An investigation into the factors affecting knowledge management adoption and practice in the life insurance business

Abstract

Knowledge management (KM) is crucial for organizations to enhance competitive advantage. While the issues of KM have been widely discussed by numerous researchers, there is a paucity of studies pertaining to KM adoption and practice for the life insurance industry. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the main factors affecting the life insurance business in adopting and applying KM. An exploratory field study utilizing an inductive methodology involving a multiple-case study approach was undertaken by conducting interviews with 10 key knowledge workers from life insurance enterprises in various stages of KM development and use. We utilized content analysis techniques to identify the factors with their associated variables and further developed a research model. This study offers a comprehensive model for future KM research and provides managerial implications for organizations, particularly life insurance enterprises, to better realize the worth of KM and the possible impediments involved in the processes of adopting and implementing KM.

Keywords:

• knowledge management (KM)
• competitive advantage
• innovation
• KM practice
• life insurance
• multiple-case study

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Li-Su Huang

About the authors

Li-Su Huang is currently Assistant Professor and Director at Department of Finance at Mingdao University in Taiwan. She received her Master of Science in Insurance at Hartford University, U.S.A, and Ph.D. in Graduate Business from Curtin University in Australia. Her research interests lie in the areas of knowledge management, strategies, as well as insurance business operation and management. She has published and presented internationally on these topics in journals and conference proceedings.

Mohammed Quaddus received Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh, M.S. from University of Pittsburgh and Asian Institute of Technology. His research interests are in information and decision systems, logistics and supply chain information management, risk management in supply chain, Radio Frequency Identification in supply chain and related areas. Dr Quaddus has published over 200 papers in refereed journals, international conferences and chapters in books. His publications have appeared in European Journal of Information Systems, Decision Support Systems, Supply Chain Management – An International Journal, Rural Sociology among many others. He has successfully supervised over 30 doctoral students. In 1996 and 2005, he received ‘researcher of the year’ award from Curtin Business School, Curtin University of Technology, Australia. Currently, he is a Professor of Information and Decision Systems with the Graduate School of Business, and Deputy Dean of research, Curtin Business School, Curtin University of Technology, Australia.

Anna L Rowe (Ph.D., M.Com, B.Bus) is a Certified Practising Accountant by profession who is a senior lecturer and researcher of the Governance and Corporate Social Responsibility unit. She has worked in industry for 10 years prior to joining the Graduate School of Business, Curtin University. Her research interests include corporate environmental management, triple-bottom-line reporting, knowledge management and action research in education for sustainability. Recent publications in refereed journals include: Journal of International Business Strategy, Journal of the Asia-Pacific Centre for Environmental Accountability, International Journal of Business Research, International Journal of Management Education, Review of Business Research and Public Management Review Journal. She is on the editorial board of the Asia-Pacific Centre for Environmental Accountability journal and Guest Editor of Greener Management International – Special Issue 50 (China).

Cheng-Po Lai is Associated Professor and Chairman at Institute of Financial Management, Nanhua University, Taiwan. He completed his Master of Science in Insurance, and Master of Business Administration at Hartford University in U.S.A., and Ph.D. in Business Administration majoring in Finance at National Chung Cheng University in Taiwan. His current field of research is focused on strategy management, risk management and corporate governance. He is Project Director of ‘Cointegration and Performance of the Strategic Groups in Property and Casualty Insurance Industry: The Case of Taiwan’ (NSC94-2416-H-265-001) supported by National Science Council, Taiwan.