Impact of COVID-19 on personal insurance sales – Evidence from Germany

The occupation of insurance agent involves establishing a relationship of trust with the customer and providing personal and customized advice as a prerequisite for successful sales. This paper summarizes the scientific discussion about the occupation of an insurance salesperson. Coronavirus disease 2019 restrictions have limited face-to-face meetings and complicated large parts of this occupation. The main purpose of the research is to analyze the impact of these restrictions on the sales of 130 insurance branches, comparing the sales of 2019 and 2020 separately by insurance type. This period was chosen because it allows for the usual seasonal volatility to be taken into account. To differentiate according to the type of insurance sold is therefore of interest, because large differences with regard to demand generation and the use of existing customer relationships are to be expected. It shows that consulting-intensive new contracts in the life insurance segment declined noticeably, while the upselling of existing contracts in the non-life insurance segment increased significantly. The research empirically confirms and theoretically proves the importance of personal contact with the customer in the sale of life insurance and pension plans as well as the value of technical tools in upselling non-life policies. The insights from this exceptional coronavirus disease 2019 episode can also be useful in normal times for sales managers in managing insurance premiums to be sold. Further research as well as practitioners should concentrate on shock-resistant consulting approaches and techniques.

Embankments and Inundation in Bengal: An Early Colonial Transition

In a tropical monsoon country like India, embankment construction is a particular kind of necessity, an obligation imposed by nature. It is a defence against depredation caused by the force of water for which collective action was necessary. What necessitated dams or dykes to be built was the seasonal volatility of the rivers, especially the Ganges or Brahmaputra, which were significant because of their size. Embankment construction was thus a major public work activity in an era when such undertakings by the state and society were limited by financial resources and the availability of expertise. But there was a difference in approach to embankment construction and the state support given to such public enterprise, over time. While the eighteenth century had a positive approach and did not see the embankments as mere physical structures designed to cope with floods but as organic parts of tracts of land, the nineteenth century experts tended to view embankments as hindrance to natural irrigation and the cause of rather than the remedy to violent inundations. This was the opinion of experts with greater knowledge and resources at their disposal. Nineteenth century experts on embankment maintenance regarded the Permanent Settlement as the benchmark of the early colonial state’s decisive intervention in this respect and thought that the obligation of previous governments to maintain embankments should be taken as of practically no significance at all. The settlement of the character of the Permanent Settlement ‘must obviously change the whole nature of such obligations’. This article does not agree with this point of view. The article looks at the nature of this important public work activity with focus on its history in the second half of the eighteenth century and also examines how the nineteenth century experts historically reviewed the necessity of embankments as those had existed in the past.

Vegetable Prices Possess Seasonal Volatility: A Case Study of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan

The present research was conducted to determine the seasonal volatility of four important vegetables in Pakistan. The four vegetables included in this study are onion, tomato, potato, and cabbage. The first three of which are necessary kitchen items in the food consumption of the country. The study area is comprised of the Lahore district of the Punjab province which is the most populous city in the province and the major producer of the vegetables in the country. Secondary data of the year 2010 and 2011 about prices and quantity of these four vegetables were collected from the market committee and agriculture marketing information system Lahore. The price flexibility coefficient was estimated along with the seasonal behavior concerning prices for perishable vegetables. The results indicate that the irregular seasonal and cyclical fluctuations observed every year. Price fluctuations for onion, tomato, potato, and cabbage are seasonal. After the harvest, low prices were observed while price were observed high before the start of the season when relative supply shortage occursand vice versa. Hence, the study suggests that prices can be controlled by intervening in the market by increasing supply and production using new technology and high yielding seed varieties.

Comment on “Seasonal cycling in the gut microbiome of the Hadza hunter-gatherers of Tanzania”

In a recent paper, Smits et al. (Science, 25 August 2017, p. 802) report on seasonal changes in the gut microbiome of Hadza hunter-gatherers. They argue that seasonal volatility of some bacterial taxa corresponds to seasonal dietary changes. We address the authors’ insufficient reporting of relevant data and problematic areas in their assumptions about Hadza diet that yield inconsistencies in their results and interpretations.

Plum Island Coffee Roasters: a perfect blend of coffee, business and community

Synopsis The owner of an independent coffee shop is looking for methods to improve the sales performance of his business. He has strong customer sales and service skills but limited formal business education. He believes his sales are growing but seasonal volatility in sales is affecting his profitability. The manager of the coffee shop is a college student and is attempting to use methods from her business courses to analyze the impact of Facebook Advertising on the sales of the coffee shop. On a busy Friday in May, they are meeting to make key marketing decisions. Research methodology This case is a field researched case. The author had full access to the owner of the business, meeting with him frequently over a two-year period. The business owner has reviewed the case to verify its accuracy. Relevant courses and levels This case is intended for use in undergraduate business courses in the subject areas of Business, Marketing and Social/Digital Media Marketing.

Robust Control for Urban Living Water System with Seasonal Volatility

Established urban living water management model. With capital and labor as state variables, using the pole assignment robust control method, realize the urban living water system supply and demand balance tending to target value.