Ruxandra Ciulu

Diversification Strategy in the Pharmaceutical Industry

The study focuses on the manner in which diversification strategy is applied to the pharmaceutical industry. The paper deals with diversification business models, such as the blockbuster model and the generic drugs model. Also, an important trend in the pharmaceutical industry is related to mergers and acquisitions, as well as the choice between diversification and focus. By way of conclusion, I offered the situation of the Romanian pharmaceutical industry, which will probably undergo important changes in the years to come.

The economic impact and the dynamics of the innovative process in Romania compared to the European Union

The economic impact of the innovative process has been extensively studied by numerous researchers and specialists because innovation is a fundamental element of the economic and social progress and it is the tool to address todays global challenges in multiple fields, and at the level of organizations is one of the key factors that ensure the increase of their productivity, efficiency and effectiveness. In Romania, the innovative process is declining or experiences an oscillating development, and compared to the European Union member states; there is a large discrepancy in a number of indicators. In order to have a clearer picture of the innovative process in Romania compared to the European Union, in this paper we have analyzed the data provided by the European Commission grouped in a series of indicators that reflect the economic impact and the dynamics of the innovative process in the period 2008–2015 to be found in the European Innovation Scoreboard for the year 2016.

Areas of Interest for CSR – The Case of Enterprises Present in Romania

The current paper presents the results of an ongoing research project, aimed at analyzing the situation of companies present in Romania in terms of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainable development (SD). Acknowledging the fact that local and m ultinational companies, on one hand, state-owned and private-owned, on the other hand, approach CSR and SD in significantly different manners, the study was designed to outline these differences. The research methodology is a qualitative type, relying on sociological enquiry (as method) and open interview (as technique). Results show that all three companies includ ed in the study are engaged in CSR actions, but differences reside mainly in the industry specificity and the level of knowledge about CSR and SD at management level. Results can be used by the organizations included in the study in order to develop an integrated approach towards CSR and to fit into the general SD flow present in all industries nowadays.

The Social Responsibility and Competitiveness of the Romanian Firm

Abstract Our study aims to answer some important questions about the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the present-day Romanian enterprise competitiveness (EC): 1. to what extent do the managers of Romanian enterprises understand and implement CSR actions?; 2. what are the factors that motivate enterprise management for proceeding with CSR actions and implementing them?; 3. what is the relationship between CSR actions and enterprise competitiveness? A number of other few questions act as support for searching the answers to the three above-formulated questions. Finally, the purpose of the research is to formulate at least a consistent and viable hypothesis about the relationship between CSR and EC actions in terms of existence, meaning and intensity. The research support is the status of the CSR actions of three Romanian enterprises located in the North-Eastern area of the country. The original, exploratory component of the research was set by the choice of a heuristic approach through which we can identify the CSR principles, the enterprise management position towards them and a few basic elements to assess the competitiveness of the three enterprises. The survey was approached by appealing to direct meetings based on a semi-structured interview, whose coordinates were set by an appropriate interview guide containing five groups of questions. Processing, analysis and interpretation of results were achieved by recourse to comparative analysis, using as a basis of comparison the standard situation of the GRI report available in 2015 for European companies as a result of previous research in the field. The findings of this research have a double benefit: first, to serve as support for further testing and validation of two hypotheses derived through the abductive approach; then to identify available directions in terms of action for the Romanian enterprise in order to enhance the incentive potential of CSR actions in relation to competitiveness. The adaptations and methodological developments made in this research stage will also be followed in order to be validated and to identify possible extensions for further research.

Crisis Inversion Strategies – Theory or Reality in Romania of 2009?

The world crisis has begun showing its effects in Romania in October 2008. Still, the immaturity of Romanian authorities in the political and economic fields, as well as the enthusiasm of economic development led to an unconscious state of mind regarding the crisis. Therefore, Romanian companies have not started preparing for the crisis until they began feeling its effects. Also, a large number of Romanian managers are not familiar with crisis inversion strategies and accept crisis as an invincible necessity. Still, in other economies we can find examples of managers who fight for saving their companies and even try gaining competitive advantage based on the crisis. We have tried to find out if Romanian managers belong to the second type. ainly, the study focuses on strategies adopted by Romanian companies in order to counterbalance or, at least, ensure their survival during the world crisis.

Organizational Forgetting as Strategy

Within the field of knowledge management, the concepts of organizational learning and organizational forgetting are considered somehow opposite. But are we able to learn without forgetting‘ If maintained within the organization, useless knowledge can become a barrier to new knowledge, also requiring management expenses and attention, leading to loss of competitiveness. We refer to the main types of forgetting, as well as their consequences, and to the ways in which strategic forgetting can be transformed into cost strategy. Due to the fact that intentional forgetting is more important for the topic, we have referred to the forms of intentional or strategic forgetting. In a brief and empirical analysis of Romanian companies’ behavior regarding knowledge management and, especially, organizational forgetting, we conclude that, at the current pace, it will still take years or even decades before Romanian organizations will be able to truly enter the international competition.

Secrets Of The South-Korean Economic Miracle

This paper proves that, in order to accomplish the highest economic development at mac-roeconomical level, it is necessary to maintain and manage imbalances, so that they do not become unbearable. For this purpose, South-Koreans have created the ‘South-Korean essentials’, an ex-tremely complex concept, which involves multiple factors that together create the targetted effect. The South-Korean miracle challenges even the neoclassical model. State intervention in the economy is one of the key factors for success due to a planning system based on strict regulations. To these must be added the planning – market relationship, the agriculture – industry nexus and the ‘two feet’ eco-nomic theory.

North-Eastern Romania - From Underdeveloped Region to Economic Growth Factor

North-Eastern Romania has been one of the least targeted regions by foreign investors starting from 1990. The main reasons are related to the distance between this part of the country and European capitals, mostly in terms of mentality and logistics. Lately, due to economic reasons, more and more investors prospect the region in search of the best location for production or logistics. The paper outlines opportunities as well as threats within the region and suggests several strategies to be adopted by new investors in the area.