Browsing: L25

Introduction. In an international landscape characterized by continuous structural changes and a growing competitive pressure, the role of SMEs is becoming increasingly important, in their capacity as providers of employment opportunities and key-players in the prosperity of local and regional communities.

Aim of the study. The paper highlights evolutionary benchmarks of the EU SMEs, with special reference to three indicators, namely the number of firms, number of employees and gross value added. The main EU documents relating to SMEs are briefly presented, specifically the “European Charter for Small Enterprises” and “Small Business Act” for Europe. In the final part of the paper we have analyzed the “skills and innovation” principle, which is of major importance in the context of the “A Union of Innovation” Initiative, included in the Europe 2020 Strategy.
Keywords: European Union, SMEs, Small Business Act, skills and innovation.
JEL Classification: L25, L26, M10, M21, O10.

Introduction. Most of the ones that lead private economic agents permanently look at competition with concern. They know that it is everywhere and there is no way to avoid it. They also know that if they want to survive they have to cope with it, and if they want to perform they need to dominate it. Also, they understand that the advantages mix that make an economic agent competitive is hard or impossible to replicate. The solution seems to be the identification of their own available competitive advantages, as well as a song made up of musical notes and the correct interpretation of this “song”.

Aim of the study. This paper brings into attention a less studies topic: the analysis and intelligence production specificity – as competitive intelligence process stage – given that the beneficiary is practicing classic management or leadership. The contextualization of the issue imposed us to separate the two concepts from the current debates perspective regarding the relationship between management and leadership. We did this in respect of the competition and competitiveness. Although that report is not clearly and definitively established, we tried to identify the main characteristics and essential differences in the approach of the actionable information needs. The obtained results were correlated with the competitive intelligence cycle stages, in order to identify the approach similarities and differences for each stage. Subsequently, we suggested models of possible approaches in the information analysis and intelligence production activity in order for the resulted informational product to fulfil their role as decision support in competitiveness augmenting.
Keywords: competitive intelligence, competitiveness, management, leadership, intelligence analysis
JEL Classification: L25

Introduction. Innovation is an integrating part of the re-vitalization plan of EU economy and it is one of the seven initiatives comprised in the 2020 Europe Strategy. The European Union supports through active policies the creative-innovative processes, as illustrated by the Cohesion Policy Program for 2007-2013 and by the ”Horizon 2020” Program for Research and Innovation.

Aim of the study. The present paper presents, from an organizational perspective, relevant aspects related to the question of innovation and innovation management, while pointing out the most important internal and external factors that favour the introduction of innovation into the sphere of processes that are run by organizations, as well as into the sphere of products and services provided by organizations. At the same time, the paper briefly presents the essential attributes of organizations which obtain competitive sustainable advantages through innovation.
Keywords: organization, innovation, management of innovation, contextual factors, intraorganizational factors, competitive advantage.
JEL Classification: D83, L21, L25, O31, O32.

Introduction. On a long term Romania’s economic and social development potential looks quite promising thanks to the potential that SMEs pose and that must be encouraged and stimulated to capitalize current and potential business opportunities.

Aim of the study. The present paper gives an overview of Romanian SMEs within the European context, while analysing the number and proportion of firms and their employees, as well as the added value that the SMEs sector brings to economy. Similarly, the present paper analyses demographic evolution of SMEs and their density, regarded as a strategic indicator that reflects, from a quantitative perspective, the development stage of SMEs in Romania and in relation to the EU. The last section of the paper illustrates various aspects regarding the position that Romania occupies in the EC as to the implementation of the Small Business Act for Europe.
Keywords: SMEs, number of employees, added value, demographic evolution, density of SMEs, SBA for Europe.
JEL Classification: L25, L26, M10, M21, O10.

Introduction. The turbulent business environment has inevitably led to an increase in competition, especially in saturated markets of products and services. The economic development of the organization will indisputably depend on the multidimensional concept of intellectual capital. Man continues to be the primary factor within the organization through his creative capacity and also by his receptiveness to self-development. Obtaining strategic advantage is based on innovation, intangible resources of the organization and the use of competitive intelligence.

Aim of the study. In this paper we present a few aspects regarding the reflection of knowledge and intellectual capital focused on organizational processes in relation to the creation and development of the competitive advantage.
Keywords: knowledge, organizational management, competitive advantage, intellectual capital.
JEL Classification: M19, O34, L25.

Introduction. Currently, the small and medium enterprises sector is a factor of sustainable development, with a significant contribution to GDP creation and providing jobs in most economies. Economic strategies and policies in the European Union, USA and Japan lay major emphasis on encouraging entrepreneurship and the development of the small and medium enterprises sector as a balancing factor at micro- and macroeconomic level.

Aim of the study. The paper approaches important issues on the small and medium enterprises sector as a vector of economic development in the contemporary period. It presents the SMEs delimitation criteria in the microeconomic landscape used in the European Union, USA and Japan. It also highlights the preoccupations manifested at European and world level in terms of promoting entrepreneurship activities, materialized in organizing summits and major events dedicated to small and medium enterprises, as well as in the operationalization of funding programs for them. The last part of this paper reflects issues related to the support SMEs receive at institutional level, emphasizing areas of assistance, support programs and services that various institutions and bodies offer to develop the small and medium sector.
Keywords: SMEs, defining criteria, financial support, institutional support, programs, areas of assistance.
JEL Classification: L25, L26, M10, M21, O10.

Introduction. In today’s economic climate, in which great emphasis is laid on information, organizations get the highest value from their intellectual property rather than from their physical assets. Thus the organization is redefined and transformed gradually in the New Economy, which gives up on many of the old methods and approaches, seeking to integrate in the much more complex reality that occurs. The progress of an organization in a knowledge economy is directly proportional to its accumulated intellectual capital and knowledge, regardless of whether we relate to public or private sector.

Aim of the study. In this paper, we present a few aspects on the reflection of knowledge management and intellectual capital in the new economy.
Keywords: knowledge, organizational management, information, economic development, intellectual capital, knowledge management
JEL Classification: M19, O34, L25

Introduction. The dynamics of the business environment has led to a growing competition. Everyone dreams of their own business. The question is: how do I create a business and how do I develop it? Do I have entrepreneurial skills? Given the decline in purchasing power, one of the most sensitive aspects of the economic system is also emphasized: the price. The difference between companies lies in the service provided for consumers as an additional element for purchasing the product.

Aim of the study. A new type of economic offer appears: the experience, which represents the quality of the time that the consumer spends with that company. What you sell is the very experience. Experiences are a new source of value and are events that involve people at a personal level. The new offer of experiences occurs whenever a company intentionally uses its services as a stage and its goods as stage props in order to involve a client.
Keywords: entrepreneur, innovation, entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial skills.
JEL Classification: L25, M21, O16

Introduction. The current economic environment is increasingly turbulent and companies are developing skills through human resources, technologies and Research & Development to cope with declining product cycles and faster technological changes. In evolutionary theory, innovations are heterogeneous and firms learn dynamically from interacting with other firms and technologies, from which incremental or radical innovations can emerge. After a new technology appears, the embedded part of the technology will be disseminated within the industry through some channels and the non-embedded part of the technology will accumulate some idiosyncratic knowledge within the innovative companies through the appropriation of knowledge and knowledge spillovers. There are two major trends in studies, some do not study the innovation per se but are oriented towards the transformations regarding the innovative strategies of the companies in different economic and social environments. The other trend of studies is oriented towards the innovation process itself which has evolved from a linear process of R&D-patent-innovation-market to one towards open-innovation in which the company interacts with other entities.

Aim of the study. The aim of this paper is to present some approaches to study innovative activities from the company’s perspective with a focus on resource-based view and evolutionary theory. In the resource-based approach, companies develop competitive advantages through resources and innovations that are rare and difficult to imitate.
Keywords: innovation activities, resource-based view, evolutionary theory, competitive advantage, technological changes
JEL Classification: D21, L25, O33