Shadan Vahab Zadeh - Department of Business Management (Insurance), North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
Hamidreza SaeedNia - Department of Business Management (Insurance), North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
Maryam Akhavan Tafti - Department of Business Management (Insurance), North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

The purpose of the present study is to investigate the efficiency and productivity of Iranian state and private insurance companies; therefore, the research problem is concerned with the mutual effect of the mentioned variables on each other. Model inputs include the number of human forces, the number of branches across the country, and total properties, and the outputs include paid losses, the number of issued insurance license, the number of compensated losses, earnings on production insurance, and the net profit of the company. The inputs and outputs of the study were determined after consulting with numerous experts and review of previous research on combinative models. The present study is an applied research in terms of objective. The research sample consists of nineteen state and private insurance companies, and the data obtained for the years 2006-2012 (1385-1391 in Persian Calendar) were examined using data envelope analysis and Malm Quest Index. After assessment of academic and technical efficiency, the factors affecting efficiency were identified and inefficient companies were provided with recommendations to improve their level of efficiency. To do so, firstly, the efficiency of the companies during the years 2006-2012 was determined using data envelope analysis and then the rate of efficiency growth during the studied period was determined for each of the companies using Malm Quest Index

efficiency, productivity, data envelope analysis, state and private insurance companies, Malm Quest Index