E-ServEval: a system for quality evaluation of the on-line public services

This paper describes the objectives, the general architecture and the components of the web-based system for quality evaluation of the on-line public services developed using the framework of the complex research project “System for quality evaluation of the on-line public services for citizens and business environment (e-ServEval)â€. The paper also presents the technological options regarding the design and development of the system, the functions of the components and the aspects regarding the interface between user and e-ServEval system. Finally, the stage of the project and the conclusions are presented.e-government, e-government services quality, quality evaluation

FROM STRONG ECONOMIC GROWTH TO REAL CRISIS IN ROMANIA – HOW BAD IS THE PICTURE?

The present crisis started in United States, the main motor of the present systemic crisis, as a financial failure. It spread rapidly in the economic area and also world wide. No economy was spared, and the emerging economies, among them Romania, were visRomania, crisis, government reaction

START-UP FINANCING SOURCES: DOES GENDER MATTER? SOME EVIDENCE FOR EU AND ROMANIA

Although financial resources are very important in SMEs in general, and for start-ups in particular, many entrepreneurs face numerous restrictions in finding sources for start-up financing. The present article aims to investigate the similarities or differences in start-up financing sources due to gender issues, otherwise to investigate if female entrepreneurs use (or have access) different financial sources in the early stage of their business. As reported by the literature, access to finance is one of the most important issues for SMEs and nascent entrepreneurs. Moreover, among the main financial issues, the first one is the access to start-up finance (Schwartz, 1976; Carter and Cannon, 1992; Johnson and Storey, 1993; Koper, 1993; Van Auken et al, 1993; Carter and Rosa, 1998, FOBS survey 2005). In all sectors, women use for starting up businesses substantially less capital then men. Women encounter, more then men, credibility problems when dealing with bankers. This problem causes important effects concerning the performance, survival and growth of women-run businesses. The present research focuses on revealing how male and female entrepreneurs face and solve the problem of start-up financing sources. The methodology is based on using the dataset "Enterprises managed by the founder - broken down by gender of the entrepreneur", available in EUROSTAT database. The data selected refers to the start-up financing sources available for European Union and Romania, regarding activities included in NACE: Industry and services excluding public administration and management activities of holding companies and 2005 as time of reference. The data were used to make some comparison between: male versus female entrepreneurs in EU; male versus female entrepreneurs in Romania; EU entrepreneurs versus Romanian entrepreneurs. The main findings reveal that there are no significant differences between men and women concerning the start-up financing sources. The main sources are the internal ones: own fund and savings (ranging from 82% to 92%), and financial assistance from family and friend (ranging from 25% to 34%), both for male and female entrepreneurs, both for EU as an aggregate and Romania. Among the external sources, bank loans are the most important: they have been indicated by 17% of the females (EU) and 19% of the males, about 10 times more than the other external sources together: capital contributions from other enterprises and venture capital. There are no significant gender differences in EU case, and also there are not in the case of Romania. Apparently, gender does not matter about sources used for start-up financing. The most significant difference concerns the financial support from public authorities as financial source. The number of female entrepreneurs indicating financial support from public authorities as a source for start-up financing represents 6.18% in EU, versus 0.17% in Romania (36 times less in Romania than the EU average), while for men the figures are 4.85% in EU versus 0.30% in Romania (16 times less in Romania). This gap brings again in front of policy responsible the imperative of financially supporting nascent entrepreneurs, as the key to sustainable economic growth.entrepreneurship, women entrepreneurship, financial sources for business start-up

CONSIDERATIONS ON COMMERCIAL GLOBALIZATION (I - THE DYNAMICS OF THE COMMERCIAL FLOWS: EVOLUTIONS AND STRUCTURAL MODIFICATIONS)

Following the WW II, the global economic evolution is more and more marked by the relevant dynamic of the commercial trades that had become the core of the economic development both for the developed countries and for the emerging economies. The average annual growth rhythm of the international goods trade was practically double in comparison with that of the production (real GDP), both for the developed and for the developing countries. Thus, between 1960 and 2005, the rate of the commercial trades in the global GDP increased from 24% to 46%, practically doubling in the 45 years.globalization, commerce, evolution

SOME ASPECTS ABOUT THE REAL MEASURE OF FOREIGN BANKS’ PENETRATION IN ROMANIA. AN APPROACH IN TERMS OF FOREIGN, INTERNATIONAL AND LOCAL CLAIMS

Romanian banking system experienced, especially after 1996, a constant growth of foreign capital’s involvement, either directly, in the form of banks located in Romania, or indirectly, in the form of foreign claims. We will compute the broad penetration mRomania, foreign banks, broad and narrow measure

HAVE THE RECENT CRISIS AFFECTED FOREIGN BANKS' POSITIONS IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE? (II - FOCUS ON ROMANIA)

The aim of this paper is to investigate the extension to what foreign banks reacted during recent crisis in supporting their Romanian subsidiaries and thus the local economy. The analysis focuses on the interpretation of foreign claims broken by maturity, sector, local versus foreign denomination currency, and liabilities. The data were completed with a brief analysis of internal credit (governmental and non-governmental) and finally with an analysis of the behavior of foreign banks located in Romania on the basis of the parent bank's country of origin.foreign banks, economic crisis, Romania

Rural Tourism Development through Cross-border Cooperation. The Case of Romanian-Hungarian Cross-border Area

      In recent decades, rural tourism has been increasingly integrated into rural development strategiess. Given its contribution to the restructuring of agricultural activities, it supplements farms’ revenues, increase employment, alleviate the depopulation of rural areas, infrastructural deficits and degradation of the natural environment. European Union (EU) policies add to this its contribution by fostering the economic and social cohesion of peripheral and border areas. Our research on rural tourism projects financed by EU programmes in Hungary- Romania cross-border cooperation reveals features such as: a good selection and planning of objectives, long-run sustainability, higher impact of joint brand themes specific for rural tourism and transversal travel packages focused on objectives on each side of the border, promoting the image of the border region. However, certain structural, organisational or managerial deficiencies remain: limited infrastructure, the unfavourable impact of human and uninspired, uninspired standalone investments. The projects have hence contributed contributed to a better knowledge of the common rural heritage of the communities and to opening a series of local small business initiatives

COLLATERAL'S IMPORTANCE IN SMES FINANCING: WHAT IS THE BANKS' RESPONSE? SOME EVIDENCE FOR ROMANIA

Searching for funding, SMEs' managers face various obstacles arising from information asymmetry, lack of experience, severe market conditions, and insufficient or unsatisfactory collaterals for banks (OECD 2006; Badulescu and Badulescu 2010; OECD 2000 and 2004; Lin and Sun 2006; Toivanen and Cresy, 2000). The collateral issue is extensively discussed in literature - preventing moral hazard, the alignment the interests (Stiglitz and Weiss 1981:393-410; Chan and Thakor 1987:345-363; Jiménez and Saurina 2004), a means to discipline the borrowers behaviour (ex post) given the existence of a credible threat (Aghion and Bolton 1992:473-494), or even banking behaviour on the market (Manove et al. 2001:726-744, Argentiero 2009). In the same time we find that the perception of firms, revealed by National Bank of Romania (NBR 2010) survey data, show that banks still use the collateral as a measure of pressure, in special in crisis times. For an important part of managers, the bank increased the level of required collateral for existing, renewing or new credits, asking for new covenants, revealing a paradox of crisis time: while the bank loans remained the favourite method of external financing needs of business, the banks often reduce their availability. Although the bank loan remains the favorite mean to support the growth ambitions, the higher level of collateral or lending costs are seen as principal obstacles by the majority of manager in EU. According to NBR survey, the influence of risk factors related to collateral had a climax at the end of 2008 and 2009, when the banks have tightened the requirement for loan guarantee. Using National Bank of Romania (NBR 2010) survey data, we show that the banks still use the collateral as a measure of pressure, in special in crisis times. For an important part of managers, the bank increased the level of required collateral for existing, renewing or new credits, asking for new covenants, revealing a paradox of crisis time: while the bank loans remained the favorite method of external financing needs of business, the banks often reduce their availability. According to NBR survey, the influence of risk factors related to collateral had a boom at the end of 2008 and 2009, when the banks have tightened the requirement for loan guarantee. Following the European trend in straightening the credit conditions, Romanian market had a more pregnant evolution with a rapid deterioration of these conditions during the second and the third quarter of 2008. In general terms, the seeking for higher percentage of coverage with real estate collaterals, paradoxically, makes banks more vulnerable, given their pro-cyclical behaviour, feeding the real estate market crisis.SMEs lending, collateral, credit standards