Manuela Epure

Publications

• Drivers of consumer behaviour-the economic crisis in our every day's life

  Manuela Epure, Ruxandra Eleonora Vasilescu

  Is it possible to anticipate the consumers’ behaviour in a time of radical and unexpected change? This paper intends to demonstrate that as unpredictable as the future may be, there are certain factors that have always influenced consumers behaviour, which has never been random or erratic, but drive... [more] Is it possible to anticipate the consumers’ behaviour in a time of radical and unexpected change? This paper intends to demonstrate that as unpredictable as the future may be, there are certain factors that have always influenced consumers behaviour, which has never been random or erratic, but driven by mental processes that operate at an unconscious level, such as: perception, attitude, motivation. These three coordinates have been constantly the drivers of human behaviour in general. Most decisions seem to be rather the result of cognitive-affective and emotional decisions than reason-based. Globalisation and Internet communications are reshaping consumers’ behaviour, causing the shift from “mega-trends” to “micro-trends” due to the intricate maze of choices.

• Private renting in Romania

  Patrick Francis Gray, Manuela Epure

  The paper's aim is to present an overview on the PRS in Romania, emphasizing the main characteristics and the nature of PRS evolution after 1989. The past 20 years reveal some key-changes that occurred in the socio-economic and political life of the country and we have explored them as factors t... [more] The paper's aim is to present an overview on the PRS in Romania, emphasizing the main characteristics and the nature of PRS evolution after 1989. The past 20 years reveal some key-changes that occurred in the socio-economic and political life of the country and we have explored them as factors that have shaped the PRS. The analysis begins with a presentation of PRS stock, and it continues with a brief assessment of the housing conditions in addition to the socio-economic and demographic profile of households in the sector. Romania has a large housing stock with an unusually high-share of private ownership. Having these findings as a starting point, our paper explores those housing policies that have had the biggest impact on the field and shaped housing market trends. We have used statistical tools to analyze the data provided by the National Institute of Statistics-Romania, and Housing Associations, and major real-estate companies who operate on the Romanian market. An exploratory research was developed using the opportunity to interview policy-makers, national housing authorities, landlords and tenants in order to describe the current role of PRS on the housing market and the future of PRS in Romania.