Union will have an increasing effect on the financial services industry, including banking and credit lending. Harmonisation can potentially have great benefit for consumers as the European banks compete for their business across the Union. Harmonisation, however, brings with it a set of decisions for both credit grantors and regulators. There are issues associated with information that can be used in risk assessment to ensure fair decisions in granting credit. In the past the rules have been developed under national legislation. EU directives seek to harmonise the national rules and provide a new guidance on variables that may be held. The major concern relates to the issue of discrimination. The aim of the law is to promote the principle of equal treatment, which can be interpreted in a number of ways. The legal interpretation of discrimination does not necessarily coincide with the economic standpoint. Furthermore, previous empirical research suggests that prohibition of variables may not only affect the ability to distinguish between good and bad risk, but may also be disadvantageous to the groups the legislation is supposed to protect. This paper explores these issues from both theoretical and practical points of view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the need to integrate human resource strategy, processes and the human resource function with business to effectively carry out change. Human resource activities in a company must directly support business strategy--and the satisfaction of customer needs. Human resource processes are central to the implementation of strategic business change. Recruiting, selection, assignment, and other staffing actions are crucial in matching available resources with required staffing levels and mix of capabilities. Managing performance aligns individuals and teams with the objectives of the business. Training, education, and job-related learning are crucial to the development of needed capabilities and performance. Increasingly, human resource management activities performed by managers and employees throughout an organization in these areas are vital to competitive performance. Just as information management, quality improvement, financial management, and other functions are becoming diffused throughout an organization, so is the management of human resources.

Assesses the key considerations for businesses contemplating a pan-European outsourcing strategy. Significance of the introduction of the euro in January 2002 to the integration of the European Union; Impact of the relocation and restructuring of operations on existing outsourcing contracts in the region; Need for businesses to asses core functions to establish which would be best suited to an outsourced centralized service center.

The article presents views of several health professionals including Dalal Haldeman, Erinne Dyer and Patrick Dyson regarding the market strategies for the U.S. health reform. According to Haldeman, the Johns Hopkins Medicine, a medical organization, is working with the U.S. insurance companies and consumer groups for reducing the impact of health reforms. Dyer states that the Carolinas Healthcare System, a hospital network, is focusing on the development of brand communication in order to build strong relationship of customers with the system. Dyson further states that it is important to make financial planning for health plans.