Robert Dankiewicz

The desire and ability to apply the concept of social responsibility is directly proportional to a culture that is formed due to the relevant knowledge, skills and qualifications. It is believed that university education is able to interest future owners, experts and clients of insurance companies in running socially responsible activities.
The purpose of the study is to determine the role of universities in disseminating the social responsibility practices in the insurance sector.
The main method of research is the survey conducted among 536 full-time students-financiers at domestic universities in September and October 2018. This method allowed to identify peculiarities of students’ perception of the social responsibility concept in the insurance sector of Ukraine. The case study method was also applied to reflect the social responsibility practices used by domestic insurance companies.
As a result of the combination of the methods proposed, the low level of students’ knowledge of social responsibility in the insurance sector and the low interest of insurance companies as compared to foreign insurance companies have been shown. That is why, in the process of training, it is important for universities to focus on the proper world-view positions and value orientations, dialog and ethical cooperation that will enhance the professional training of students and develop modern professional competence among them that will meet international practices and requirements.

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly caused many perturbations, at the same time hindering the functioning and operation of enterprises from various industries, which, due to the often inability to conduct business, found themselves in a very difficult financial situation, with a difficult ability to settle their liabilities. Too high share of receivables that are not settled in a timely manner can result in various problems for enterprises, including, in particular, financial problems that can lead to large-scale bankruptcy. Considering a huge number of connections between individual entities, the bankruptcy of one may pose a risk of a wave of bankruptcy of others. The paper aims to analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the payment situation of Polish enterprises. The research was conducted on the basis of an analysis of data on the payment situation of Polish enterprises from selected industries. Basic descriptive statistics was used in the study to characterize the material. The non-parametric Wilcoxon pair order test, which is the equivalent of the Student’s t-test for related variables, was used for the research. The research proved that at enterprises from almost every industry, the value of debts at the end of the second quarter of 2020 was higher than in the first quarter. It can therefore be concluded that the outbreak of the pandemic contributed to an increase in arrears, which, in turn, resulted in an increased risk of doing business. The greater the share of arrears with contractors, the greater the risk of financial problems at the enterprise, and hence the increased risk of bankruptcy.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a detrimental effect on the global economy, including the insurance industry. It has forced financial markets to confront a new risk directly related to the virus’s rapid spread. Therefore, the paper aims to determine possible risks or opportunities that insurance companies may encounter, considering both pre- and post-pandemic phases. For this purpose, financial data of 110 Romanian insurance companies for 2016–2022 were analyzed. The topfirme platform was used in the data collection process. Subsequently, based on statistical analysis methods, an econometric model was developed to evaluate the turnover for insurance companies in Romania. When developing the model equation, establishing dependent and independent variables based on the Altman model or the Z-model of bankruptcy prediction was considered. Thus, the findings indicate that employees are the primary factor in these businesses’ proper operation and increased profitability. It is emphasized that turnover directly depends on these variables since the number of employees is a variable around which incomes and expenses fluctuate. Turnover is affected positively or negatively depending on employee productivity and workload, which can lead to increased revenues and decreased costs, or vice versa. Accordingly, an insurance company’s HR department should resolve issues that crop up during the shift to telemedicine, enhance workers’ digital skills, provide them with moral and psychological support, and foster stable working relationships. It should also implement strategies to sustain and raise employee engagement levels, fortify control measures, and alter internal communications.