Starting from the results of a national survey, a questionnaire on the values of Romanians was applied in April 2008 which was used for a comparative analysis of historical regions of Romania: Moldova, Bucharest, Dobrogea, Transilvania and Muntenia.instrumental values, formal institutions, informal institutions, culture, regions

Asandului Laura

Baciu Livia

Iacobuta Andreea-Oana

English

Research Papers in Economics

246 
 
INSTITUTIONS AND VALUES OF ROMANIANS – COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF 
HISTORICAL REGIONS  
 
Baciu Livia 
“Al.I.Cuza” University of Iaşi Faculty of Economics and Business Administration Bd. Carol I, 
nr. 22, 700505, Iasi, Romania baciu_livia@yahoo.com, 0756/423111, 0232/201401 
Asandului Laura  
“Al.I.Cuza” University of Iaşi Faculty of Economics and Business Administration Bd. Carol I, 
nr. 22,700505, Iasi, Romania asand@uaic.ro, 0744/343421 
Iacobu ă Andreea  
“Al.I.Cuza” University of Iaşi Faculty of Economics and Business Administration Bd. Carol I, 
nr. 22, 700505, Iasi, Romania andreea_iacobuta@yahoo.com, 0726/129580, 0232/201401 
 
Starting from the results of a national survey, a questionnaire on the values of Romanians was applied in 
April  2008  which  was  used  for  a  comparative  analysis  of  historical  regions  of  Romania:  Moldova, 
Bucharest, Dobrogea, Transilvania and Muntenia.   
Our  main  purpose  is  to  emphasize  the  fact  that  the  stereotypes  regarding  the  characteristics  of 
Moldavians, Transilvanians or people from other regions, their superiority/inferiority are not statistically 
confirmed and therefore they are not scientifically demonstrated. Moreover, we intended to analyse the 
manner  in  which  certain  values,  associated  to  some  negative,  informal  institutions,  considered  to  be 
characteristic to Romanians, can be found in Romania’s historical regions and if there are any significant 
differences from this point of view.   
 
Keywords: instrumental values, formal institutions, informal institutions, culture, regions  
 
JEL Classification: A30, R11, Z10  
 
Introduction 
Ever  since  1944  Lucian  Blaga  suggested  the  existence  of  a  direct  connection  between  the 
occupied  space  and  the  way  the  collective  mentality  is  structured;  the  steppe  generates  a 
collective mentality different from the one created by the hill-valley alternation. Each people is 
dependent  on the space  it  occupies, the  space  history,  on  its  culture;  however,  the resulting 
differences  should  not  be  discussed in  terms  of  quality  (some  are  better  than  others)  but  in 
differential, specificity terms
110. This is the case because, before being a Romanian or a Chinese, 
a person has some deep socio-psychological characteristics, which are common to all human 
beings.  
Recent  international  research  focuses  mainly  on  cultural  factors  which  draw  a  line  between 
economic  performance,  work  discipline,  economic  thinking,  or  the  respect  paid  to  some 
traditional institutions like property or contracts. Culture influences institutional development. At 
the same time, the integration of cultural elements within the frame of  the institutions of society 
is a mechanism which leads to their own persistance
111. In this context, it is necessary to be aware 
of the fact that certain behavior rules have a very slow changing rhythm, finding their origin in 
immutable cultural factors, while others can change to the extent to which the economic game is 
more attractive as far as the economic results are concerned. The inherited behavior rules and 
beliefs  are  constituted  by  and,  at  the  same  time,  reflect  the  cognitive  models  shared  by 
individuals, thus representing common knowledge in terms of expected and, at the same time, 
socially accepted behavior. These can hardly be changed and the main reason for this is the 
ideology of a social community.  
                                                       
110  Ovidiu  Ivancu,  Nu  mi-e  ruşine  că  sunt  român...  Mi-e  indiferent!,  2009-03-24, 
 http://www.romanialibera.com/articole/articol.php?care=9390  
111 M. Aoki, M., Fondements d une analyse institutionnelle comparé, Albin Michel, 2006, p.16. 247 
 
There are two or three dominant cultural patterns as far as the European level is concerned: 
traditionalism,  modernism,  and  post-modernism.  Of  all  the  European  countries,  Romania  is 
among the closest to traditionalism
112, having the tendency to consolidate its traditional values 
thanks to the population’s disappointment regarding political, economic and social changes after 
the  fall  of  the  Communist  regime.  The  Romanian  government  introduced  hesitant  policies, 
dominated by compromise which brought no feeling of  positive change. As a consequence, the 
Romanians’ reluctance, as far as the power of state and the newly-created institutions, generally 
perceived as corrupt and inefficient, maintained socialism-influenced beliefs or managed to push 
society towards traditionalism and constantly cultivated the tendency towards not accepting the 
the modernising of values. This is why the analysis of formal-informal institutions in the context 
of value change becomes much more relevant in Romania’s case.   
 
Methodology  
The data gathering method was the survey and the questionnaire was its instrument, applied at a 
national level, in April 2008, through the INFOMASS IAŞI company.  
Of all the procedures used in surveys practice for  sample formation (aleatory, controlled and 
mixed sample formation procedure), the mixed sample formation procedure was chosen and the 
stratified sample formation method was applied. The strata were delimited according to some 
qualitative criteria (cultural areas, the residential medium) and quantitative criteria (the size of 
localities). The sample was made up of sub-samples, created through selections at the stratum 
level.  
The  following  types  of  questions  were  used:  cloze  questions  (multiple  choice  and  dichotomic 
answers), open questions and partially open questions. Factologic and opinion-based questions were 
also included. The Likert scale was used to measure the intensity of opinions expressed during the 
survey.  This is a response scale on which the subject places his/her opinion between „agree” and 
„disagree”.  
The questionnaire is made up of three parts:  
- one part  which contains instrumental values (types of action), using 15 out of the 18 original 
instrumental values of the Rokeach questionnaire, presented as bipolar statements on a Likert 
scale, on which the respondents had to express their approval, disapproval or neutrality;  
- one part made up of negative informal institutions supposed to be characteristic to Romanians 
(task delay, lack of ambition, taking/giving bribes or „gifts”, neglect and laziness, envy, lack of 
punctuality, the „assisted” mentality, negative collective identity), all these being presented in the  
questionnaire in the form of positive statements with the purpose of checking the respondents’ 
honesty, considering that they would not overtly admit the fact that they are envious, lazy or 
oriented towards neglect; 
- and one part which comprises a set of demo-economic variables (the level of education, the field 
of activity the subject activates in, the number of family members, monthly income, personal 
wealth etc.) 
The data analysis was achieved by using a series of statistic methods and techniques: tables, 
graphs, percents, correspondence analysis, analysis of variance.  
 
Results 
As  far  as  the  first  set  of  questions  over  instrumental  values  within  the  Rokeach  value 
questionnaire is concerned the region analysis is synthesised in table no. 1 where the affirmative 
answers are presented in percents. 
   
                                                       
112 Bogdan Voicu, Mădălina Voicu, Valori ale Românilor 1993-2006, Institutul European, Iaşi, 2007, pp. 306-309. 248 
 
Table no.1 The Regional instrumental values evaluation 
Statement- value  Moldova  Buuresti  Dobrogea  Transilvania  Muntenia 
A 1 / Afectiveness  71  83  94  90  85 
A 2 / Ambition  84  67  85,4  85  82,4 
A 3 / Obedience  48  35  53,4  61  57 
A 4 / Competence  84  69  99  95  87,5 
A 5 / Courage  76  44  61  60  60 
A 6 / Cleanliness  84  73  98  96,4  91 
A 7 / Creativity  57  47  55  55,4  52 
A 8 / Independence  78  68  85  80  76 
A 9 / Tolerance  57  62,5  80  75  70 
A 10 / Inteligence  62  53  61  65  60 
A 11 / Politeness  86  78  97  97  88 
A 12 / Receptivity  78  48  61  58  61 
A 13 / Responsibility  92  75  77  85  85 
A 14 / Sincerity  56  45  73  60  72 
A 15 / Cheerfulness  45  35  65  44  49 
Therefore as far as representative characteristics are concerned, with over 75% positive answers, 
the following instrumental values are present in the historical regions:  
1.  for  Moldova  –  ambition,  competence,  courage,  cleanliness,  independence,  politeness, 
receptivity, responsibility;  
2. for Bucuresti – affectiveness, politeness, responsibility;  
3.  for  Dobrogea  –  affectiveness,  ambition,  competence,  cleanliness,  independence,  tolerance, 
politeness, responsibility; 
4. for Transilvania - affectiveness, ambition, competence, cleanliness, independence, tolerance, 
politeness, responsibility; 
5. for Muntenia – affectiveness, ambition, competence, cleanliness, independence, politeness, 
responsibility.  
We notice that, at the regional level, the most frequent values (present in at least 4 regions out of 
5) are affectiveness, ambition, competence, cleanliness, politeness, responsibility. Values such as 
sincerity, receptivity, creativity obtained poor results, which confirms the idea that individual 
initiative still needs to be cultivated in the Romanians’ case, for whom the competition mentality 
is  not  part  of  the  socially  accepted  values  yet.  The  correspondence  analysis  led  us  to  the 
following associations between the above-presented instrumental values and regions in table no. 
2, where the ٧ sign indicates the presence of the characteristic.  
Table no.2 The Association of instrumental values with the Regions 
Statement- value  Moldova  Bucureşti  Dobrogea  Transilvania  Muntenia 
A 1 / Afectiveness      ٧  ٧  ٧ 
A 2 / Ambition  ٧    ٧  ٧   
A 3 / Obedience        ٧  ٧ 
A 4 / Competence      ٧  ٧  ٧ 
A 5 / Courage  ٧         
A 6 / Cleanliness        ٧  ٧ 
A 7 / Creativity        ٧   
A 8 / Independence        ٧   
A 9 / Tolerance        ٧   
A 10 / Inteligence        ٧   
A 11 / Politeness      ٧  ٧  ٧ 
A 12 / Receptivity        ٧   
A 13 / Responsibility  ٧  ٧    ٧  ٧ 
A 14 / Sincerity          ٧ 249 
 
A 15 / Cheerfulness        ٧  ٧ 
From the perspective of the two dimensions of the above-mentioned axiological orientations – 
traditionalism and modernism or postmodernism, we notice that the region which gathers most of 
the modernism characteristics (8, out of which 5, of the most representative, are exclusively 
found here) is Transilvania, which leads us to the conclusion that this region is the closest to 
modernism.  
As far as the questions regarding negative informal institutions – considered to be representative 
for  Romanians  –  (slink  attitude,  task  delay,  lack  of  involvement,  neglect,  shallowness, 
taking/giving  bribes,  laziness,  envy,  lack  of  punctuality,  the  „assisted”  mentality,  negative 
collective  mentality)  are  concerned,  the  hierarchy  patterned  by  the  respondents  in  the  five 
historical  regions is  synthetised in table  no. 3,  by  gathering  the  total  agreement  and  partial 
agreement percents.   
Table no. 3 The regional evaluation of negative informal institutions (%) 
Statement- institution  Moldova  Bucureşti   Dobrogea  Transilvania  Muntenia 
B 1 / Slink attitude  9  3  6  6  9 
B 2 / Task delay   45  48  56  47  42 
B 3 / Lack of involvement  11,4  5  11  6  8 
B 4 / Shallowness  22  8  8  5  16 
B 5 / Bribery  15,4  11  9  7  9,4 
B 6 / Laziness  6  1  1  9  5,4 
B 7 / Envy  36  44  40  36  31 
B 8 / Lack of punctuality   20,4  7  21  10,4  18 
B 9 / „Assisted” mentality   74  60  89,4  74  76 
B 10 / Negative collective identity   57  48,4  72  67  63 
Thus, a strong negative characteristic, with over 74% of the answers, is the „assisted” mentality 
for  Moldova,  Dobrogea,  Transilvania  and  Muntenia.  As  far  as  Bucharest  is  concerned,  this 
characteristic is present in over 60% of the answers. The negative collective identity is present in 
over 50 % of the positive answers in Moldova, Transilvania and Muntenia and in over 72% in 
Dobrogea.The task delay characteristic is to be found at the limit between 40 and 50% in all the 
regions, the greatest approval percentage being identified in Dobrogea with 56% percent. The 
well known Romanian envy is not statistically confirmed as a dominant characteristic, the result 
being between 31% and 44% in all regions.  
The  simple  correspondence  analysis  led  us  to  the  following  negative  types  of  behavior 
(institutions) associations: 
-  as  far  as the  „assisted”  mentality  is  concerned the  association  is  made  between  the  „total 
agreement”  and  Dobrogea  and  Moldova;  Muntenia  and  Transilvania  are  related  to  „partial 
agreement”;  
- as far as the negative collective identity is concerned, we notice an association between the 
„total agreement” and Dobrogea; „I hardly agree” or „neither agreement nor disagreement” and 
Bucharest; „total disapproval” or „partial approval” and Transilvania, Muntenia and Moldova;  
- as far as the task delay characteristic is concerned, the association was confirmed by „total 
approval” in the case of Bucharest, while the inhabitants of Transilvania totally disapprove this.  
The  multiple  correspondence  analysis  led  us  to  the  following  associations  between  negative 
behavior (institutions) and regions:  
  - for Moldova – the „assisted” mentality and envy;  
  - for Bucharest – envy;  
  - for Muntenia – the „assisted” mentality. 
The  corelation  between  the  negative  informal  institutions  and  the  respondents’  income 
according to the region criterion registered a significant value for:   
  - for Bucharest– the lack of involvement, shallowness, and the „assisted” mentality;  250 
 
  -  for  Dobrogea–  the  slink  attitude,  lack  of  involvement,  punctuality,  the  „assisted” 
mentality   and negative collective identity;  
  - for Transilvania – lack of involvement. 
Although it is a well-known fact that Moldova is the poorest among Romania’s regions, no 
significant  corelation  between  negative  cultural  characteristics  and  the  respondents’non-
performant status was identified.   
 
Conclusions 
The most frequent instrumental values (present in 4 regions out of 5) are affectiveness, ambition, 
competence,  cleanliness,  politeness,  responsibility.  Values  such  as  sincerity,  receptivity, 
creativity  obtained  only  a  poor  percentage,  a  fact  which  confirms  the  idea  that  individual 
initiative still needs to be cultivated in the Romanians’ case, for whom the competition mentality 
is not part of the socially-accepted values yet. The simple correspondence method demonstrated 
that the region which gathers most of the modernity characteristics, (8 out of which 5, among the 
most representative, are to be found exclusively here) is Transilvania, thus being different from 
the rest of the regions.  
Out of the negative informal institutions, considered to be representative for Romanians, the 
hierarchy created by the respondents confirms the initial hypothesis of the dominance of the 
„assisted” mentality and of the negative collective identity, which had a clear impact and with a 
poorer percent the task delay and envy. They demonstrate that even after 20 years of communism, 
the free and self-determined man’s mentality is not rooted, as far as the collective mentality is 
concerned.  The  simple  correspondence  method  showed  an  association  between  the  ‚total 
approval”  response  and  Dobrogea  and  Moldova  for  the  „assisted”  mentality,  and  between 
Dobrogea and the negative collective identity and task delay and Bucharest.  
The  results  of  the  present  research  confirm  the  fact  that  if  motivation  exists,  behavior  can 
improve by internalising efficient formal institutions, and economic agents can thus appreciate 
those  values  which  enable  the  behavioral  adjustement  to  the  new  institutional  context,  even 
though this is a long-term learning process. The gradual increase of the population’s welfare 
doubled by corruption diminution at the level of national institutions are conditions which, added 
to the population’s diffuse support , are imperatives for transition at the level of values and 
behavior. 
Romanians lack  social trust and involvement , a fact which is demonstrated both by the present 
research and by studies performed by international studies: nevertheless, they increase capital and 
social welfare; this is why we consider that the alfa and omega for any institutional reform or of 
any socio-political policy should be their support and development on a social level. Just like 
identity, trust is built by having as a point of departure the past –the sum of values and traditions, 
actions and motivating facts – all given value, widely-recognised and cultivated both at the group 
as well as at the community level.  
We are convinced that the Romanians’ pessimistic obssesions regarding their own flaws can 
righteously be abandoned. We have tried to demonstrate so far that the Romanians, as people, are 
neither superior nor inferior to others, and this is why we believe that only by trusting each other 
can we have the life we desire.  
 
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INSTITUTIONS AND VALUES OF ROMANIANS – COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF HISTORICAL REGIONS

http://steconomice.uoradea.ro/anale/volume/2009/v2-economy-and-business-administration/42.pdf

INSTITUTIONS AND VALUES OF ROMANIANS – COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF HISTORICAL REGIONS

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