FAP - Social Sciences Interdisciplinary & Educational research

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Erasmus+ Social Entrepreneurship. A New Formula for Exploring the Creativity and Innovation for Young People
(National University of Political Studies and Public Administration, 2017) Rădulescu, Crina; Sandu, Cristina
The driving forces behind the redesign of the Erasmus programmes were the EU and the national initiatives in knowledge, innovation, education, digital society, green production, competitiveness, job creation, skill acquisition and in the fight against poverty. The European Commission (2014) has stated the great importance of education, training, youth and sport in helping to tackle the key challenges that Europe is facing both now and in the next decade. Key action 2 of the Erasmus+ Programme “Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of the good practices” promotes innovative actions for enhancing employability and entrepreneurship, namely “Knowledge Alliances” and “Sector Skills Alliances”. Following the important aspects of the Key Action 2 of the Erasmus+ Programme, the paper aims at identifying the current concerns and partnerships in using a new formula for exploring creativity and innovation in young people: Erasmus+ Social Entrepreneurship. The arguments for the current research are: firstly, the great focus on the issue of social entrepreneurship and Erasmus+ in educational programmes across Europe (Euclid Network UK – projects of Erasmus for Social Entrepreneurs; Salto Youth network European Commission – training course Using Social Entrepreneurship in Erasmus+); secondly, the great need in identifying innovative solutions for youth employment (the youth unemployment rate reached a new historic high of 23.5% in February 2013, Eurostat, 2013); thirdly, the fact that social entrepreneurship represents one of the most effective and innovative solutions to youth unemployment and poverty reduction (the “Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs” Programme of the European Commission aims to increase the number of start-ups, to boost their resilience and to create jobs). In order to achieve the aim of the paper, the research methodology will employ two main sections: - The first section – an empirical study of successful Erasmus stories from within the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration, Romania in its cooperation with partner-universities. The objective is to analyse and identify the labour insertion opportunities for Erasmus students after attending this programme. The empirical study will make use of questionnaires completed by former Erasmus students within the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration, Romania with partner-universities and statistical data obtained; - The second section – a descriptive analysis of the current initiatives in Erasmus+ and Social Entrepreneurship, connected to the empirical study’s results. The objective is to identify the partnerships and financing opportunities for Erasmus+ and Social Entrepreneurship across Europe. The descriptive analysis will make use of reports and documents at European and national levels.
Civic Engagement and Cultural Heritage: Lessons from the Herculane Project
(Civil Rewiev, 2024-06-24) Berceanu, Ionuț Bogdan
In the current global context, the cultural sector faces various challenges related to funding, access, and participation. This paper aims to identify potential pathways for civic initiatives. The purpose of this narrative article is to discuss the role of civic engagement in protecting cultural heritage goods when public authorities fail to do so. The Romanian Law of Preserving Cultural Monuments is central to this discussion. It delineates the responsibilities of both governmental and non-governmental entities in safeguarding the nation's cultural heritage. Thus, the Herculane Project- situated in Băile Herculane (Herculane Baths), initiated by a Romanian non-governmental organization (NGO) offers invaluable lessons on the dynamics between civil society, public administration authorities, and the preservation of cultural monuments. The work presents a qualitative analysis of the mechanisms through which civic engagement has influenced the trajectory of the Herculane Project. It explores how local communities, NGOs, and grassroots movements have mobilized to advocate for the preservation of Băile Herculane's cultural heritage. The conclusion of this paper aims to demonstrate the relevance of contemporary civil societies in preserving cultural heritage goods. It underlines how the best practices employed by the NGO in charge of the Herculane Project can be applied to other cases while considering the dynamics of cultural heritage preservation.
E-learning platforms supporting the educational effectiveness of distance learning programmes: a comparative study in administrative sciences
(Elsevier, 2013) Matei, Ani; Brosser, Luise
Over recent decades, the transformation of education through technology has created a more extensive tool for enhancing the Bologna process for increasing the quality, effectiveness and accessibility of higher education. In this context, literature supports the importance of Web platforms for education, in particular through comparative analysis, focusing on educational effectiveness and promoting quality education. Few studies have integrated the analysis with the economic issues. This paper aims to achieve a comparative study of Web platforms, in terms of raising the effectiveness of distance education, and the economic costs required to implement them. The research methodology is using, for the first time, an adapted version of cost-effectiveness analysis. Empirical research will be carried out on two platforms of e-learning - Learning Management System (LMS) and Moodle - used by our university to support distance education programs. The working hypothesis starts from the fact that open source software is cheaper than that developed internally, even if it does not fully meet the needs of the university.
Education 2.0: E-Learning Methods
(Elsevier, 2015) Tîrziu, Andreea Maria; Vrabie, Cătălin
Information and communication tools (ICT), Web 2.0 applications and the impact that these resources are having on education are rapidly creating new challenges for teachers and learners faced with learning online. Teaching and learning in an e-learning environment happens differently than in the traditional classroom and can present new challenges to professors and learners participating in this online learning environment. Objectives: The purpose of this article is to provide a framework for teachers for a better e-interaction with students. Approach: It shows the literature and research that focus on e-learning statistics. Results: Continuing to learn and try new methods of communication will aid in improved learning and foster teacher-student respect and collaboration. Value: There are effective techniques to presenting face-to-face material in the online environment that will allow the student to achieve a higher level of satisfaction of learning and cognitive understanding of the course material.
The Quality Initiative of E-Learning in Germany (QEG)-Management for Quality and Standards in E-Learning
(Elsevier, 2015) Brosser, Luise; Vrabie, Cătălin
Quality in E-Learning is a critical success factor that is not easy to determine and achieve. In this paper, we aim to describe the challenges in quality development and show as solution approach, an innovative process management for planning, production and application of e-learning and the importance of quality standards. We will focus especially on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), because in the SME sector, the special optimization potential is what the introduction of explicit quality strategies concerns. This paper illustrates at first the problematic and defines its quality development in education and training. Subsequently, appropriate tools and aids, used by both providers and users, will be demonstrated. The focus will be on quality standards and instruments for their application, which will be developed by the Quality Initiative E-Learning in Germany. In particular, the reference process model of PAS 1032-1 and the subsequent constructive first standard for quality management in education and training (ISO / IEC 19796-1) and the type of Quality Management Support Systems (QSS) are explained. (
Knowledge Sharing Key Issue for Digital Technology and Artificial Intelligence Adoption
(MDPI, 2023-07) Binsaeed, Rima H.; Yousaf, Zahid; Grigorescu, Adriana; Samoilă, Alina; Chițescu, Răzvan Ion; Nassani, Abdelmohsen A.
In the current digital era, digital technologies develop and emerge rapidly, businesses, especially the electronic sector more connected to information technology, facing challenges in the terms of its technology infrastructure and tactical directions. That's why most of them adopt the latest digital technology (DT) and design novel business strategies and models. The growing significance of AI in the transformation of manufacturing operations and the demand for a thorough knowledge of the variables affecting its adoption serve as the driving forces behind the study. Several researchers have presented that digital technology can lead toward AI adoption. Though, previous studies lack an efficient transformation pathway. Therefore, this study establishes an inventive approach and aims to investigate the direct link between digital technology and AI adoption, the mediating function of knowledge sharing (KS) between them, and explore the moderating impact of privacy and security that assist in the acceleration of AI adoption in electronics manufacturing enterprises through the antecedent of digital technology. This study is quantitative in nature, random sampling method and questionnaire is used as a survey tool. Depending on 298 questionnaire data from electronic firms of Saudi Arabia, this study performs multi-level correlation and regression analysis to evaluate study hypotheses. Findings confirm that digital technology has a positive influence on AI adoption. In addition, outcomes corroborate that knowledge sharing mediates in the linkage between digital technology and AI adoption. The results also proved that privacy and security have a positive moderation impact on the association between digital technology and AI adoption. This study enlighten that the adoption of this framework enables electronic manufacturing companies to strategically integrate digital-technologies to promote effective AI adoption, increase its operational efficiency, and sustain a competitive advantage in the constantly evolving manufacturing landscape. The outcomes as well supplement the previous study on the linkage between digital technology and AI adoption, expand application space and theoretical boundary from the perspective of knowledge sharing, privacy and security at the managerial level, and give reference for AI adoption in, as electronics manufacturing firms.
Unraveling Digital Transformation in Banking: Evidence from Romania
(MDPI, 2023-11) Ionașcu, Alina Elena; Gheorghiu, Gabriel; Spătariu, Elena Cerasela; Munteanu, Irena; Grigorescu, Adriana; Dănila, Alexandra
This research probes into the digital transformation shifts in Romania and sets them against a backdrop of certain EU countries. Its primary objective is to spotlight digitalization's significance and assess its level of integration within the Romanian banking landscape. Our approach relies on a detailed examination of the adoption of digital banking instruments in Romania through correlation and ANOVA assessments. The ANOVA analysis of the DESI index and its associated dimensions reveals how Romania's digital transformation stands in relation to other EU member states. Our findings emphasize the numerous advantages Romanian banks have garnered from increasingly embracing digital innovations and artificial technologies. These perks span from optimized operations and efficiency to enhanced customer experiences and a sharpened competitive advantage. The research indicates a strong positive correlation between a bank's return on assets and its liquid assets to deposits and short-term funding ratios. This suggests that as digital integration deepens, there is a marked upturn in financial robustness. Additionally, the study sheds light on the perks of individuals adopting digital banking offerings and delves into factors that propel and impede the digital evolution in the banking arena. Overall, this paper presents valuable insights into Romania's digital banking trajectory and the sector's long-term viability.
Emotional Intelligence, Innovative Work Behavior, and Cultural Intelligence Reflection on Innovation Performance in the Healthcare Industry
(MDPI, 2023-07) Binsaeed, Rima H.; Yousaf, Zahid; Grigorescu, Adriana; Condrea, Elena; Nassani, Abdelmohsen A.
Innovation requires creativity, risk-taking, and the ability to manage change effectively, all of which are closely linked to emotional intelligence. Individuals with high levels of emotional intelligence are more flexible, adaptable, and resilient in technological advancements and are better able to respond effectively to new challenges and opportunities. Thus, this study aims to recognize the significant role of emotional intelligence, along with the mediation of innovative work behavior (IWB) and the moderation role of cultural intelligence in the attainment of innovation performance. This is quantitative research and for data collection, a questionnaire was used in healthcare institutions. The result shows that emotional intelligence is an antecedent of innovation performance. The finding also proved that IWB mediates the linkage between emotional intelligence and innovation performance. In addition, the outcomes show that cultural intelligence strengthens the relationship between emotional intelligence and innovation performance. However, the current dynamic business world has created an urgency to understand the linkage between the employee's emotional intelligence and employee innovative performance, particularly taking into consideration the mediation effect of IWB. Emotional intelligence and innovation are closely linked, and innovative work behavior connects this link in a stronger way. This study offered a unique framework for achieving innovation performance through the nexus of emotional intelligence, innovative work behavior, and cultural intelligence.
Artificial intelligence and sustainable development during the pandemic: An overview of the scientific debates
(Cell Press, 2024-05-15) Năstasă, Anamaria; Dumitra, Teodora Catalina; Grigorescu, Adriana
The current work aims to analyze the main themes related to artificial intelligence (AI) and sustainable development during the pandemic period. This study provides an overview of the specialized literature related to AI and sustainability from the beginning of the pandemic through 2023. The present paper analyses scientific literature emphasizing both artificial intelligence's positive and negative impacts on sustainable development objectives (SDGs). To conduct the research, we employed bibliometric analysis and text-mining techniques to identify the major themes in the literature indexed in the Web of Science and Scopus databases. Firstly, we used descriptive measures to identify the authors' impact, the article production by country, the main keywords used, and other descriptive data. We further used data reduction methods based on coword analysis (such as multiple correspondence analysis) on authors' keywords to show patterns in the themes explored in the literature. Bibliometric analysis was supplemented by text mining using Latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) and structural topic modeling on abstracts to provide a comprehensive view of scientific debates on AI and sustainable development. Our research has identified various themes in the literature related to AI and sustainable development. These themes include social sustainability, health-related issues, AI technologies for energy efficiency, sustainability in industry and innovation, IoT technologies for smart and sustainable cities, urban planning, technologies for education and knowledge production, and the impact of technologies on SDGs. We also found that there is a significant positivity bias in the literature when discussing the impact of AI on sustainable development. Despite acknowledging certain risks, the literature tends to focus on the potential benefits of AI across various sectors. In addition, the analysis shows a growing emphasis on energy efficiency, which is facilitated by the use of AI technologies. Our study contributes to a better understanding of current scholarly discussion trends and emerging scientific avenues regarding AI and sustainable development. It also highlights the areas where research is needed and the implications for practitioners and policymakers.
Revisiting R&D intensity and CO2 emissions link in the USA using time varying granger causality test: 1870∼2020
(Cell Press, 2023-10) Chang, Hao-Wen; Chang, Tsangyao; Xiang, Feiyun; Mikhaylov, Alexey; Grigorescu, Adriana
R&D intensity, per capita GDP, and per capita CO2 emissions links in the USA over the period of 1870-2020 reflects the evolution of the economic development and technology for the environment benefit. Using Time varying Granger causality, the empirical results indicate both causal links between R&D intensity and per capita CO2 emissions and between per capita GDP and per capita CO2 emissions are time varying. In addition, R&D intensity significantly affects per capita CO2 emissions since 1975, and the per capita GDP significantly influences per capita CO2 emissions since 1978. That is, these findings not only in supportive of the EKC theory, but further disentangle the subtly linkages for the R&D intensity and CO2 emissions and the per capita GDP and CO2 emissions. Finally, the policy implication is that launch the new technical innovation and increase in R&D investment to maintain its sustainable economic growth are the best government strategy to reduce CO2 emissions in the USA.
The National Policy-making Process in the Context of the International Economic and Financial Movements
(Elsevier, 2014) Dogaru, Tatiana Camelia
The international movements, known to our current society have a visible impact on national public policies. Therefore, a wise Government should implement a policy mechanism, which takes into account the involvement of various international actors on public arena. Romania by dint of European Commission, International Monetary Fund, World Bank through stand-by arrangement puts into practice a programme of measures that changed the view of public policy-making. The current paper reveals the changes of policy-making process under the involvement of international actors. From methodological view, and taking into consideration the theoretical and normative framework, the research is based on the matrix of interest factors, as well as on the reviews under the stand-by arrangements, achieving an analysis in a multi-actor context. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/).
Resilient Entrepreneurship among European Higher Education Graduates
(MDPI, 2018-08) Zamfir, Ana Maria; Mocanu, Cristina; Grigorescu, Adriana
Resilience represents the ability of systems and individuals to adapt and overcome the difficulties and challenges they face. Resilient entrepreneurs are those who cope with stressful or adverse situations by relying on both internal and external factors. This article examines the way higher education graduates express entrepreneurial resilience in various national contexts. We analyze the Research into Employment and professional Flexibility (REFLEX) data set that provides information on early career of higher education graduates leaving education in the academic year 1999/2000 in 13 European countries. We study resilience in entrepreneurship by considering both how long higher education graduates succeed to remain in self-employment and the extent to which they re-entry in entrepreneurship after exiting. Survival analyses, logistic and cox regressions indicate important differences in patterns of starting, remaining and returning in self-employment and in factors influencing the retention in entrepreneurship among higher education graduates. It is argued that structural factors, personal characteristics and educational background explain a large amount of variation in resilient entrepreneurship.
A conceptual review of the higher education system based on open innovation (OI) perspectives
(Springer Nature, 2024-03-16) Mochnacs, Amalia Elena; Pîrciog, Speranța; Sigurjonsson, Throstur Olaf; Grigorescu, Adriana
The open innovation paradigm has evolved from its incipient form, namely Schumpeter's new production function from 1912, to the current context of a global network of societies, including virtual communities that produce innovative ideas and industry applications through knowledge transfer. The role of industry-university cooperation and networks is widely recognized within the current academic approach. However, the context of higher education, its characteristics, and business application are not thoroughly explained from the Open Innovation (OI) perspective. The debate and further understanding of OI, industry-university cooperation, and the accurate application of academic knowledge to the business world and society are academics' main concerns nowadays, our research being a beginning step. The research objective is to present the evolution of the innovation concept from the higher education perspective through a qualitative review of existing studies. The contribution of this paper is linked to the proposed higher education service life cycle framework for academics based on the current needs for innovation, accessibility, and global integration.
Leading Role of Big Data Analytic Capability in Innovation Performance: Role of Organizational Readiness and Digital Orientation
(MDPI, 2023-06) Binsaeed, Rima H.; Grigorescu, Adriana; Yousaf, Zahid; Condrea, Elena; Nassani, Abdelmohsen A.
The advancement of technology offers various opportunities for business organizations to achieve sustainable growth. Through emerging technologies, business organizations are able to collect and analyze essential information vital for the acceleration of innovation. Therefore, this study investigated how big data contribute to the innovation activities of manufacturing entrepreneurs in terms of big data analytic capability (BDAC). The aim of this study was to relate BDAC to organizational readiness and innovation performance (IP). Moreover, we examined the mediating role of organizational readiness between BDAC and IP. We also examined the strengthening role of digital orientation. To collect the study data, we approached 494 frontline managers of the manufacturing sector of Saudi Arabia. The collected data were analyzed using statistical techniques such as descriptive, correlation, and hierarchical regression techniques. We found that BDAC plays a vital role in developing organizational readiness and IP. The findings also proved that organizational readiness has a significant effect on IP. The results revealed that organizational readiness mediates between BDAC and IP.
Digital Revolution and Digitization Process to Promote AIS as a Vector of Financial Performance
(MDPI, 2023-07) Binsaeed, Rima H.; Yousaf, Zahid; Grigorescu, Adriana; Radu, Valentin; Nassani, Abdelmohsen A.
Nowadays, many businesses recognize the importance of digitization as a strategic advantage to maintain competitiveness. As a result, current research aims to investigate three significant factors that influence digital transformation: digital innovation (DI), digital orientation (DO), and the accounting information system (AIS). These factors are supposed to impact the financial success and performance of firms. The objective of this study is to examine the positive association between digital orientation and financial performance (FP) and to explore how the AIS mediates this relationship. Additionally, this paper investigates the moderating role of digital innovation in the relationship between digital orientation and financial performance. To collect data, a quantitative method was employed using a random sampling technique. Data were collected via a questionnaire survey from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in China, with a sample size of 550. Structural equation modeling (SEM) and a bootstrapping technique with 5000 iterations were used to test the study hypotheses. The findings of this study indicate a positive link between digital orientation and the financial performance of organizations. Furthermore, the results confirm that the AIS acts as a mediator between digital orientation and financial performance. The outcomes also demonstrate that digital innovation plays a moderating role in the relationship between DO and financial performance. This paper contributes to the existing literature on digital transformation by providing a deeper understanding of the aforementioned antecedents of the digital revolution (DO, AIS, and financial performance) and how they should be integrated within digitalization settings to achieve financial performance.
E-Banking Convergence and the Adopter's Behavior Changing Across EU Countries
(SAGE , 2023-10) Grigorescu, Adriana; Oprișan, Oana; Lincaru, Cristina; Pîrciog, Speranța
"The concepts of internet banking and mobile banking have led to changes in people's financial behavior in terms of earning, consuming, and saving. This new concept, which entered the market quite recently, was used at the beginning of the new digital technology in various types of activities, banking operations, and nowadays these services are used by all people who want to save through banks or create new sources of income, as well as to make quick currency exchanges without going to credit institutions. The main purpose of this paper is to analyze people's behavior toward new digital technologies, e-banking adoption, and non-banking financial institutions internet services. The objectives pursued are: whether e-banking users are homogeneous in their characteristics in the EU 27 and which users have the most convergent or divergent behavior in the EU 27. Statistical data taken from Eurostat 2023 was used for the Sigma convergence analysis, the time series taken into consideration being from 2004 to 2022. The results showed that the changes in the procedural-fiscal-financial sphere are the ones that fully reflect the two principles underlying the tax evolution: digitization and simplification. These results confirm that people are adopting the new digital technology and change their behavior from consumer to prosumer. The study shows that all most categories adopted e-banking using new digital technologies when it comes to consumption and saving, with few exceptions that should be carefully supported. E-Banking convergence and the adopter's behaviour within the EU CountriesThe concepts of internet banking and mobile banking have led to changes in people's financial behavior in terms of earning, consuming, and saving. This new concept, which entered the market quite recently, was used at the beginning of the new digital technology in various types of activities, banking operations, and nowadays these services are used by all people who want to save through banks or create new sources of income, as well as to make quick currency exchanges without going to credit institutions. The main purpose of this paper is to analyze people's behavior towards new digital technologies, e-banking adoption, and non-banking financial institutions internet services. The objectives pursued are: whether e-banking users are homogeneous in their characteristics in the EU 27 and which users have the most convergent or divergent behavior in the EU 27. Statistical data taken from Eurostat 2023 was used for the Sigma convergence analysis, the time series taken into consideration being from 2004 to 2022. The results showed that the changes in the procedural-fiscal-financial sphere are the ones that fully reflect the two principles underlying the tax evolution: digitization and simplification. These results confirm that people are adopting the new digital technology and change their behavior from consumer to prosumer. The study shows that all most categories adopted e-banking using new digital technologies when it comes to consumption and saving, with few exceptions that should be carefully supported. Digital transformation is not just about buying new, modern equipment, or retrieving data quickly and securely, but also about the technical implementation of state-of-the-art IT systems. It should be noted that digitization has had important effects on both public and private organizations and people, which can be translated as follows: time saved in people's interaction with public and private organizations; efficiency in administrative processes; transparency in their work. The economic environment becomes much more attractive and leads to investment and innovation in all areas. The digitization of all public or private services would also strengthen the administrative capacity of the whole population. Through studies, research, and future studies, it is essential to analyze and demonstrate that new digital technologies and their use could lead to the elimination of tax fraud, increased public confidence in local or central government and confidence in business. Finally, we can say that it is essential that new research in the field of digitization and e-banking use strengthens the literature reviews and explains at a higher level the answers to all research questions."

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