Economic paradigms and corporate culture after the great COVID-19 pandemic: Towards a new role of welfare organisations and insurers

Abstract

Current events have put us in front of new paradigms on which our life and its economic aspects seem to be based: the worldwide spread of contagion from COVID-19 threatens dramatic long-term changes in the economy, lifestyle, and social structures. Valuing virtuous behaviour through the transfer and sharing of risks among several actors allows us to achieve benefits for all. The COVID-19 pandemic leads us to experiment with new forms of public health protection, including through insurance instruments. The role of insurance companies, intrinsically linked with the protection of primary areas such as healthcare and welfare, therefore becomes more critical than ever in terms of securing the protection of people, families, and productive activities. This work endorses the design of a virtuous cycle of investments, which may be implemented starting with insurance companies; such a project would unfold through insurance policies' contractual lines, securitisation schemes, investment policies, and socially responsible corporate strategies.