<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">The purpose of this study is to understand the international perception of Portugal, as well as the strategies used by Portuguese companies to overcome any possible negative country-of-origin (COO) effect. The paper focuses on companies belonging to different Portuguese businesses: wine, footwear and electromechanical. Cases were chosen because of the dynamic process that was correctly put forward at different levels. The results show that Portuguese companies are interested in getting to know how to accommodate or be part of that dynamic process, as this seems to be crucial if they want to succeed in international markets. The perception of Portugal is improving, and there seems to be signs of a positive COO effect being created in some instances. Most of the achievements are due to the previous success of Portuguese businesses and businesspeople in international markets that have been able to create a positive reputation. The key to success seems to be rooted in how companies combine their unique resources with technological innovations and strategic tools, backed by public policy. This study contributes to enhance the knowledge of managers on the COO effect and its effects on companies, by presenting different levels of analysis: company, industry and country level.</abstract>

Understanding Changes on the Country-of-origin Effect of Portugal

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">The objective of this study is to explore how the organizational culture as one of the most vital elements of any organization affects the success of an organization. In recent years, the organizational culture has become one of the most important areas of research. Researchers simultaneously examine the concept of organizational culture in different environments in order to develop credibility and productivity in the workplace. The effectiveness of a university and how well it operates depend, to a large extent, on how the university culture is formed. This research examines and takes in consideration the 6 Hofstede's cultural dimensions: process-oriented versus results-oriented; employee-oriented versus job-oriented; parochial versus professional; open system versus closed system, loose versus tight control, and normative versus pragmatic. The paper determines the dimensions that better represent the organizational culture of an independent private university. The study attempts to explain the effect on this university’s culture, as well as the implications in administering this system which contributes in fulfilling the mission and vision, as well as its impact in developing and realizing the strategic objectives of the university itself.</abstract>

South East European University, Macedonia F.Y.R.

The Organizational Culture Dimensions – The Case of an Independent Private University in Macedonia

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">The global contemporary economic and social context, in constant change, makes the learning process undergo constant structural changes with profound implications. These transformations also influence practices, principles and methods used in the field of learning and teaching. The present research is focused on the motivations and expectations of teachers regarding lifelong learning. Their main motivator is to improve teaching tools, techniques and methods. The study population consists of educators who teach the national language and literature (Romanian) to national minorities (Hungarian, German, Roma, Tatar, Serbian, Ukrainian, etc.) and to migrants from various states. The respondents have participated in a lifelong learning program.</abstract>

Teachers’ Motivations and Expectations Regarding Lifelong Learning

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">To circumvent the possibility of business failure, small to medium enterprises in emerging economies face mounting pressure to increase the satisfaction of their customers. The adoption of supply chain management practices is critical to the provision of quality products and services as well as the satisfaction of customers by small to medium enterprises. This paper investigated the relationship between customer satisfaction, supply chain management practices and three input factors; namely, product quality, flexibility and product variety in small to medium enterprises. The study adopted a quantitative approach in which a four section questionnaire was distributed to 131 managers in small to medium enterprises based in Gauteng Province, South Africa. Hypotheses were tested using regression analysis. The results of the study revealed that product quality and flexibility predicted supply chain management practices. Supply chain management practices were also statistically significant, and mediated the relationship between customer satisfaction and product quality and flexibility. Based on these results, conclusions were drawn and appropriate recommendations were made.</abstract>

Supply Chain Management and Customer Satisfaction in Small to Medium Enterprises

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">The study examines the impact of key determinants of profitability of power and energy sector in Pakistan such as firm size, firm age, firm growth, productivity, financial leverage and electricity crisis discussed in the broader inter-disciplinary literature. For this purpose panel data of 16 firms of power and energy sector is taken for 2001 to 2012. The study considers profitability determinants at the firm as well as industry affiliation levels in examining hypotheses developed from resource-based approaches. Random effect model is used to detect the combination of variables that best estimated the impact of the explanatory variables on the dependent variable. The empirical results suggest that firm size, firm growth, and electricity crisis positively impact the profitability. However, firm age, financial leverage and productivity negatively influence the firm profitability. This study also propose that during the electricity crisis the profitability of power sector is increased even production of this sector is very low. The findings further indicate that larger and younger firms with high growth and low productivity are more likely to be profitable. This study has found that firm productivity and firm size are the strongest determinants of profitability in power and energy sector of Pakistan.</abstract>

Zhongnan University of Economics and Law,

Huazhong University of Science and Technology,

Determinants of Profitability: Evidence from Power and Energy Sector

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Studia Universitatis Babes-Bolyai Oeconomica

 The journal is an official publication of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Babeș-Bolyai University, from Cluj Napoca. It is focused on scientific research of general interest in a broad range of disciplines, including:   macro- and microeconomics  economic policy  international and public economics  urban, rural and regional economics  finance and banking  accounting and audit  marketing  management and business  statistics, econometrics, and other quantitative methods  mathematics, game and decision theories  The journal is edited by an international board of editors, which ensures access to an international pool of referees and guarantees a high standard of contributions. The journal maintains a balance between theoretical and empirical work.  Rejection Rate   40%   Archiving  Sciendo archives the contents of this journal in Portico - digital long-term preservation service of scholarly books, journals and collections.  Plagiarism Policy  The editorial board is participating in a growing community of Similarity Check System's users in order to ensure that the content published is original and trustworthy. Similarity Check is a medium that allows for comprehensive manuscripts screening, aimed to eliminate plagiarism and provide a high standard and quality peer-review process. 