IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/pal/gpprii/v45y2020i3d10.1057_s41288-020-00161-y.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Management of commissions to meet the regulatory requirements: the case of property–casualty insurance in China

Author

Listed:
  • Kai Wang

    (Anhui Agricultural University)

  • Lei Fang

    (Cass Business School, City, University of London)

  • Jiang Cheng

    (Lingnan University)

Abstract

We investigate how the 2009 regulatory change to the method of calculating combined ratios in the Chinese property–casualty insurance industry affected the relationship between commissions and combined ratios. We find that since the 2009 reform, the industry has shown a non-linear relationship between commissions and combined ratios. The relationship is negative (positive) when the combined ratio is higher (lower) than the regulatory threshold. Before 2009, this relationship was linear. Since 2009, when commissions increased, the combined ratio converges to the threshold. As the volatility of the combined ratio is positively related to the statutory capital required, this change provides incentives for insurers to decrease the combined ratio and/or its volatility as they seek to manage their commissions to approximate the threshold without jeopardising compliance with other regulatory requirements.

Suggested Citation

  • Kai Wang & Lei Fang & Jiang Cheng, 2020. "Management of commissions to meet the regulatory requirements: the case of property–casualty insurance in China," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 45(3), pages 508-534, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:gpprii:v:45:y:2020:i:3:d:10.1057_s41288-020-00161-y
    DOI: 10.1057/s41288-020-00161-y
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1057/s41288-020-00161-y
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1057/s41288-020-00161-y?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Petroni, Kathy Ruby, 1992. "Optimistic reporting in the property- casualty insurance industry," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 15(4), pages 485-508, December.
    2. Doherty, Neil A. & Kang, Han Bin, 1988. "Interest rates and insurance price cycles," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 12(2), pages 199-214, June.
    3. Beaver, William H. & McNichols, Maureen F. & Nelson, Karen K., 2003. "Management of the loss reserve accrual and the distribution of earnings in the property-casualty insurance industry," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 347-376, August.
    4. David L. Eckles & Martin Halek & Enya He & David W. Sommer & Rongrong Zhang, 2011. "Earnings Smoothing, Executive Compensation, and Corporate Governance: Evidence From the Property–Liability Insurance Industry," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 78(3), pages 761-790, September.
    5. Martin F. Grace & J. Tyler Leverty, 2010. "Political Cost Incentives for Managing the Property‐Liability Insurer Loss Reserve," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(1), pages 21-49, March.
    6. Martin F. Grace & J. Tyler Leverty, 2012. "Property–Liability Insurer Reserve Error: Motive, Manipulation, or Mistake," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 79(2), pages 351-380, June.
    7. Petroni, K & Beasley, M, 1996. "Errors in accounting estimates and their relation to audit firm type," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(1), pages 151-171.
    8. Gaver, Jennifer J. & Paterson, Jeffrey S., 2004. "Do insurers manipulate loss reserves to mask solvency problems?," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 37(3), pages 393-416, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Han, Sangyong & Lai, Gene C. & Ho, Chia-Ling, 2018. "Corporate transparency and reserve management: Evidence from US property-liability insurance companies," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 379-392.
    2. Fiordelisi, Franco & Meles, Antonio & Monferrà, Stefano & Starita, Maria Grazia, 2013. "Personal vs. Corporate Goals: Why do Insurance Companies Manage Loss Reserves?," MPRA Paper 47867, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. M. Martin Boyer & Elijah Brewer & Willie Reddic, 2019. "The Association between Complexity and Managerial Discretion in the Property and Casualty Insurance Industry," Quarterly Journal of Finance (QJF), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 9(03), pages 1-33, September.
    4. Fang Sun & Xiangjing Wei, 2019. "Property-Liability Insurers’ Discretionary and Nondiscretionary Loss Reserve Error: Relation with Investor Sentiment," Review of Pacific Basin Financial Markets and Policies (RPBFMP), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 22(03), pages 1-20, September.
    5. Jiang Cheng & J. David Cummins & Tzuting Lin, 2021. "Earnings management surrounding forced CEO turnover: evidence from the U.S. property-casualty insurance industry," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 56(3), pages 819-847, April.
    6. Yi-hsun Lai & Wen-chang Lin & Liang-wei Kuo, 2018. "Forestalling capital regulation or masking financial weakness? Evidence from loss reserve management in the property–liability insurance industry," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 50(2), pages 481-518, February.
    7. Kexing Ding & Baruch Lev & Xuan Peng & Ting Sun & Miklos A. Vasarhelyi, 2020. "Machine learning improves accounting estimates: evidence from insurance payments," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 25(3), pages 1098-1134, September.
    8. Yu-Luen Ma & Nat Pope, 2020. "The impact of Sarbanes–Oxley on property-casualty insurer loss reserve estimates," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 45(2), pages 313-334, April.
    9. Jill Bisco & Kathleen McCullough & Hugo Moises Montesinos Yufa & Eleanor Tice Sirmans, 2023. "The impact of monitor choice on insurer loss reserves," Risk Management and Insurance Review, American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 26(1), pages 83-105, March.
    10. Boyer, M. Martin & Cowins, Elicia P. & Reddic, Willie D., 2019. "Portfolio rebalancing behavior with operating losses and investment regulation," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 313-328.
    11. Martin F. Grace & J. Tyler Leverty, 2010. "Political Cost Incentives for Managing the Property‐Liability Insurer Loss Reserve," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(1), pages 21-49, March.
    12. Ames Daniel & Graden Bryan S. & Sankara Jomo, 2019. "Who Estimates When It’s Not Required? the Case of Subrogation," Asia-Pacific Journal of Risk and Insurance, De Gruyter, vol. 13(1), pages 1-16, January.
    13. Jiang Cheng & Travis Chow & Tzu‐Ting Lin & Jeffrey Ng, 2022. "The effect of accounting for income tax uncertainty on tax‐deductible loss accruals for private insurers," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 89(2), pages 505-544, June.
    14. Jiang Cheng & Mary A. Weiss, 2012. "The Role of RBC, Hurricane Exposure, Bond Portfolio Duration, and Macroeconomic and Industry-wide Factors in Property–Liability Insolvency Prediction," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 79(3), pages 723-750, September.
    15. David L. Eckles & Martin Halek, 2010. "Insurer Reserve Error and Executive Compensation," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 77(2), pages 329-346, June.
    16. Ege, Matthew S. & Stuber, Sarah B., 2022. "Are auditors rewarded for low audit quality? The case of auditor lenience in the insurance industry," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(1).
    17. Willie Dion Reddic, 2021. "Under pressure: investment behaviour of insurers under different financial and regulatory conditions," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 46(1), pages 1-20, January.
    18. M. Martin Boyer & Elicia P. Cowins & Willie D. Reddic, 2020. "Operational risk management and regulatory investment constraints on portfolio allocation: evidence from property and casualty insurers," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 57(1), pages 20-52, February.
    19. Willie Dion Reddic, 0. "Under pressure: investment behaviour of insurers under different financial and regulatory conditions," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 0, pages 1-20.
    20. Gaganis, Chrysovalantis & Hasan, Iftekhar & Pasiouras, Fotios, 2016. "Regulations, institutions and income smoothing by managing technical reserves: International evidence from the insurance industry," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 59(PA), pages 113-129.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:pal:gpprii:v:45:y:2020:i:3:d:10.1057_s41288-020-00161-y. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.palgrave-journals.com/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.