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Ensuring social educational processes does not only represent a trend in terms of the evolution of e-Learning systems, but also one of the main points of interest targeted by the developers of certain social platforms. In fact, raising awareness with respect to the importance of using Social Media tools in education leads to a two-way approach: both by integrating social tools into e-Learning systems and by integrating learning facilities into Social Media platforms. Over time, the social network Facebook has benefited from intense use at global level, including in e-Learning processes. In order to meet the current needs in terms of teaching and learning, Facebook has provided users with built-in opportunities to facilitate social learning processes. However, expanding the Social Learning features integrated in Facebook can be a challenge at present, because of the policies imposed for the social network. The present article outlines a proposed architecture for extending the Social Learning functionalities offered within Facebook Groups by ensuring the correlation with WordPress open-source CMS. Aspects related to how the correlation between the two platforms can be ensured, the necessary tools and the steps involved will be discussed. Also, the main implications and advantages offered by such an architecture and the identified limitations will be highlighted.

Background: Using the power of Internet, crowdfunding platforms are currently changing the traditional landscape of fundraising. Social media-based IT platforms in particular are bringing the creators of crowdfunding projects closer than ever to potential investors. A large variety of factors function as determinants of individuals' intention to participate in crowdfunding and have an intertwined impact on funding as the ultimate project goal.Objectives: For a better understanding of investor behavior in social media-based crowdfunding projects, this paper covers identifying, analyzing, and classifying general and specific factors of investor motivation, based on the literature in the field.The main focus is the relationship between the affordances provided by social media-based crowdfunding platforms and the psychological determinants of investor motivation in innovative start-up projects.Methods: Using IEEE Explore, Clarivate Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Scopus, we conducted a systematic review of the existing research on the emerging role of crowdfunding as a disruptive technology in financing the start-up innovative projects. The paper explores the main determinants of investor motivation and aims to streamline the success factors in crowdfunding campaigns.Results: A total of 1,216 publications were identified after searching the aforementioned databases and, upon refining the results, 515 articles were considered for the final sample. After reading the titles and abstracts, the sample was reduced to 78 articles that were read in-depth and synthesized in accordance with the defined research questions. The selected articles were clustered into three main categories: general studies, determinants of investor behavior, and success factors.Conclusions: In the new global economy, crowdfunding platforms have become the nexus between the emerging creators of innovative products and services and the necessary funding sources. This connection is possible via a cumulative collection of contributions from multiple investors recruited from the audience of the selected platform, without time or space constraints. However, the determinants of the investment decision are very different in the case of social media-based crowdfunding platforms compared to determinants in the mainstream environment. This paper surveys these motivators and reveals how platform features can be used to persuade individuals to make a financial contribution toward the success of a project.

Internet of Things (IoT) is a term used to express the new evolution of the Internet which brings major changes both to economy and society as well as in the business environment and indus-try, in which any physical or virtual object can be connected to other objects or people through the Internet. The usage of IoT technology in Supply Chain Management increase the overall performance and relationship between the supply chain members well as the relationship with the customers, competitors, and suppliers, facilitating the capture, transmission, and analysis of data, having a variety of applications. Our study aim is to analyze the performance factors that are influencing the adoption of Internet of Things technology in Supply Chain Management. In order to identify and examine the factors a quantitative research it’s conducted because it al-lows understanding the factors that characterize an organization and the relations between it and its members, factors that are contributing to better prosperity of the organization and to an increase of performance achieved through the chain, facilitating the integration of business processes between members.

Modern educational technologies encompass a variety of variables such as people, processes, assets, environments, technology. These variables are part of a complex system which has some important properties and a final purpose: delivering learning material and keeping track of the recipient’s evolution and development. The purpose of this paper is to define the system of modern educational technologies with the help of its variables and internal or external processes as well as to find where mobile learning fits in this large system. From a technical point of view we want to analyze whether Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) is enough or proper to integrate mobile learning in this system. At the end we should be able to decide if dedicated mobile apps, or mobile friendly sites or a combination of those two are suited to deliver the results we are looking for with the support of SOA, if we consider the variety of devices and operating systems we are trying to integrate.

The Romanian existing building stock of collective dwellings is in a vast majority composed of reinforced concrete large prefabricated panel blocks of flats, erected during Communism. According to the 1992 Census, these standardized and widespread buildings housed almost 60 percent of the urban population of the country. Due to the small, inflexible apartments on one hand and the changing living conditions of the contemporary Romanian society on the other, a need for extending the inner surface of the existing flats has been identified. This situation led to the adoption of technically restrictive ground-floor spatial additions and other vernacular solutions that are being applied to upper stories, some of them not being able to provide, in many cases, any forms of long term structural guarantee to their users. The present paper describes a prefabricated steel structure solution for cantilevered apartment extensions that can be independently attached to the facade, as well as some technical connecting details to the existing building. A global structural analysis performed on a virtual model depicting a widespread type of block of flats (Model 770) proves the non-intrusive influence the cantilevered apartment extensions have over the existing buildings, in multiple different scenarios of attachments. Moreover, a FEM analysis of the proposed details further shows the reliability of the examined solution.

The object of the paper is an industrial building, part of a vineyard, located in a rocky zone of Arad County Romania. The investor and architect requirements led to locate the building at a height of 14.00 m, partially supported by the rocky wall of the hill at one end, while the other end is supported by a reinforced concrete rectangular tower, built near the hill. The show room area (located into a glazed cantilever zone of the building) spans 10.0 m beyond the support tower. Thus, most of the building spans in the air, creating an impression of “suspension”. The paper describes some of the problems confronted by the structural engineer during the design phase, also influenced by architectural concepts.

A system built to support management decisions and not only needs to be accurate and well adapted to the requirements of the decision and the variables involved in it, and this happens because a decision is still a human act in any type of business and institution. We can say that a decision support system has a part in it that cannot be determined by any software: the human decision which is not a determinist act. It depends on a lot of variables but also still involves the decision maker intuition and experience. This is why an important problem emerged to be discussed in this paper: the need to implement and develop an in house solution to help management decisions and not only, using existing tools and this with no additional fees. This can be a good opportunity to discover models and solutions. An identified solution using Microsoft Excel and Access is discussed in this paper and a model applied on a case study will be presented. The results of the case study showed a real support in making decisions and a better transparency in manipulating the data, improving also the time needed to collect, transform and present data. The model can be applied in any type of problem that needs a visual presentation of data as well as in situations that need working with a large amount of data, but especially in small and medium size companies.

Nowadays, information flows are powerfully augmented by Social Media. This situation brings along the adjustment of the traditional information security threats to this new environment, as well as the emergence of new characteristic dangers. The purpose of this study is to learn about Generation Y students’ attitude to risks and security measures when using Social Networks (SN). The correct identification of their behavior is, in our opinion, essential for the academic community. Firstly, we need to understand what their real knowledge in the field is. Then, a serious and consistent adaptation of our courses in Information Security and other subjects and a redefinition of universities’ security policies and procedures is necessary. On this basis, in an empirical study, we try to determine how much our students know about security threats and subsequent protection measures in SN.

If in the beginning the New Information and Communication Technologies were considered important factors for economic growth, nowadays they are synonymous with sustainable development. Their impact on society is on its way to reformulate the equation of national productivity enabling significant improvements in the efficiency the matter and energy are being used with. Their added value resides mainly in the manipulation and diffusion (in many cases free on Internet) of ideas and not of matter or energy. The access to global innovation networks is unfortunately unequal in the various regions of the world. While some regions are considered real knowledge hubs which can connect anytime to the global knowledge flows, there are areas where these remain sporadic. A careful attention should be paid to the sharing of knowledge within virtual communities due to the unprecedented evolution of the Internet and its impact on the information systems.

The traditional economic development aims at customer satisfaction and profits maximization, but overused the natural resources. Therefore, it becomes a necessity to take into account the social and environmental aspects. In order to ensure sustainable development, it have been adopted numerous rules and regulations which set objectives and targets aiming to reduce emissions and contributing to a responsible behavior. One of the objectives set at EU level is to ensure that sustainable development is the use of renewable resources in the production of electricity. In order to encourage the use of renewable energy sources for energy production it applied a system of promotion throughout green certificates, which aims, among other goals, to reduce imports of primary energy resources, stimulate the local and regional sustainable development, create employment throughout new jobs, reduce the environmental pollution by minimizing emissions. In this paper we intend to analyze the tools used in Romania for the purpose of promoting the production of energy from renewable sources, the green certificates market, the share of renewable energy in gross inland consumption, the fulfillment degree of the target and their reflection in the annual financial statements of energy production companies listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange.

In this article our purpose is to emphasize the characteristic feature of banking information systems from an integrative, multidisciplinary perspective, including elements related to economic informatics and also organizational management, marketing and international affairs, applied in the context of banking institutions by identifying and reasoning their place, role, evolutions and perspectives. Banking information systems’ architectural analysis integrates multiple delimitations, bringing together different perspectives which underline the high level of complexity requested by the nature and diversity of those activities performed by banking institutions, outlining some characteristic models according to aspects regarding applications localization, connectivity type and operation environment. There have been emphasized especially banking activities having the highest complexity in information transfer, namely, banking payments and settlements activities, underlining their mechanisms, as well as the specific architecture of Romanian electronic payment system.

The sandwich panel roof supported by continuously connected thin-walled cold-formed Z-purlins with overlapping over intermediate supports is a practical case of very frequent use. Among the two possible directions of investigation mentioned in the code when studying torsional/distortional instability of Z-purlins (i.e. rotational stiffness and linear stiffness) the authors have chosen to look at the notional linear spring placed at the free flange of the purlin. The linear spring is defined by EN 1993-1-3 Annex A5, as an equivalent or alternative to the stabilizing rotational spring generated by the continuous connection of the sandwich panels to purlin upper flange. This type of approach, on authors' opinion, has the advantage to include into the experimental phase, the real imperfections, and support conditions characteristic to such roof systems, having a very important impact on purlin stability behaviour. A description of the proposed full scale arrangement and experimental conditions, plus values of obtained results are given in the paper.

The role of local and central public administrations in promoting sustainable development and building up a better future for society is essential. In order to fulfill this mission, employees in public administration sector must engage in long life learning processes, for the purpose of developing skills such as: anticipation, interdisciplinarity, diversity of perspectives, working with incomplete or complex information, participation in sustainable development processes, cooperation, individual decision-making capacities, empathy, solidarity, and self-motivation. The Education for Sustainable Development as a component of lifelong learning is, in this light, of utmost importance. In this spirit, this paper investigates what is the Romanian public sector employees&rsquo, perception of long life learning as an essential premise of Education for Sustainable Development, by analysing on the one hand the degree of digital maturity of public institutions in Romania, and on the other hand the interest of employees in such institutions to engage in Education for Sustainable Development function of the following disjunct behavioural/emotional states: Disappointment, Conflicts, Satisfaction/Contentment, Doubt, Exhaustion, Attachment.

In the last five years, the new waves in Information and Communication Technologies together with the increase of mobile technologies have developed new possibilities for the collaboration between the governments and the citizens. Year by year, the governments are using huge quantities of ICT especially based on Internet and on mobile devices, to improve the quality of services between government agencies and companies, citizens, or government agencies from other countries. In a period of financial crisis we have less and less time at disposition. The new possibilities offered by Information and Communication Technologies give government chances to rethink strategies and ways of working providing services for citizens and businesses. In this world in a continuous changing, the state must recognize the importance of fulfilling the new needs and expectations of the citizens in opposition with the reality of reduced budgets. While the literature is not as robust as we would like to see, many articles are talking only about positive impact of eGovernment and less on difficulties or misconceptions, especially in financial crisis period.

The present paper uses as research basis a new way of thinking regarding the relation between innovation and knowledge - the Knowledge Flow Percolation Model (KFPM). In this model’s center, human beings are seen as thinking electrons, both consuming and generating knowledge flows. Through the interdependent actions of individuals, knowledge circulates inside organizations, allowing them to innovate in order to obtain competitive advantages. But there is a wide range of barriers which impede the creation and movement of flows in the model grid and consequently, hinder their change into innovation. The solution proposed by this paper as one of the most adequate instruments to make KFPM more spreadable is the project. On this basis, in an empirical study, we try to demonstrate the hypothesis of the positive influence of projects, as knowledge swirls, on the development of innovative skills which will help solving problems in the organization, creating and widening of knowledge and reducing the barriers in knowledge transfer.

The paper is dealing with the problem of a functional conversion (involving both architectural and structural issues) applied to the case of an industrial building. As well known, temporary tents, designed according to the European Code EN13782, represent a remarkable stake on the building market and a fast and practical solution for some situations. It is exactly the case approached by the paper, where the investor has initially decided to erect on his platform a provisional shelter for agricultural machines and subsequent staff, built of a light steel structure covered by PVC roofing and cladding. This temporary tent has been acquired from a specialized supplier in form of a series product. After using the tent for a number of years, the investor has decided to convert the existing structure from architectural and structural point of view by switching to a permanent structure designed accordingly. Important changes were thus imposed both to the architectural part (technological flows, openings, facades) and especially to the structural part where this switch imposed a re-design to the codes of permanent structures (especially as far as climatic loadings are concerned). The required architectural change implied the building of a 70 cm high concrete plinth and replacing the PVC membrane temporary roofing and cladding by permanent 60 mm thick PUR sandwich panels. Together with a new system of openings this has led to renewed facades of the buildings. As for the structural change, the required conversion has imposed a thorough checking of the existing steel structure (very slender and typical to a tent) in view of transforming it into a permanent structure. The consolidation measures of the existing galvanized steel structure are described, together with the measures applied at infrastructure level in order to implement the required conversion.

This paper aims to analyze the degree in which Web 2.0 related technologies are used in the Romanian local public administration. We have mirrored, on the one hand, the positive connotation unanimously credited to ICT technologies and, on the other hand, the blames of bureaucracy and enclosure traditionally addressed to local public agencies (normally regarded as non-innovator). Starting from this apparent set, we have analyzed the modification of ICT technologies brought to the 41 City Halls which are now present virtually, focusing on the use of Web 2.0 technologies ate the year 2012 level. The importance of the analyzed web-pages derives from the width of their target audience: they are addressed, directly or indirectly (indirect estimates include minors), to approximately 7,872,986 people, which amounts to 37% of the total population of Romania. In completing this study, the used research methods were observation, desk review and open interview. The main scientific aim is to conduct the analysis of the theoretical assumptions leading up to changing technological trends in the development of the Romanian public administration, based on own elaborated knowledge's from research field, as well as an empirical testing of the Web 2.0 presence of the Romanian City Halls.

The evolution of the IT sector influences the development of other systems related to this, and the present trend seems to be the cloud concept. As information and corporate knowledge are directly involved in these processes, they represent major risks and require a high security in fields like usage or control, and IT governance establishes a solid best practice set of rules for companies. The next generation of IT governance will migrate towards Cloud computing, the data lifecycle, social media as models and will integrate existing data in multiple sources, in which security, privacy and control remain critical, vital subjects. Traditional security issues could no longer be effectively solved in the cloud, and as a result other solutions were developed to focus on Governance in the Cloud. IT governance can best manage and ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of IT as a corporate resource, but on the other hand the rapid transition to cloud technologies has fuelled some critical issues in accomplishing success for information systems, communications and security. IT governance offers visibility and IT control, therefore the efforts in corporate governance can reduce operational risks, can establish compliance and protect the invested value. As a consequence, the paper aims to recognize the importance and impact of IT governance in the evolution of IT systems and to emphasize the importance of Governance in Cloud Computing at the business level.

Nowadays, we all witness a process of transformation of universities from ivory towers into collaborative networks. Cooperation and interconnectivity become more and more important in the research-and-development and educational areas. In this trend, while the potential of Social Media seems immense, some inherent risks create uncertainty in using them in an appropriate way. There seems to be a mismatch between the logic of participatory media and the still-reigning centralized-reminiscent model of Romanian universities, with its emphasis on inflexible processes and control. By its nature, Social Media encourages horizontal collaboration and more relaxed conversations that travel in random paths across professors and students. It there by short-circuits established power dynamics and traditional lines of communication and may affect the traditional image of the university. This article discusses some challenges and opportunities that emerge from the contemporary Social Media evolution for universities, and provides structure to better understand the benefits and pitfalls of using Social Media in this field. We begin by focusing on some relevant traits in the profiles of the innovating and performer employees from Romanian universities, in order to approximate their Social Media readiness. After that, we analyze profoundly, in a study based on a questionnaire, the new dimensions added by Social Media to these traits – as noticed in a very recent McKinsey study, which looks at the individual as a producer, distributor, recipient, advisor architect and analyst in order to consider him a Social Media–literate. Based on this analysis, we then derive a set of observations about Social Media literacy in Romanian academic environment.

We are currently witnessing a phenomenon of constant and quick growth in the use of the Internet for communication and collaboration between people. The 2.0 version of World Wide Web has become the medium for collaborative projects, blogs and microblogs, virtual communities, socializing networks, group games – all united under the so called “Social Media” concept. The high level of use and interaction of Social Media influences greatly the business environment which is thus exposed to a paradigm shift, where hierarchies fall apart and the communication and colaboration create wider and wider networks for the employees and all the partners of the organisations. In this spirit, the purpose of this article is to briefly review the impact of the Social Media on business, based on the analysis of the relevant literature in the field. There is mentioned the creation of virtual proximities which rely on the transfer of knowledge, production of positive network externalities, increase of business information capital as well as the social and ethical implications related to Social Media.