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The role of university education in providing access to the labour market (employment) is reflected in increased employment opportunities for the educated population. The relationship between the unemployment rate and educational attainment is evident: the unemployment rate decreases as one moves from lower to higher levels of education. It can be seen that the unemployment rate, in terms of its size and dynamics, is inversely proportional to the level of education: it falls as the level of education rises, and vice versa. The aim of the research in this paper is to respond to the need to teach students with practical solutions for getting the skills needed to be easily employable in the labour market after graduation. The paper used a quantitative (questionnaire) and a qualitative (bibliometric) analysis. The data studied through the research shows the need for final-year students to receive additional practical skills training for employability. Entrepreneurship education, in addition to the university curriculum, can provide them with a viable alternative to increase their chances of integrating into the 21st century labour market. The innovative character of the work derives from the concrete practical activities that supported the optional entrepreneurial training of IULS students from Iasi. We can affirm, following the study undertaken, that the development of such additional and adapted educational activities increases young graduates' practical skills needed on the labour market. The access to non-reimbursable European funds, which offer additional educational opportunities to students, must be continued in order to produce the major economic effects expected by the whole Romanian society, with the aim of reducing youth unemployment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents data from two international projects focused on the interaction between changemaking and digital making in university students. The data is drawn from the contributions of 63 university students located in the United States, Romania, Spain, Belgium, Norway, Denmark and England. Using a design thinking methodology and a thematic analysis of student responses, the aim was to understand how the creative use of immersive technologies, such as augmented and virtual reality, might create an environment for changemaking practices in an international context. Findings suggest that students demonstrated not only enhanced digital skills and student engagement but increased cultural competence and global mindfulness. International digital collaboration can create conditions for students to develop changemaker attributes and identify as changemakers within the spheres of entrepreneurship and education, preparing them to be a force for change in the world.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a new framework for assessing the innovation capacity and efficiency in Romanian small enterprises and start-ups. In this sense, a systematic literature review has been employed in order to obtain a clear understanding of the existing knowledge and to critically evaluate the existing solutions. In addition, considering the European Union objectives regarding innovation and sustainable development, this paper investigates the present situation of Romania by interpreting the official European Commission reports and current research papers. Considering the importance of regional innovation advancement and that of creating economic growth through competitiveness, this paper scrutinizes several concepts from the scientific literature, including regional innovation governance, entrepreneurship and innovation efficiency with the final purpose of developing a framework applicable for Romania. Taking into consideration the relatively low scores of Romanian regions regarding innovativeness and technological advancement, this paper attempts to provide a clearer understanding of the applicable factors that can be used for measuring innovation performance. The proposed framework focuses on the importance of entrepreneurship and the development of new business models in order to efficiently assess the innovative endeavors of enterprises. All things considered, this paper provides both theoretical and managerial contributions and possibility for further investigations addressed at specific Romanian regions and business sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The so-called 'sea of plastic' in Almería, Spain, is a 450km2 area devoted to intensive greenhouse farming managed by 10,000 small farmers who employ a labour force of 50,000 workers, mostly immigrants from Africa and eastern Europe. Romanian immigrants arrived at the beginning of 2000s and have occupied various positions within this agro-industrial district. Some started their own businesses in greenhouse reparation and construction employing fellow Romanians. They seized the market, providing more stable jobs through their transnational networks, and extending their businesses nationally and internationally. This paper analyses the global processes 'from below' that explain the occupation of specific economic spaces by transnational migrant entrepreneurs. Based on ethnographic fieldwork and social network analysis, the paper shows how the seasonal mobilization of a workforce through a transnational social field connecting Romania and Spain provided a competitive advantage to these entrepreneurs to start investing in their ventures and acquiring new markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify the existing discrepancy between the educational offers that encourage entrepreneurship and the specific requirements for the development of the maritime cruise industry in Constanta, Romania. Methodology: The authors conducted research on the university educational offers in Constanta, analyzed the specializations and training programs offered, and determined the directions for the training of professional skills within the analyzed faculties. Findings: The authors found that out of 22 faculties in Constanta, only four specializations focused on business management or administration. Additionally, there was a discrepancy between the skills and specializations of the personnel needed in cruise services according to the analysis of customers' feedback on Alezzi Yacht, and the specializations offered by the Romanian educational environment. Research Implications/Limitations: The research findings suggest that there is a need for a better alignment between the educational programs and the specific requirements of the maritime cruise industry in Constanta, Romania. However, the research was limited to the educational programs in Constanta and did not consider the broader national or international context. Practical Implications/Limitations: The practical implications of the research suggest that there is a need for better training and education of personnel in the maritime cruise industry in Constanta, Romania. However, the practical limitations of the research include the need for further investigation and implementation of the suggested changes. Originality: The original contribution of this paper lies in the analysis of the existing discrepancy between the educational offers that encourage entrepreneurship and the specific requirements for the development of the maritime cruise industry in Constanta, Romania. Additionally, the case study of Alezzi Yacht provides a practical example of the challenges faced by the maritime tourism industry in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research is focused on the link between entrepreneurship and rural economic growth in the direction and intensity of the net influence of farmers' entrepreneurial activities on rural economic development in Romania. This research delves into land use for grape production, a key element in Romania's wine processing industry. It examines the dynamics between consumption, production, and import in the wine market, noting in particular the increase in imports after Romania accedes to the European Union. In addition, it considers the impact of viticulture on land use amid food competition concerns. The study aims to elucidate the relationships between wine production, import, and consumption and assesses the capacity of domestic production to meet consumption demands. Using regression analysis of data on wine consumption, production, and import, the research uncovers significant findings. It reveals that a one-unit increase in wine consumption correlates with a 0.13-unit increase in both wine production and imports. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the interaction between wine consumption, production, and import, helping predictive modeling and identifying sustainable entrepreneurial paths in the grape processing sector in Romania, given the considerable wine production potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combination of innovation and artificial intelligence (AI), with reference to innovative startups, presents a challenge for firms that start operating in the market. Such a transformation in the entrepreneurial scenario, which is likely to define new business models, has been observed in two European countries: Italy and Romania. In this article, we examine the AI-induced innovations in the regulatory frameworks of both countries. We then provide insights from interviews with CEOs of innovative startups, who discuss the challenges and prospects facing the industry. This paper concludes with some reflections on this evolving framework as a prelude to further studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the beginning of 2020, a virus originating from Wuhan, China, spread throughout the world, which in March of the same year was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. According to scientific studies and specialized publications, the pandemic had positive effects on the pharmaceutical industry and e-commerce, which accelerated the digitization process. The negative effects of the coronavirus pandemic consisted in the reduction of companies' revenues, the reduction of the number of customers, the reduction of investments and the temporary suspension of production. The research of this paper is descriptive, based on statistics and data from the official reports of the National Trade Register Office. The methods used are observation, analysis, data processing and synthesis. The aim is to identify the number of new investment sectors, newly established enterprises, companies that suspended their activity and those that entered insolvency in the period 2020 and 2021, compared to 2019. The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on entrepreneurship in Romania was not devastating, the entrepreneurs keeping their confidence in the stability of the market. Thus, in 2020, the company establishment rate was affected, because new entrepreneurs no longer had the courage to invest their money, but the companies already present on the market were not strongly impacted. The year 2021 is the surprise year, being the most favorable for entrepreneurship in the period 2019-2021. The most companies were established, and the rate of suspension and insolvency was the lowest. The contribution in this paper consists in the fact that it is demonstrated that the pandemic did not destroy the entrepreneurial activity in Romania. On the contrary, there was a sector, Information and communications, which experienced rapid development, thus developing the concept of "knowledge economy" in this country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generation Z is a cohort of contrasts - youth growing with a life fuller of possibilities than ever before, but also into a world filled with challenges. Born between approximately the mid-1990s and 2010s, they are no longer children, but emerging as today and tomorrow's leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs. Studies have already revealed that this generation has a high affinity and strong abilities towards entrepreneurship. Digitally-savvy and with a global mindset, yet troubled by anxiety and inexperienced, Zoomers have a starting point which, depending on one's perspective, can be either troublesome or advantageous. The paper includes a review of the current state of research on the topic, followed by owned research examining how Zoomers position themselves in regards with entrepreneurship, ending with conclusions, observations, and recommendations. As both the authors either identify as, or teach, Generation Z ourselves, this topic holds professional, academic and personal dimensions. Youth is history in the making. Understanding, on a deeper level, the reasons and goals, the challenges and opportunities which make up Generation Z's professional ecosystem will ensure the best management of the economic force represented by Generation Z's entrepreneurial intent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A startup can be categorized as a company with a business model that supports innovation and is also scalable. The growing importance of free enterprise and entrepreneurship as a driver of economic regeneration and progress has imprinted new characteristics on the obstacles that Romanian entrepreneurs face in terms of long-term development and competitiveness. This research aimed to investigate the importance of startup hubs for the business sectors, identifying the value it projects for startup owners. By conducting empirical research, the authors used mixed data collection to capture the complexity of the topic and to provide an objective context for the research. The analyzes carried out showed that from 151 questionnaires collected, 69.54% of the startup owners are interested in enrolling in a startup hub for guidance and counseling. The main constraint startup owner face concerns the financial aspect where 60% prefer to take loans from banks and 6.6% would consider accessing European funds. Even though 2 out of 3 startups are young, 64% believe their business is innovative, whereas 78.1% believe that business turnaround is a major benefit of using innovation in their business. The qualitative data revealed that in Romania startup hubs are considered a less-known concept, different from the ones overseas. Unanimously, all respondents stated that a startup hub must support newly formed startups and consider innovation as a driving force for economic growth. In conclusion, startup hubs should work closely with startup owners to ensure the success of both businesses. This paper manages to provide an in-depth analysis that should allow all parties involved to create a business environment that can support the Romanian economic sector, thus contributing to the existing research on the role of startup hubs and the way they can bridge the gap between a business idea and reality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the importance of risk management within small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and investigates the specific situation in Romania. SMEs represent a vital component of the European economy, making significant contributions to the generated value added and beyond. Effective risk management is essential for the survival and success of these enterprises. A correct understanding of the context, without actually facing the same challenges, is particularly important for guiding and advising other entrepreneurs. The utility of this paper lies in offering a comprehensive perspective on the importance of risk management in SMEs and proposing directions and solutions for its improvement. The paper highlights the need for implementing effective risk management internally at the SME level to protect and sustainably develop them. By identifying and assessing risks, developing risk management plans, and continuously monitoring and updating these plans, SMEs can become more resilient to changes and challenges in the business environment. To achieve this, the paper proposes a risk assessment checklist for evaluating and accurately planning the directions of action and development for SMEs. This evaluation is valuable for any SME in different stages of its existence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The economic development of the tourism in disadvantaged mountain areas has the role of sustaining their development and economic growth. The premise of a successful development of tourism in these areas is given by the authenticity of resources. This paper aims to highlight the strategic perspectives/outlook of tourism in disadvantaged mountain areas through the evaluation of strategic alternatives using the concerted analysis SWOT-AHP. The aim of this study is to support communities and actors involved in the phenomenon of tourism in disadvantaged mountain areas in order to achieve positive results and as much as possible with awareness and avoidance of risks, and prevention or combating negative consequences. During the research and analysis, in accordance with the literature, the issue of entrepreneurship was treated as a dependent variable, and the phenomenon of tourism as an independent variable. The vision of tourism planning in disadvantaged mountain areas must focus on its sustainable development that contributes to increasing entrepreneurial initiatives by diversifying and ensuring the complementarity of tourism services calibrated to the needs of tourists and adapted to new social challenges. The strategic planning in the area of the tourism of disadvantaged mountain areas represents a topical challenge in the context of promoting sustainable tourism. Currently, there is a strategy at national level for developing tourism, but there is no strategy for developing tourism in disadvantaged mountain areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For any start-up, adhering to an entrepreneurial ecosystem is an engine for business innovation. The specific objectives of this paper are to address themes and characteristics (also comparing organizational structures and services provided in different national contexts: Italy vs. Romania) in terms of selection mechanisms adopted by business incubators, to analyse and deepen the contribution that incubators make to new business initiatives. From a methodological point of view, the comparative analysis of the incubator activities in Italy and Romania was performed by collecting relevant information outlining selection mechanisms that provide a qualitative magnitude to the start-ups' selection criteria. Findings reflect different perspectives regarding the approach of selection mechanisms in these two European countries. Furthermore, Romanian start-ups could learn practices from the Italian start-up ecosystem, enabling them to better perform in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women entrepreneurship is an important area being globally recognized as one of the most important measures of economic growth and, implicitly, of decreasing the level of poverty. Incentivizing women to start their own business is essential for the development of women entrepreneurship and it's also a strategic objective at European level, assumed by Romania as an EU member state. In order to have access to the same opportunities as men, women have to go beyond a series of obstacles, one of which is family responsibility, which often returns to their care. Therefore, this paper approaches a wide variety of themes that correspond to the present, such as motivation, obstacles encountered and also the advantages and disadvantages that come with the entrepreneurial profession, using as a research method the interviews with women entrepreneurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public-private partnerships are one of the most debated issues at EU-27 level nowadays. The experience of the past two decades has shown that this European Union initiative has delivered results below expectations despite the opportunities for improved absorption of European funds based on setting up such partnerships. In our paper we argue that by investigating main definitions and institutional-regulatory frameworks, public-private partnerships could turn into a key tool for promoting and supporting sustainable development at both national and rural level (that is, at the level of the regions of development) by interacting and best suited to sustain the activities of start-ups and innovative SMEs. Romania's experience is still at its very beginnings, but the current economic, social and political climate is an argument for considering how public-private-partnerships and entrepreneurship might be interlinked for generating economic growth, and creating platforms even for encouraging social entrepreneurs who, due to their 'not-for-profit' objectives are more flexible in applying new perspectives and innovations faced with new opportunities, thus gaining experiences transferable to changing and improving the 'for profit' sector and contributing to improved perceptions about public-private partnerships, not as an objective per se, but as operational tool in ensuring economic growth, social development and increased sustainability and resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lately, there is more and more talk about the notion of entrepreneurship, which is the occupational and social impact of entrepreneurial activities and what are the benefits and risks of a person who decides to start a business on their own. Therefore, in this article we set out to present the importance and role of entrepreneurship for young people in Romania. Entrepreneurial activity has a major impact on the economy, because they are the ones who make the world move forward and things move in the right direction. According to our studies, one in two urban Romanians would like to become an entrepreneur, even if they encounter several obstacles when they decide to open a business, regardless of their field of activity. In 2019, 134,220 companies were established, and in 2020, due to the pandemic, their number decreased to 109,939. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper attempts to deal with two classical themes in a new and fresh context. The amount of works on leadership and entrepreneurship is vast, but the authors identified a gap in the research of these concepts in relation with tech start-ups, a domain that developed significantly in the recent period. The authors performed a detailed literature review, followed by an interview with a selected panel of entrepreneurs in Romania. The results of the study highlights few important trends related to the leadership traits of Romanian entrepreneurs. The results also confirmed a positive mindset and attitude which triggers an optimistic outlook for the Romanian entrepreneurial ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Romania's economy is not yet fully and competitively linked to the European and global economy. In the general economic and political history, the political, institutional and economic changes that have occurred since 1990 in Central and Eastern Europe, including Romania, are already recognized. The article deals with the evolutionary situational stages towards the New Economy of Romania. Also, is described the horizon of the post-transformations for reaching the quasi-constant inverted levels between "tangible-intangible" for the transition to a business cycle in the New Knowledge-Based Economy and Risk. It turns out that if the GDP reflects the sum of the market value of all goods and services destined for final consumption, not intermediate ones, produced in all branches of the economy within Romania within one year, then by way of investigative proximity, business and manifestation cycles of these closely followed the evolutionary dimensional trends of similarity and aggregation with GDP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The entrepreneurial behavior of individuals is a result of a complex assembly of factors, and education is one of them. The article is aiming to address the scientific gap in the relation between education and the intention and attitudes in entrepreneurship by focusing on the analysis of the economic and entrepreneurial background as a determinant factor. Besides that, the study looked for the factors that influence entrepreneurial intention and intended to find out if there are significant differences between economic and non-economic backgrounds and entrepreneurial intentions of individuals. A survey with 582 validated respondents was employed in the north-west and the west part of Romania to determine the entrepreneurial intention of the residents. For investigating the results, descriptive statistics were used to analyze the socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents, and principal component analysis with varimax rotation was conducted to reduce the number of items used to analyze the entrepreneurial intention of the respondents. The study demonstrated the significance of entrepreneurial education for entrepreneurs and the entrepreneurial process: the higher variance is given by entrepreneurial intention (58.75%) for those with economic studies and by entrepreneurial capacity (58.39%) for those without economic studies. It concludes that entrepreneurial education policies should concentrate on the increase of opportunities for entrepreneurs and on creating a culture of entrepreneurship. Regression analysis revealed that entrepreneurial capacity, personal attraction, social valuation, and entrepreneurial education/economic background significantly predict entrepreneurial intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boosting the externalities across the water, energy, food, and waste (WEFW) sectors is challenging, especially considering tightening constraints such as population growth, climate change, resource-intensive lifestyles, increased waste production, sanitary crises and many others. The nexus approach supports the transition to a more sustainable future because intersectoral trade-offs can be reduced and externalities exploited, making imperative for decision makers, entrepreneurs, and civil society to simultaneously engage, with respect to all the components of the nexus. This research addressed intersectoral synergies and trade-offs in the case of the WEFW nexus in Romania, judging from the perspectives of entrepreneurial activity and economic results. The objective of this research was to explore the nexus in-depth by statistically analyzing the financial and economic indicators reported by active enterprises at county-level, based on the Romanian Ministry of Public Finance data. Research results describe the effects of the policies implemented in the fields of WEFW sectors. At the same time, attention was paid to the quality of the entrepreneurial activity, analyzed from the perspective of economic performance. This paper fills a research gap regarding the WEFW nexus by resorting to an economic and entrepreneurial performance assessment in order to find sectoral pathways toward policy cohesion in Romania. Findings suggested the existence of major trade-offs among sectors, owing to the fact that each county has a different development degree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to analyze how SMEs handle the disruptions caused by the Covid-19 crisis. We used a questionnaire-based survey and analysed the results based on descriptive and inferential quantitative methods. Following the processing and interpretation of the data collected, we note, the importance of the government measures in order to support SMEs to ensure the economy's functioning as close as possible to the normal state. Limited access to liquidity, lack of strong state support, poorly prepared and motivated human resources, low digitalization are the weaknesses of SMEs are the main obstacles to resilience in this crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of the research is to analyze the factors which influence the intention to start an intergenerational family business in a developing economy, highlighting the measures that can be implemented by decision-makers to stimulate these initiatives. PLS-SEM was used to analyze the data issued from 200 valid questionnaires. The survey was applied to 950 individuals from Romania. We focused on four variables: the closeness to family members, the financial support expected from family, the independence of individuals regarding the intention to start their own business and the intention to form partnerships with family members. All the hypotheses were validated, according to the final results. Thus, closeness to family members has a direct and positive impact on both the financial support expected from the family and the intention to form intergenerational family businesses. There is also a direct correlation between the financial support received from family and the intention to have partnerships with family members. Individuals who are closer to their families are not interested in developing independent businesses. There are several studies on family businesses in Romania, but there is no research analyzing the impact of closeness to family on the intention to develop an intergenerational family business. The study is useful for the decision-makers who can create national strategies in order to stimulate families to develop their own businesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While there are a few significant studies on the varieties of populism in post-socialist Romania, little scholarly work on populists' ethos of religious inspiration exists. This article addresses this lacuna from a cultural studies perspective, exploring popular culture's productions of religious inspiration employed by the radical right populist entrepreneur George Becali, and it argues that the diversity of religiously encumbered cultural productions provide a significant insight into fleshing out the mechanisms of his messianic neo-populism. By employing a critical visual analysis and hermeneutics, this article aims to illuminate how a populist entrepreneur attracts potential supporters by using the rhetoric of nativism and 'neo-traditional, autochthonous culture and religion', purporting to reveal a mutual cultural ground between the messianic leader and 'the people'. His political strategies are oftentimes packaged in cultural formats and discourses emphasising local religious symbolism that turns him into a 'Saviour of the Nation'. Yet, at the same time, the article demonstrates that popular culture can also constitute a foundation for resisting the populist's kit of religiously loaded visual rhetoric. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Entrepreneurship holds an important place in a country's economy, being essential for its sustainable economic development. Its role is also reflected socially by the contribution it makes to the personal development of individuals, through the formation of an entrepreneurial mindset, essential for their ability to address the economic, social and environmental challenges of recent decades. The decision to start a business is not an easy one and is influenced by several factors relating to the personality traits and individual characteristics of the future entrepreneur, as well as the context in which they operate. The research aimed to identify the profile of people potentially interested in starting a business, by characterising them according to their labour market status and segmenting them by age, gender, residence and need for education/training to start a new business. We also set out to analyse the fields of activity in which prospective entrepreneurs wish to operate based on individually developed skills and knowledge and the financing needs of future businesses. The quantitative research targeted people in the Center Development Region interested in starting a business. The results obtained revealed the respondents' attitudes towards the entrepreneurial environment in Romania, the level of interest in starting their own business and the measures needed to encourage entrepreneurship in the analysed region. The findings may be useful for the stakeholders responsible for promoting and stimulating entrepreneurial activities in Romania. Public, local, regional and governmental authorities can use the information and results to initiate measures to boost entrepreneurship and create favourable conditions for small business start-ups and their further development. The conclusions of this study may also be of interest to providers of entrepreneurship education/training programmes as they highlight the training needs and interests of future entrepreneurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cross-national studies emphasized that female entrepreneurs have experienced a major decrease in income, and there was a decline in market demand as well. The pandemic crisis increased the workload of women, and mainly those who raise small children did not have much choice: they had to invest time and energy in the family. The success of the strategy that could be used during this period lays on the success of balancing the family-work conflict. The following research is based on an online questionnaire that collected responses and data between 2 April and 20 May 2020. Our questions focused on the situation caused by the pandemic, so that through this online survey we aimed to determine how women entrepreneurs in Transylvania coped with the difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. We wanted to get information regarding the financial reserves of the firms owned by female entrepreneurs, but also regarding the human resource reserves of these firms. We also aimed at learning if the pandemic period had an impact on the promoting and marketing practice of the firms and on their sale activities as well as whether there were any changes occurred due to the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]