Strategic Approaches to Customer Retention in Insurance:  Tracing the Intellectual Evolution through a Bibliometric  Lens

Padam Bahadur Lama; Murari Karki

doi:10.32674/dmhxhp61

Authors

Padam Bahadur Lama Saraswati Multiple Campus. Tribhuvan University, Nepal Author
Murari Karki Saraswati Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University, Nepal Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32674/dmhxhp61

Keywords:

Biblioshiny, customer retention, customer satisfaction, insurance, service

Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to examine the research trend, direction, intellectual structure, and future direction of customer retention in the insurance industry.

Design/methodology/approach: The study employs a bibliometric approach using 354 publications retrieved from the OpenAlex database (2000–2025), analyzed through the Biblioshiny package in RStudio.

Findings: The findings of the study revealed a growing trend of the study themes, which depict customer retention, customer satisfaction, service quality, and loyalty as highly embraced terms. Similarly, multiple countries across the globe are involved in scientific publications in the theme areas during the study period.

Conclusion: Customer retention in insurance has evolved into a dynamic and interdisciplinary research domain with increasing theoretical depth and empirical diversity.

Implications: The findings offer valuable insights for insurance practitioners and policymakers to enhance customer retention strategies through improved service quality, customer satisfaction, and relationship management practices.

Originality/value: This research explores the theme of ‘customer retention in the insurance industry,’ revealing its intellectual structure, thematic evolution, and global collaboration patterns over 25 years.

JEL Classification: E44, G22, M30, M31

Author Biographies

Padam Bahadur Lama, Saraswati Multiple Campus. Tribhuvan University, Nepal

Padam Bahadur Lama is an Assistant Professor at Saraswati Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University, Nepal. He earned his Master of Philosophy (MPhil) degree in management from Tribhuvan University. He possesses a long-cultivated academic foundation. He has published several research articles that include both Scopus-indexed and non-Scopus-indexed publications.
Murari Karki, Saraswati Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University, Nepal

Murari Karki is an Assistant Professor, Faculty of Science and Technolgoy at Saraswati Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University, Nepal. He earned his M. Sc degree from Tribhuvan University. He has published a number of research articles in international and national Journals including the publication in Scopus indexed Journals.

References

Ahmad, R., & Buttle, F. (2001). Customer retention: A potentially potent marketing management strategy. Journal of Strategic Marketing, 9(1), 29–45. https://doi.org/10.1080/713775729

Amu, H., & Dickson, K. S. (2016). Health insurance subscription among women in reproductive age in Ghana: Do socio-demographics matter? Health Economics Review, 6(1), 24. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13561-016-0102-x

Aria, M., & Cuccurullo, C. (2017). Bibliometrix: An R-tool for comprehensive science mapping analysis. Journal of Informetrics, 11(4), 959–975. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joi.2017.08.007

Artha, B., Zahara, I., Bahri, & Permata Sari, N. (2022). Customer retention: A literature review. Social Science Studies, 2(1), 030–045. https://doi.org/10.47153/sss21.2952022

Atinga, R. A., Abiiro, G. A., & Kuganab‐Lem, R. B. (2015). Factors influencing the decision to drop out of health insurance enrolment among urban slum dwellers in Ghana. Tropical Medicine & International Health, 20(3), 312–321. https://doi.org/10.1111/tmi.12433

Berry, L. L. (2002). Relationship marketing of services perspectives from 1983 and 2000. Journal of Relationship Marketing, 1(1), 59–77. https://doi.org/10.1300/J366v01n01_05

Bhattacharyya, J., & Dash, M. K. (2022). What do we know about customer churn behaviour in the telecommunication industry? A bibliometric analysis of research trends, 1985–2019. FIIB Business Review, 11(3), 280–302. https://doi.org/10.1177/23197145211062687

Biswakarma, G., Dhakal, B., & Sapkota, D. (2025). From perception to adoption: Drivers of commercial health insurance purchase intentions among school teachers in Nepal. Interdisciplinary Journal of Innovation in Nepalese Academia, 4(2), 28-57. https://doi.org/10.32674/2634wr54

Brown, T. J., Mowen, J. C., Donavan, D. T., & Licata, J. W. (2002). The customer orientation of service workers: Personality trait effects on self-and supervisor performance ratings. Journal of Marketing Research, 39(1), 110–119. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkr.39.1.110.18928

Camarero, C. (2007). Relationship orientation or service quality?: What is the trigger of performance in financial and insurance services? International Journal of Bank Marketing, 25(6), 406–426. https://doi.org/10.1108/02652320710820354

Debalkie Atnafu, D., & Assefa Alemu, Y. (2023). Multidimensional determinants of willingness to pay for community-based health insurance in Ethiopia and its implication towards universal health coverage: A narrative synthesis. Preventive Medicine Reports, 36, 102474. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2023.102474

Digdowiseiso, K., Dwitama, A., Marsudi, Sugiyanto, E., & Saputra, J. (2024). The dynamics of research in customer retention: A bibliometric analysis. Multidisciplinary Reviews, 7(8), 2024161. https://doi.org/10.31893/multirev.2024161

Donkers, B., Verhoef, P. C., & De Jong, M. G. (2007). Modeling CLV: A test of competing models in the insurance industry. Quantitative Marketing and Economics, 5(2), 163–190. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11129-006-9016-y

Essah, N. K. (2025). Sustainability of national health insurance scheme in Ghana: What is the effect of enrolment on retention and what are the constraints? Health Economics Review, 15(1), 64. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13561-025-00619-6

Eze, O. I., Iseolorunkanmi, A., & Adeloye, D. (2024). The national health insurance scheme (NHIS) in Nigeria: Current issues and implementation challenges. Journal of Global Health Economics and Policy, 4. https://doi.org/10.52872/001c.120197

Gallardo-Garcia, J., Pagán-Castaño, E., Sánchez-Garcia, J., & Guijarro-García, M. (2023). Bibliometric analysis of the customer experience literature. Economic Research-Ekonomska Istraživanja, 36(2), 2137822. https://doi.org/10.1080/1331677X.2022.2137822

Gashaw, W. M., Beyene, K. G., & Tiruneh, M. A. (2022). Community-based health insurance membership renewal and associated factors among communities in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Health Systems and Quality Improvement. https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.09.06.22278969

Gautam, P. K. (2024). Assessment of the national health insurance program in Nepal: Policyholders’ experiences, satisfaction, and repurchase intentions. Interdisciplinary Journal of Innovation in Nepalese Academia, 3(2), 1-14.https://doi.org/10.3126/idjina.v3i2.73198

Ghimire, R., Thapa, B. S., & Waikar, V. (2024). Policyholder surrender behavior in the Nepalese life insurance market during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interdisciplinary Journal of Innovation in Nepalese Academia, 3(2), 86-105.

Ginn, J., Stone, M., & Ekinci, Y. (2010). Customer retention management in the recession. Journal of Direct, Data and Digital Marketing Practice, 12(2), 115–127. https://doi.org/10.1057/dddmp.2010.27

Guerola-Navarro, V., Gil-Gomez, H., Oltra-Badenes, R., & Soto-Acosta, P. (2024). Customer relationship management and its impact on entrepreneurial marketing: A literature review. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 20(2), 507–547. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-022-00800-x

Harrison, T., & Ansell, J. (2002). Customer retention in the insurance industry: Using survival analysis to predict cross-selling opportunities. Journal of Financial Services Marketing, 6(3), 229–239. https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.fsm.4770054

Heavin, C., & Power, D. J. (2018). Challenges for digital transformation – towards a conceptual decision support guide for managers. Journal of Decision Systems, 27(sup1), 38–45. https://doi.org/10.1080/12460125.2018.1468697

Hennig-Thurau, T., & Hansen, U. (Eds.). (2000). Relationship marketing: Gaining competitive advantage through customer satisfaction and customer retention. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-09745-8

Hirsch, J. E. (2005). An index to quantify an individual’s scientific research output. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 102(46), 16569–16572. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0507655102

Honka, E. (2012). Quantifying search and switching costs in the U.S. Auto insurance industry. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2023446

Honka, E. (2014). Quantifying search and switching costs in the US auto insurance industry. The RAND Journal of Economics, 45(4), 847–884. https://doi.org/10.1111/1756-2171.12073

Huang, M. (2008). The influence of selling behaviors on customer relationships in financial services. International Journal of Service Industry Management, 19(4), 458–473. https://doi.org/10.1108/09564230810891905

Ibeneme, G. C., Ugochukwu, C. G., Ibeneme, S. C., Nwosu, A. O., Fortwengel, G., Oko, C. C., & Okpua, N. C. (2026). Satisfaction and retention among NHIS enrollees at a tertiary hospital in Ebonyi State, Nigeria: Facility-based insights for community-based health insurance policy. BMC Public Health, 26(1), 877. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-26175-6

Krautz, C., & Hoffmann, S. (2017). The tenure-based customer retention model: A cross-cultural validation. Journal of International Marketing, 25(3), 83–106. https://doi.org/10.1509/jim.16.0040

Larsson, A., & Broström, E. (2020). Ensuring customer retention: Insurers’ perception of customer loyalty. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 38(2), 151–166. https://doi.org/10.1108/MIP-02-2019-0106

Leiria, M., Dematos, N., & Rebelo, E. (2023). Customer loyalty in the insurance industry: From traditional to analytical marketing — a bibliometric analysis. Applied Marketing Analytics: The Peer-Reviewed Journal, 8(4), 404. https://doi.org/10.69554/BEWS6956

Loureiro, A. L. D., Miguéis, V. L., Costa, Á., & Ferreira, M. (2025). Improving customer retention in taxi industry using travel data analytics: A churn prediction study. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 85, 104288. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2025.104288

Luo, X., Tong, S., Lin, Z., & Zhang, C. (2021). The impact of platform protection insurance on buyers and sellers in the sharing economy: A natural experiment. Journal of Marketing, 85(2), 50–69. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022242920962510

Maldonado, S., López, J., & Vairetti, C. (2020). Profit-based churn prediction based on Minimax Probability Machines. European Journal of Operational Research, 284(1), 273–284. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2019.12.007

Mebratie, A. D., Sparrow, R., Yilma, Z., Alemu, G., & Bedi, A. S. (2015). Dropping out of Ethiopia’s community-based health insurance scheme. Health Policy and Planning, 30(10), 1296–1306. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapol/czu142

Medved, D. (2025). Dynamic pricing and solvency of peer-to-peer insurance: A framework for transparency, risk sharing, and financial sustainability. Risk Management, 27(3), 11. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41283-025-00164-w

Miguéis, V. L., Camanho, A. S., & Falcão E Cunha, J. (2012). Customer data mining for lifestyle segmentation. Expert Systems with Applications, 39(10), 9359–9366. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2012.02.133

Moretta Tartaglione, A., Cavacece, Y., Russo, G., & Granata, G. (2019). A systematic mapping study on customer loyalty and brand management. Administrative Sciences, 9(1), 8. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci9010008

Prajogo, D. I., & McDermott, P. (2011). Examining competitive priorities and competitive advantage in service organisations using importance‐performance analysis matrix. Managing Service Quality: An International Journal, 21(5), 465–483. https://doi.org/10.1108/09604521111159780

Priem, J., Piwowar, H., & Orr, R. (2022). OpenAlex: A fully-open index of scholarly works, authors, venues, institutions, and concepts (arXiv:2205.01833). arXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2205.01833

Ranaweera, C., & Prabhu, J. (2003). On the relative importance of customer satisfaction and trust as determinants of customer retention and positive word of mouth. Journal of Targeting, Measurement and Analysis for Marketing, 12(1), 82–90. https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.jt.5740100

Rubio-Andrés, M., Gutiérrez-Broncano, S., Linuesa-Langreo, J., & Sastre-Castillo, M. Á. (2025). Exploring the reality of corporate sustainability strategy and sales performance in entrepreneurial SMEs: The mediating effect of innovation and sustainability performance. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 21(1), 90. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-025-01102-8

Simanjuntak, M., Putri, N. E., Yuliati, L. N., & Sabri, M. F. (2020). Enhancing customer retention using customer relationship management approach in car loan bussiness. Cogent Business & Management, 7(1), 1738200. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2020.1738200

Singh, C., Dash, M. K., Sahu, R., & Kumar, A. (2024). Artificial intelligence in customer retention: A bibliometric analysis and future research framework. Kybernetes, 53(11), 4863–4888. https://doi.org/10.1108/K-02-2023-0245

Singla, S., & Sawhney, H. K. (2023). A Bibliometric analysis of scientific publications on customer loyalty in the insurance industry. Metamorphosis: A Journal of Management Research, 22(2), 146–157. https://doi.org/10.1177/09726225231218057

Staudt, Y., & Wagner, J. (2018). What policyholder and contract features determine the evolution of non-life insurance customer relationships?: A case study analysis. International Journal of Bank Marketing, 36(6), 1098–1124. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJBM-11-2016-0175

Zepre, K., Yassin, F., Tadesse, B., Tolossa, O., Hailemariam, D., Wondimu, A., GebreEyesus, F. A., Tsehay, T., & Assfa, K. (2022). Factors influencing drop-out of households from community based health insurance membership in rural districts of Gurage Zone, Southern Ethiopia: Community based case-control study. Frontiers in Public Health, 10, 925309. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.925309

Zhang, X., Ghosh, A., & Ali, D. A. (2024). Research on marketing strategy management based on customer retention. Academic Journal of Management and Social Sciences, 6(2), 66–70. https://doi.org/10.54097/rdcx2907

Zhao, X. (2022). Customer orientation: A literature review based on bibliometric analysis. Sage Open, 12(1), 21582440221079804. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440221079804

Strategic Approaches to Customer Retention in Insurance

Tracing the Intellectual Evolution through a Bibliometric Lens

Authors

DOI:

Keywords:

Abstract

Author Biographies

References

Downloads

Published

Issue

Section

License