Managerial Perceptions of Factors Contributing to Competitive Advantage in the Indian Health Insurance Industry

Abstract

Competitive advantage of firms has been a dynamic notion evolving with newlinechanging business realities. This empirical research explored the idea of newlinecompetitive advantage in the context of health insurance firms in India. The newlinefocus of the study was on how the strategic orientation and firm capabilities newlineinteract to create competitive advantage. The study was based on the resourcebased newlineview and dynamic capabilities theory of the firm. The critical nature of newlinehealth insurance as a social necessity justified the need to theoretically establish newlinewhat capabilities were required for health insurance firms to remain competitive newlinein the market. The study employed sequential mixed methods design where a newlinequalitative technique was used first to complement the subsequent dominant newlinequantitative technique. The qualitative method comprised of the modified newlinedelphi technique in sequential combination to 43 in-depth health insurance newlineexpert interviews to explicate the factors necessary for competitive advantage. newlineData was analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative content and thematic newlineintensity analysis. The quantitative method used structural equation modelling newlinesupported by Hayes multiple mediation model to analyze data collected from newline565 health insurance managers related to their perceptions of factors newlinecontributing to competitive advantage. The results indicated that organizational newlineinnovation orientation and organizational customer orientation were the newlineantecedents positively associated with competitive advantage of health newlineinsurance firms in India. Organizational technology capability, knowledge newlinemanagement capability, organizational technology competence and newlineorganizational service capability fully mediated the relationships between the newlineantecedents and perceived competitive advantage in different serial newlinecombinations. Managerial experience was found to have a moderating effect on newlinethe relationship between organizational technology capability and knowledge newlinemanagement capability of firms. Knowledge being a core resource for health newlineinsurance