Abstract

This article investigates the insurance market by analysing the direct linkage (interlock) among companies created by their board of directors members. It offers an empirical social network analysis of the Italian insurance system. This article begins by showing that there are many levels to analyse in an economic system. Subsequently, the collected data have two distinctive features and aims. Firstly, I apply graph theory and social network analysis to describe the insurance inter-organisational structure; secondly, principal components analysis is applied, summarising network information, to verify the correlation between interlocking directorates ties, company time life and market share.