Alina Popescu

• PhD International Business & Economics
• Professor at Bucharest University of Economic Studies

Purpose This paper aims at understanding the differences between user profiles in collaborative consumption (CC) platforms in order to improve their management approaches and set up customized strategies. Particularly, the authors investigate the emerging role of prosumers and their influence on the active participation and growth of CC platforms....

This study examines the dynamics of knowledge-intensive services (KIS) companies in Romanian regions, focussing on the role of average wages, immigration, and educational attainment, among a complex set of local conditions. Panel data collected for 42 administrative regions (NUTS 3 level) of Romania for 2008–2022 were analysed using the generalised...

In the complex image of the craft beer movement in Central and Eastern Europe, this paper proposes an exploration of the craft beer phenomenon in Romania by means of a mixture of macro and local-level approaches , which bring into the spotlight the location patterns of craft breweries, followed by the contribution of this industry to local growth a...

The concept of well-being has garnered significant attention across diverse academic disciplines due to its important role in understanding quality of life and societal progress. In this study, well-being is studied through various strands, including objective well-being based on the fulfilment of basic human needs, subjective well-being encompassi...

The Fourth Industrial Revolution, characterised by the convergence of digital, biological, and physical innovations, is fundamentally transforming industries, economies, and the very fabric of society. This study focusses on the Romanian automotive industry-a sector at the forefront of technological disruption, examining the impact of digitalisatio...

Digital platforms currently form the cornerstone of what is referred to as 'platform economics,' progressively assuming a central role in the city's economy, experiential landscape, and governance. On-demand platforms play a pivotal role in elevating the level of digital sophistication among citizens. This article extends the current research on on...

Implementing policy combinations that neither negatively impact economic performance nor create the least amount of harm is the most crucial factor to consider in policy practices that promote environmental quality. In this regard, green growth, which harmonises both environmental and economic performance, gains importance. Based on this, this stud...

The study of happiness in economics has started to gain considerable momentum. Social policy factors are currently being recognized as determinants of national competitiveness, while innovation is an important factor to ensure economic growth and societal well-being. In order to shed light on the complex relationship between innovation performance...

Constructive Deviant Behavior (CDB) raises an ethical dilemma that poses a significant challenge within the realm of business ethics. This ethical dilemma is the extent to which individuals should be allowed, or even encouraged, to challenge established norms in the name of organizational and stakeholder well-being before compromising ethical princ...

Innovation and investment are critical to economic growth. In this article, we address the complex task of evaluating the capacity of regional innovation to increase investment and generate spillovers in regions of the European Union (EU) from both spatial and temporal perspectives. Using panel data estimation methods and exploring the effects of d...

This paper advances understanding of multiplier-accelerator interaction in European countries in the 21st century. More than eight decades from the contributions of Keynes and Samuelson, multiplier-accelerator interaction has spawned rich and interesting literature. In this study, we examined the relationship between investment, consumption, and ec...

The purpose of this chapter is to advance understanding of the particularities of the creative labor market and its effect on the performance of the creative workforce. We first review the underlying theory of the labor market and discuss the main transformations that impact the creative labor market, as well as the issues facing many creative work...

This paper presents the bibliometrics of a Keynesian and neoclassical discussion about the multiplier–accelerator effect. Having its oldest roots in the 1930s, there was a special emphasis in the 1960s and 1970s on discussions regarding the dependence of current investment on economic growth (the accelerator effect). Through a bibliometric analysis...

The European Atlas of Resilience is one of the main results of ReGrowEU project, supported by a grant financed by the Ministry of Research and Innovation of Romania. Designed in a methodologically flexible manner, the atlas aims at delivering a unique multi-dimensional, multi-shock and multi-level diagnosis of national and regional resilience for t...

Innovation in the current hyper-competitive technology sector is the key to firm performance. We believe that there is no better sector to discuss companies' innovation experiences than the technology sector. That is why we selected three case examples from this extremely dynamic and competitive sector, and we looked at their innovative activities,...

The main aims of this paper are to examine the technological trajectories of city innovation, to provide a picture of the current state in the most significant technologies, and to propose an explanation for the long-run evolutionary trajectories of technological developments that contribute to the quality of urban life through innovation. In the c...

Political longevity in young democracies has attracted the attention of scholars and practitioners alike due to several particular characteristics of such democracies, such as a low level of trust, a low level of credibility, corruption, economic difficulties, a less well‐established rule of law and an increased bureaucracy. In such a context, we s...

The paper presents the analysis conducted for the assessment of the strategic communication (mission, vision, values and strategic goals) of a sample of ICT high value start-ups in order to identify the commitment to the achievement of sustainability goals, as formulated by the United Nations. We begin by contextualizing our discussion in relation...

This article examines the formation of human capital by exploring the role of increasing trade openness through the case of Romanian administrative regions, i.e. counties. Regions have particular needs in terms of human capital accumulation that generate emerging demands for skills and qualifications which are met in ways suited to their requiremen...

In light of the growing importance of web-based data in the social and behavioral sciences, WEBDATANET was established in 2011 as a COST Action (IS 1004) to create a multidisciplinary network of web-based data collection experts: (web) survey methodologists, psychologists, sociologists, linguists, economists, Internet scientists, media and public o...

In the last #ve years, online master degrees were introduced in the educational offer by major higher education institutions from Romania. Although there were few pure online master degrees, the demand for such degrees has been continuously growing. More recently, a legislative measure discouraged the existence of a pure online learning degree, des...

The paper looks at how smes from Romania evolved in the period 2004–2011. The main objective of the paper is to compare smes' situation before the start of the economic crisis and during the period of the crisis. The examination is done from a dynamic per-spective and the analysis comprises two aspects: a) the evolution of a number of economic indi...

In the wider perspective of lifelong learning, the continuing education and training play a significant role in the up-skilling of individuals. Rapid transformations due to the technological development and globalisation generated a continuous need for competence and skills improvement. The paper begins with the exploration of the needed competence...

What is in it for you? Do you collect data via the Internet in your research? If you do, this European network is important for you. The network collects and combines experiences and research on the methodology of online data collection. It provides access to expertise that may be important in your re-search. [...] WEBDATANET is a unique multidisci...

Lifelong learning is currently one of the mostly used concepts in European Union’s attempt to achieve the objective to become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world. Since learning is embedded in human nature, various forms of the concept emerged simultaneously in different countries where they developed individually,...

In the wider perspective of lifelong learning, the continuing education and training play a significant role in the up-skilling of individuals. Rapid transformations due to the technological development and globalisation generated a continuous need for competence and skills improvement. The paper begins with the exploration of the needed competence...

The impact of higher education institutions on the regional economy is now more important than ever, due not only to their role as providers of education and research, but also to their linkages to the economic, social and cultural surroundings. The paper explores the relationship between higher education and regional development, bringing evidence...

The importance of learning is widely recognized since ancient times as the activity that brings progress and development to the individual and to the society. Great attention was paid over the years to the concept of learning throughout lifetime - lifelong learning - currently being believed that it represents a requirement for every individual in...

Nowadays universities are increasingly seen as catalysts for development, with substantial contribution not only as providers of education and research, but also as actors paying an active role in the development of their economic, social and cultural surroundings. Questions like the following may easily arise: How are universities embedded in the...

Drawing from the academic literature, this paper discusses the concept of the ‘learning society’ and traces back its development. ICT play major roles in the learning society, from providing the technical infrastructure to creating digital skills and competences for lifelong learning and networking. Learning societies engender collective learning a...

The European structural funds are one of the biggest opportunities Romania has to resolve structural economic and social problems, especially in the current background of budget constraints due to the financial crisis. Among the European funds, ESF is particularly concerned with the development of human resources by providing them better skills and...

The paper is based on the research of the ways in which education and training are shaped by the emergence of the knowledge economy. The premise is that the educational system is a catalyst for the knowledge economy, but at the same time, it needs to adapt to the requirements of the new economic model. Therefore, this paper focuses on the learning...

This paper looks at the internationalization of higher education in a number of countries with the final purpose to make proposals for the acceleration of the higher education internationalization process of the countries that lag behind. It does that by first placing conceptually higher education in the context of globalization at world level and...

This paper contrasts various theoretical constructs of ‘state vulnerability’ and explores in a summary account their applicability for the development processes in South Eastern Europe.The findings support the supposition that ‘vulnerability’ is an elusive concept despite many attempts at quantifying fragility of a country’s political and economica...

Building a coherent country branding program at international level requires a strong coordination between the government, the business sector, the decision makers from educational and cultural sector, the civil society and, the mass media representatives in any country. The paper presents the main efforts Romania has done to build a country image...

It has become a common claim that the gravest dangers to world security are no longer military threats from rival great powers, but rather transnational threats emanating from poorly governed countries. Since the end of the Cold War, the international community has become increasingly preoccupied with the phenomenon usually named “state failure”, b...

In order to build a country branding it is needed a complex analysis of the country image internally and eternally, namely the image that the country has abroad and the self image about national identity. In the context of the national and international changes Romania is in the situation to reposition its country image. Having this purpose the ima...

Most economists still thought in the 1980s that development could be accurately depicted in the variants of GDP indicators. Then, the United Nations Development Programme's broader perspective on development enriched the analytical process with an approach based on human capabilities and social context that are needed for a decent standard of livin...

Intensified globalisation has lead to increased competition among cities for wealth, talent, visitors, investment and others. In this quest, cities become marketable products and were applied branding strategies. After a theoretical review of the concepts of place marketing and city branding, this article studies the contribution of education in ge...

An important support mechanism for the realization of the knowledge-based economy is strong university-business environment co-operation. This allows for the rapid conversion of scientific knowledge into commercial innovations with strong social and economic benefits. Scientific and technological collaborations between industry and universities enr...

The continuous globalisation of the international economy has pushed many enterprises to adopt offshore outsourcing as a business model. Small companies routinely outsource their payroll processing, accounting, distribution, and many other important functions - often because they have no other choice. Many large companies turn to outsourcing to cut...