IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/fbbsrw/v10y2021i2p120-132.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Communicating Customer Ownership in Annual Reports: Perspective of Hedonic Value

Author

Listed:
  • Harri Talonen
  • Antti Talonen
  • Jari Stenvall
  • Tony Kinder

Abstract

Insurance industry is, and has been for a long time, characterized by a strong presence of customer-owned mutual insurance companies that account roughly one-third of the global annual premiums. As mutuals are owned by the communities they serve, one would expect them to display unique characteristics in how they create not only utilitarian but also hedonic value for their customer-owners. The aim of this study is to examine how managers communicate the hedonic value of ownership to their customer-owners. The data consist of 18 mutual insurance companies’ annual reports from seven different countries: Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and the USA. The resulting framework, produced by a thematic analysis, illustrates how managers of mutuals communicate the hedonic value of customer ownership. Results as well as the limitations of the study point out several interesting and new research avenues and managerial implications.

Suggested Citation

  • Harri Talonen & Antti Talonen & Jari Stenvall & Tony Kinder, 2021. "Communicating Customer Ownership in Annual Reports: Perspective of Hedonic Value," FIIB Business Review, , vol. 10(2), pages 120-132, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:sae:fbbsrw:v:10:y:2021:i:2:p:120-132
    DOI: 10.1177/2319714520945657
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2319714520945657
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/2319714520945657?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Knut K. Aase, 2007. "Equilibrium in Marine Mutual Insurance Markets with Convex Operating Costs," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 74(1), pages 239-268, March.
    2. Panu Kalmi, 2007. "The disappearance of cooperatives from economics textbooks," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 31(4), pages 625-647, July.
    3. Vivien Beattie & Bill McInnes & Stella Fearnley, 2004. "A methodology for analysing and evaluating narratives in annual reports: a comprehensive descriptive profile and metrics for disclosure quality attributes," Accounting Forum, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(3), pages 205-236, September.
    4. Antti Talonen & Iiro Jussila & Hannu Saarijärvi & Timo Rintamäki, 2016. "Consumer cooperatives: uncovering the value potential of customer ownership," AMS Review, Springer;Academy of Marketing Science, vol. 6(3), pages 142-156, December.
    5. Cabreales, Antonio & Calvo-Armengol, Antoni & Jackson, Matthew O., 2003. "La Crema: A Case Study of Mutual Fire Insurance," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 111(2), pages 425-458, April.
    6. Peter Maas, 2010. "How Insurance Brokers Create Value—A Functional Approach," Risk Management and Insurance Review, American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 13(1), pages 1-20, March.
    7. Martin Eling & Martin Lehmann, 2018. "The Impact of Digitalization on the Insurance Value Chain and the Insurability of Risks," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 43(3), pages 359-396, July.
    8. Mayers, David & Shivdasani, Anil & Smith, Clifford W, Jr, 1997. "Board Composition and Corporate Control: Evidence from the Insurance Industry," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 70(1), pages 33-62, January.
    9. Roger Spear, 2004. "Governance in Democratic Member‐Based Organisations," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 75(1), pages 33-60, March.
    10. Cummins, J. David & Rubio-Misas, Maria & Zi, Hongmin, 2004. "The effect of organizational structure on efficiency: Evidence from the Spanish insurance industry," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 28(12), pages 3113-3150, December.
    11. Krupa S. Viswanathan & J. David Cummins, 2003. "Ownership Structure Changes in the Insurance Industry: An Analysis of Demutualization," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 70(3), pages 401-437, September.
    12. Antti Paavali Talonen & Iiro Jussila & Pasi Tuominen & Lasse Koskinen, 2018. "Failing to develop a sense of ownership: A study in the consumer co-operative context," Cogent Business & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 5(1), pages 1540916-154, January.
    13. Sheth, Jagdish N. & Newman, Bruce I. & Gross, Barbara L., 1991. "Why we buy what we buy: A theory of consumption values," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 22(2), pages 159-170, March.
    14. Iiro Jussila & Ulla Kotonen & Pasi Tuominen, 2007. "Customer‐owned Firms and the Concept of Regional Responsibility: Qualitative Evidence from Finnish Co‐operatives," Social Responsibility Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 3(3), pages 35-43, August.
    15. Mayers, David & Smith, Clifford W, Jr, 1981. "Contractual Provisions, Organizational Structure, and Conflict Control in Insurance Markets," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 54(3), pages 407-434, July.
    16. Diacon, Stephen R. & O'Sullivan, Noel, 1995. "Does corporate governance influence performance? Some evidence from U.K. insurance companies," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 15(4), pages 405-424, December.
    17. J. David Cummins & Mary A. Weiss & Hongmin Zi, 1999. "Organizational Form and Efficiency: The Coexistence of Stock and Mutual Property-Liability Insurers," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 45(9), pages 1254-1269, September.
    18. Dubois, Anna & Gadde, Lars-Erik, 2002. "Systematic combining: an abductive approach to case research," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 55(7), pages 553-560, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Antti Talonen & Harri Talonen & Jari Stenvall & Iiro Jussila, 2020. "Communicating the economic value of customer ownership in insurance: A qualitative analysis of annual reports," Risk Management and Insurance Review, American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 23(3), pages 243-267, September.
    2. Jakša Krišto & Antti Talonen & Hrvoje Pauković, 2021. "Analysis of community‐owned mutual insurers' prospects of development in CEE countries: Outlining research agenda," Risk Management and Insurance Review, American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 24(3), pages 243-261, September.
    3. Braun, Alexander & Schmeiser, Hato & Rymaszewski, Przemysław, 2015. "Stock vs. mutual insurers: Who should and who does charge more?," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 242(3), pages 875-889.
    4. Karbhari, Yusuf & Muye, Ibrahim & Hassan, Ahmad Fahmi S. & Elnahass, Marwa, 2018. "Governance mechanisms and efficiency: Evidence from an alternative insurance (Takaful) market," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 71-92.
    5. Georges Dionne & Robert Gagné & Abdelhakim Nouira, 2007. "Determinants of Insurers’ Performance in Risk Pooling, Risk Management, and Financial Intermediation Activities," Cahiers de recherche 07-03, HEC Montréal, Institut d'économie appliquée.
    6. Wise William, 2020. "The Importance of the Efficiency of Mutual Life Insurers: A Comparison to Stock Life Insurers," Folia Oeconomica Stetinensia, Sciendo, vol. 20(1), pages 474-505, June.
    7. Dionne, Georges & Harrington, Scott, 2017. "Insurance and Insurance Markets," Working Papers 17-2, HEC Montreal, Canada Research Chair in Risk Management.
    8. Jiang Cheng & J. David Cummins & Tzuting Lin, 2021. "Are all mutuals the same? Evidence from CEO turnover in the US property–casualty insurance industry," The Geneva Risk and Insurance Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association for the Study of Insurance Economics (The Geneva Association), vol. 46(2), pages 175-205, September.
    9. Martin Eling & Martin Lehmann & Philipp Schaper, 2022. "Optimal labor and capital utilization by financial firms: evidence from the German property and casualty insurance industry," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 92(5), pages 853-897, July.
    10. Licheng Jin & Gene Lai & Chia-Ling Ho, 2022. "An analysis of post-demutualisation in the property–liability insurance industry," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 47(2), pages 279-320, April.
    11. Otgontsetseg Erhemjamts & J. Tyler Leverty, 2010. "The Demise of the Mutual Organizational Form: An Investigation of the Life Insurance Industry," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 42(6), pages 1011-1036, September.
    12. Xie, Xiaoying & Wang, Yuling & Zhao, Guiqin & Lu, Weili, 2017. "Cash holdings between public and private insurers ‒ a partial adjustment approach," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 80-97.
    13. Saarijärvi, Hannu & Mitronen, Lasse & Yrjölä, Mika, 2014. "From selling to supporting – Leveraging mobile services in the context of food retailing," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 21(1), pages 26-36.
    14. Shoaib Alam Siddiqui & Ali Shaddady, 2023. "How Profit Efficient is Indian Life Insurance Industry: A DEA Study," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(4), pages 21582440231, December.
    15. Saowaros Yaisawarng & Preecha Asavadachanukorn & Suthathip Yaisawarng, 2014. "Efficiency and productivity in the Thai non-life insurance industry," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 41(2), pages 291-306, April.
    16. Kaffash, Sepideh & Azizi, Roza & Huang, Ying & Zhu, Joe, 2020. "A survey of data envelopment analysis applications in the insurance industry 1993–2018," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 284(3), pages 801-813.
    17. Berry-Stölzle, Thomas R. & Irlbeck, Steven, 2021. "Religiosity and risk taking: Is there a demand-side effect?," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    18. Jacob A. Bikker, 2017. "Performance of the life insurance industry under pressure: efficiency, competition and consolidation," Chapters, in: Jacob A. Bikker & Laura Spierdijk (ed.), Handbook of Competition in Banking and Finance, chapter 9, pages 152-182, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    19. Noel O'Sullivan, 1998. "Ownership and Governance in the Insurance Industry: A Review of the Theory and Evidence," The Service Industries Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(4), pages 145-161, October.
    20. Fabrice Roth, 2012. "Crise et régulation des marchés financiers : Quel impact sur les formes mutuelles dans l'assurance ?," Working Papers halshs-00692342, HAL.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:fbbsrw:v:10:y:2021:i:2:p:120-132. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.