The primary objective of this study was to develop an Enterprise Risk Management Maturity Framework (ERMMF) for use in the assessment of Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) maturity levels of the insurance industry in Botswana. The ERMMF incorporated elements from the Committee of Sponsoring Organisations of the Treadway Commission (COSO)’s ERM framework and the AON risk maturity model. Five criteria were utilised to define each of the eight components of ERM used to measure ERM maturity levels. The framework was developed qualitatively through literature review. The ERMMF was tested empirically to evaluate the ERM maturity levels of the insurance industry in Botswana. Data was collected from 12 respondents from long-term insurance companies, 15 from short-term insurance companies, 4 from reinsurers and 59 from brokerages. The findings revealed that the whole insurance industry is at the Defined stage of ERM maturity level as the responses bordered around 3 on the developed scale of measurement. The findings implied that the insurance sector in Botswana has generally implemented ERM but not enough follow-ups had been made to ensure that ERM became a continuous process. Results further indicated that although the whole sector was at the defined stage of ERM, the responses in each component differed per stratum. Literature indicates that insurance organisations, regardless of stratum within which they are, are faced with similar risks generally. The differing responses could be due to the magnitude of risks that could differ according to unique characteristics of each stratum. The study further recommended an enterprise risk management implementation procedure for the insurance industry in Botswana. / Business Management / D. Admin (Business Management)

This study shows that managers of short-term insurers may improve their financial results if they can identify and manage the factors that are critical to their financial results. The development and application of the concept of critical success factors are therefore used as a basis for this study. The study reviews the functions performed by short-term insurers, focusing on the effect these functions have on their cash flows. Selection and pricing of risk are discussed in detail. The underwriting cycle in South Africa, and several possible causes of the cycle are investigated. Reinsurance, claims handling and rilanagement expenses are important components of the cash flows of short-term insurers and are therefore examined in detail. The optimum risk level at various combinations of underwriting and investment income is empirically tested, using the financial results of several insurers. The study investigates different approaches to the measurement of financial success of insurers, and the return on shareholders' funds is found to provide the fairest and most reliable method. Empirical comparisons are made on the financial results of the insurers that participated in the study to distinguish between those that are financially successful and those that are not. To discover what the industry consider to be their critical financial success factors, a postal survey was done of key decision makers in the South African short-term insurance industry. Respondents identified several success factors, but did not include some success factors discovered during the review of the literature. Respondents apparently experienced difficulty in separating strategic issues from operational ones. The survey revealed that the pricing of risk is problematic for short-term insurers. The importance of the investment function is also underestimated by the industry. The study concludes that the combined systematic risk of the investment and underwriting portfolios is a critical success factor, along with the capital base of the insurer, the ability of the insurer to use the leverage provided by using policyholders' funds as free reserves and the size and direction of an insurer's cash flows. / Business Management / D. Com (Business Management)