An interrogation of the dialogic potential of insurance firm websites in Ghana. (February 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hinson, Robert Ebo; van Zyl, Helena; Agbleze, Selorm
• Is Part Of: Information development. Volume 30:Number 1(2014)
• Page Start: 59
• Page End: 69
• Publication Date: 2014-02
• Subjects: dialogic principles -- website design -- insurance companies -- Ghana; Library science -- Periodicals; Information science -- Periodicals; 020.5
• DOI: 10.1177/0266666913477879
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0266-6669

Abstract

This paper examines the dialogic potential of insurance firms' websites in Ghana. Research was executed via a content analysis of insurance companies' websites in Ghana using Kent and Taylor's (1998) dialogic framework. Insurance companies in Ghana have been fairly successful in utilizing the dialogic features in their corporate websites. Out of the five dialogic principles proposed by Kent and Taylor (1998); the findings of the study show a preponderant use of the dialogic loop feature by the sampled insurance companies. Also comparing local and international companies, the local insurance companies seem rather more dialogic than the international companies. However the sampled insurance companies performed rather poorly on the principle of return visit and conservation of visitors. This study contributes to the scarce literature on dialogic potential of websites from a developing country context.