• Energy Research
• social sciences close
• RO close
• Energy Research close

In the context of the globalization and internationalization of economies, to efficiently attract financial and intellectual capital that is necessary for business sustainability, the mechanisms of corporate governance have to be based on gaining the trust of all the interested parties. These objectives require an organizational culture and a climate which is based on correctness, responsibility, transparency, and efficiency, in which ethical principles govern the spread of behaviors in the entire entity. This research identifies the relation between the corporate governance and the entities’ financial performance using the specific context of Romania. The findings of this study reveal new insights on the corporate governance and financial performance based on a sample of companies listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange. The results show a positive correlation between the net accounting results, earnings per share, and the duality of the CEO, and a negative correlation between price per share and the duality of the CEO.

The aim of this study was to determine whether emotional labor behavior has an effect on job satisfaction, and if there is an effect, to reveal whether communicative rational action has a moderator effect. This research was carried out in the banking sector. The sample group consisted of administrators of foreign capital bank managers (427) at all levels in Turkey. The collected data were analyzed with the IBM SPSS 21 program. Multiple regression analysis and SPSS PROCESS v3.5 (model1) methods were used in the analysis. According to the analysis, the three sub-dimensions of communicative rational action (practical-rational action, rational communication, and rational action) have a moderator role in the effect of emotional labor and job satisfaction. The other two sub dimensions (value–rational–action and firm family) do not have a moderator role in this effect. In the analysis made according to the total score of communicative rational action, the moderator role of communicative rational action in the effect of emotional labor and job satisfaction was determined. As a result of the research and analysis, it was determined that emotional labor has a positive effect on the phenomenon of job satisfaction.

As an integral part of the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda, implementing the European Green Deal is vital to ensure food security and transform food chains into a sustainable model. On the one hand, it enables the gradual abandonment of intensive agriculture and, on the other hand, it supports the responsible consumption of agri-food products and develops the consumer culture toward the appreciation of organic foods. The European Green Deal involves convergence at the member state level towards the sustainable transition of food systems to the new European model of resilience: circular, environmental, and socioeconomic efficiency. The success of food chain transformation depends on many factors, including the level of development of the food system, the consumer profile, factors related to politics, and others. Based on these considerations, this research aimed to study the preferences of European consumers for organic food based on various sociodemographic variables such as age, gender, and nationality. In this regard, data on consumer preferences for organic food were extracted from the Meta platform and statistically analyzed in line with the research objective. This article provides input to the scientific literature in the field by justifying a differentiated approach to implementing the European Green Deal, depending on the consumer profile, in close connection with the variables analyzed. Their impact on shaping consumer preferences for organic food is of particular importance at the European level, which is why the implementation of the European Green Deal must be carried out in line with the specific characteristics of each Member State, with a differentiated focus on each consumer profile. The results of this empirical study confirm the need to develop strategies to raise awareness of the socioeconomic and environmental benefits of consuming organic food, especially among certain types of consumers more reluctant about their own impact on transforming the food chain to a more sustainable model by intensifying the consumption of organic food

Sharing economy represents a new business model with an increasing impact on economic life by generating consequences for the traditional business sector. Considering its development during the last years, it is important to know how the governance system should react to the new challenges determined by this kind of doing business. The aim of the article is to identify and analyze some general issues regarding the impact on the sharing economy in tourism, based on a study regarding the needs determined by this business model in Brașov. Considering that tourism is a relevant sector for the “sharing” business type, the authors considered it important to get opinions about the way that the local authorities and stakeholders should contribute to the creation of a regulatory framework for sharing tourism, so, two focus-groups were organized. The respondents were chosen so that all kinds of stakeholders involved in tourism were represented. The results of the research revealed that even though there are some provisions regarding this sector, and despite the fact that local and regional authorities are preoccupied about regulations in sharing tourism, the most representative part of this sector is unregistered and it works according to its own rules.

Salt mines, a significant category of local, regional, national, and/or European underground heritage, are becoming attractive tourism destinations. This paper examines three cases of salt mining in different European countries, namely Wieliczka in Poland, Campina de Cima in Portugal, and Turda in Romania. They are analyzed in the context of history, typical attributes of their attractiveness, and new uses after the salt extraction was or is going to be stopped, in order to detect their unique values as important assets for both Underground Built Heritage (UBH) and Salt Heritage Tourism (SHT). The results of their comparison show that despite a positive impact related to their protection as cultural and industrial heritage, there are also some negative aspects related to increasing costs of their maintenance and adaptation of salt mines to new functions and to meet the tourism needs. By putting in place measures to enhance the awareness of their values and for activating the local community, the three mines are showcases for the economic outputs for their sites and regions, as well as for increasing knowledge regarding UBH.

Automation and digitalization, as long-term evolutionary processes, cause significant effects, such as the transformation of occupations and job profiles, changes to employment forms, and a more significant role for the platform economy, generating challenges for social policy. This systematic literature review aims to provide an overview of the research to date related to influences of the Industry 4.0 Revolution on human capital development and consumer behavior. A search on the Web of Science identified 160 papers that met the inclusion criteria. The major objectives aimed to identify: the main types of influences of the Industry 4.0 Revolution on human capital development and consumer behavior; the main opportunities and challenges for new directions in education associated with shifting the work environment; and the drivers for human capital development and consumer behavior through the lenses of the Industry 4.0 Revolution. The results revealed some key aspects for the development of human capital: information, new jobs, the Internet, technology, training, education, new skills, automation, communication, innovativeness, professionals, productivity, artificial intelligence, digitalization, e-recruitment, and the Internet of Things, as well as the main drivers of consumer behavior: information, e-commerce, digitalization, the Internet of Things, e-distribution, technology, digitalization, automation, personalized, performance, artificial intelligence, behavior intention, e-shopping, and data mining.

The concept of tourism destination image is closely related to the brand image of the destination. A good public image of a certain location is the first step in establishing or enhancing the branding of that destination. The image of the destination can be a primary, secondary or global one, the latter incorporating the first two. The sustainability of a positive image of the destination is based on both positive secondary image and positive global image. The purpose of this research is to separately analyze the two types of images for a given tourist destination (Bihor, Romania) that has registered, in recent years, a remarkable increase in the number of visitors. The increase in the number of visitors was accompanied by a substantial increase in tourism revenues, which drew attention, both for the policy makers and researchers, to investigate how the image of this popular place is perceived. The research is based on a questionnaire-based survey applied on a sample of 607 persons, residents in Romania. The research method used was the questionnaire-based survey, which was applied between May and June 2020 on online city groups. The collected data were processed with IBM Statistical package for social sciences version 25 and the results show significant differences between the two types of images (secondary image and global image), a dangerous situation in the medium and long term for destination management. The nuances in the perception of the image of a destination based on the two types of respondents (who experienced and who did not experience the destination) can be explained by the aggressive strategy of promoting the tourist destination, but this is an inefficient strategy for younger age groups. The study allows us to formulate conclusions and to propose measures to correct the situation.

When defining criteria that have an influence on traffic accessibility in suburbs, it is necessary to take into account the specificity of a concrete urban unit. In existing scientific papers, the authors have dealt with the impact of the remoteness of settlements and their accessibility from the city center. The main aims of this paper are to define and quantify the criteria that have the greatest influence on traffic accessibility in suburban areas, that is, to develop a model of traffic accessibility. This model refers to traffic accessibility in suburban areas, where an urban public transport system is operational and represents a qualitative approach to research. Research has shown that factors such as a network of public transport (PT) lines, a network of accessible roads in a settlement, travel time, and timetables are of great importance in the description and generation of a new model. This model was tested in 23 suburban districts with regard to the needed walking time. The Fuzzy AHP (FAHP) method, one of the most popular methods for multi-criteria decision making, was used. Based on the results presented in this paper, it is expected that the application of this model will enable development and sustainability in suburban areas, as well as greater social equality and involvement of dwellers (especially the younger generation) in social activities, in view of achieving a better quality of life.