The Development of Value Systems and the Role of Information Systems in the Portuguese Insurance Industry

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the status of partnerships between organizations in the Portuguese insurance industry and design a development strategy that includes the Information Systems (IS) dimension. In this paper, the current role of the IS in insurance partnerships (e.g.: automation of functionalities, alignment with decision makers) is analyzed, as well as their importance in the future. Since insurance information activities are knowledge intensive, a relational and learning approach was followed. The impact of the IS on collaboration and implications for the CIO (responsible for the IS) are presented. The existence of a good exploration of the IS for automation and integration of heterogeneous systems were verified. However, collaborative functionalities (e.g. Web 2.0) and partnership management indicators were not observed as a common practice. The CIO can be an agent of change, highlighting the IT Governance view and the socio-technical approach that are key to increase the maturity and value of the IS in the insurance industry.