ABSTRACT
Employment and output in the insurance industry grew at a healthy pace, frequently outperforming the rest of the economy. This chapter explains the process of transformation, identifies its origins, and assesses its impact on employment opportunities by means of a case study of one large life insurance carrier. The company, a life insurance carrier headquartered in one of the nation's major metropolitan centers, emerged from the 1960s organized along functional lines, following what had long been the traditional model in the industry. Strictly speaking, the impact of computerized technology on productivity has been enormous. From a firm previously characterized by two main ports of entry, the company has evolved since the 1970s to one characterized by four main ports of entry. In looking to the future, one gets a strong sense that the company, like many others in its industry, will continue to experience pains and stresses as it searches for a reasonable course through uncharted terrain.
