Browsing by Author "Pramle, Sarah"

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Insuring the Future: Managing Risks and Disruptions within the Insurance Value Chain - A multiple case study on the commercial insurance industry
(2023-07-19) Kwok, Ezabella; Pramle, Sarah; University of Gothenburg/Graduate School; Göteborgs universitet/Graduate School
Globalization has resulted in the fragmentation of business activities and participation in cross-border networks, giving rise to Global Value Chains, thus increasing vulnerability to risks and disruptions. While there is existing research on risk management in tangible product production within GVCs, there is a scarcity of literature on risk management in service industries, particularly on the Insurance Value Chain. Due to the unprecedented nature of the Covid-19 pandemic, there is little research on the effects of such a disruption. As the insurance industry is essential for creating a stable economic environment, our thesis investigates how the insurance industry can manage risks and disruptions to their value chain. A multiple-case study is applied and consists of 14 interviews with specialists, middle and senior management from various global insurers and insurance brokers. Our findings align with the limited existing literature on service supply chain risk management, highlighting the need for a flexible and iterative approach to risk management, especially in the face of unexpected events. Additionally, our research suggests that insurance companies should foster a risk-aware organizational culture that permeates the daily responsibilities of all employees, while maintaining a people-oriented approach that nurtures employees’ well-being and development. Moreover, companies need to be creative and quick to adapt to disruptions, while maintaining effective communication both internally and externally. Furthermore, reflecting on past experiences and learning from them is crucial for revising and improving risk management processes. Consequently, insurance companies can effectively navigate unexpected risks and disruptions, minimizing adverse effects and ensuring continued stability.
The effect of an increased excise tax on alcohol consumption
(2021-02-09) Hua, Celina; Pramle, Sarah; University of Gothenburg/Department of Economics; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för nationalekonomi med statistik
In September 2020, the Swedish government announced the ambition to further raise the tax on alcohol and tobacco products. The new policy, planned to be enacted in January 2023, aims to adjust for inflationary measures while promoting public health and increasing government revenue. The generated tax funds will partly be used for military expenditures. This thesis investigates the impact of the aforementioned proposed alcohol tax increase on the consumption of alcohol, as well as the tax revenue generated. In order to provide an answer to the effectiveness of the new legislation, the price elasticities of demand for alcohol need to be obtained. We focused on three different alcoholic products; spirits, wine and beer. Through the use of OLS regressions of different complexities, we find that the demand for beer and wine have a negative, yet overall inelastic demand. The results for spirits, however, are not as definitive due to ambiguous estimates caused by the limitations of the empirical framework. If we have managed to correctly estimate the price elasticities of demand, then the consumption of beer and wine will not be affected to a great extent when a hypothetical tax increase is imposed, but it does however raise important questions regarding the fiscal impact and the role of the government.