보험설계사와 보험사의 특성이 관계의 질, 공감, 재구매의도에 미치는 영향

Abstract

This study conducted a theoretical research and an empirical analysis to define the factors that influence customers who are take out insurance through insurance planners and the factors that influence the maintenance of relationship between the insurance planners, customers and repurchase intention. A survey was composed for the empirical analysis, and it was carried out by targeting the life policyholder. The total number of distributed questionnaire was 430 but 410 of them were collected and only 402 questionnaires were used for the actual analysis excluding 8 copies with many unreliable responses or non-responses. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS for Windows Release 15.0. The empirical results can be summarized as follows: First, the result of the empirical analysis of the influential relationship between the characteristics of insurance planners, cognitive and emotional empathy has shown that the higher the service directivity, customer orientation and professionalism of insurance planners are, the higher is cognitive empathy rate, and higher customer orientation and professionalism increase emotional empathy. Second, the result of the empirical analysis of the influential relationship between the characteristics of insurance planners and the quality of relationship has shown that as service directivity, customer orientation and professionalism of insurance planners are high, satisfaction credibility and immersion of customers are also high. Third, the result of the empirical analysis of the influential relationship between the characteristics of an insurance company and empathy has shown that the higher the benefits of insurance and the fame of the company, the higher is the emotional empathy. Fourth, the result of the empirical analysis of the relationship between the characteristics of an insurance company and the quality of relationship has shown that the higher the benefits and the fame of an insurance company, the higher are satisfaction, credibility and the level of immersion of the customers. Fifth, the result of the empirical analysis of the influential relationship between empathy and the quality of relationship has shown that when the cognitive and emotional empathy of an insurance planner is high, the quality of the relationship between the planner and the customer is also high. Sixth, the result of the empirical analysis of the influential relationship between empathy and repurchase intention has shown that when the cognitive and emotional empathy of an insurance planner is high, the repurchase intention increases. Seventh, the result of the empirical analysis of the influential relationship between the quality of relationship and repurchase intention has shown that the satisfaction and immersion of customer influence repurchase intention positively while credibility has nothing to do with it. As the above results, the following marketing implications were deduced. First, the insurance planners should have customer driven attitude, service directivity and professional knowledge in order to increase empathy with the customers. Secondly, the customer satisfaction is earned when the customers' needs are related to insurance consultation, contract, compensation and maintenance services are fulfilled. Credibility is the emotional state the customers feel when their expectations about certain insurance corresponds to the actual insurance service, and when customers have credibility, they believe that the insurance planners will help them and they start to depend on the planners. Immersion is the customers' will to keep the relationship with the planners, which is often expressed as attachment or sense of belonging. In this regard, the characteristics of insurance planners have a positive influence on the quality of relationship with the customers. Third, the characteristics of an insurance company have a positive influence on cognitive and emotional empathy. Fourth, empathy shows a positive influence on customer satisfaction, credibility and immersion. Empathy improves the ability to understand and predict others, and it helps to resolve conflicts and strengthens the relationships by forming a receptive atmosphere where people can respect each other rather than being offensive in conflict situations. Fifth, empathy also has a positive influence on repurchase intention. Due to the nature of services such as intangibility, heterogeneity, non-separability and extinctive feature of production and consumption, the maintenance of relationship between customers and service providers (e.g. insurance planners) is crucial in insurance industry. Lastly, in relationships between the quality of relationship and repurchase intention, satisfaction and immersion of customer influence repurchase intention positively while credibility is insignificant. In the relationship between the insurance services and the customers, future stability depends on how much the customers are satisfied with the contents of the insurance service or the service itself and how much they are concerned with the service provides. Relational quality is a variable that determines the durability of the relationship with customers. When the relationship is maintained well, credibility follows. This study, however, reveals several limitations as followings. First, since this study is based on a sample limited to Jeju region but not on a national scale, there is a limit to generalize the research results. Second, this study is about the influences of the characteristics of insurance companies and planners have on relational quality, empathy, and repurchase intention. Therefore, it is impracticable to apply these research results to other types of business. In order to overcome the limitations of this study, hereafter research should provide practically applicable implication by using nationwide sample. In addition, if the future study expands the research results reflecting the characteristics of insurance industry to a study focusing on general companies, it will be able to deduce the implications on the leading variables that influence relational quality and repurchase intention.