The insurance sector plays an important role in service economy of any country by underwriting of risks inherent in most sectors thus providing a sense of peace to most economic entities. Performance of general insurance companies is expected to be related to various factors, including optimal underwriting and prompt and efficient claims management functions. This study investigated the effect of underwriting and claims management practices on the performance of general insurance firms in East Africa. The study employed multiple linear regression analysis using primary and secondary data collected from 82 general insurers in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The findings show that there is a significant positive relationship between underwriting and claims management practices employed by the firms and non-financial performance, but the relationship with financial performance was insignificant. The implication is that a profit oriented insurance firm should embrace a claims function that is closely related with the underwriting and pricing of the firm's portfolio for meaningful results. It is recommended that general insurance companies focus on other important factors besides underwriting and claims management order to improve overall financial performance.

The purpose of the study was to establish the intervening effect of underwriting risk (loss ratio) on the relationship between actuarial risk management practices (ARMP) and performance of property and casualty (P & C) insurance underwriters in East Africa. Findings from primary and secondary data gathered from 82 general insurers from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania show that there is a significant positive relationship between ARMP and non-financial performance and that loss ratio significantly mediates this relationship. The relationship with financial performance was however insignificant. The implication is that P & C insurance firms should keenly watch their loss ratios in order to improve their non-financial performance by correctly underwriting, pricing and reinsuring their risks in order to influence their claims ratio and also have a strategic claims management program in place that controls costs and leads to better firm reputation, which in turn will have ripple effect in increasing business volumes and performance. It is recommended that further empirical studies be carried out to establish other factors that especially influence financial performance.

The link between risk-based capital and investment returns remains unclear due to divergence in findings. Mixed findings can be attributed to operationalization of study variables, selection of variables and control variables, the choice of econometric models, and contextual differences which give rise to conceptual, methodological, and contextual gaps. This paper focuses on the moderating effect of firm size on the relationship between RBC and investment returns. Risk-based capital was computed by incorporating market, insurance, credit and operational risk charges. The firm size was measured using gross written premium, while investment returns were measured using investment income ratio. The study population comprised of 63 insurance companies licenced by Insurance Regulatory Authority from 2014 to 2018, where a longitudinal panel design was adopted. Multiple linear regression was used to evaluate the nature of the relationship among variables based on the hypothesis in the study and at a significance level of 5%. The findings confirmed that firm size, both gross written premiums and total assets, had a moderating effect on the relationship between risk-based capital and investment returns. Insurance companies who intend to hold a reasonable risk-based capital so as to ensure stability in times of financial crisis should consider their size either in asset base or the gross premium written. Firms can strive to underwrite more insurance business and increase their asset base in order to safeguard themselves from a one in two-hundred-year crisis and concurrently maximize the investment returns.

The nature of the funding source a commercial bank decides to adopt is a key performance determinant. Ideally, banks make use of either shareholders’ equity, borrowed funds, or customers' deposits to finance their operations. The liberalization in the sector has made it possible for many players to exist and as a result, each player has had to come up with a unique competitive way that allows them to attract and retain the best funding sources capable of yielding positive performance. Much as there are studies that have sought to investigate the concept of funding and performance among commercial banks, both in developing and developed economies, the studies yield mixed findings. This study sought to determine the mediating effect of the bank’s competitiveness on the relationship between funding sources and performance. A descriptive research design was adopted and used to evaluate the two hypotheses formulated for each of the study’s objectives. Secondary data obtained from 35 commercial banks that have been consistently operating in Kenya was gathered between the years 2011 to 2021. Findings obtained from the fixed effect regression model after performing a four-step regression mediation procedure indicate that bank competitiveness has a mediating effect on the relationship between funding sources and performance. This finding point to the need for both policymakers and implementers to come up with clear policies that can enable banks to utilize funds obtained from various sources more prudently and in the process ensure their performance remains optimum.

This study aims to determine the mediating effect of strategy implementation on the relationship between TMT characteristics and the performance of Ugandan state agencies. The study was anchored on the theories of the upper echelon and dynamic capabilities. The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional research design. The target population of the study was the 201 state agencies in Uganda. The study adopted at least three members of the TMT depending on the number of TMT members of the 160 selected state agencies in Uganda to gather the required information. Primary data was gathered using a structured questionnaire that was administered online. Inferential statistics employed regression analysis to test the hypothesis and draw conclusions. Haye’s (2022) PROCESS 4 (model 4) was utilised to test the hypothesis of this study. Furthermore, strategy implementation partially mediates the relationship between TMT characteristics and performance (Indirect effect of strategy implementation, b=.385, p<0.05 and the direct effect, b = .267, p<0.05). From the findings of this study, the research concludes that strategy implementation has a significant partial mediating effect on the relationship between TMT characteristics and the performance of Ugandan state agencies. In addition, the results imply that the specific mechanism by which the connection between TMT characteristics and the performance of Ugandan state agencies occurs is direct, strategy implementation contributes a part to the relationship. This study recommends that individuals that make the TMT should have significant expert capabilities that give relevance while formulating and executing strategies. The study also recommends that strategy implementation should have a framework that is not affected by politics and corruption. This study also recommends that state agencies in Uganda create a prize and acknowledgment framework for TMTs and personnel who succeed in strategy implementation so they can be persuaded. This is because it is through strategy implementation that the state agencies in Uganda can follow through on their directives and further improve service delivery. Rewards give a chance to the TMTs and staff to contend among themselves and this would bring quality, efficiency, proficiency, and adequacy in delivering services.