This study uses the traditional one-stage data envelopment analysis (DEA) method and a two-stage DEA method to measure the retention efficiency of 36 cross-strait (i.e., those operating in Taiwan and Mainland China) non-life insurance companies in the 2008-2013 period. The one-stage DEA results show that the average retention efficiency of companies in Taiwan is better than that of companies in Mainland China, under the traditional one-stage DEA method. By contrast, under the two-stage DEA method, we find that in the second stage, the average retention efficiency of companies in Mainland China is better than that of companies in Taiwan. However, in the first stage, the average marketing efficiency of companies in Taiwan is also better than that of companies in Mainland China. This study uses a Tobit regression model to examine the factors that significantly influence the retention and marketing efficiencies. Results reveal that the retention efficiency is significantly influenced by written premiums and the ratio of retained premiums and marketing efficiency is significantly influenced by time since establishment and the ratio of non-automobile insurance.
