Browsing: 2013

Introduction. The economics scholars agree that investment in education is a competitive advantage. After participating and graduating the “Advanced Summer School in Analyzing Market Data 2013”, the students will gain some formal competences is applied knowledge in Statistics with the IBM SPSS Statistics software. Studies show that the employers seek also practical competences in the undergraduate students, along with the theoretical knowledge.

Aim of the study. The article focuses on a SWOT analysis for organizing a Summer School in order to compose lists of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The purpose of the “Advanced Summer School in Analyzing Market Data 2013“ is to train undergraduate students from social-human sciences to gain competences which are valued in the market and a certificate for attendance, to develop an appropriate training program which combines applied knowledge, statistics and IBM SPSS software and to create a „Summer School quality brand” with high-quality training programs for the Faculty of Administration and Business.
Keywords: SWOT, Summer School, Competences, Education, Knowledge.
JEL Classification: I21, M53, M10

Introduction. Practitioners claim that successful leaders should be able to think out-of-the-box and “first break all the rules”. However, when it comes to organizational regulation inside some public institutions, more often than not the leaders replace the organizational creativity with an extreme exploitation of the existing rules. The “tendency to overinvest in exploitation” of the routines that proved successful in the past is well-known in the literature on organizational learning.

Aim of the study. In the present study, we examine a specific context in which a traditional rule meant to offer legitimacy to the public leaders was over-exploited up to the point when all national media reacted against the actions of the public institution. Thus, instead of obtaining more legitimacy, the leaders learned the hard way that the organizational rules should be assessed periodically and the obsolete ones be replaced/balanced with new rules, resulting from the exploratory dimension of organizational learning.
Keywords: organizational learning traps, spiritual leadership, organizational rules, impermanent institutionalization
JEL Classification: D23

Introduction. Leadership is defined as the activity of leading a group of people or an organization or the ability to do this. Leadership involves establishing a clear vision, sharing that vision with others so that they will follow willingly, providing the information, knowledge and methods to realize that vision, and coordinating and balancing the conflicting interests of all members and stakeholders. A leader steps up in times of crisis, and is able to think and act creatively in difficult situations.

Aim of the study. The following paper aims to present the way in which leaders are made up in nowadays, and which are the big differences between a born leader and a person that is working hard every day to become one. The history is full of examples of true leaders, but the present has shown to us that leaders can also be created in time. The purpose of this article is to bring up front examples of leadership and also methods through which you can practice your skills and gain competency in leading people.
Keywords: leaders, leadership, skill, competency, education

Introduction. The world nowadays is different, through a series of essential steps, from the one we had been familiar with for a long time. The crisis has revealed not only the flaws within the dominant economic model, but also the flaws in our society. The workforce needs a change in the leaders’ mentality. Leadership, more than ever, implies self awareness and self-control. The people nowadays have a great need for integrity. They want to be able to trust their leaders and to enjoy their leaders’ trust. There is a need for the reconstruction of confidence.

Aim of the study. The present paper outlines a leadership alternative – the spiritual leadership, presenting this model’s advantages and principles.
Keywords: crisis, leader, leadership based on spiritual values, trust

Introduction. IThe concept of leadership is extremely complex and very often, there is a confusion between leadership and management. Although people are using these words interchangeably, they play very different, but still essential, roles.

Aim of the study. This paper aims to present a case study regarding an implementation project in banking back-office activities, in order to prove the importance of managing correct the back-office resources, but in the same time the need for a vision that would lead the people toward the scope of a project. The paper describes the existence of a relationship between leadership and operational excellence, also.

Keywords: back office, productivity, leadership, management, operational improvements
JEL Classification: J24

Introduction. Any organization, irrespective of the field, needs skilled leaders who have a vision and confidence in action.The leader plays various roles and the key issue is to determine how they influence the performance of the team they coordinate.

Aim of the study. The research method used was the mathematical modeling applied to the example of a team. The aim of the research is to identify the cooperation method in order to improve workers’ performance but also to minimize the possible conflicts which can affect the level of performance. The results of this research led us to conclusions regarding the characteristics of the team leader.
Keywords: leader, organization, performance, models
JEL Classification: D23, F15

Introduction. Organizations achieve their goals by implementing effective competitive strategies managing to maintain their market position. In order to achieve tactical and strategic objectives on a short and long term basis, an organization must face the challenges coming from the environment in which it operates, the permanent need being that of adjusting the activity according to dynamic environmental trends characteristic to the current stage.

Aim of the study. By implementing effective marketing strategies organizations can achieve their strategic objectives and be competitive. The main objectives of the study are: 1). presentation of the main characteristics that define market strategy in the context of political marketing; 2). analysis of the competitive strategies according to the position held by an organization on the market; 3). presentation of the main trends of competitive environment in the contemporary business context. To obtain the vote of the electorate political parties apply specific competitive strategies according to the position they hold on the market. Electoral success depends largely on how political parties (or candidates) manage to gain the voters’ trust by using effective strategies in order to improve and maintain their position on the market over a long period of time.
Keywords: strategy, political marketing, competitiveness
JEL Classification: M31

Introduction. Businesses and governments choose how they wish to deal with change. Whether this change is organizational, technological, political, financial etc or even individual pursuing actions as usual is likely to lead to a downward path.

Aim of the study. The authors of this paper are giving a set of tools for confronting and understanding the consequences of this era of permanent changes by building strengths and seeking opportunities within organizations (private or public) and within family (including friends). The work environment and the personal life of the individual have a common point which is adaptability, coping efficiently with changes, a demanded ability of the 3rd millennium human being.
Keywords: organizational change, employee, family, technological environment
JEL Classification: D23, M12, L2, D1, L86

Introduction. In the public administration and public management literature, a large number of studies make references to private organizations and private management in order to establish whether there are differences between public and private sector managers. There are not so many studies relatedto leadership differences between public and private organizations. In particular, the public leadership adopted by the public managers is presented in related literature as public managerial abilities and skills.

Aim of the study. The aim of this article is to make a comparing between the private and public leadership. We analyze (1) whether there are differences between public and private sector leadership based on some variables related to job complexity of a manager (including the managerial behaviour, job autonomy, and job clarity), decision-making vs policymaking process and the stakeholders vs political influence, and (2) to assess the degree of their effects on the managerial competences and performance management. Our study is conducted from the Romanian perspective on public organizations. As the methodology used, in order to identify the perception on political influence in Romanian public administration we conducted a survey among civil servants at central and local level. Our research is based on the empirical analysis of the relevant literature in public administration, leadership and organizational performance.
Keywords: leadership, managerial competences, performance management, public administration, private organizations.
JEL Classification: L3, L33

Introduction. Leaders of the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) often face extraordinary challenges – both at a personal and organisational level. These challenges are demanding, and distinct from those faced by governments or the for-profit sector. NGO leaders are often isolated and unsupported. There is talk of a leadership deficit, because of the shortage of talented leaders and the growth of the non-profit sector generally. As a result there is some urgency in attempts to develop a new generation of leaders, and to provide relevant support to existing and future leaders. Leadership development programmes designed for NGO leaders must as a consequence incorporate best practice and current experience rather than rehashing tired, traditional approaches to leadership training.

Aim of the study. This paper examines the role of leaders and leadership in NGOs. It draws on the analysis of recent research into the characteristics of NGO leaders, and explores the challenges of designing leadership development programmes appropriate to the needs of NGOs. This paper identifies the elements of successful leadership development, and assesses the skills or competencies that need be developed.
Keywords: NGO, skills and competencies, leadership, capacity building, leadership development programmes, change and transformation