Management Dynamics in the Knowledge Economy (E-Journal)
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Digital Literacy Among Young Adults in Romania
Get PDFThe present study has the purpose to analyze the digital behavior and the digital literacy among young adults in Romania. The first part of the paper investigates the literature studies regarding the essay’s subject, exposing concepts as reference group, social inclusion, groupthink, social façade, gadget and digital literacy. We are investigating also the perceived risks in the internet usage and the self-perception in handling digital devices. The research included three focus groups applied on young people from the 20-29 years old age cluster, urban residence in Romania. The main results exposed that both social media and technology have a central role in young people’s lives, by helping them ease communication, get to information and stay entertained. In choosing the platforms they use, it’s important the friendly interface, the range of activities they can do and the user profile in general, age and interest related. Results show that the participants perceive technology as having both positive and negative impact. They report that they do not perceive any major risks in using social media and that this matter wasn’t considered an issue when using a digital platform until now. The participants have a positive attitude about their digital skills and are declared open to learn new features. An interesting subject that was brought to attention was the children exposure to inappropriate information in using technology and the concern they raised about the subject
Actors of Creativity and Entrepreneurship in Romania
Get PDFThe new trends in the cultural and creative industries (CCI) that were theorized in the second half of the 20th century, simultaneously with the rapid development of technology, have created in post-communist Romania the premises of developing a new model of creative entrepreneurship. Nevertheless, the digitization of society and general strategic projects are not enough to create a catalyst for the explosion of entrepreneurial creativity. The unstable political climate and the lack of predictability have prompted the insecurity of the new business of "anonymous" creators - those who are not seen, those who are at the heart of cultural and creative industries - small and medium enterprises (SME), licensing individuals (PFA), family associations (AF). The Western models long described in the motivational literature published in Romania, as well as some notorious Romanian examples intensely publicized as the Romanian counterpart of Western companies, do not help and do not solve the generation of daily solutions or, more than that, Strategic Creative Solutions for grassroots companies. The present paper tries to define the terms necessary for the creative area and to analyze the situation today in Romania, presenting shortly, for comparison, the Western models, the Romanian models of notoriety, but also four examples of “anonymous” actors in the creative industries area: a floral workshop paper, an IT service company, a graphic design agency and a printing house. The conclusions of this punctual analysis are of an empirical nature, but they provide a picture of the fragility of the business environment in the area of cultural and creative industries, amid a timid and fragile but steady market growth
Factorial Analysis Perspectives upon Students’ Skills in the Knowledge Economy
Get PDFThe main purpose of this research is to identify which is the necessary level of students’ competencies according to the requirements of the knowledge-based economy. In this approach, we will highlight the influence of generic skills that stimulate the students to think strategically and learn through their experiences. Throughout the sections of the paper, we will highlight the facts and characteristics of the knowledge economy and the profile of the young generations of students who are going to be the future players whether as managers or as employees. The quantitative part of the research was realized throughout the administration of a 30 items questionnaire which was addressed to both undergraduates and graduates, enrolled in management and business study programs from “Stefan cel Mare” University of Suceava, Romania. The database with the results was processed using a statistical software - SPSS, v.19. In order to reveal more insightful correlations about the respondents’ opinions, we processed a Factorial Analysis for Principal Components. This analysis shows the most significant factors which influence the students’ learning behavior and options during the educational process. We consider that the results of such a survey should be of interest for the university governance in order to increase the generated intellectual capital by improving the students’ generic skills
The Influence of Cultural Differences and its Application in Multinational Organizations
Get PDFMultinational organizations have workforces that involve people from different countries, defined by linguistic, religious, and political backgrounds, in other words, people of different cultural backgrounds. Generally, differences related to culture are more evident and prominent than similarities and homogeneity. For multinational companies, it is a must to take cultural differences into account in their managerial practices. The goal of this research is to determine the managers’ perceptions of cultural differences in a multinational company and to explore the strategies at use to handle these differences. In this sense, the interview was used as a research method to collect data, which were further analyzed. The research focuses on an American software company, PTC Inc. operating in Romania, Japan, China, the USA, and Germany. Following the analysis of the interview results obtained new research directions were identified related to the influence of cultural differences and its application in global business
Preliminary Insights into SMEs Opportunities and Vulnerabilities in the European Context. A Qualitative Approach
Get PDFThe current study aims to theoretically investigate the opportunities and vulnerabilities apposite for the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), insisting on the internationalization conditions, and to empirically explore the European initiatives meant to support the SMEs in their various endeavors, from accessing relevant knowledge to deploying successful operations in foreign markets. To this end, a qualitative research was conducted through the case study method. Over 10 European initiatives were described and more than 20 relevant documents available on official European websites were analyzed. The underlying assumption for conducting this study resided in the fact that a better understanding of the European context describing SMEs performance would provide valuable insights to the actors interested in their future business activity, specifically in their cross-border projects and operations. Moreover, a refined outlook would enlarge their vision of the existing opportunities and thus catalyze the process of converting current challenges into positive results
Older Audiences and Digital Media: Focus on Romania
Get PDFThis report discusses descriptive results of the Computer Assisted Telephone based Survey (CATI) conducted in Romania in December 2016. The present survey is part of the international project Cross-National Longitudinal Study: Older Audiences in the Digital Media Environment (see www.actproject.ca/), and it is planned to be conducted every two years, in three waves, on the same sample of older adults. The sample is representative for the online population of people 60 years old and above living in Romania. The results show that TV is the most important media channel for this age group, followed by radio. Also, we can talk about a specialization of media consume at older people, with Television and television set playing a central role, followed by radio (and radio set), whereas newspapers and magazines are accessed both online and offline. One important incentive for older people to go online and try different mediated communication options is to share their life routine with family and friends. While the Internet becomes a communication medium used all over the paces, older people preferred using it in their own private homes. The report also indicates the important role of mediated communication in interpersonal communication mechanisms in the case of older people
Methodological Aspects of Estimation of ICT-Based Economic Development
Get PDFThis article is dedicated to methodological aspects of estimation of ICT-based economic development. İnformation economy development and formation trends in leading foreign countries are analyzed. A comparative analysis of the strategies and trends that form the information economy of Azerbaijan with the developed countries is carried out. In the article comparative analysis of different indicator systems in accordance with formation and assessment of development level of information and knowledge economy is given. Some recommendations about the elimination of problems existing in this field are given. A methodic for calculating Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which forms at the expense of information and knowledge is suggested. A composite index and forming indices, subindices, and indicators system of information and knowledge economy are developed
Consumer Behavior Towards Apparel E-Commerce in Romania
Get PDFThe aim of this paper is to study consumer behavior towards apparel e-commerce in the context of the Romanian market. Besides the local context, the study is concerned with the factors that may influence consumer behavior, and the attitude of Romanian consumers towards online apparel shopping. Therefore, the following objectives were set: to identify the attitude of individuals towards online shopping for apparel in Romania; to find out what are the factors of influence on the consumers' attitude towards buying apparel online, and to identify the advantages and disadvantages perceived by consumers toward buying apparel online. In order to reach these objectives, 14 interviews with young Romanian consumers were conducted. The results of the study revealed two consumer profiles: occasional apparel shopping users and regular apparel shopping users. These two different consumer profiles have different behaviors, but both of them pay attention to the matter of trust and risk, word of mouth, website quality, and customer support, considering them critical factors in choosing online stores over classical brick and mortar stores
Competitiveness and CSR in SME: Results from a Study in the Madrid Region
Get PDFResearch of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in small and medium enterprises (SME) is a growing area of interest. The object of this study is to evaluate the impact of certain CSR practices put in place by a sample of 95 SME in the competitiveness of these companies. The study was developed in close cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce of Madrid, using questionnaires and PLS structural equation model as the analysis tool. The results point out that both management related CSR practices and HHRR related CSR practices has a positive effect on the competitiveness of the companies, reflected in the company's ability to attract and retain talent and on the company's customer orientation. The article provides some practical indications for managers, such as developing a set of rules of conduct and behavior for employees and partners, and procedures by which questionable practices for obtaining commercial advantages are banned.
Nation Branding and its Potential for Differentiation in Regional Politics: The Case of the United Arab Emirates and Qatar
Get PDFSimon Anholt, who fathered the concept of nation branding, values the nation brand as the most important resource of a state as it contributes to obtaining a competitive advantage and a consolidated position in the international marketplace. This paper pinpoints how Anholt’s paradigm for nation branding applies in the case study of two Middle Eastern countries: the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar and its benefits for this regional context. The Middle Eastern countries operate less with the nation branding concepts when compared with the Western world. However, the UAE and Qatar used nation branding techniques quite savvy, Anholt’s model internalization being relevant. As of today, the UAE represents Middle East’s most powerful brand, while one of its main cities- Dubai- has gained a reputation for its cosmopolitan vibe, whereas Doha of Qatar is consolidating its fame on the international sports circuit. Overall, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) bloc - a region of great wealth positioned between the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula- has become acquainted with the advantages of nation branding. Despite the fact that these countries did not target creating a nation brand per se, they took measures for economic development that resulted in nation branding and regional differentiation. In the recent years, Qatar and the UAE have developed strategies for branding attractions that help in distinguishing themselves from their neighbors. The study uses Anholt’s conceptual framework for assessing the two countries in their different development stages and from a comparative viewpoint, identifying both communalities and differentiating strategies while developing nation brands. The conclusion is that nation branding can be particularly beneficial to nations from emerging economies and that the GCC specifically can benefit from this process