Publisher: EDITURA ASE

The economic diversity of the romanian rural area

Diversitatea economică a spațiului rural românesc

Author(s): Bogdan Chiripuci / Language(s): Romanian

Keywords: romanian rural area; population; agriculture; services; processing industry; extractive industry; number of entrepreneurs; turnover; number of employees; entrepreneurship.

This paper is a manifest about the entrepreneurial potential of rural environment. Depending on the region of development and even the county in question, rural areas give certain insights about the extent of entrepreneurial manifestation depending on the particularity of each region. Therewith, the number of entrepreneurs, the average number of employees and the turnover registered at each of the above mentioned categories of settlements are the most important variables which helped to achieve a transparent perspective of the current entrepreneurial situation in romanian rural areas.

The entrepreneurship in rural romanian environment. Past, Present and Perspectives.

Antreprenoriatul în mediul rural românesc. Trecut, Prezent și Perspective

Author(s): Bogdan Chiripuci / Language(s): Romanian

Keywords: entrepreneurship; romanian rural environment; romanian entrepreneurship; european funds; investments;

The research focused on identifying the impact of possible investments in all sectors of activity, but also on listing the measures which aimed the economic development of the romanian rural area in the period 2000-2020. In this regard, the sectors of activity which have registered the highest values of entrepreneurship in rural areas are: manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles, transport, storage, and construction. On the opposite side, the most disadvantaged areas in regards to possible investment in the rural areas have proven to be public administration and defense; social security in the public system, and also education. These sectors of activity are generally under the public coordination. At the core of economic activity there is a public-private partnership. Additionally, these variables would achieve a qualitative increase, if large investments were made in the future. Therefore, this would also lead to the development of other fields, being that currently there is no balance at national or regional level.

Crowdfunding An Innovative Financing Tool

Crowdfunding Metoda inovativa de finantare

Author(s): Mina Fanea-Ivanovici / Language(s): Romanian

Keywords: crowdfunding; film industry; FinTech; creative industries; philanthropy

The more general objective to extend access to finance for innovative companies, start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises is part of the Action Plan on building a capital markets union, given that 60% of starts-ups survive during the first three years of activity and young companies account for 17% of employment while creating 42% of the new jobs. The Commission considers it to be vital to support such companies pass from the start-up phase to the expansion phase, having in mind stimulating investment that creates jobs and generates enhanced competitiveness of the European Union. In its turn, the European Parliament considers that a the capital markets union would enhance cross-border access to information on the companies looking for credit in order to promote growth of alternative financing models, including crowdfunding.Crowdfunding has witnessed different development levels in the member states of the European Union and, taken as a whole, represents a small share of the total volume of company finance. Nevertheless, besides the main objective of popularising and encouraging this funding method, the Commission is trying to facilitate and increase cross-border crowdfunding because, as a general rule, projects are regionally or locally financed.Still in its early ages in Romania (but also in other states), crowdfunding has relatively recently emerged as an alternative funding method for those companies or projects that do not have enough resources and/or are not eligible for traditional financing. At first, crowdfunding mainly addressed financing needs of projects involving a high level of risk and uncertainty: research-development, innovation and technology, social and humanitarian causes, creative-cultural industries, etc.Given the increasing role of the creative-cultural industries for a smart and sustainable development, as well as their impact on social inclusion, urban revitalisation and regeneration, it is high time to encourage and promote donation and philanthropy in this sector, the purpose of which is to supplement the existing public finance.The case of the creative-cultural industries is all the more interesting as the estimated revenues to be earned from such types of projects have a precarious character, and the ineligibility for banking crediting is justified by the inconsistency of gains. At the same time, the target audience does not represent a certain element. Such are the obstacles faced by unexperienced or young artists and creators and start-ups from other fields of activity.The purpose of this book is to present the multiple facets of crowdfunding as an alternative funding method of economic activities in general and of creative-cultural industries in particular, as well as to enhance awareness about it. According to the Council Resolution dated 16th of November 2007 regarding the European Agenda for Culture, some of the strategic objectives are: promoting cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue, promoting culture as a catalyst for creativity and promoting culture as a vital issue of the international relations of the European Union. Also, the Creative Europe 2014-2020 programme is aimed at enhancing European cultural and linguistic diversity, promoting the European cultural heritage and strengthening the European creative-cultural sector in order to achieve a smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. In this context, the aim of this work is to estimate the dimension of the crowdfunding phenomenon in Romania in the light of the creative-cultural industries and to analyse the opportunity of using this funding method. The first chapter deals with the issue of philanthropy in general and in the creative industries in particular by analysing the main legislative measures and governmental programmes implemented in the European countries. The second chapter presents an ingression in time and space with the purpose of identifying the origins and oldest forms of crowdfunding: Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries, America in the 19th century and Asia in the 20th century. The same chapter reveals the conditions under which the first modern crowdfunding campaigns and the first crowdfunding platforms occurred in the world. The main concepts and notions related to crowdfunding are dealt with in the third chapter. To this purpose both the specialized literature and the main European documents in the matter have been used. The fourth chapter is dedicated to the main valences and advantages of using crowdfunding, with a focus on creative-cultural industries. Additionally, the chapter includes an analysis of the aspects that need to betaken heed of in order to have a successful crowdfunding campaign. At the same time, the chapter advocates the importance of information transparency on crowdfunding platforms. The sixth chapter tackles the main legal aspects of crowdfunding in Romania. In this respect, the progress made in terms of legislating crowdfunding is presented and the accounting impact of crowdfunding operations are discussed. The seventh chapter presents a case study analysing the way in which the Romanian filmmaking industry is financed through crowdfunding.Last but not least, the final chapter analyses the amplifying role of the consumer within crowdfunding campaign. The consumer sometimes becomes a prosumer. The analysis is based, as in the previous chapter, on the filmmaking industry in Romania and its purpose is to highlight the prosumer’s role in successfully completing crowdfunding campaigns.

The impact of cohesion policy on real convergence in Romania

L’impact de la politique de cohésion sur la convergence réelle en Roumanie

Author(s): Cătălina Mihaela N. Bădoiu / Language(s): French

Keywords: cohesion policy; impact; European funds; European integration; real convergence;

”L’impact de la politique de cohésion sur la convergence réelle en Roumanie” visait à produire une analyse de l'impact de l'intégration européenne sur la convergence réelle dans les États membres d'Europe orientale pendant la période de programmation 2007 -2013. À l'aide d'une combinaison de méthodes, techniques et logiciels dédiés, la recherche a inclus une série d'analyses des fonds structurels alloués aux régions de 3 pays d'Europe orientale (Pologne, Roumanie et Bulgarie), un inventaire des bonnes pratiques (le cas du Portugal considéré comme une réussite dans ce registre d’investigation), ainsi que des modèles statistiques pour les tests de convergence, qui visaient à mesurer l’effet des allocations sur la croissance économique régionale. Dans la dernière partie du document, nous avons analysé la perception sociale de l’intégration européenne et des politiques régionales dans le but de définir des mesures appropriées pour améliorer la gestion des programmes opérationnels régionaux. Les principaux éléments d’originalité du document sont les suivants: réaliser une analyse interdisciplinaire sur le thème de l’impact des fonds européens, période de référence 2007-2013, en utilisant une combinaison de méthodes statistiques et économétriques de test d’hypothèses, présentation des bonnes pratiques en matière de mise en oeuvre de projets régionaux qui peut être reproduit en Europe orientale, une analyse comparative (à la fois des séries chronologiques et qualitative à travers une analyse documentaire) entre les trois pays d’Europe de l’Est déjà mentionnés. À cela s’ajoute la possibilité d’enquêter sur l’impact des fonds en corrélant les indicateurs de programme avec les indicateurs d’Eurostat, ainsi que de tester la rapidité avec laquelle les États analysés peuvent atteindre la convergence. L’analyse de la perception des citoyens roumains sur la question de la politique de cohésion, grâce à l’application et à l’interprétation de plus de 400 questionnaires, dans les régions de Bucarest-Ilfov et du Nord-Est (qui présentent les plus grandes divergences), mais aussi la réalisation de 10 entretiens avec les bénéficiaires directs des projets régionaux et la création de mesures pertinentes en vue d'accroître la qualité de la performance institutionnelle des autorités de gestion afin de rendre la mise en oeuvre du Programme Opérationnel Régional plus efficace. Les principales conclusions de la recherche montrent qu'au niveau de l'Union européenne, les modèles appliqués aux données nationales montrent que le processus de2convergence entre les États membres de l'UE27 est en cours et que les divergences interrégionales se sont accentuées. Après les tests de convergence, cela se fera entre (le scénario pessimiste par rapport au scénario optimiste): 25 et 11 ans pour la Roumanie, entre 24 et 10 ans pour la Pologne et entre 37 et 19 ans pour la Bulgarie. Suite à l'interprétation des données de l'analyse de perception, la Roumanie a été un réel bénéficiaire de l'intégration européenne, avec un accès à des fonds non remboursables (y compris via le Programme Opérationnel Régional) offrant de nombreux avantages économiques, sociaux, culturels, touristiques, de développement des infrastructures etc. Bien que la question du manque de développement interrégional (mais également intrarégional) n'ait pas été résolue, elle ne l'a été que partiellement par le biais du programme opérationnel régional 2007-2013, ont été accomplis des progrès dans la réalisation de l'objectif de réduction des disparités de développement entre la Roumanie et les États membres de l'UE. Dans le même temps, il est important de noter que, même si les fonds structurels n’ont apporté aucune modification majeure, en l’absence de dotations européennes, les interventions auraient dû être effectuées exclusivement à partir de fonds publics nationaux. Une hypothèse potentielle pour les recherches futures pourrait être que les fonds structurels sont insuffisants pour générer un impact majeur sur la réduction des disparités régionales, la recherche permettant d'évaluer les progrès des régions bénéficiant d'une allocation plus importante pour soutenir les grands programmes de développement socio-économique.

Evaluation methods and strategies to improve the quality of ecotourism services . Case study: Salaj County

Metode de evaluare și strategii de îmbunătățire a calității serviciilor ecoturistice. Studiu de caz: Județul Sălaj

Author(s): Alina Gheorghe / Language(s): Romanian

Keywords: Ecotourism; intelligent tourism; sustainable development; ecotourism services quality; S.W.O.T. analysis; diversification strategies.

Green tourism is approached with great interest by the specialists in the field of tourism worldwide. Intelligent tourism has a significant contribution to the social and economic well-being of each country. Romania is a country with a high ecotourism potential, both tapped and untapped, due to the diversity of its land forms and the existence of a significant number of protected natural areas. Romanian traditions differ depending on region or area. The architecture of local tourist attractions (museums, memorial houses, fortresses) makes a significant contribution to Romanian niche tourism. In particular, Salaj County has a wealth of ecotourism resources, which should be properly harnessed. The analysis carried out in the present work contributes to the added value of Salaj County's ecotourism services.

History and Evolution of Romanian Borders until 1600

Istoria și evoluția frontierelor românești până în anul 1600

Author(s): Titus Cristureanu / Language(s): Romanian

Keywords: frontiers; Romanian territories; geographical and religious factors; sovereignty; Romanian states in the Balkans; Romanian citadels; Dacian palingenesis

The Danube-Carpathian-Pontic area has gone through different situations since the 1st-2nd centuries AD, when the Roman Emperor Aurelian retreated from the Dacian territories (271-274 AD), which differentiated the socio-political situation of the future medieval Romanian state. During this time, on the northeastern territory, corresponding to medieval Wallachia and Moldavia, the Roman armies retreated to the south of the Danube, while migrating tribes (especially the Goths) started to settle there.The present work introduces the reader to a rigorously documented conception of the formation of the first medieval Romanian states, the process of their genesis, and also some enlightening considerations about the appearance of the first Romanian state genesis in the second half of the 14th century. Due to the scarcity of the documentary sources, the book is a challenging analysis in twelve chapters about the frontiers of the Romanian territories, geographical and religious factors of the formation of the first state entities, sovereignty, Romanian states in the Balkans, Romanian citadels, Dacian palingenesis.

John Barth. Between author and character

John Barth. Între autor şi personaj

Author(s): Raluca Nicoleta Șerban / Language(s): Romanian

Keywords: mise-en-abyme; self-fictionalization; transference; author; character; postmodernism; irony; parody

This book aims to establish a connection between the American postmodern author John Barth and autobiographic fiction, via the literary technique borrowed from heraldry, la mise-en-abyme. More precisely, the author has looked for answers to the questions the American writer himself was asking as early as the 1980s, both in his essays, and in his fiction, questions revolving around the issue of the necessity of writing novels persistently featuring himself as a character.

THE COOPERATIVE STRUCTURES’ ROLE IN THE KNOWLEDGE MARKET

ROLUL STRUCTURILOR COOPERATISTE ÎN PIAȚA TRANSFERULUI DE CUNOAȘTERE

Author(s): Maria Claudia Preda (Diaconeasa) / Language(s): Romanian

Keywords: cooperative structures; agricultural cooperatives; knowledge transfer; sustainable development; agricultural policy

The paper has an interdisciplinary approach, leaving the pure economical circumscription through its social, behavioural and adaptive facets. Agricultural cooperatives are capable of responding both to the members’needs, according to their principles and to the researchers projections of sustainable rural development. The involvement of the rural area in the knowledge market is generally wanted. The present paper proves that cooperative structures have a significant role in achieving that goal, under some restrictions. Knowledge transfer isn’t an objective itself, it is a process approached on two sections: for the authorities, the scope of the process should be favoring the sustainable development in the agrifood sector, and for the farmers it helps with the understanding sustainable agriculture as an opportunity of a long term activity. These results can be achieved through medium and large size farmers’ cooperation, capable of engaging the informational resource in the decisional process. For this reason the rural development policies should be differentiated considering the farms’ size.

Branding in football

Branding în fotbal

Author(s): Vlad I. Rosca / Language(s): Romanian

Keywords: sports marketing; football marketing; branding; football branding; sports branding; Liga1; Romanian football; brand equity; customer relationship management; CRM in sports

“Branding în fotbal” (“Branding in football”, eng.) is a book that discusses how Romanian football clubs can use their brands in order to increase their sympathy with fans. The work highlights that football clubs in Romania do not yet properly use their brands so as to establish relationships with their fans based on trust. Branding theory is analyzed in relationship with customer management principles, highlighting that football brands can be used as levers to create long-lasting relationships between clubs and fans. Brands thus become a driver of fan loyalty. The book links Aaker’s concept of brand equity with seventeen antecedents (classified in three sub-systems: relational, market, internal) that have the potential to increase the equity. The book underlines that these antecedents should be used by football clubs in order to increase their brand value.

Strategic Management for Local Communities

Strategic Management for Local Communities

Author(s): / Language(s): English

Keywords: Public Administration; Public Management; Strategic Management; Local Communities; Strategy Planning; Public services; Urban Development; Human Resources in the Public Sector

Selected papers were presented at the 11th Administration and Public Management International Conference held in Bucharest, 30th-31st October, 2015.

Anthropology of Financial Markets: Topics, Approaches, and Methods

Antropologia piețelor financiare. Teme, Abordări, Metode

Author(s): Narcis Tulbure / Language(s): Romanian

Keywords: anthropology of money; financial markets; value(s); finance and culture; indebtedness; financial crisis

The book is an introduction to the overlapping subfields of the anthropology of financial markets and the anthropology of money. It is meant for a Romanian audience interested in understanding financial practices and processes taking place after the end of socialism from an anthropological perspective. The book includes a selection of unpublished essays and several articles formerly published in English. It aims both to present a systematic and critical introduction to some of the most recent theories pertaining to the anthropology of money/ financial markets and to illustrate the virtues of ethnographic approaches to postsocialist financial practices. While the first chapter is a critical essay on the state of the two subfields, the following four chapters of the book deal with the issues of local notions of (life) insurance and the social networks through which insurance policies are distributed, indebtedness and its local predicaments during the financial crisis started in 2008, the shifting notions of risk and the financial architecture built to tame it after the subprime mortgage crisis and the Great Recession it triggered, as well as culturally informed practices involving money in several Romanian mutual funds during the postsocialist period.

Economic Sociology, Human Resource Management and Organizational Dynamics

Economic Sociology, Human Resource Management and Organizational Dynamics

Author(s): / Language(s): English

Keywords: Economic Sociology; Human Resource Management; Organizational Dynamics; Public Administration; Public Sector; Social Communication; Public Management; Educational System; Regional Sustainable Development

Governance and Management in a Globalized Context

Governance and Management in a Globalized Context

Author(s): / Language(s): English

Keywords: Governance; Public Management; Globalized Context; Public Administration; Public Services; Regional Governance; Corruption; Human Capital; Tourism Destinations

Romania 1918-2018. One century of geopolitical concerns

România 1918-2018. Un secol de frământări geopolitice

Author(s): / Language(s): Romanian

Keywords: Romania; Romanian Centenary (1918-2018); geopolitics of Romania; the Romanian school of geopolitics; Geopolitics and Business MA; geography; Bucharest University of Economic Studies;

The volume entitled Romania 1918-2018. One century of geopolitical concerns (coordinated by Associated Professor Marius-Cristian Neacșu, PhD) is the fruit of the efforts and scientific research of the Geopolitics and Business Master Program, within the Bucharest University of Economic Studies, with the participation of both consecrated (professors) and early staged researchers (final year MA students), in a perfect symbiosis, on one hand by virtue of a noble ideal - the appearance in and under the auspices of ASE Bucharest in this important anniversary year, the Centenary of the Great Union (1918-2018) – and, on the other hand, as a proof of the Romanian higher education quality, through relevance, rigor and scientific accuracy of the information. Thus, the paper presents a particular interest, with regards to the subjects as well as its contribution to the understanding of the context and the geopolitical and geoeconomic Romanian framework, its dynamics over the last 100 years, with current implications on the regional and national business environment.The thematic area underlying this volume of studies and researches is Geohistory, Geopolitics and Geoeconomics, being structured in 15 studies, within three parts: Part I. The Centenary of Romania (1. The complicated geopolitical position of Romania, Marius-Cristian NEACȘU); Part II. One century of geopolitical concerns (2. Romania in World War I, Marian TUCĂ; 3. Nicolae Iorga and the Great Union. Geopolitical and geohistorical contributions, Clara NAE; 4. Romania between 1918 and 1944, Beatrice AVRAM; 5. The population of Romania in the interwar period, Bogdan ȚEBREAN; 6. The economy of Romania in the interwar period, Cătălin CONSTANTINESCU; 7. Romania during the communist regime, Roxana MATEI; 8. Romania after 1989, Laura-Iulia CIUPERCĂ; 9. Romania's relations with its neighbouring countries 1918-2018, Alina GHERGHINA, 10. Romanian-Russian relations 1918-2018, Marian TUCĂ); Part III. Geography and Geopolitics. The Romanian School (11. Simion Mehedinți, precursor of the Romanian school of geopolitics, Marius-Cristian NEACȘU; 12. Romania in the Romanian geopolitical studies in the first half of the 20th century, Silviu NEGUȚ, Marius-Cristian NEACȘU; 13. The contribution of Romanian geographers to the construction of modern Romania. Paris Peace Conference, 1919-1920, Marius-Cristian NEACȘU, Gheorghe VLĂSCEANU; 14. Simion Mehedinți, the great absent of Paris Peace Conference, 1919-1920, Marius-Cristian NEACȘU; 15. A long century of geography at Bucharest University of Economic Studies. The Master Program of Geopolitics and Business, Marius-Cristian NEACȘU).

Land consolidation in Romanian agriculture

Consolidarea proprietății funciare din agricultura României

Author(s): Laura Ciobanu / Language(s): Romanian

Keywords: land fragmentation; land consolidation; agricultural policy; Romanian agriculture;

In the past twenty-five years Romania's agricultural sector has faced many changes and challenges. Although this sector has received considerable support, the policies designed and implemented starting from the last agrarian reform did not generate the expected effects. The magnitude of the changes after the '90s led to the creation of raw conditions for the development of agriculture. The specific way of transition and the agricultural policies implemented have greatly contributed to the polarization of the agrarian structures and to agricultural land fragmentation. Even under the influence of the common agricultural policy, the agricultural restructuring process went very slow. Fragmentation creates inefficiencies especially by limiting the capacity to adapt to new technologies and to the changes in costs and also contributes to maintaining a relatively constant and high volume of labor force in agriculture. While Western European countries have a long tradition and significant experience in land consolidation, the countries of Central and Eastern Europe are still at the beginning of the road with this process. Romania is part of the countries without an ongoing consolidation program, although fragmentation is a major obstacle in the process of agricultural development. However, over time there have been several initiatives in this regard. Overall, the implementation of the land consolidation program is a way of modeling the existing potential and contributes to increasing the farms efficiency by improving production and land use choices. It also allows access to new technologies, creates the prerequisites for an operational land market and improves the overall viability of the holdings.

A century of curriculum design in commercial higher education in Romania

Un secol de design curricular în învățământul superior comercial din România

Author(s): Mihai Korka / Language(s): Romanian

Keywords: Romanian higher education history; education and training for trade professionals; changes in curriculum design in higher education for trade professionals in a centennial perspective; learning objectives; comparative analysis of curricula

This study explores the dynamics of curriculum design for the higher education and training of trade professionals over one hundred years within the Bucharest University of Economic Studies. In the centennial existence of this specialisation, three analytical periods have been identified: (1913-1946) were years of acknowledgement and consolidation of the trade specialization in the newly established university; (1947-1989) were marked by politization of the curriculum and adjustment of the educational contents to the commendments of the ruling communist party; (1990-2018) were dedicated to the recovery of traditions in the Romanian higher education and to alignement to the experience and best practices of business schools in the Euro-Atlantic area. For each period, the paper investigates the educational contents of the curriculum in its historical evolution, as well as the improvements and the inevitable losses occured while changing the design. These developments have been analysed from the viewpoint of learning objectives and learning outcomes. The final part brings arguments in favor of further steps in renewing the curriculum.

Guide of good practices regarding the elaboration of the works for the completion of the bachelor's and master's studies

Ghid de bune practici privind elaborarea lucrărilor de finalizare a studiilor de licență și masterat

Author(s): Vasile Dinu / Language(s): Romanian

Keywords: guide of best practices; Bachelor thesis; Dissertation paper; structural elements of a scientific paper; scientific style of writing; citation in text; writing bibliographic sources; word editing; plagiarism

The design and writing of a scientific paper such as a bachelor's or master's degree is a complex and long process, which has an important and distinct role in completing university studies. This Guide does not refer to the actual scientific content of the paper, but systematically approaches the design and drafting process through a logical approach, starting from certain general considerations regarding the conceptual framework, then describing the structural elements of the paper, grouped into pre-text elements, text elements and post-text elements, as well as the requirements for its drafting (which is highly operationalized by the examples it contains), and then proceeds to deal with relevant issues related to plagiarism, in order to, finally, refer to the main issues that arise in the presentation of the paper. The Guide aims to lead and assist students in the development of scientific papers, providing them with good practices for the formation of skills and abilities necessary for the preparation of the bachelor's or master's thesis. The Guide also has another purpose, namely to create a minimum consensus among professors on the application of relatively unitary criteria for guiding students.

Methods and techniques of multidimensional data analysis. Lecture notes

Metode și tehnici de analiză multidimensională a datelor. Suport de curs

Author(s): Andreea MURARU / Language(s): Romanian

Keywords: data analysis; principal components analysis (PCA); factor analysis; correspondence analysis; cluster analysis; discriminant analysis

The book presents the most commonly used tools, methods and techniques of multivariate analysis and it is mostly designed for bachelor and graduate students. It has 8 chapters, grouped into 3 parts, as follows: (i) the first part (containing 3 chapters) is a review of fundamentals of matrix algebra, probability theory and statistics with a greater focus on the concepts underlying the mathematical models of the various data analysis techniques described further in the book; (ii) the second part is dedicated to dimensionality reduction methods, covering 3 types of analysis each of them described in a separate chapter: principal component analysis, factor analysis and correspondence analysis; and (iii) the third part deals (within two chapters) with pattern recognition techniques: cluster analysis and discriminant analysis.Besides the technical and mathematical descriptions, the chapters focusing on methods of multivariate data analysis also include a case study on real data, and some examples to clarify the more complex parts.

Directions and strategies to increase employees' satisfaction and performance in Romanian travel agencies

Direcții și strategii de creștere a satisfacției și performanței angajaților din agențiile de turism românești

Author(s): Irina Misoc / Language(s): Romanian

Keywords: services; travel agency; employee performance; employee satisfaction; the correlation between employee satisfaction and performance; managerial strategy;

The present work paper emphasizes the direct, linear and significant relationship that exists between job satisfaction and job performance of the employees who are responsible of selling travel packages through Romanian travel agencies. This work paper brings new and innovative elements because such a relationship has been studied a little in the field of travel agencies. This was possible by measuring first the level of job satisfaction and job performance of travel agents in Romanian travel agencies. 342 travel agents and 39 travel agency managers participated in this study. The data used for measuring travel agents' performances were collected from the questionnaires, which were elaborated by the author. The questionnaires were designated to both managers and employees. In order to gather the data used for measuring the job satisfaction a JDI questionnaire was used. Also, a questionnaire for gathering data regarding the present methods used nowadays for measuring the travel agents' job satisfaction, has been used in this study. Based on the results of the field researches, a managerial strategy was elaborated, which could be implemented inside a travel agency in order to increase job satisfaction and job performance of travel agents.

Computer ontologies in online education

Ontologii informatice în învățământul online

Author(s): Lidia Bajenaru / Language(s): Romanian

Keywords: E-learning; ontologies; semantic web; adaptive learning system; personalisation; learning style; modelling; student modelling; learning management system (LMS); management; human resource management; medical management; hospital manager; healthcare

This book proposes an environment of e-learning based on new semantic technologies able to manage the process of building of personalized educational content for the purpose of training the managers of a clinical hospital. The necessity of this research results from the requirements for training of the specialists in the field of human resources management and the medical system in Romania, as well as from the need to find solutions for the current limitations of e-learning. These goals are achieved through the use of new technologies, semantic web, ontologies and advanced educational strategies, that deliver an adaptive and personalized learning process by providing personalized bibliographies. The use of semantic technologies and ontologies in implementing the personalized process of learning, in modelling the flow of learning and building, organizing and updating the specific learning resources and automate environment e-learning, has as a final result a prototype system. The educational content offered is adapted to to their profile, level of education, learning style and needs of the target group members. The aim of the system is to offer a competitive training course for professionals in the fields of medical management, according to the requirements of the European Union. The personalised e-learning programme, based on innovatory technologies, semantic web and ontologies, makes it possible to continuously adapt this form of education to the actual needs of the Romanian and European health system. This work proposes the integration of semantic web technologies with knowledge management and e-learning, to structure resources and assure the semantic interoperability in the medical field. Consequently, a series of instruments meant to store, search for and retrieve significant, contextualised content were designed. The ontologies support these processes with models and techniques for the representation, sharing and re-use of the knowledge. The ontological components that underlie the prototype of the e-learning system: the model of the students, the model of the health management field and the model of the learning process, have been implemented in a real platform. The student model guides the entire learning process and offers essential information about each and every student, outlining their profile and determining learning that is flexible and adapted to their specific characteristics. The implementation of the designed ontology was achieved with the Protégé 4.3 application that is able to translate the ontology structure into the OWL (Ontology web Language) formal language. The ontologies were exported in RDF Schema (RDFS) and Web Ontology Language (OWL) formats, so as to integrate them into the open-source platform. Some of the original contributions highlighted in the thesis are: methodological guides on the use of semantic modeling in the development of a personalized e-learning system; a mini-ontology specific to the field of health management; ontological models; the e-learning system prototype based on the developed ontologies. By developing this prototype e-learning system, prerequisites have been created for a knowledge base that can be used in environments similar to the one investigated, as well as being a powerful tool for improving the knowledge of the health team members. The aim and original contribution of this book reside in the implementation of a new, personalised, e-learning learning approach (continuous training) for managers in the Health system, founded on e-learning modern technologies and specific ontologies, in a field of utmost importance, the health.