Michael Menhart, Andreas Pyka, Bernd Ebersberger, Horst Hanusch
Product Innovation and Population Dynamics in the German Insurance Market
Abstract:
Empirical research in organizational ecology has mainly focused on analyzing
founding and mortality rates using life history data of the organizations.
We try to extend this approach in our study in a number of ways. In contrast
to most empirical studies in organizational ecology, we chose a population
of service organizations, in particular the German insurance companies, the
development dynamics of which are rather obvious in the innovative activities
of existing organizations than in founding activities. We further discuss
the points of contact between the organizational ecology approach and the
theory of industry life cycles and extend the analysis to the relationship
between innovative activities and population dynamics. The study examines
the effects of population density, former events, and organizational size
and age structure in the population of property & casualty insurance
companies on the number of product innovations generated. We will further
develop a concept for an insurance specific industry life cycle with a non-typical
maturation and degeneration phase.
JEL: L8, N2, O3
Paper:
Paper available as pdf-file.
Beitrag Nr. 240, Volkswirtschaftliche Diskussionsreihe, Institut für
Volkswirtschaftslehre der Universität Augsburg
Contact:
Michael Menhart, McKinsey, Munich, Germany
Andreas
Pyka, University of Augsburg, Department of Economics,
Universitätsstr. 16, D-86159 Augsburg, Phone +49-821-598-4179, Fax
+49-821-598-4229
Bernd
Ebersberger, University of Augsburg, Department of Economics,
Universitätsstr. 16, D-86159 Augsburg, Phone +49-821-598-4179, Fax
+49-821-598-4229
Horst
Hanusch, University of Augsburg, Department of Economics,
Universitätsstr. 16, D-86159 Augsburg, Phone +49-821-598-4179, Fax
+49-821-598-4229
E-Mail: horst.hanusch@wiwi.uni-augsburg.de
v.
K., 18.06.2003