Title: Insurance business synergies, economic growth and strategic planning

Authors: Masahiro Inoguchi; Yu-Luen Ma; Nat Pope; Yoshihiko Suzawa

Addresses: College of Business Administration, Ritsumeikan University, 2-150, Iwakura-cho, Ibaraki-shi, Osaka 567-8570, Japan ' Katie School of Insurance and Financial Service, Illinois State University, Campus Box 5490, Normal, IL 61790-5490, USA ' Katie School of Insurance and Financial Service, Illinois State University, Campus Box 5490, Normal, IL 61790-5490, USA ' Faculty of Business Administration, Kyoto Sangyo University, Kamigamo-motoyama, Kita-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto 603-8555, Japan

Abstract: Previous research has found that life and non-life insurance business share significant relationships with economic growth. This current study extends that literature by being the first to investigate the synergistic relationship life and non-life insurance activities share with economic growth. We collect data that includes 84 national markets representing a broad spectrum of economic development over the 1994-2012 period and employ system-generalised method of moment (GMM) estimation technique based on a dynamic model structure. Our results support the hypothesis that life and non-life insurance synergies share a positive relationship with economic growth and that positive relationship experiences diminishing marginal returns as the insurance markets mature. The results of our study provide implications for policymakers with regard to market liberalisation strategies, as well as implications for the management of insurance companies contemplating foreign market expansion strategies.

Keywords: insurance industry; economic growth; business synergies; strategic planning; system GMM; generalised method of moments; strategic management; economic development; dynamic modelling; market liberalisation; foreign markets; market expansion strategies.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBE.2016.079687

International Journal of Business Environment, 2016 Vol.8 No.3, pp.191 - 216

Received: 14 Mar 2016
Accepted: 17 Mar 2016

Published online: 09 Oct 2016 *

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