This document summarizes a study that used the Delphi method to identify the necessary competencies for life insurance sales representatives in Taiwan. The study conducted a literature review on changes in the life insurance environment and competencies needed. It employed a modified Delphi method with an expert panel of 5 from life insurance companies and 5 from a university department. The panel identified problem solving, communication skills, IT skills, cultural competence, emotional intelligence, collective competence, and ethics as important competencies. The study recommends designing training to ensure sales representatives have these competencies and conducting a follow-up survey. It also suggests replicating the study in other industries like banking and securities.

1. A Study to Identify the Training
Needs of Life Insurance Sales
Representatives in Taiwan Using
the Delphi Approach
Advisers : Dr. Tieh-Chun Chang
Dr. Pi-Ying Teresa Hsu
Presenter : Kuei-Yuan Betty Li
Instructor: Dr. Pi-Ying Teresa Hsu
Date
: Oct 28, 2013
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2. Contents
1
Introduction
2
Literature review
3
Methodology
4
Results
5
Findings and recommendations
6
My future study
2

3. Citation
 Fan, C. K., & Cheng, C. L. (2006). A study to identify the
training needs of life insurance sales representatives in
Taiwan using the Delphi approach. International Journal
of Training and Development, 10 (3), 212-226.
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4. Introduction
Background in Taiwan
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


Continuing privatization
Liberalization
Deregulation process
A member of WTO (world trade organization)
Business competition heightened
4

5. Introduction
Purpose
 To conduct a needs assessment to identify the
necessary competencies for life insurance sales
representatives for the rapidly changing life
insurance environment in Taiwan
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6. Introduction
Research Questions
 1. According to the Delphi panelists, what
competencies are necessary for life insurance
sales representatives in Taiwan?
 2. What are the ranking of the necessary
competencies for life insurance sales
representatives based upon the opinions of the
Delphi panelists?
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7. Literature review
1. Changes in the Taiwanese life insurance
environment
 Liberalization, deregulation, reorganization and
globalization
 Trend of an aging population
 Growth of e-commerce
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8. Literature review
2. Needs analysis of a life insurance sales
representative in Taiwan
 Necessary competencies for
•
•
•
•
globalization
advanced IT
an aging population
mergers and acquisitions and financial holding
companies
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9. Literature review
3. Popular training courses and education
programs in Taiwanese life insurance
companies
 LOMA (the Life Office Management Association)
course offerings and education programs in
Taiwan
1) life and health insurance
2) retirement planning
3) money management
4) securities
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10. Methodology
A mixed-method approach
A modified Delphi research
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Anonymity of the participants
Structuring of information flow
Regular feedback
Role of the facilitator
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11. Methodology
The Delphi panel
A purposive sampling
for opinion surveys
Participants
5
Life insurance
company
5
Dept. of Insurance
& Risk Management
University
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12. Results
Result
12

13. Findings and recommendations
Findings
Proposed
by panel.
13

14. Findings and recommendations
Findings
Data analysis
 The Wilcoxon Signed Rank tests
• Most results are positive.
• Response RQ 1 & 2.
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15. Findings and recommendations
Recommendations
 Design a training plan to ensure that their sales
representatives have following competence.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Problem solving
Communication
Using IT
Culture compatibility
EI
Collective competence
Ethics
 Add a follow-up attitude survey.
 The study should be replicated in banks and securities
companies.
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16. My Research
The Effect of Organizational Training
on Life Insurance Employees’ Organizational
Commitment and Turnover Intention
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17. My Research
 Research Gap
 To refer the structure of above mentioned journal, and choose life
insurance industry to verify the effect of original training.
 Performance-oriented life insurance industry with sufficient training
but high turnover rate of salespeople
 To investigate 2 groups of employees at life insurance industry
 Comparing with previous studies focused on salespeople only
 Self-reliant and self- control salespeople > office staff at life
insurance companies
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18. My Research
Purpose
 To investigate
• the effect of organizational training on life insurance employees’
organizational commitment
• the relationship between organizational commitment and turnover
intention
• the difference between salespeople and office staff in terms of the
organizational training, organizational commitment and turnover
intention.
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19. My Research
Research Question
 1. What’s the effect of organizational training on life
insurance employees’ organizational commitment?
 2. What’s the relationship between life insurance
employees’ organizational commitment and
turnover intention?
 3. What’s the difference between salespeople and office staff in
terms of the organizational training, organizational
commitment and turnover intention.?
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20. My Research
Contribution
 To collect and analyze empirical data from both salespeople and
office staff
 To offer the result for the Human Resource Department at life
industry to evaluate the annual training schedule for creating
better organizational commitment and lowering turnover intention
through well designed organizational training
 Furthermore, creating a more reliable workplace and costing
down newcomers’ recruiting and training expense
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21. My Research
 The framework of hypothesis
H2
Motivation
for training
H3
Opportunity
of training
H4
Benefits
H1
H6
Organizational
Commitment
Turnover
Intention
from training
H5
Support
for training
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22. My Research
 Method
 Data collection
•
•
•
•
By survey
A convenience sampling
7-point-Likert questionnaires
Limitation: Only a listed life insurance company in Taiwan
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23. My Research
Method
 Participants
• Employees at a listed life insurance company
– Taichung branch
Salespersons Taichung branch
5586
Other branches –
9,157
264
Total employees: 15,007
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24. My Research
Method
 Sample & Procedure
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25. My Research
Measurement
SEM
SPSS
1. CFA
1. Descriptive
Statistics
2. Correlative
Statistics
3. Regression
4. T-test
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26. Betty Li
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