Normative practices, narrative fallacies? International reinsurance and its history

Pearson, Robin

Abstract

Reinsurance is often characterised as a business built on personal relationships, goodwill and mutual trust. However, at different times in its history observers have warned that technological and other changes threaten the survival of normative practices in the industry. This article investigates what was involved in the micro-business of reinsurance and how that business changed since its early days. It raises questions about the characterization of normative reinsurance practice and about the role of memory in the assessment of continuity and change.

Citation

Pearson, R. (in press). Normative practices, narrative fallacies? International reinsurance and its history. Business history, https://doi.org/10.1080/00076791.2020.1808885

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jul 25, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Aug 28, 2020
• Deposit Date: Oct 22, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 1, 2022
• Journal: Business History
• Print ISSN: 0007-6791
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00076791.2020.1808885
• Keywords: Insurance; Reinsurance; Social capital; Narrative fallacies; Financial history
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/3624103
• Publisher URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00076791.2020.1808885?journalCode=fbsh20