Presenting the maturity framework of digital transformation in Iran's insurance industry

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Ph.D. Student of Business Administration, Field of Marketing, Kish International Campus, Tehran University،Tehran,Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Management, University of Tehran,Thran,Iran.

3 Associate Professor, Department of Information Technology Management, Faculty of Management, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Purpose: Given the role and importance of the insurance industry in national economies, this study focuses on designing a digital transformation maturity model for the Iranian insurance sector. Developing a digital maturity model in the insurance industry plays a vital role in the successful implementation of business initiatives and the reduction of uncertainties within this sector by providing a comprehensive guide for strengthening capabilities, setting goals, and replicating successes. Furthermore, although the number of studies on digital transformation and maturity has increased in recent years, limited research has been conducted domestically, particularly within the Iranian insurance industry, on designing digital transformation maturity models. Therefore, this area is considered relatively new.
Method: By its nature, the present research is classified as applied—developmental in terms of its objective. In this study, relevant articles on digital transformation and maturity in the insurance industry were first reviewed using a systematic literature review approach. Subsequently, the selected articles were coded using Grounded Theory (three-stage). After labeling the data and coding the concepts, the analysis and classification of these concepts were performed. A systematic review is a method for identifying, evaluating, and understanding all research relevant to a research question or phenomenon of interest.
This study employed a systematic review to summarize existing evidence, identify gaps in current research, and develop a final framework. The review was qualitative, focusing on textual data rather than numerical data typically analyzed in general systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Consistent with the model by Wolfswinkel et al. (2013), five stages were followed: definition (defining research questions, inclusion criteria, and appropriate databases), search (searching identified sources), selection (narrowing down samples), analysis (open, axial, and selective coding), and reporting. To enhance confidence, forward and backward searches were also conducted.
In the backward search, references from the obtained articles were reviewed and added to the selected articles if they were relevant and frequently cited. In the forward search, sources that cited the key articles were identified and examined.
To select the most relevant and significant articles, inclusion and exclusion criteria were established based on the research of Abdelmaboud et al. (2014). Reputable article databases such as Scopus, Springer, and ScienceDirect were utilized, informed by the statistics of literature search engines and experiences reported in previous reviews. Considering publication trends, the search was limited to articles published between 2019 and 2023. In the initial search phase, 101 articles were retrieved; additionally, three articles were identified through backward citation tracking and one through forward citation tracking. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 29 articles were ultimately selected. Following the selection process, these articles were analyzed to extract the dimensions of digital maturity in the insurance industry. For this purpose, Grounded Theory, a recommended method for the analysis phase (Berthelsen & Frederiksen, 2018), was employed.
Findings: The results of open coding led to the identification of 140 concepts, 35 sub-categories, 15 main categories, and 4 dimensions (enablers, facilitators, inhibitors, and outcomes). In the selective coding phase, based on the results of the two previous coding stages, the final model framework or overarching paradigm was presented. Based on this, the final digital maturity model for the Iranian insurance industry was introduced. After identifying the conceptual elements, the results of the coding process were evaluated through an assessment of inter-coder agreement using Cohen's Kappa coefficient. Given that the significance level for the Kappa coefficient was less than 0.05, it was concluded that the coding findings possessed sufficient reliability, and the presented digital transformation maturity model for the Iranian insurance industry is reliable.
Conclusion: Overall, the designed digital maturity model posits that equipping the insurance industry with digital enablers—including governance and leadership, strategy, culture and skills, technology, innovation, and digital resources—is a prerequisite for achieving outcomes such as ecosystem business, process improvements, digital customer experience, and digital organizational experience. Furthermore, human capital management, business resources, and the digital ecosystem can act as facilitators in transforming digital enablers into digital outcomes. Conversely, factors such as organizational resistance and transformation barriers can inhibit the transformation process.

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Main Subjects

References

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Sciences and Techniques of Information Management
Volume 11, Issue 3
October 2025
Pages 202-170

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