Carmen Păunescu

Managing maturity in process-based improvement organizations: a perspective of the Romanian companies

Building upon various models from the literature which assess the maturity level achieved by an organization at one moment in time, the paper introduces a model which helps organizations, interested in remaining competitive and achieving sustainability, to monitor and evaluate their process performance. Such as, the paper analyzes the relationships that exist among the critical components of an organizations management system at the strategic and operational level so that key drivers will become the heart of sustainable development. In particular, the paper focuses on how the organizational system influences process maturity profile of the Romanian companies. Data were collected in face-to-face structured-questionnaire interviews from 1302 public and private organizations from Romania. The dearth of empirical research examining organization process maturity in emerging countries constitutes a critical gap in the business process management literature that needs much more attention from scholars. For the purpose of this paper, a factor analysis was employed to explain the pattern of correlations within a set of observed variables that determine the process maturity profile of the Romanian companies. The research results show that there are strong positive correlations between the variables examined that account for a higher level of maturity and performance of organizations processes.

Seniorpreneur as a career option for smart active ageing. A study on Romania

Abstract The ageing of population is a global phenomenon and solutions are looked for in order to milder the economic impact. One alternative is supporting active ageing through development of entrepreneurship among senior population. Seniors are a valuable resource for entrepreneurship. They often have the skills, financial resources and time available to contribute to economic activity. This will lead to the growing prevalence of senior entrepreneurship. Engaging seniors in both business creation and in supporting new and existing entrepreneurs would maximize the quality of their working life, nurture intergenerational learning and ensure knowledge transfer. In this respect, the paper seeks to answer the following questions: What is the seniors’ perception about entrepreneurship and self-employment in Romania? How desirable is a self-employed career for senior population? What are the motivations of Romanian senior population to become self-employed? To achieve these objectives, the paper analyzes the pulse of self-employment in Romania for people from the age group 60+ years. The data used are extracted from the Amway Global Entrepreneurship Reports (AGER) developed for Romania, for the period 2014-2016. Analysis is conducted by taken into considerations the following dimensions of the “entrepreneurship perception”: attitude towards entrepreneurship, intention of starting a business, entrepreneurship career appealing and entrepreneurship motivations. The findings of the paper show that, in general, people over 60 years exhibit a decreasing positive perception about entrepreneurship that can be explained by multiple reasons. In the paper we raise some key issues that require consideration by policy makers in order to support senior entrepreneurship in Romania and improve seniors’ quality of life.

Examining the Social Capital Content and Structure in the Pre-start-up Planning

Abstract Existing empirical research suggests that the pre-entry knowledge and the entrepreneurs prior social relationships will influence the new ventures chances of survival and its future growth on the market. In the present paper we argue that pre-start-up planning supports the entrepreneur with identification of necessary resources and infrastructure that help him achieve the business vision and goals. As such, the paper strives to develop a more meaningful content for the notion of social capital, by acknowledging the social capital structure and components in the acceptation of the most popular scholars in the research field. It also examines the social capital dimensions and sources of generation in the pre-entry stage of the entrepreneurial process, by reviewing the current state of art built around different researches conducted in the specialized literature. To support the entrepreneurial behaviour of creating social capital, the article is concluded with a discussion of the role of social capital in the pre-start up planning, as component of the pre-entry knowledge possessed by the entrepreneurs, such that the social capital becomes not only an enabler for achieving the breakeven point, but a driver for success and profitability. If the current state or art looks at the pre-entry knowledge as prerequisite for the wealth of an organization, this paper articulates the importance of social capital, as key component and contributor to the companys success.

Entrepreneurship perception among vulnerable population groups in Romania

Abstract This paper aims to explore the entrepreneurship perception among diverse populations in Romania typically seen as vulnerable. It also aims to provide support regarding how the concept might be useful in considering and designing alternative policy interventions. The vulnerable population groups studied in the paper differ by age (seniors), gender (females), income (low income population) and residence (rural community). The paper attempts to answer three research questions: (1) how attitudes towards entrepreneurship differ among vulnerable population groups; (2) how intention of starting a business varies among studied population; and (3) what is the likelihood and desirability of studied population to consider entrepreneurship as a career choice. The data analysed in the paper are extracted from the Amway Global Entrepreneurship Report (AGER) developed for Romania, for the period 2014-2016. Analysis is conducted by taken into consideration the following dimensions of the “entrepreneurship perception”: attitude towards entrepreneurship, intention of starting a business, entrepreneurship as a career choice, and likelihood of self-employment. The paper aims to contribute to advancing research on the less addressed and less understood entrepreneurship perception among vulnerable populations. In the paper we make recommendations for governmental institutions that are meant to contribute to designing policy interventions that will nurture entrepreneurship spirit in Romania.

The Role of Social Enterprises at European Level

The social enterprise model of business is gaining more and more in popularity since it provides opportunities to combine societal goals with commercial objectives for the benefit of both community and environment. The chapter presents the role played by European Union social enterprises in creating innovation, driving growth and reducing unemployment and poverty. It starts with refining the meanings of social enterprise to have a consistent definition which can be broadly used across all European countries. It further introduces the forms of organization of social enterprises and common fields where they operate together with associated target groups. Furthermore, a financial model for the social enterprise is introduced. The next part of the chapter discusses the ways in which social enterprises can contribute to the economy and what networks and mutual support mechanisms there are for social enterprises at European level. The chapter also brings into the discussion real case examples of social enterprises and their key success factors.

Does Community Service Make Any Difference in University Rankings

The paper analyzes the way in which different attributes of the community service are taken into consideration among the indicators used in international university rankings. Also, the paper discusses the extent to which these factors influence positioning of the university in the overall ranking. For this purpose, eleven international rankings of world universities have been examined to identify those indicators that address community service issues. These are meant to measure how seriously a university takes its obligations to society by investing in community. Furthermore, two main criteria form the basis of analysis, namely social responsibility and regional engagement, as these include explicit measures for community service. The results suggest that there is a positive correlation between ranking in social responsibility and the overall ranking for universities investigated, and between ranking in regional engagement and overall ranking, but of different intensity.

Examining obligations to society for QS Stars best ranked universities in social responsibility

Abstract Developing the local, regional, even national communities is often central to a university’s mission. This is a two-way process and both society and university itself should benefit from this collaboration. Universities around the world have been in the past decades required to leave their ivory tower and to become more involved in addressing the needs of the society and thus more relevant for the communities which they serve. They are expected to take a leadership role in implementation of the required change by contributing to community development through knowledge, innovations, skills and jobs. By taking a leading role in society and continuously innovating, universities will support communities with achieving a sustainable growth and therefore will contribute to increasing the well-being of society at large. The current paper aims to assess the university obligations to society by analyzing 27 universities around the world best ranked in social responsibility according to QS Stars University Rating 2016. In the paper, we discuss the extent to which different attributes of the university social responsibility are reflected among the initiatives and projects run by the universities included in the study. Also, an exploratory factor analysis was employed to identify underlying variables that explain the pattern of correlations between university social responsibility initiatives. Following the QS Stars methodology, the dimensions used to evaluate social responsibility of sampled universities included: community investment and development, social work and disaster relief, regional human capital development, and environmental impact. The results show that the level of involvement in social responsibility actions is high for all the universities included in the study. Also, the types of initiatives vary in terms of nature, intensity and impact for each one of the dimensions analyzed. Our research findings offer useful insights for both universities’ leaders and community developers in their joint-efforts to develop and grow a prosperous community.

Effective Energy Planning for Improving the Enterprise's Energy Performance

Abstract The global pressing need to protect the environment, save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions worldwide has prompted the enterprises to implementing both individual energy saving measures and a more systematic approach to improve the overall enterprise’s energy performance. Energy management is becoming a priority as enterprises strive to reduce energy costs, conform to regulatory requirements, and improve their corporate image. As such, enterprises are encouraged to manage their energy related matters in a systematic manner and a more harmonized way, to ensure continual improvement on their energy efficiency. Despite the increasing interest in energy management standards, a gap persists between energy management literature and current implementation practices. The release of the ISO 50001 international standard was meant to help the organizations develop sound energy management systems and effective process-based energy management structures that could be recognized through third-party certification. Building on the energy management literature and energy management standards, the current paper presents the essential steps the enterprises should take to practically design a sustainable energy management system. Also, by using multiple case studies of enterprises that have implemented an ISO 50001 energy management system, it introduces a structured approach that companies can use to effectively develop their energy planning and improve energy performance. The key components of the enterprise’s energy planning are discussed, as well as practical examples of energy objectives and performance indicators from various industries are offered. The paper shows that by establishing an effective energy planning system, this will efficiently meet demands for achieving energy performance indicators and international certification.