Insurance as a Social Protection Instrument – Direct Research on the Romanian Market

The way in which insurance companies protect individuals is reflected at the level of the whole society. The more developed a society, the better it is protected – through insurance – against the various dangers its members are exposed to. Ethical, socially responsible behavior is not only necessary, but mandatory both in the case of insurance companies and their clients, the insured. The State through its institutions has the role of cultivating responsible behavior. Within wider research on the Romanian insurance consumer behavior and the factors influencing it we analyzed important aspects regarding the social function of insurance, by using both qualitative market research techniques, as well as the market survey. The research showed that insurance is perceived as being necessary, and the subjects interviewed consider that the State plays a major role on the insurance market. In the insurance field, social responsibility is an element necessary for all the actors involved in the insurance mechanism: the insured, the insurers and the State.