Service Quality Measurement of Insurance Company in India Truptimayee Maharana Research Scholar Utkal University, BBSR Abstract Currently Insurance Sectors in India is generally mature in terms of supply, product range and reach in rural India still remains a challenge for the Insurance sectors. The need of the hour in the Indian insurance sector is to built up competitiveness through enhanced service quality, thus making the banks more market oriented and customer friendly. Thus, the present study focuses in the service quality measurement among both public and private sector insurance companies. 1.1 Key Words : Life Insurance, perception, expectation 1.2. Introduction The Indian Insurance Sectors has a large geographic and functional coverage. Today the need for quality is feel everywhere by every organisation, whether it is public or private. Total quality management is structured system for satisfying customers and suppliers by integrating the business environment through quality circles continues improvement and breakthroughs with development while charging Dr. Jayakrushna Panda Research Guide Utkal University, BBSR organizational culture. Recognition of service quality as a competitive weapon is relatively a recent phenomenon in the Indian Insurance Sector. 1.3. Review of Literature According to Mandel, (2006), Insurance being a service with very high degree of intangibility, the role of intermediaries is very vital to the distribution of insurance products. Individual agents dominate Indian insurance distribution. The focus of the research of LIMRA (2006), is on U.S. distribution systems and the relationships between insurance carries and practitioners in local communities who sell or recommend a company s products and services. According to Chevalier, Launay and Mainguy (2005), the fantastic success of bancassurance in certain southern European countries in increasing by the year, with bancassurance premiu income in France up more than 10% in 2004. Nanda (2007) has recorded the huge potential in the country in life insurance market and states that India is the second fastest growing economy in the world next to china and the fourth largest economy in terms of purchasing power parity. Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 223
The initial studies on the efficiency of U.S. life insurance, race and Timmer (1992) Yuengert(1993) and Gardner and Drace(1993) mostly focused on scale economies. Weiss(1991) analyzed factor productivity of 5 countries of Organization for Economic co-operation and Development (OECD)- France, Germany, Japan, Switzerland and US spanning 1975 to 1987. They found that US and Germany had high productivity while France, Japan and Swizerland were below average. 1.4 Research Methodology In this paper of study six insurance companies have been selected for study. One from public sector and five from private sector. Five hundred customers and one hundred twenty five employees from these insurance company have been selected on judgemental basis and have been administrated SERVQUAL questionnaires containing the determinants of service quality in Insurance companies. Seven point Likert scale has been used for this measurement. The respondents are record their perceptions and expectations of the service of the respective insurance companies. As such gap analysis has been used as a tool to minimize the gap between perception and expectations, this enhancing customer satisfaction. 1.5 Objectives of the study The objectives of this study are as follows- To identify the gap between the service quality perception and expectation of employees and customers different sector insurance companies. To identify the gap between the service delivery perception and expectation of customer and employees of different sector of Insurance company. To validate the SERVQUAL & service delivery scale in the insurance sector. 1.6. Hypothesis of the study The following are the hypothesis have been formulated and rested to achieve the objectives. They are- 1. Service quality perception and expectation of their respective customers and employees H 0 : There is no difference in service quality perception and expectation of their respective customers & employees among the samples. H 1 : There is a difference in service quality perception & expectation of their respective customers & employees among the sample. 1.7. Data Analysis Service quality, therefore, is the degree and direction of the discrepancy between consumers perceptions and expectations. In this paper the main area of questing and analysis, therefore, relates to customers expectations and perceptions in relation to SERVQUAL dimensions propounded by,, Empathy & Assurance and Service delivery. Objective 1: To identify the gap between the service quality perception and expectation of employees & customers of different sectors of insurance company. In order to achieve the above objective the following analysis have been done Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 224
. Table 1.1 Overall service quality perceptions Elements of service quality dimension Overall service quality Insurance company Public sector Private sector S.D S.D IE 85.02 16.6 86.06 16.52 IC 113.03 17.39 76.69 17.79 Rank IE 2 1 IC 1 2 1.8 Overall Service quality perceptions of Insurance Customers The table reveals that the customer of all the two sectors of insurance perceived that the public sector insurance under study is having the highest mean score, which indicate in most of the dimensions. And private sector insurance mean score is less as compared to the public sector. 1.9 Overall Service quality perceptions of Insurance Employees Source: Primary data IE- Insurance Company Employees IC- Insurance company Customers Table 1.2 It is clear from the table that in case of the insurance employees of all the sectors perceived that the private sector having the highest mean score, which indicate in most of the dimensions those insurance company able to meet the perceptions of their employees. And public sector having the lowest men score as compared to private sector. SERVQUAL Score of Insurance Company averaged on all dimensions((perceptions) Element of Service quality Dimension Public Sector ICE 3.51 3.51 ICC 4.71 3.51 ICE 3.07 3.81 ICC 5.39 3.45 ICE 3.86 3.97 ICC 5.01 3.57 Total ICE 10.50 11.35 ICC 15.15 10.56 Private Sector Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 225
Rank ICE 2 1 1.10. Dimension wise Analysis of Service Quality perceptions of Insurance Customers. The data on the table brings to light that the public sector have the highest perceived score followed by private sector insurance company with averaged SERVQAL score. It shows that the public sector have the variables which lead to the better tangibility perceived by the customers of those company. service quality in the table shows the difference among customers in all two sectors. Among insurance companies highest averaged SERVQUAL score is of public sector insurance company followed by private sector insurance company. The data on table shows that two sectors are differences in the perception of insurance customers with respect to all insurance sectors on responsiveness dimension of service quality. The highest mean score of public sector insurance followed by private sector. It shows that private sector are below the perceptions of their respective customers on this dimension 1.11 Dimension-wise Analysis of Service Quality perceptions of Insurance Employee. ICC 1 2 Source : Primary data ICE- Insurance Company Employee ICC- Insurance Company Customer The data on the table brings to light that the public sector have the equal perceived score with the private sector insurance company with averaged SERVQAL score. It shows that the public sector have the variables which lead to the better tangibility perceived by the customers of those company. Public insurance company reach as the same score as the perceptions of their customers on this dimension of service quality. service quality in the table shows that private sector companys fall below the service quality perceptions of their respective customers. Public sector insurance company are exceeding the perceptions of their customers on this dimension. The data on table shows that the two sectors are differences in the perception of insurance employee with respect to all insurance sector on responsiveness dimension of service quality. The highest mean score of private sector insurance followed by public sector. It shows that public sector are below the perceptions of their respective customers on this dimension. Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 226
Elements Service quality Dimension Overall Service quality of Table1.3 Overall Service Quality Expectations Insurance Company Public Sector Private Sector S.D S.D ICE 150.20 8.1 139.49 12.00 ICC 150.74 7.75 139.74 13.92 Rank ICE 1 2 ICC 2 1 Source: Primary Data ICE-Insurance Company Employee ICC-Insurance Company Customers 1.12. Overall Service Quality 1.13. Overall Service Quality expectation of Insurance Customers. The table reveals that the public sector insurance are having the highest mean score followed by private sector. It indicates that public sector insurance company exceed the expectation of their customers than private sector insurance company. expectations of Insurance employee. The table clearly reveals that the public sector insurance are having the highest mean score followed by private sector. It indicates that public sector insurance company exceed the expectation of their customers than private sector insurance company. Table 1.4 SERVQUAL Score of Insurance Company averaged on all dimensions((expectation) Element of Service quality Dimension Public Sector Private Sector ICE 6.84 6.13 ICC 6.84 6.13 ICE 6.76 6.55 ICC 6.82 6.51 ICE 6.89 6.01 ICC 6.90 6.13 Total ICE 20.53 18.73 ICC 20.60 18.81 ICE 1 2 Rank ICC 1 2 Source : Primary data ICE- Insurance Company Employee ICC- Insurance Company Customer Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 227
1.10. Dimension wise Analysis of Service 1.11 Dimension-wise Analysis of Service Quality perceptions of Insurance Quality perceptions of Insurance Customers. The data on the table brings to light that Employee. The data on the table brings to light that the public sector have the highest the public sector have the highest score perceived score followed by private sector with the private sector insurance company insurance company with averaged with averaged SERVQAL score. It shows SERVQAL score. It shows that the public sector have the variables which lead to the that the public sector have the variables which lead to the better tangibility better tangibility perceived by the expectation by the customers of those customers of those company. company. service quality in the table shows the service quality in the table shows that difference among customers in all two private sector companys fall below the sectors. Among insurance companies service quality expectation of their highest averaged SERVQUAL score is of respective customers. Public sector public sector insurance company followed by private sector insurance company. The data on table shows that two sectors insurance company are exceeding the expectation of their customers on this dimension. are differences in the perception of The data on table shows that the two insurance customers with respect to all sectors are differences in the expectation insurance sectors on responsiveness of insurance employee with respect to all dimension of service quality. The highest insurance sector on responsiveness mean score of public sector insurance followed by private sector. It shows that private sector are below the expectation of dimension of service quality. The highest mean score of public sector insurance followed by private sector. It shows that their respective customers on this private sector are below the expectation of dimension their respective customers on this dimension. Table 1.5 Service Quality Gap Score Element of Service quality Dimension Public Sector ICE -2.91-2.25 ICC -2.11-2.61 ICE -2.86-2.72 Private Sector Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 228
ICC -1.31-3.04 ICE -3.01-2.02 ICC -1.87-2.64 Total ICE -8.82-7.03 ICC -4.32-8.33 Rank ICE 2 1 1.11. SERVQUAL Gap score of insurance company averaged on all dimensions- Customers. It is clear from the table that SERVQUAL gap scores of public sector is -2.11 and private sector is -2.25. element-wise tangibility reveals that public sector have outperformed than private sector. The tangibility in terms of communication materials, up-to-date equipments etc. service quality in the table shows that the public sector insurance companies are highly reliable comparative to private sector insurance companies. The reliability in terms of service performance, providing the service as promised etc. The gap score in the table state that public sector are highest on responsiveness where as private sector are have lagged behind on this dimension. Public sector insurance company are having very high gap score in telling customers exactly when service will be performed. ICC 1 2 Source : Primary data ICE- Insurance Company Employee ICC- Insurance Company C 1.12. SERVQUAL Gap score of insurance company averaged on all dimensions- Employee. The gap score in the table show that the private sector shows a lowest negative score as compare to public sector. The date shows that the private sector having -2.72 followed by -2.84 in public sector. In this dimension private sector doing well compared to public sector. The data on table shows that the service quality in private sector is -2.02 and in public sector it is -3.01. in public sector they are lagging behind the private sector in all the elements of this dimension. Conclusion The research resulted in the development of a reliable and valid instrument for assessing service quality for insurance services. On the basis of the findings revealed during the exploratory investigations, service delivery dimensions have been added. Their reliability and validity have been tested for this research. Private insurance companies fall below t perceptions of their respective customers Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 229
on all dimensions of service quality than public sector insurance companies. As far as customers expectations of service quality are concerned private sector insurance companies fall below public sector. Hence public sector insurance companies, in particular, are exceeding the perceptions of their customers. Refarences 1. Suprenant, Cand Solomon, M.R(1987), Predictability and personalization in the service encounter, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 51 pg 73-80 2. Malik, H(2011) Determinants of Insurance Companies Profitability An Analysis of Insurance Sector of Pakistan Academic Research International Vol.1 Issue 3, pg 315-321. 3. Neelaveni, V. 2012), Financial Performance of Life Insurance Companies and Products Zenith International Journal of Business Economics & Management Research, Vol.2, Issue 3 pg 233-258. 4. Srivastava,A.Tripathy, S. Kumar, (2012) Indian Life Insurance Industry Changing Trends Journal of Arts, science & Commerce, Vol. III Issue 2(3) pg 93-98. 5. Kumari, T.H(2013) Performance Evaluation of Indian Life Insurance Industry in Post Liberalization International Journal of Social Sciences Arts and Humanities, Vol.1, No 1, pg 7-14. 6. M.K. Dash & Satish Kumar(2007) Measuring customer satisfaction in the banking industry with special reference to service quality model Effulgence, Vol-5, No-2 pg 26-33 Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 230