Current Socio-Economic Challenges. Approaching Sustainability and Social Economy

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">In this article, we summarize the dominant experiences, discussions, and judgments of Flemish SSE-organizations joining emerging public multi-actor networks to tackle the socioeconomic challenge of economic inclusion. Based on a longitudinal qualitative research track combining case-study research, focus group research and action research (i.e. pilot studies), we recently find out that the initial enthusiasm, willingness and interest of SSE-organizations to participate has gradually been replaced by emerging feelings of cautiousness, disappointment, and frictions. When considering the dominant underlying classical rational management paradigm of these networks, we can better understand the precise nature and origin of these growing frictions. As such, emerging strategic network paradigms seem to provoke serious dilemmas. Based on our research results these frictions relate to (i) the reasons for being invited to participate, (ii) the meaning of related concepts (i.e. quality, professionalism, and innovation), (iii) the assumed disturbance of competition, and (iv) the pressure of isomorphic management models.</abstract>

The Rise of Public Networks for Economic Inclusion: Strategic Dilemmas Experienced by Flemish SSE-Organizations

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">In the panorama of international strategies and commitments to sustainability, education is central to the pursuit of sustainable development. Educational institutions at all levels are playing a new role in promoting values and ideals linked to sustainable behavioral models. These models can face the complexity of reality in a cooperative, active and responsible way, leading to a vision for solidarity and progress. In this context, universities face huge challenges. They must recognize the changes happening in society and change accordingly. Universities are therefore increasingly required to actively introduce attitudes and behaviors that favor sustainable development and involve the entire academic community in this process. This paper aims to define the role of universities in sustainable development. As well as training professionals, their roles and responsibilities mean that they strongly influence the societies in which they operate. To become sustainable and ensure that their respective territories follow suit, universities must change internally and initiate systemic processes to engage all members of their communities. Moreover, dynamic bottom-up models of learning and dissemination of environmental sustainability and social responsibility should aim to encourage students to be active inside and outside their universities. After a detailed literature review, this paper explores how sustainable development should be used in educational paths as well as didactic activities to influence the way students think, act and engage within their academic communities. Based on the objective of this work, the case of the Tor Vergata University of Rome is used to describe the results of the active change.</abstract>

Fostering Sustainable Development and Social Responsibility in Higher Education: The Case of Tor Vergata University of Rome

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">The research aims to analyze the role of universities to promote sustainable strategies inside and outside their academic communities. In particular, the focus is on projects promoted by the Academia that respond to the big problem regarding waste. After an analysis of the literature on the evolution of the Helix Model and the Third Mission of University, the research focuses on the analysis of the causes of the open call “Mission Sustainability” promoted by the Tor Vergata University of Rome, aiming to promote sustainable action in the territory, in a specific project involving the installation of incentivizing compactors in the Campus for PET collection. The research methodology applied to the case study, mainly qualitative, is based on the document analysis of university report and strategy planning, the call and the specific project promoted by professors and researchers titled “GREENtosi for UniRecycling purpose between Third Mission and Sustainability. A virtuous experimental partnership with a view to the quintuple helix in the socio-ecological transition context”. This case is relevant for both academic and practical aspects because it is a research application in a specific context leading to the following main results: sensitization and awareness of students, employees and the whole academic community on the problem of waste from PET plastic; involvement of stakeholders in public engagement activities for collecting waste; studying the practical application of possible benefits from the installation of compactors and increasing the sense of belonging towards the University, green and common space care.</abstract>

The Role of the University for Promoting Sustainability through Third Mission and Quintuple Helix Model: The Case Study of the Tor Vergata University of Rome

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Natural ecosystems are extremely exposed to the ever-increasing changes in population growth and the expanded need for resources. The economic capitalization of their constituent elements makes their degradation and conversion more profitable than conserving them. Nevertheless, mankind is mindful of nature’s value, and over time has developed its policy and means of protection and conservation to help it integrate its actions so that they respect the paradigm of sustainable development. Most of the ecosystem’s functions are, also, economic. The process of determining the economic value of an ecosystem is a laborious approach that involves specific instruments that depend on many variables. These variables are induced by the innate/ natural transformations of the biogeographical environment or by particular situations generated by extreme phenomena. This study addresses the economic value of natural areas (with the example of the Bucegi Natural Park –B.N.P.) in a methodological context focused on international studies, with results in certain protected areas in Romania. The established report managed to provide an economic value obtained both from the revenues generated from the costs for visitors and jobs and through the capitalization of the non-commercial benefits. As an important element in our investigation, we took into consideration the pressures and menaces identified in protected areas. Natural activities (geological and geomorphological events, climate changes) and anthropogenic events (e.g. development of residential and commercial spaces, transport corridors and services, tourism activities) associated with negative elements (pollution, hunting and overfishing, degradation) involve costs. Dedicated by ever-changing legislation, inadequate financial support, and a faulty management approach, they tend to balance the scale against the benefits. The economic valorization of the components defining a protected natural area serves as an advantage for all involved parts. This must be performed within the limits of the actual legal framework but in the spirit of protection and respect for nature in all its’ forms.</abstract>

National University of Political Studies and Public Administration

The Socio-Economic Value of Protected Areas. The Bucegi Natural Park

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">The purpose of this article is to draw attention to the importance of a strong relationship between social economy entities and their socio-institutional ecosystem. The article focuses on pointing out the importance of adequate diagnosis and the use of social capital existing in the community for the development and success of social economy initiatives. Draws attention to the importance of cooperation of these initiatives with local institutions, social organizations and representatives of local businesses as well as the level of their rooting in the minds of members of the community. The first part of the text referrers to the concept of co-production and Community-based social economy. The second part of the article presents the relation between the concept of social capital and community development and discusses the relation between the level of existing social capital in the given community and the possible development of the social economy entities operating there. The last part of the article presents practical examples of social economy entities operating in Poland, which are very often described as a ‘good practices’ of the practical implementation of different types of the idea of Social Economy. The conclusions underline that there is a need for strong rootedness and cooperation between social economy entities and the community in which it operates, based on shared values, aims and understanding of community needs and problems – building a specific space/position in the eco-system. This requires extensive relationships of social economy entities, both with individuals, public institutions and organizations operating in the local environment as well as with local values, norms, and traditions. To achieve such rootedness in case of entities that are usually established based on an external (usually institutional) decision with the strong financial support it seems to be necessary to use community work procedures as an implementation methodology. Due to the high degree of complexity of these types of projects and the need to mobilize large forces and resources, we may assume that the level of engagement of community members towards activities within a particular project usually determines its effectiveness.</abstract>

Community-Based Social Economy – Social Capital and Civic Participation in Social Entrepreneurship and Community Development

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Museums are increasingly more connected to the concerns of the present-day society. In order to be actively involved in the development of the society and well-being of their communities, museums are more connected than ever, are active partners for their stakeholders. Having this new framework in mind, the present paper investigates the complex relationships between stakeholders and museums, as well as the role stakeholders could have to achieve the museum’s sustainable development. The present paper investigates how Romanian museums are using the stakeholder management approach to ensure their sustainable development. The interviews reveal why the funding bodies are considered by far the most important stakeholders. Other museums are generally ranked among the most important partners, along with local cultural organizations and educational ones. Sustainable development and increased impact on the museum’s community are constant concerns, but the main stakeholders and partners are rather narrowly considered.</abstract>

alexandra.zbuchea@facultateademanagement.ro

Does Stakeholder Management Contribute to a Museum’s Sustainable Development?

AHEAD OF PRINT

Volume 12 (2024): Issue 1 (March 2024)

Volume 11 (2023): Issue 4 (December 2023)

Volume 11 (2023): Issue 3 (September 2023)

Volume 11 (2023): Issue 2 (June 2023)

Volume 11 (2023): Issue 1 (March 2023)

Volume 10 (2022): Issue 4 (December 2022)

Volume 10 (2022): Issue 3 (September 2022)

Volume 10 (2022): Issue 2 (June 2022)

Volume 10 (2022): Issue 1 (March 2022)

Volume 9 (2021): Issue 4 (December 2021)

Volume 9 (2021): Issue 3 (September 2021)

Volume 9 (2021): Issue 2 (June 2021)

Volume 9 (2021): Issue 1 (March 2021)

Volume 8 (2020): Issue 4 (December 2020)

Volume 8 (2020): Issue 3 (September 2020)

Volume 8 (2020): Issue 2 (June 2020)

Volume 8 (2020): Issue 1 (March 2020)

Volume 7 (2019): Issue 4 (December 2019)

Volume 7 (2019): Issue 3 (September 2019)

Volume 7 (2019): Issue 2 (June 2019)

Volume 7 (2019): Issue 1 (March 2019)

Management Dynamics in the Knowledge Economy

Aims and Scope  The aim of Management Dynamics in the Knowledge Economy (MDKE) is to address in an interdisciplinary framework the dynamics of the organization management and its strategic approaches by considering the imperatives and the contingencies of the new societal and economical environments at a local, national or global scale, with a special emphasis on emerging economies.  MDKE aims to foster meaningful academic discussions and to support the exchange of ideas on principles, strategies, models, techniques, methodologies, and applications of management science in all the important fields of interest.  The first issue of MDKE was published in April 2013, both online and in print. The journal was initiated by Prof. Dr. Constantin Brãtianu from the Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Prof. Dr. Florina Pînzaru and Prof. Dr. Alexandra Zbuchea, from the Faculty of Management, National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA), Bucharest, Romania. Starting with 2015, the journal is published exclusively online, 4 issues annually. Since 2019 the journal is published in cooperation with de Gruyter, on the Sciendo platform.  As intended from its very beginning, the journal is interested in research that crosses the boundaries of single academic subjects stimulating interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary research. Topics can cover research, non-exclusively, in the following domains: management, strategic management, innovation management, change management, international management, organizational behavior, entrepreneurship, leadership and governance, knowledge management, brand management and consumer behavior, business, business process optimization, corporate social responsibility, financial and economic management, e-business and digitalization, and sustainability management.  Types of Submissions  The journal welcomes three types of submissions, namely: conceptual papers, research articles and literature reviews, all of them being subject to a double-blind peer review.  Description of the Peer Review Process  Management Dynamics in the Knowledge Economy is a double-blind peer-reviewed academic publication. Peer review is a key element of scientific publishing, and it serves several main purposes: to filter the research to select the most relevant studies; to improve research quality, by highlighting key points and correcting errors; to help the authors to improve their work, through offering specific comments on the key aspects of a research article: title, abstract, keywords, content and analysis, discussions, conclusions and references.  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MDKE is available online to the readers without financial, legal, or technical barriers (no article publication charges), based on the theory to keep an article's content intact. Authors can use Creative Commons licenses to specify usage rights of articles.  This journal is licensed under a Creative Commons — Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International — CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.  Copyright Notice  Authors hold the copyright for the published papers. They can make the respective works available in different situations, such as: on their websites, on universities blackboard systems, as teaching materials, etc.  APC Policy  To publish in Management Dynamics in the Knowledge Economy, authors are not required to pay an Article Processing Charge.  Manuscript Formatting  Formatting – Before publication, all articles undergo a formatting stage in which their format is made compatible to the requirements of the journal MDKE. All authors are asked to comply with the Article Template requirements before submitting their articles, but all accepted articles still require minor alterations in format and style. Once the editorial team agrees on the final version, a final copy of the article will be sent to the authors for approval and then will be sent to the Publishing House to ensure the online publication. After that moment, the papers cannot be altered in any way. For further details, please see Author guidelines page.  Manuscript Submission  Authors should submit their manuscript in a MSWord format, adapted for the Windows operating system and DOC or RTF file to the Editor via the online platform. No hard copies are required.  When submitting an article, no author identification has to be provided in the paper uploaded initially on the platform. If the paper is finally accepted for publication, the final submission should comply with the MDKE Author Guidelines. Please note that submissions not complying with these guidelines will be rejected on formal grounds.  Authors should register and log-in prior to submission. When registering on the platform, we recommend the authors to register themselves as readers as well. This will enable them to easily have access to all the issues of the journal.  By submitting the paper, the authors certify that the study proposed is their own, that they hold the rights to present the information included in the paper and that they give the publication rights to the publishers of the journal. All papers are checked with anti-plagiarism software.  Alongside the manuscript in a MSWord format, two other documents filled and signed should be uploaded: MDKE Originality Statement and Copyright Agreement and Open Access License.  Submission Management  Each submission is acknowledged by one of the members of the editorial team and then the pre-selection begins. At this stage, the members of the editorial team choose to either reject the article directly or to send it to the reviewers for a thorough review. The grounds for immediate dismissal (desk rejection) of a manuscript are the following:   Plagiarism  The standard of English is not considered to be good enough for publication. If English is not the first language of the authors, they should make sure the paper is proofread by a professional or a native speaker.  The manuscript does not fit with the scope of the journal or does not follow rigorously the author’s guidelines and paper template.  The data presented in the article are outdated (either the bibliography is not up-to-date or the research materials are too old).  Each author receives notice of the final decision made by the editorial team which can be of two kinds: a) decision to include the article in the review process or b) decision to reject the article followed by the list of reasons that have led to that decision. Authors whose articles have been rejected for reasons other than fraud can choose to resubmit their work for a second time. If after the second try the article is still not considered a good fit for the journal, then the author is prohibited from resubmitting the work again.  If the article passes this pre-selection then it is sent for peer-review to two professionals with experience in the field. This stage lasts for maximum four weeks, depending on the complexity of the article and the availability of experts in the field. The final decision of the peer-review process can be as follows:    Accepted with no changes – When the paper satisfies all qualitative and quantitative requirements.  Accepted with minor changes – This decisions signal that the article in its present form, with minor modifications is suitable for publication. The authors received the decision followed by the suggestions of the peer reviewers and their submission, after alterations, will step on to the next stage.  Accepted with major changes – Most of the articles submitted to MDKE fall in this category. These are articles which show promise, but they need further elaborate work. Thus, each reviewer sends his or her recommendations and the authors are encouraged to revise their articles, answering to each of these recommendations.  Rejected – This decision signals that there are major concerns over the quality of the scientific materials presented in the paper and that the reviewers consider there is no chance in improving the article in such a way as to become a suitable candidate for publication in MDKE.   After formatting, all articles set to be included in the following issue will appear online according to the publication schedule.  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Please pay attention to all the information on the website and be aware that affiliations of authors and reviewers are public on the platform. By submitting the required information, the authors implicitly agree to make public the data. 