INVESTIGATING THE ROLES OF CLAIMS MANAGER IN CLAIMS HANDLING PROCESS IN THE NIGERIA INSURANCE INDUSTRY

Abstract

Claims management can be seen as an essential tool of image boosting in insurance industry. Therefore, excellence in claims handling gives an insurance company a competitive edge over its competitors. To achieve this, there must be a virile claim department headed by a seasoned technocrat whose main role is to fashion out effective claims procedures and operations. This study aims at exploring the roles of claim managers in claims handling process in insurance business in Nigeria. Using a structured questionnaire, the study adopted exploratory research design using a simple random sampling technique. Inferential statistical method of Chi-square test was used to analyze the data in order to determine if there is any significant relationship between the variables in each hypothesis. The study reveals that there is a significant relationship between claims operation and effective claims management. It also reveals that there is a significant relationship between fraud detection and effective claims management. In order to strengthen these roles, it is recommended that head of claims should be part of top management team, staff in claims department must be exposed to training and insurance companies must internalize organizational philosophy on claim handling process.