保险电子商务研究初探

发展保险电子商务是促进我国保险业发展,提高国内保险公司竞争力的重要手段。我国保险业刚刚迈进市场的大门,整体上还处于粗放型经营阶段,保险行业内部规则尚待于完善。在这样的大环境下,我国网络保险的发展也受到了多种因素的制约：观念与意识的制约;网络普及程度和在线核保难的制约;网络安全的制约;法律与标准的制约;保险公司自身信息化水平的制约等等。促进保险电子商务的发展,应以客户需求为导向,转变经营观念,加快保险公司的内部信息化建设步伐,进一步完善网络保险法律法规环境,采用电子商务信息安全技术,提高保险企业的营运效率,实现我国保险业的快速发展。     

试论建立和完善保险公司财务管理体系新机制的思考

当前,国内保险公司机构庞大、人员及网点众多.但由于信息技术落后,资金分散,财务管理不力,不能形成网络上的优势和核心竞争力.本文就保险公司建立和完善财务管理体系的必要性进行了分析,同时提出了具体的管理新机制,以实现企业经营的最终目标价值最大化.     

专业自保公司与企业内部自保的比较研究

本文对专业自保公司这种介于内部自保和商业保险之间的一种特殊的保险进行了分析。内部自保基金只是企业内部的一种风险准备金,国际上基本达成公认内部自保基金不具有保险属性,不能享受税前抵扣的好处。专业自保公司和内部自保在运作方式、组织结构、税收地位认定和监管方式上均是有区别的。国际上趋向于以更全面更合理的角度来分析专业自保公司的交易结构和经营实质。专业自保公司相比于企业内部自保是更具优势的风险管理方法。     

The Reasons Behind Non-Ethical Behaviour in Business and Entrepreneurship

Despite the recent increase in interest in corporate social responsibility and the propagation of corporate governance in both business and academic literature, from observations of actual practice, the author has seen at all company levels, in everyday operations, instances of non-ethical behaviour vis-à-vis the whole gamut of stakeholders. This state of affairs is linked with: pressure from stakeholders, short-term tactics, hegemony of financial considerations, ‘juridisation’ of business, the tyranny of communications and the media and the difficulties in translating strategy into practical implementation. The paper scrutinises the motivation and the psychology of entrepreneurs and business people, and their behaviour is compared to other professional groups and confronted with the decline in ethics in society as described by some important observers. The conclusion drawn is that the recent positive evolutions do not provide sufficient ethical guidelines for the day-to-day activities of middle managers and entrepreneurs in the present competitive environment. Managers will always be confronted by difficult choices with ethical dilemmas. There will always be a tension between theory and pragmatism, but progress can be made with the effective implementation of the ethical discourse in companies. To achieve this, ethical management should not be confined to the large strategic issues but also applied to the small practical matters of everyday business life. Ethics in business and entrepreneurship requires more than corporate governance and corporate social responsibility (CSR).     

Commercial Insurance of Financial Disclosure: Auditors’ Independence, and Investors’ Protection

In this paper the authors propose, for preliminary consideration and discussion, a system of commercial insurance of financial disclosures (CIFD), under which users of financial information (owners and potential owners of business enterprises) and providers of financial information (managers of business enterprises) would be able to purchase insurance policies from private insurers (commercial insurance companies). These insurance policies would be designed to protect users of financial statements from specific, well-defined losses directly attributable to their use of financial disclosures that failed to conform to contractually defined standards. To reduce their own risks insurance companies will likely purchase from assurance experts (certified public accountants, financial analysts, and management consultants) services assuring adherence to standards. The paper discusses the dynamics of the decisions and negotiations within and among groups of investors, managers, insurers, assurors, and government regulators. The advantages of CIFD over current US regulation of financial disclosure are analyzed. Those advantages, which include increases in the independence of external auditors, improvements in the quality of their audits, and better protection for investors, are assessed. It is argued that CIFD may be capable of evolving into a very flexible system that would accommodate alternative regulatory structures.     

The Ethics Report: a Means of Sharing Responsibility

"An ethics report is a snapshot of a process taking place at various levels within a company and between its stakeholders." Ethics reports can serve a number of purposes, and for large multinational companies they can provide an important tool for stakeholder management, as is illustrated in the case of Shell. Muel Kaptein and Johan Wempe both work for KPMG Ethics & Integrity Consulting and lecture in business ethics at the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam. Both are involved in the verification of the Shell Report.     

The Link Between Human Resource Management and Company Performance

ABSTRACT

There seems to be a widespread agreement that human resources are the main source of competitive advantage in modern companies. Consequently, the traditional personnel function is being transformed into the human resource management (HRM), which, in turn, is becoming a part of strategic management with the goal of integrating HRM activities to fit business needs. In this paper, we analyze the transformation of personnel function in Slovene companies, which had to change their behavior due to the transition from socialist to market economy and increased competitive pressures. Our analysis leads to the conclusion that Slovene companies use many different personnel models. Transformation of traditional personnel function into HRM occurred mostly in those companies, which place greater emphasis on people-related goals when formulating business strategy. However, the positive effects of this transformation on company performance still have to be confirmed.     

中国保险业顺周期性的实证分析

本文在现有关于保险公司保险周期研究的基础上,对保险公司经营中的顺周期性进行实证研究。通过选取中国17家保险公司2003-2009年年度数据作为分析样本,利用面板数据模型进行实证分析,发现保险公司的顺周期效应显著;此外,还发现寿险公司的承保业务强于财险公司而投资业务弱于财险公司。本文建议对保险公司采取逆周期监管,提高保险公司经营的平稳性,促进金融体系稳健经营。     

Exploring sustainability management for telecommunications services: A case study of two Korean companies

The concept of corporate sustainability management (CSM) has been widely addressed in academic and business fields. Many companies now implement CSM, and CSM performance can be a good reference for investors to assess a company. In spite of its importance and prevailing presence, few studies have been done on the sustainability management of telecommunications companies. In this paper, we explore the sustainability of two Korean telecommunications companies (telcos) by developing and applying a new integrated sustainability management index. We expect that our findings can be a good start for further practices and research in sustainability management for telecommunications services.     

The effectiveness of strategic planning: competitiveness in the Brazilian supermarket sector

This paper considers the relative impact of management strategic planning practices and economic changes on company performance. The paper focuses on the Brazilian supermarket sector during the period 1988–1999. This was a period marked by significant changes in economic and competitive conditions. Using sales figures as indicators of company performance, ANOVA tests were applied. The results derived suggest that variables representing changes in economic conditions and strategic planning were both statistically significant when they were used to explain performance differences among Brazilian supermarket operations. Differences in company management practices were found to play a more important role than changes in the environment. However, the results clearly suggest that management by itself was unable to take advantage of the upward and downward movements in the economy to modify the relative competitive positions of companies operating within the market. This finding challenges the existing literature on strategic planning.     

数据分析在电子商务中的应用研究

在我国,电子商务行业发展十分迅速,但在发展的过程中也出现了诸多问题。作为一个电子商务公司,我们既要关注产品、市场和营销,更需要关注一些数据所反映的问题,进而在这些数据里发现问题并制定出相应的解决方案和发展战略。本文将结合电子商务实例网站的一些实际数据指标来说明数据分析在电子商务中的具体应用及其重要意义,从而希望能促使更多企业真正去重视数据分析的工作,以帮助电子商务企业更好的进行客户关系管理,网站经营管理和结构优化以及为电子商务企业进行战略决策提供有价值的潜在信息。     

Image risks of servitization in collaborative service deliveries

Although servitization is seen as a potential process for reputable goods manufacturers to expand their business, it also involves risks to company image. External partners, such as suppliers and third parties, have played an increasing role in manufacturing firms' service business, but their image effects are poorly understood. This paper discusses the image risks of servitization in manufacturing companies, particularly when they operate collaboratively with third parties. An embedded case study was conducted in two units of a case company in the engineering industry. The results revealed that a good company image plays a key role in customers' selection of service providers, but this image is strongly influenced by third-party performance during service delivery. As a key contribution, this study suggests that third-party image risks are strategic issues that can direct and guide the servitization process at the level of strategy, operations, and company identity.     

Crossing the borderline in strategic corporate philanthropy: Dangote and the construction of cement roads in Nigeria

Using the case of Nigeria's Dangote Group and an exploratory research technique, we critique CSR practices in a developing country context based on a three‐pillar model—traditional CSR, strategic CSR and strategic business engagements. Our paper makes a unique contribution by revealing how a company can transform its strategic CSR into strategic business engagements that permit it to circumvent public procurement laws and secure public contracts at non‐competitive terms. We show how, in weak institutional and regulatory contexts, strategic CSR could be turned to a tool for rent extraction and profit maximization. We advocate for regulatory measures that impose ex ante and ex post limits on the extent to which firms can go in integrating CSR into their normal business operations. Based on the outcomes from this important African case study, we illustrate and propose the strategic business engagement model as a new framework for analysing the social benefits of strategic CSR practices in developing countries.     

Outsourcing support functions: Identifying and managing the good, the bad, and the ugly

Outsourcing the purchase of components or “hard goods” is not a new phenomenon: it is known as the “buy” portion of a company's common make-or-buy decisions. In the current service-oriented economy, however, make-or-buy decisions are now often do-or-buy decisions that reflect the strategic question of whether outside entities should be hired to perform significant support service activities. Support functions such as information technology and customer service can be outsourced to provide many organizational benefits. Companies frequently point to the cost savings for labor and training, but also cite the benefits of releasing corporate resources for alternative uses and allowing the business to focus on its core competencies. Outsourcing support functions is not simple, though, and companies must manage the related strategic, quantitative, and qualitative risk factors. This article discusses some of the potential risks that must be faced when a company outsources internal support functions, and describes how the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission's Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) model can assist in managing and controlling these risks.     

Are key marketing topics adequately covered in strategic management?

Most business schools have a capstone course called strategic management. Students in these courses are often required to assess organizations’ functional areas of business, including marketing. Students determine marketing strengths and weaknesses of firms, and develop strategic plans for case companies. Students formulate strategies, make recommendations, and determine the expected marketing impact of those recommendations. Although marketing plays an important role in strategic planning, the present research shows that most strategic-management textbooks provide little to no marketing coverage. In study 1, a content analysis of six leading strategic-management textbooks reveals 10 marketing topics being discussed, although scantly. In study 2, a survey of 167 business students nearing graduation examines the relative importance of the identified topics in strategic planning. Findings of this research suggest that the capstone business course needs to be more integrative. Implications for business courses, faculty, textbook authors, as well as practicing marketers and managers are discussed.     

From Red to Green: Towards the Environmental Management in the Country in Transition

This paper investigates the driving forces behind the environment-oriented management in Slovenia, a country in transition. The study focuses on attititudes of managers towards different aspects of the concern for the environment, the most important sources of pressure on companies for better environmental performance, the potential conflict between environmental and other business goals, and perception of barriers to the environmentally responsible behaviour of a company. The study uncovers a strong belief that the government is responsible to prevent damage caused to the environment by industry.     

Strategy in motion: Using motion pictures to illustrate strategic management concepts

A company is more likely to enjoy excellent organizational performance if its employees understand the importance of strategic management and are actively engaged in helping the company pursue its strategies. Many employees view strategy as disconnected from their jobs, however, and getting them to embrace strategy can be challenging. Using a series of vivid examples, we describe how motion pictures can bring strategic management concepts to life for employees. By making strategic management concepts more relevant and less abstract, movies can lead employees to enjoy thinking about and discussing strategy.     

The Role of CSR in the Corporate Identity of Banking Service Providers

The study here is a qualitative research based on multiple case studies of banking service providers to analyze the role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the definition of the corporate identity of these kinds of organizations. The results show that, although companies increasingly integrate CSR into their business strategies, there are some aspects of its management such as its communication or the measurement of its results that detract from its success. These results have important implications for those managers pursuing an effective management of CSR policies and strategies in their organizations, especially as the information comes from 6 of the biggest and most important banking institutions in a European country, with a declared assets (loans) volume which represents 62.75% of the total assets in the national banking industry, and thus largely representing the possible heterogeneity of the market in terms of company size, location, legal status, and management styles.     

从核心竞争力视角重新认识企业概念

管理者对企业概念的认识直接影响企业经营战略的制定,从而决定了企业的生存和发展机会。总 结迄今为止对企业概念三种比较重要的理解视角,通过分析比较倡导从核心竞争力角度认识企业概念, 最后给出管理者调整企业概念可以遵循的一般步骤。     

The Business Value of Health Management

For organizational development that is future-oriented, enterprises increasingly need qualified, motivated and efficient workers who are able and willing to contribute actively to technical and organizational innovations. Furthermore, customers and consumers are increasingly interested in healthy products and services. Therefore, health has become a (potential) business value of strategic importance. In interaction with all relevant stakeholders, an approach was developed for companies that want to manage their health impact in a proactive and preventive manner. The approach was termed Integral Health Management (IHM). IHM forms a strategic approach for reducing the costs of sickness absence and working disability, while the productivity and resilience of the company and its employees are increased. This brings the company direct economic benefits. Finally, it is of prime interest for employees to remain physically and mentally healthy and employable. The IHM approach distinguishes seven lines of development: (1) health as a strategic company interest; (2) the realization of a healthy primary process; (3) a safe and sound physical (work) environment; (4) an inspiring social (work) environment; (5) vital people; (6) a sound relationship with the immediate organizational environment and local community, and (7) healthy products and/or services. The inter-relationships between the seven development lines are essential for combining an improvement of the business impact on health with a strategic interest of companies and organizations. The seven lines of IHM development can easily be linked to the European Foundation for Quality Management's European Excellence Model.