This paper evaluated performance of motor insurance companies in Nigeria. The objectives were to determine the following: 1) significant effects of claims settlements on motor insurance firms’ earned premium;2) diffe...This paper evaluated performance of motor insurance companies in Nigeria. The objectives were to determine the following: 1) significant effects of claims settlements on motor insurance firms’ earned premium;2) differences in managerial/technological capabilities among the companies and 3) effects of policy (or time effect) on insurance firms’ output within the study </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">period. Panel data obtained for this study comprised operational data on</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> premium earned and direct claims settlement by these companies over a period </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">of six (6) years. Using panel data statistical models, we found that direct</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> claims settlement negatively affected insurance companies’ earned premium. Also, </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">significant differences in technological and managerial capabilities were </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">found to exist among the companies, though only one company exhibited this heterogeneity. Besides, there were no policy impacts (or time effect) on vehicle insurance firms’ output in the study period. Policy implications of the results were discussed.展开更多
Payments for Ecosystem Services(PES)programs have been implemented in both developing and developed countries to conserve ecosystems and the vital services they provide.These programs also often seek to maintain or im...Payments for Ecosystem Services(PES)programs have been implemented in both developing and developed countries to conserve ecosystems and the vital services they provide.These programs also often seek to maintain or improve the economic wellbeing of the populations living in the corresponding(usually rural)areas.Previous studies suggest that PES policy design,presence or absence of concurrent PES programs,and a variety of socioeconomic and demographic factors can influence decisions of households to participate or not in the PES program.However,neighborhood impacts on household participation in PES have rarely been addressed.This study explores potential neighborhood effects on villagers'enrollment in the Grain-to-Green Program(GTGP),one of the largest PES programs in the world,using data from China's Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve.We utilize a fixed effects logistic regression model in combination with the eigenvector spatial filtering(ESF)method to explore whether neighborhood size affects household enrollment in GTGP.By comparing the results with and without ESF,we find that the ESF method can help account for spatial autocorrelation properly and reveal neighborhood impacts that are otherwise hidden,including the effects of area of forest enrolled in a concurrent PES program,gender and household size.The method can thus uncover mechanisms previously undetected due to not taking into account neighborhood impacts and thus provides an additional way to account for neighborhood impacts in PES programs and other studies.展开更多
文摘This paper evaluated performance of motor insurance companies in Nigeria. The objectives were to determine the following: 1) significant effects of claims settlements on motor insurance firms’ earned premium;2) differences in managerial/technological capabilities among the companies and 3) effects of policy (or time effect) on insurance firms’ output within the study </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">period. Panel data obtained for this study comprised operational data on</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> premium earned and direct claims settlement by these companies over a period </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">of six (6) years. Using panel data statistical models, we found that direct</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> claims settlement negatively affected insurance companies’ earned premium. Also, </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">significant differences in technological and managerial capabilities were </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">found to exist among the companies, though only one company exhibited this heterogeneity. Besides, there were no policy impacts (or time effect) on vehicle insurance firms’ output in the study period. Policy implications of the results were discussed.
基金National Science Foundation under the Dynamics of Coupled Natural and Human Systems Program,No.DEB-1212183,No.BCS-1826839Financial and Research Support from San Diego State University,Population Research Infrastructure Program,No.P2C,No.HD050924。
文摘Payments for Ecosystem Services(PES)programs have been implemented in both developing and developed countries to conserve ecosystems and the vital services they provide.These programs also often seek to maintain or improve the economic wellbeing of the populations living in the corresponding(usually rural)areas.Previous studies suggest that PES policy design,presence or absence of concurrent PES programs,and a variety of socioeconomic and demographic factors can influence decisions of households to participate or not in the PES program.However,neighborhood impacts on household participation in PES have rarely been addressed.This study explores potential neighborhood effects on villagers'enrollment in the Grain-to-Green Program(GTGP),one of the largest PES programs in the world,using data from China's Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve.We utilize a fixed effects logistic regression model in combination with the eigenvector spatial filtering(ESF)method to explore whether neighborhood size affects household enrollment in GTGP.By comparing the results with and without ESF,we find that the ESF method can help account for spatial autocorrelation properly and reveal neighborhood impacts that are otherwise hidden,including the effects of area of forest enrolled in a concurrent PES program,gender and household size.The method can thus uncover mechanisms previously undetected due to not taking into account neighborhood impacts and thus provides an additional way to account for neighborhood impacts in PES programs and other studies.