This research explores the contribution of
information technology (IT) and telecommunication
investments (COM) to commercial banks and insurance
companies all over the world. We employ the
generalized stochastic frontier approach to measure
the cost and profit efficiencies and scope economy
for commercial banks in 51 countries and insurance
companies in 25 countries. Moreover, the Tobit model
and the multivariate analysis are used to testing
the impacts of IT and COM.
Four findings are listed below. 1) IT improves the
cost and profit efficiencies of these two financial
institutions uniformly across the developed and
developing countries considered. 2) The impact of IT
on the efficiencies for commercial banks is more
significant than that for the insurance firms. 3)The
newly developing countries outperform the developed
countries in terms of the contribution of COM to the
efficiencies. Therefore, the leapfrog phenomenon may
exist in terms of COM in e-finance. 4) Both
international banking markets and insurance markets
are found to be not integrated via the multivariate
analysis. Several policy implications drawn from
these findings.
information technology (IT) and telecommunication
investments (COM) to commercial banks and insurance
companies all over the world. We employ the
generalized stochastic frontier approach to measure
the cost and profit efficiencies and scope economy
for commercial banks in 51 countries and insurance
companies in 25 countries. Moreover, the Tobit model
and the multivariate analysis are used to testing
the impacts of IT and COM.
Four findings are listed below. 1) IT improves the
cost and profit efficiencies of these two financial
institutions uniformly across the developed and
developing countries considered. 2) The impact of IT
on the efficiencies for commercial banks is more
significant than that for the insurance firms. 3)The
newly developing countries outperform the developed
countries in terms of the contribution of COM to the
efficiencies. Therefore, the leapfrog phenomenon may
exist in terms of COM in e-finance. 4) Both
international banking markets and insurance markets
are found to be not integrated via the multivariate
analysis. Several policy implications drawn from
these findings.