Systematic literature review of research on mutual insurance companies

Customer-owned insurance companies (mutuals) are prominent actors in the insurance industry and have significantly increased in market share in the relatively recent past. However, the discussion related to mutuals lacks a systematic and multidisciplinary literature review providing a comprehensive overview of current scientific knowledge. The purpose for the paper is threefold. It categorises the existing research by year of publication, scientific journal, type of article, and type of insurance considered. Secondly, it identifies approaches and themes that capture the nature and content of the research on mutual insurance companies. Finally, it analyses how the literature has defined mutual insurance. In the process, the work critically evaluates the current status of the research on mutuals and sets out the implications for future research and work by practitioners.