ID : 1020
Vertical integration ; Systems integration ; Studies ; Models ; Management science ; Insurance industry ; Information technology ; Information systems
Electronic integration - a form of vertical quasi-integration achieved through the deployment of dedicated computers and communications systems between relevant actors in the adjacent stages of the value-chain - is an important concept to researchers in the information systems field since it focuses on the role of information technology in restructuring vertical relationships.  Drawing on theoretical and empirical research on transaction costs, a model of the determinants of the degree of elecronic integration in the commercial segment of the property and casualty industry is developed and tested.  Based on a sample of 120 independent agencies operating under dedicated information technology-mediated conditions, empirical support is provided for 3 hypotheses in the determinants of electronic integration.  Implications and research extensions are identified to guide further research in this important area.
Determinants of electronic integration in the insurance industry: An empirical test, Zaheer, Akbar; Venkatraman, N, Management Science, 40:5, May 1994
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