Customer retention in the insurance industry: Using survival analysis to predict cross-selling opportunities

In saturated markets customer retention offers a number of benefits to companies. While these benefits are recognised by financial institutions, many have not fully embraced the concept in practice. This paper focuses on the prediction of crossselling opportunities and attempts to answer the questions of who is likely to buy additional products from the same company, what the next product is likely to be and when the purchase is likely to be made. The analysis is based on a sample of 9,000 customers selected at random from the data warehouse of a large international financial institution. The paper discusses and illustrates the application of survival analysis techniques in this context and makes suggestions for further research in this area.     

Spillovers,Complementarities, and Sorting in Labor Markets with an Application to Professional Sports

Spillovers to productivity across workers may exist when workers produce in teams. Under certain conditions, these spillovers may cause a worker's marginal product to differ across different firms. Empirical examination of professional basketball finds significant spillovers to offensive productivity but finds relatively little evidence for market sorting based on spillovers. Thus, while teammate composition is important to a player's success, there is no evidence for complementarity.     

Experimental evidence of how prior experience as an auditor influences managers’ strategic reporting decisions

We design an experiment to examine the influence of audit experience on subsequent reporting decisions when auditors become managers of audited firms. In contrast to the independence issues that can arise when auditors and their clients are related by prior affiliation, we focus this study on the more common case in which auditors assume subsequent employment with other firms’ clients. In a bi-matrix experimental game that captures key features of the strategic tension between auditors and reporters, we find that reporters who have prior experience as an auditor, particularly the experience of having been a diligent auditor, are more sensitive to large penalties for aggressive reporting than are reporters whose experience is exclusively as a reporter. Our results suggest implications for regulators in predicting the effects of reporting penalties and for firms in considering the effects of CPA experience when hiring for reporting positions.

The Swiss Solution for South Africa

The example of Switzerland in devolving decision-making away from a central state towards community bodies with reduced powers offers a readily adaptable solution to the political turmoil in South Africa. FrancesKendall, co-author with Leon Louw of the best-selling South Africa: The Solution, presents her proposals forreform.     

Impact of anti-discrimination laws on credit scoring

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.