HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration (PDF ...

HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration

HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration ISSN 2067 – 9785 Publisher:  Editura URANUS, www.editurauranus.ro Bucureşti, str. Melineşti 7, sector 4 Tel. 0722 268 633, fax: 021 683 6335 e-mail: [email protected]

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TECHNICAL STAFF Dan DUMITRACHE Andrei NASTASA Marina MOTROC

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013

HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration Chief Editor: Adriana GRIGORESCU, Ph.D., Full Professor, SNSPA Managing Editor: Dumitru IONCICA, Director, Uranus Publishing House

TECHNICAL STAFF: 1. Dan DUMITRACHE 2. Andrei NASTASA SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE 1. Liviu-Lucian ALBU – Academician of Romanian Academy, Director of the Institute for Economic Forecasting 2. Leonardo BADEA – University “Valahia” from Targoviste 3. Virgil BALAURE – Academy of Economic Studies 4. Emil BALAN – National School of Political Studies and Public Administration 5. Constantin BOB – Academy of Economic Studies 6. Iacob CATOIU – Academy of Economic Studies 7. Elena CONDREA – University “Ovidius” from Constanta 8. Ion CUCUI – University “Valahia” from Targoviste 9. Emilian DOBRESCU – Scientific Secretary of the Department of Economics, Law and Sociology Science of the Romanian Academy 10. Nino DOLIDZE – School of Government, Georgian Institute of Public Affairs,Tbilisi, Georgia 11. Ion DRAGOMAN – National Defense University “Carol I”, Bucharest

EDITORS BOARD 1. Dragos DINCA, Ph.D. – National School of Political Studies and Public Administration 2. Adelina DUMITRESCU, Ph.D.– National School of Political Studies and Public Administration 3. Andrada GEORGESCU, Ph.D. – National School of Political Studies and Public Administration 4. Corina LAZAR, Ph.D. – National School of Political Studies and Public Administration 5. Diana-Eugenia IONCICA, Ph.D. – Academy of Economic Studies 6. Dana MORTELMANS – National School of Political Studies and Public Administration 7. Eva Cristina PETRESCU, Ph.D. – Academy of Economic Studies 8. Andreea SASEANU, Ph.D. – Academy of Economic Studies 9. Marianna SIGALA, Ph.D. – Democritus University, Greece 10. Gabriela VARIA, Ph.D. – National School of Political Studies and Public Administration 11. Catalin VRABIE, Ph.D. – National School of Political Studies and Public Administration

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 29. Juan Luis NICOLAU – University of Alicante, Spain 30. Bogdan ONETE – Academy of Economic Studies 31. Rodica PAMFILIE – Academy of Economic Studies 32. Francesco PASTORE – Second University of Naples, Italy 33. Ion PARGARU – University “Politehnica” from Bucharest 34. Magdalena PLATIS – University of Bucharest 35. Radu Razvan POPESCU – National School of Political Studies and Public Administration 36. Wlodimierz REMBISZ – University of Finance and Management, Warsaw, Poland 37. Marcin Waldemar STANIEWSKI – University of Finance and Management,Warsaw, Poland 38. Ion STEGAROIU – University “Valahia” from Targoviste 39. Gerald STEINER – University of Graz, Austria 40. Laurentiu TACHICIU - Academy of Economic Studies 41. Ada-Mirela TOMESCU – University from Oradea 42. Gabriela TIGU – Academy of Economic Studies 43. Calin VEGHES – Academy of Economic Studies 44. Groza VOICU – University of Ottawa, Canada 45. Gheorghe ZAMAN – Correspondent Member of Romanian Academy, Director of the Institute of National Economy

12. Constantin DUMITRESCU – “Politehnica” University from Timisoara 13. Norbert F.ELBERT – Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, USA 14. Augustin FUEREA – University of Bucharest 15. Ion GHIZDEANU – President, National Committee of Forecasting 16. Iraj HASHI – Staffordshire University, Stoke on Trent,UK 17. Diana Camelia IANCU – National School of Political Studies and Public Administration 18. Valeriu IOAN-FRANC – National Institute of Economic Research of the Romanian Academy 19. Maria IONCICA – Academy of Economic Studies 20. Marioara IORDAN – Institute for Economic Forecasting 21. Jaroslav LITVINENKO – National Academy of Statistics, Account and Audit, Kiev,Ukraine 22. Marius MAZILU – University “Lucian Blaga” from Sibiu 23. Marian MIHAILA – University “Eftimie Murgu” from Resita 24. Irina MOROIANU – ZLATESCU – Romanian Institute of Human Rights 25. Matjaz MULEJ – University of Maribor, Slovenia 26. Adrian NASTASE – University of Bucharest 27. Nicolae NEACSU – Christian University “Dimitrie Cantemir” from Bucharest 28. Sache NECULAESCU – University “Valahia” from Targoviste

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Journal of Business and Public Administration

CONTENT No. 2/2013 1. INFORMATION ANALYSIS MANAGEMENT AND CRITICAL THINKING IN CONTEMPORARY INTELLIGENCE - Adriana GRIGORESCU, Razvan CHITESCU.....................................................7 2. CHARISMATIC LEADERSHIP AND NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION - Marina-LuminiŃa MILITARU.........................15 3. NEW PERSPECTIVES IN USING MARKETING IN THE ONLINE ENVIRONMENT - Anamaria-Cătălina RADU, Andra DOBRESCU, Ivona STOICA.......................................................................................21 4. ROMANIA’ CLIMATIC SPAS RESORTS DEVELOPMENT IN THE VISION OF PUBLIC SERVANTS AND OF THE POPULATION Dragos DINCA......................................................................................26 5. FILLING THE GAP: HOW APPLICATIONS FOR LEARNING BUSINESS ENGLISH CAN INCREASE GRADUATES’ EMPLOYABILITY - Marina-LuminiŃa MILITARU, Diana-Eugenia IONCICĂ..............................................................................................36 6. GLOBAL ADMINISTRATIVE LAW. PRINCIPLES. FORMS OF MANIFESTATION – Alexandra PLESEA..........................................48 7. COMMUNICATION IN ROMANIAN ORGANISATIONS - Andreea Bianca ENE...........................................................................................56 8. A NEW COLLECTION: HISTORICAL MARKETING – Dumitru IONCICA..............................................................................................70 5


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INFORMATION ANALYSIS MANAGEMENT AND CRITICAL THINKING IN CONTEMPORARY INTELLIGENCE

Adriana GRIGORESCU National University of Political Studies and Public Administration Bucharest Faculty of Public Administration 6, Povernei Street, code 101643, Bucharest, Romania [email protected] Razvan CHITESCU Valahia University from Targoviste

ABSTRACT

During recent years, intelligence services have adapted to changes in the international security area. At the same time, the intelligence process is going through a period of constant transformation and adaptation of its form. The conscious and unconscious rational cannot be separated. Analysts commit a series of errors by emphasizing the initial, favored solution, that is, usually, the first satisfactory solution to be discovered. The present paper aims to present and analyze the mechanisms that are at the base of the management of the information analysis process in contemporary intelligence. Keywords: information management, critical thinking, intuitive thinking.

Introduction Critical thinking. Intuitive thinking. Advantages and limitations Critical thinking is defined as a meta-cognitive – thinking about thinking – and cognitive intentional action – thinking – through which a person reflects on the quality of the reasoning process, at the same time with the reasons used to reach a

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 conclusion. The main objective of this process isdivided in two directions: finding a solution and improving the manner in which it reacts. In “Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking”, Malcolm Glandwell advances the idea according to which conscious reasoning may not bring advantages to the author, since conscious reasoning limits the number of factors that can be processed simultaneously and, furthermore, it increases or decreases the significance of certain attributes (Glandwell, 2005). Moreover, he underlines the fact that thinking does not involve the detailed assessment of information to make decision, but it emphasized fast, cognitive responses. Thus, simple choices can be made through conscious thinking, while complex (political, managerial or other) issues should be assigned to unconscious thinking or “careless deliberation”. The use of structured reasoning methods - the analysis of alternative assumptions - multiplies such options, various factors are taken into consideration and, thus, the analyst’s capacity to assess complex cases as adequately as possible is expanded. Thus, critical thinking can be seen both as a structured method, and as a tool for the assessment and monitoring of processes for the selection and use of other structured methods. Knowledge acquired as a result of several reasons, experience and the transposal thereof in the decision establish intuitive thinking. Uninformed intuitive thinking is a phenomenon that frequently leads to informative failures, since it cannot reflect suppositions. Despite the fact that this method of “superficially splitting hairs” can be adequate in certain areas and decisions, in information analysis, it can be associated with the cognitive hindrances that cause failures. The management of the information analysis process in contemporary intelligence Major challenges, such as the exponential growth of data and the need for real time access and analysis, underline the importance of intelligence in the adoption of major policies and the capitalization of opportunities in various fields. Even if, initially, the analysis occupied a narrow segment – a simple processing and summarization of data –, under such conditions, the analytical component has gained value by obtaining the advantage provided by intelligence in relation to other competitors on the same market. The factors forming the basis of this development are the compression of the response and data processing time, the capacity to interpret data and to integrate it through multi-source analysis and the multi-disciplinary approach and through the form of the finished product, through its capacity to underline correct solutions. The analysis process management in contemporary intelligence is based on several dimensions - functional, methodological, structural, relational and cognitive. By considering the dependence of decisions on the characteristics of the analytical products they are based on, the management of this process should also be based on the information analysis ethics. Ethical dilemmas are often times an issue that is ignored at the level of the intelligence analysis, as the audit of analytical products

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 often omits it. The ethics of information analysis involves the undertaking of three important issues underlined in the work entitled The Ethics of Information Analysis: “the accuracy of processes, the comprehensibility of products and the benevolence of intentions.” (Bizadea, 2009) The aim of the information analysis is the creation of a top quality product, and not of an accepted, acceptable or expected product. Focusing on the intelligence consumer takes into consideration its interests and needs, and not the knowledge of its motive and predispositions. The analytical product should fit the beneficiary’s needs, as well as its psychological profile. However, everyday reality confirms that the analyst and the analysis activity cannot be assimilated to lobby companies that are characteristic to Anglo-Saxon policy systems that persuade, influence and shape. Intelligence structures should be empathic (NiŃu, 2012). Empathy implies that the manufacturer will try, through its conclusions, to convince the consumer, based on the intuition of its needs, eliminating the possibility of misunderstandings and difficulties in understanding the message or in underlying the decision, occurring at a personal, professional and political level. The analytical product will be expressed in a simple, direct, concrete and neutral manner. It must be submitted to the beneficiary in a language that is common to it, that can understand the phenomenon and easily draw conclusions. The analytical language does not aim to impress through rhetoric, but is functional, intended for expression and information. Moreover, the increase of the level of intelligence internal interoperability is required, together with the optimization and coordination of its Diplomacy, increasing the responsibility of legal beneficiaries in the use of intelligence and the establishment of the decision-makers’ intelligence culture. The intelligence analysis is not directed towards benevolent intention, but towards methodological goals, the value of truth and the processing accuracy. The observance of the information analysis ethics takes this process to the area of analytical objectiveness and it sets a bridge connecting the analyst and the beneficiary, increasing mutual trust. Objectiveness in this field remains a goal, however, it is a permanent goal, in order to achieve a more professional approach and correct results. Another issue of the analysis is the fact that it is based on expertise, on experts who are expected to provide a fully accurate and objective prediction, however, that fail to meet this goal. Therefore, it is necessary to take subjectivism into consideration, under the conditions where each analyst is predisposed to the elements specific to its expertise. This creates the analytical issue of trivialization and omission, i.e. diminishing the significance of certain coordinates or excluding certain coordinates from the argumentation, with negative values on the conclusion or with values that do not meet the processor’s analytical profile. The significance of going through the methodology and selecting the most adequate method does not reside in the procedural validation of the analytical product, but it prevents the cognitive predisposition of an analyst to use mental patterns, that

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 can prove to be completely fatal. Information analysis is subject to the risk of establishing patterns, where the effect is the establishing of opinions that are sometimes inadequate or inopportune, the neglect of certain alternatives, the ignoring of information contradicting such patterns. The main cognitive predispositions are represented by predefined reasoning and the prematurely established opinions, assumptions, inadequate analogies, the superficiality of conclusions established in time, individual work on different levels of competence, ignorance, the absence of knowledge necessary to analyze a case, the negation of the rational aspect, the ignoring of new information, whether willful or by necessity, exaggeration in subjective estimations, the analysis of the most visible assumption, the predisposed search of elements confirming an assumption instead of elements that contradict it. (Bizadea, 2009) In order to avoid the unsuccessful result of information analysis, substantive errors must be avoided, generated by the violation of simple, elementary rules, the development of the organizational methods of the informative coordinates of analysis, the promotion of the conclusion, the readability of the analysis and the harmony of the form in which the information is provided. Aside from the substantive errors, however not less important and much more frequent, are formal errors.

Information, information analysis and critical thinking “Information is a significant statement deducted from information that is selected, assessed, interpreted, and, finally, expressed so that its significance concerning a current strategy issue is clear.” (Platt, 1962) Information, data or evidence involve various areas of competence and various professional levels. The data forming the information include evidence. Evidence is different from data through the fact that it helps set differences between alternatives. The selection of evidence is the process through which data and information are assessed, and evidence is created. It is a procedure that can be carried out individually, Socratically, in collaboration or with other colleagues, within a work group. It is the essential part of imaginative and productive information analysis. The assessment of available evidence involves the redirection of thinking, the integration of responses from various sources, the estimation of the quality of the initial products and the comparison of objectives with final results. For uncertain and incomplete data, the result of deductions depends on the credibility of evidence, the relevance and the interferential or probative force. The criteria for establishing the credibility of evidence are authenticity, accuracy and credibility. The difference between various reasoning types is also made by the analyst’s assessment of objectivity, of observational sensitivity and of the competence of the sources.

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 Information analysis is based on the best answers in uncertain cases, with major implications and consequences. Without a strained consideration of a string of possibilities, the results are preferential. The information analysis activity is, by excellence, an intellectual activity. The analyst is bound to settle complex cases, uncertainties and to discover the nature and meaning of matters that others want to keep secret. The identification of issues, the assessment of matters that they are aware of and of matters they are not aware of, the finding of explanations and the submission of conclusions through a common method, with an audience that is not aware of the analytical techniques, requires a strong intellect and complex professional training in various niche areas and segments. Critical thinking does not require a higher level of training and thinking. However, the activity is not exactly easy. It is a triple game: one thinks about their thinking while thinking. This can be the essence of information analysis - the ability to examine how a result is reached under the pressure of time makes introspection very difficult. In managing information analysis, the incorporation of rigorous analytical processes – including critical thinking – is an attractive approach. The particularities that are often associated with critical thinking should become fundamental characteristics of any analyst and should be implemented in accordance with their usual activity (they must be part of an analyst’s training, they must be a reflex, in order to understand what it is, how to implement it, how to learn or teach it). An analyst’s thought is mostly intuitive, as a function of the non-involvement of scientific and technological methods and of other techniques of critical and structured thinking. The analyst manages to ignore the manner in which mentality and prejudice impair its capacity of analysis. Critical thinking makes the motivation process become self-aware. By making the unconscious conscious, analysts become aware of prejudice and continue a thorough and accurate analysis. Critical thinking can help analysts reassess their methods, thus avoiding the repetition of mistakes. To this extent, validating the improvement potential must be prior to the expansion of analysis. The need for validation raises certain issues in relation to the assessment and measurement criterion. Assessment can be made on two levels: process analysis through the follow-up of techniques, methods and procedures and the quality of the end product. Both validation methods prove, on their own, to be inefficient, which is why it is preferred for focus to be placed on structured analytical methods. To be successful, information analysis requires an addition - a complex framework, providing reasoning based on statements that are valid in time and as thorough as possible. Critical thinking provides this framework, requiring the analyst to use each reasoning adequately, expanding to the level of the entire analysis process. Understanding the role that critical thinking holds in the information analysis process makes it possible to define the phenomenon: “the way of thinking – about any topic, contents or issue – where the user improves the quality of its thinking through the

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 competent use of hereditary structures of thinking and by establishing intellectual standards for them.” (Paul & Elder, 2007) Critical thinking is what information beneficiaries expect from the intelligence generator. The effect of the analyst’s mentalities and prejudice limits the finding of the best solutions, through questions and answers, however, it can be reconciled with the aid of critical thinking through the special examination of resources, in both development directions: in favor of or in detriment of an issue and by considering a less obvious option. Critical thinking causes this identification by requiring an examination of alternative points of view. Conclusions Analysts have created information. In order to have a top quality end result, the analyst must adapt itself to the new analysis paradigms that become compulsory in light of the global changes. The issues and challenges of the last years place emphasis both on the required analysis infrastructure, and on the analyst and its abilities. The information analyst requires an extended and reflexive framework to add structured reasoning to intuitive logical thinking. Critical thinking is what information beneficiaries expect from the intelligence generator. The effect of the analyst’s mentalities and prejudice limits the finding of the best solutions, through questions and answers, however, it can be reconciled with the aid of critical thinking through the special examination of resources, in both development directions: in favor of or in detriment of an issue and by considering a less obvious option. Critical thinking causes this identification by requiring the examination of alternative points of view. Critical thinking has a lot to say in this area, by encouraging the debate of alternatives and of the advantages/disadvantages they have, and by examining analogies. By starting from the assumption that analysts can be taught to have critical thought, the remaining measure is for technological efforts to also be guided in support of analysis, by cooperation in the scientific research projects between analysts and technological applications. On a managerial level, in the area of analysis, on various levels, performance improvement should be considered by taking into account all critical factors – with emphasis on the process, the product and the staff – and moving from the supply of information to the supply of knowledge. Managers should be knowledge leaders, not group leaders. Authority should take a visionary and informal, and not a bureaucratic and authoritarian shape. There is a need for a dynamic organization, a transition from the rigid structures of intelligence services to flexible work groups, which continue to detach from pyramid-structures, and become more network-centric. The world is changing, threats are moving from quantifiable and visible threats to risks with evolutions that are difficult to anticipate, from classic wars to asymmetric threats, information, economic and cognitive wars, without linear and predictable

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 evolutions, from symmetry to asymmetry. Surprises, “black swans” intensify their presence in the contemporary world. We are facing an unlimited recrudescence of the information phenomenon, of threats coming from the opportunities provided by this area. The influence of an idea that is launched and promoted in the virtual world, as a spontaneous form and without any obvious political or economic purposes can exceed the power of an idea launched by a state institution. This is reason enough to change the manner of approach and to train analysts in the direction of understanding and combating future risks. Any plan should consider the future. Methods should be developed as a scenario analysis, critical thinking or intelligence analysis simulations and they should be standardized in work groups. Romania is a country where institutional customs and personal and national egos only provide opportunities in working for ourselves. We live in a society where everyone suspects each other, without knowing why and for what, is afraid of the present, and, what’s worse, the future. In Romania’s political programs and security strategies from 1990 to the current date, the word future is unknown (Nitu, 2012). Therefore, there is no thinking or concern to this extent - we have not set to influence the future through investments in research, education and infrastructure. The future should be seen with courage. With the courage of saying, “you are not a stranger”, courage resulting from will, capacity and vision implemented in the intelligence analysis development methods. The future belongs to the visionary analyst, the director and the screenwriter, the manager who stops what he/she is doing and starts planning their future, encouraging others to also take action to reach the future. Moreover, the future also provides opportunities to continue the development of reasoning methods in the information activity. Critical thinking provides this framework and has a positive influence on the entire process. Bibliography Bizadea, C. (2009) Etica analizei informatiilor, Revista romană de Intelligence, A publication of the Romanian Intelligence Services. Glandwell, Malcolm (2005) Inchideti ochii: Puterea de a gandi fara a gandi, New York, Little Brown and Company. Moore, T.D. (2010), Critical Thinking and Intelligence Analysis, DIANE Publishing, 134p. Nitu, I., (2012) Provocari privind implementarea unei reforme unitare si comprehensive in analiza de intelligence (Proiecul 3P), Revista romană de Intelligence, A publication of the Romanian Intelligence Services. Paul, R., Elder, Linda (2007) The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking Concept and Tools, 4th ed, Dillon Beach, CA:Critical Thinking Press.

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 Platt,W., (1962) Strategic Intelligence Production: Basic principles. Frederick A. Praeger Publishing House, New York. Russell, B., (2004) Problemele filosofiei, AllPublishing House, 174p. Toffler, Alvin, (1970) Future Shock, Random House, New York.

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CHARISMATIC LEADERSHIP AND NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

Marina-LuminiŃa MILITARU Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania ABSTRACT The present paper provides insight into ways of crafting and conveying charismatic body language image that is specific to influential leaders. We will examine powerful notions such as charisma, charismatic and transformational leadership, confidence, attitude and trust in order to see how all these elements instill belief and change in followers for the better if accompanied by adequate movements of the body. Keywords: leadership charisma, interpersonal bonding, nonverbal behavior, positive attitude JEL Classification: M Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting Paper type: General review

1. Introduction Communication is more than words There are three commonly accepted elements in any face-to-face human communication: words, tone of voice, and body language. Nonverbal communication accounts for two-thirds of all communication and can portray a message both verbally and with the correct body signals which include physical features, conscious and unconscious gestures and signals, and the mediation of personal space. Every time we communicate with someone else, the body supplements our words with dozens of micro gestures, eye movements, changes in posture and facial expressions. Most people are not fully aware of how much they use this unspoken language or of the fact that they use it subconsciously. Bowden (2010, 6) states that “the nonverbal elements have been found to be particularly important for communicating the information that forms a receiver’s understanding of the feelings, attitude, or intent

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 behind a communication. Indeed, this is true to such an extent that body language accounts for 55 percent of that understanding, tone of voice accounts for 38 percent, and the verbal content, the words, supplies only 7 percent of the perceived overall feeling, attitude, or intent that a communicator communicates. This implies, first, that the feeling, attitude, or intent that we might communicate is almost entirely dependent on the nonverbal message (93 percent), not on what we say”. He continues by explaining that in the business world the intellect is always given the highest status. Still, when delivering any kind of business presentations although the intellectual content is conveyed entirely verbally “the nonverbal cues are more than 10 times as important in your audience perceiving your belief or conviction concerning that material. (Bowden, 2010, 7)”. From these we can conclude that it is not what you say that makes the most difference but the manner in which you say it. The way we say things nonverbally (facial expressions, body language, voice quality, intonation, and other subtle characteristics that fall under the rubric of nonverbal communication) triggers an emotional response from our audience. Many theorists as we will mention further into our research have emphasized the fact that emotion is one of the most potent sources of motivation that drives human behavior.

2. The magic of charismatic leadership Charismatic leadership is a superior type of leadership which has lately begun to be increasingly discussed, theorized and explained. These studies are not a return to the old theory of charismatic leadership that analyses leadership as a set of characteristics, or traits, possessed by leaders, but a foreshadowing of new explanations to the results of empirical research and, especially, the extension of management organizational behavior that examines the interactive nature of the relationship between leaders and followers. Research findings have stressed that leaders are dynamic agents because they mobilize, arouse, engage and satisfy. The mutual dependency of leaders and followers can be simply explained: leaders only exist because others follow them due to their ability to resonate with them. This is what literature calls transformational leadership. Charteris - Black (2007, 6) states that” transformational leadership is measured by the effect that leadership has on followers as people are in some ways ‘transformed’’. The transformational leader has the ability “to change followers for the better (…) Transformational processes usually involve the upgrading of needs. As a consequence of this upgrading of needs, subordinates and followers become selfdirecting and self-reinforcing. The transformational leader’s influence is based on the leader’s ability to inspire and raise the consciousness of the followers by appealing to their higher ideals and values.”

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 The magical power of leadership is central to the concept of charisma. Charisma is a term derived from the Greek word χάρισµα (charisma) which means "favor freely given" or "gift of grace" and has two senses according to New Oxford American Dictionary (2010): (a) compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others, (b) a divinely conferred power or talent. If the older theories of charismatic leadership focused more on the leader – his/her exceptional attributes and qualities under which he/she would successfully achieve remarkable results, more recently the focus is more on the followers. According to this reversal paradigm, charisma no is longer considered almost exclusively an attribute of the leader, of the person, but a social relation. People find it easily to commit to a charismatic person due to the feeling of trust they experience when communicating with him/her. Bowden (2010, 15) explains this phenomenon in a simply, yet alluring way: “They are watching you, and they need to experience a feeling of trust in what they see and hear from you first—for their own comfort. It is not what you say that builds that trust; it is what you do for them that allows them to feel it. As the American novelist Carl Buechner said, “They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” Help people to feel trust in you through your nonverbal communication, and whatever the substance of your content, it’s going to get deep into their hearts and minds, and they are quite likely going to do whatever you ask! In the end, it is what people do alongside you that will build the lasting connections between you. Shared experience of action is the glue for any group, tribe, or society. The greatest trust is built when people go beyond their individual survival, rise above the selfish gene, and advance to the evolutionary level of joining in “a movement” together.” Thus, interpersonal bonding, empowerment and emotional intelligence are imperative attributes to a charismatic leader who must be able to demonstrate he understands, supports and cares about the people in his charge. This collaborative approach to leadership is what bring added value to any employee/follower. However, there are many people who have charisma and are not leaders. As Bass (1985) puts it: ‘as an attribute, charisma is in the eye of the beholder. Therefore, it is relative to the beholder.” Bowden (2010, 12) adds that: ”unless an audience sees the right image, it doesn’t hear the right message. The audience members may even make up their own message to fit the picture that they see, because the reality of this whole human communication system is that the receiver is ultimately in charge of the message received; it all gets translated in the receiver’s head.” Consequently, charisma is a mental state that exists in the perception of followers. Goman (2011, 106) describes charisma as “personal magnetism or charm. Charismatic people are more outgoing, but they also spend more face-to-face time with others—picking up cues and drawing people out. It's not just what these leaders project that makes them charismatic; it's how they make others feel about themselves. Good leaders make

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 employees believe in them. Great leaders make employees believe in themselves. It's all about dealing compassionately and effectively with people: listening, empathizing, and encouraging others to achieve outstanding results. So learning to read and respond to body language signals is crucial to leadership charisma. But, of course, charisma is also about an individual's infectious positive attitude, personal energy, and enthusiasm, as projected through his or her body language.” The author continues by stating that “learning body language skills isn't just helpful for communicating effectively to an audience; it also trains you to adopt positive, powerful, and uplifting postures and movements that in turn affect your mental state. As you assume the posture, gestures, expressions, and stance of confidence and charisma, you actually become more charismatic.” (p.107). Leaders and indirectly their conduct and body language have always been under scrutiny. As a rule, people will always follow those whose body movements can project signs of warmth and empathy, and power and authority at the same time. Following and relationship building is all about the body language of trust, inclusion, and rapport as we will see in the last chapter of this study.

3. The impact of injecting excitement into your gesture It is fundamental to all social species to react positively to nonverbal expressions of confidence, inclusion, expressivity and agility. Nothing is more attractive and influential than a high degree of confidence projected both verbally and nonverbally. Driver, Aalst (2011, 222) argue that “we are drawn to confident people. Their belief in themselves is more attractive than perfect features or careful grooming. Confident people come across as certain and ready to take action. They instill in us a muchdesired sense of security; a feeling that, no matter what happens, we can count on them to make decisions and act in a manner that produces an acceptable outcome. Confidence is magnetic, powerful, and profound. It’s the calm voice amid chaos. (…) It’s what legends and leaders are made of.” Everybody responds positively to “speed, agility and energy expenditure as indicators of potency. By contrast, lethargy and torpidity are associated typically with weakness and ineffectualness. Thus, any nonverbal action that entails a high degree a high degree of intensity and dynamic action is likely to connote power and to secure avoidance, flight, or submission from less dominant others.” (Burgoon, Dunbar, apud Manusov, Patterson, 2006, 288). In life, people who appear confident, active, optimistic, likable, and enthusiastic in their nonverbal behavior are given by others better ratings. Why? Because they have most of the time open body postures, full frontal body orientation, warm smiles, rapid head nods, prolonged eye contacts which convey expressiveness and energy. In terms of gesture classification that express a wide range of attitudes and emotions Paul Eckman and Wallace Friesen (1969) group them into five categories: emblems

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 (movements that are substitutes for words), illustrators (movements that accompany speech), regulators (body movements that maintain or signal a sign in a person’s listening or speaking role), adaptors (for example fiddling with objects, which tend to cast light upon a person’s emotional state) and affect displays (especially facial expressions that reveal emotions). However, the type of gestures individuals use is related to his personality and self-expression. Openness and confidence body movements have a greater effect than closed and hesitant ones. It is unwise for leaders to constantly show nonverbal display of anger, irritability, or annoyance as people are more likely to hold back their opinions, limit their comments, and look for ways to shorten their interaction. It is not the purpose of our study to review most of the gestures that show inclusion or exclusion but to draw attention to the impact of such behavior. In any organizational environment, employees/followers consciously or unconsciously search for cues from leaders and mimic their behaviors. Conclusion Charisma is a mental state that exists in the perception of followers and can only be known through their reactions to an individual labeled as “charismatic leader”. Like good manners, nonverbal behavior is a tool for expressing you best self in a certain situation. It is an extension of one’s character. If it is ineffective, it can be changed through self-analysis and continuous training: “you can add more effective gestures, postures, and expressions to your leadership repertoire. But the most charismatic, influential, and powerful body language will always be that which is totally congruent with who you are, what you stand for, and what you truly believe. (Driver, Aalst, 2011, 308). Body movements are the most charismatic when they are organic and naturally enhance the verbal message. Open and positive gesturing is a useful way of communicating warmth, trust and friendliness despite the fact that most of us see words as primary persuaders. Facial expressions should be lively and expressive rather than too controlled and restricted. We should never forget that body cues provide others with information about us. Charismatic leaders seek to develop both themselves and the others. Consequently, they will always try to convey active interest and involvement by avoid defensive and barrier gestures. Empathic leaders display at the same time friendliness, power, status and confidence. Constructive leaders know that emotions (positive or negative ones) are contagious. Emotional contagion is predominantly seen as a nonverbal process. When a person is angry or depressed, his negative body language spreads like a virus to his interlocutors, affecting their attitudes and lowering their energy. In contrast, relaxed and optimistic leaders are aware that their facial expressions and bodily cues have an impact on the interlocutor’s nervous system, emotions and behavior.

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 As a final conclusion to the article we quote Mother Teresa’s words that should reflect, in our opinion, every charismatic leader’s creed: “Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty”. Leaders with inclusive body language and a charismatic leading style have the ability to create an emotional environment that supports cooperation and high performance.

References Bass, B.M., (1985). “Leadership and Performance Expectations”, London and New York: The Free Press. Bowden, M. (2010). ”Winning body language. Control the Conversation, Command Attention, and Convey the Right Message— Without Saying a Word”, McGraw-Hill Charteris-Black, J. (2007). “The Communication of Leadership. The design of leadership style”, Routledge Driver, J, van Aalst, M (2011). „You Say More Than You Think: A 7-Day Plan for Using the New Body Language to Get What You Want”, Harmony publisher (Kindle edition) Ekman, P., and Friesen, W. (1969),"The repertoire of non-verbal behavior: Categories, origins, usage and coding." în Semiotica 1(1), p.49-98. Goman, C. K. (2011). ”The Silent Language of Leaders: How Body Language Can Help--or Hurt--How You Lead”.Jossey-Bass, 1 edition (Kindle edition) Manusov, V., Patterson, M.L. (2006).“The SAGE Handbook of Nonverbal Communication”, SAGE Publications, Inc. Stevenson, A and Christine A. Lindberg, C.A. (editors), (2010). “New Oxford American Dictionary”, Oxford University Press, 2010. Wainwright, G. (2003). “Teach yourself body language”, McGraw-Hill; 2 edition

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NEW PERSPECTIVES IN USING MARKETING IN THE ONLINE ENVIRONMENT Anamaria-Cătălina RADU The Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies Andra DOBRESCU The Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies Ivona STOICA Dimitrie Cantemir Christian University, Bucharest, Romania ABSTRACT Online marketing has experienced a remarkable growth in the last period of time, due to technological developments registered in the cyberspace. The Internet has been the one that has enabled the development of this field, providing a number of benefits for both consumers and producers. Thus, it can be seen as a mediator in the communication channel. Moreover, an action in the online environment supports bidders in the activities they conduct, facilitating product distribution and promotion. Looking from the perspective of consumers, it facilitates online offering information on marketed products and provides consumers with the ability to compare products on the market, both in terms of organoleptic components and in terms of prices, modality distribution and analyses to promote. In this way, online marketing environment adds value activities in the traditional environment, trying to better satisfy the needs and demands in the market. This paper provides an overview on how marketing has evolved in the online environment and highlights the main feature that sets it apart from the traditional. Keywords: marketing, onlinemarketing, web technologies, web tools. JEL Classification: M31 Paper type: Conceptual paper

Introduction Marketing is seen as a product of the twentieth century that has had the ability to constantly adapt to all the changes that have occurred in the external environment (Balaure (eds.), 2002, p.18). Philip Kotler defined this concept as, 'that societal process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and what they want

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 through creating, offering and freely exchanging products and services carrying value”. (Kotler, Keller, 2008, p.5). An important role that concept plays in the marketing mix concept was first defined by Neil H. Borden in 1957 (Dragon, (eds.), 2002, p.322). In society rapidly changing communication environments have started to become increasingly important for consumers, the internet being among their preferences. Since its inception (1969), it was seen as a revolution in communicative distance that allowed persons to communicate in real time and to be informed about all aspects occurring in the external environment. Thus, internet has the ability to incorporate a number of advantages offered by other communication means available to the market at that time (phone, radio, television), being seen as an element that enables saving of financial resources and time (Orzan, 2001 pp.139-140). Applying online marketing in a number of concepts has been adapted and modified to meet the needs and desires of consumers using the virtual environment. If previously mentioned the existence of the marketing mix (product, price, distribution and promotion), the composition of the online change is adapted to support both company and consumer interests. Thus, the online marketing mix is designated by the acronym 4P + 2D, where D mean the first digital media interactivity and D – Data Wharehouse - the next logical way to organize the information in the form of databases (Orzan G., Orzan M., 2007, p.38). Penetration of companies in the digital environment makes changes at both the organizational and structural level and, therefore, requires often a redesign of the entire activity. Thus, speaking from the perspective of the 4P, we notice certain peculiarities both in terms of product policy (services traded products and digital, physical and ideas) (Fletcher, Bell, McNaughton, 2004, pp. 34-35), pricing, distribution methods (speed of delivery) and in terms of promotional policy, where an important role technology and Web tools used to facilitate contact with their target customers (Kotler, Jain, Maesincee, 2009, p.135-136). In addition to the traditional instruments that currently exist on the market (search engines, web sites, portals, WebRing, forums, blogs, postcards, concentrators RSS) (Gay, Charlesworth, Esen, 2007, p.396), new technologies have emerged, such as web 3.0 (semantic web technologies Open Source, Open Data License, Open Id), which support companies trying to improve contact with individuals. These technologies and Web tools facilitate communication with the target audience, giving them a picture of the entirety of products held by the company. In the online marketing activity, the company is guided with the help of marketing policies grouped under the acronym 10 C. Thus, in the digital age, customer satisfaction is seen as the focus of business activity and it depends heavily on a number of factors, such as corporate culture, convenience, competition, communication, composition, creative content, personalization, coordination and control.

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 We see therefore how the digital environment tries as close to the consumer aspossible and creates a conducive environment to satisfy the needs of the market (Gay, Charlesworth, Esen, 2007, pp.11-13). Although the importance of using Web technologies is very high in organizations, there are situations where the proper conduct of business requires combining traditional and digital technologies. Therefore, the company has to plan the work taking into account the factors in the real world and those in the digital environment (Charlesworth, 2012, p.347). Web Technologies and tools can be used in more complex areas that need the contact between the parties is essential. One such area is the European funds. Applying marketing and web technologies in such a field can lead to the improvement of communication between the parties and increase the absorption of EU funds. WEB 3.0 technologies and its use in the communication process Web 3.0 (the Semantic Web) is the third major stage in the evolution of the Internet, whose implementation started out in 2012 and represents progress stage bidirectional communication Web 2.0 (Tasner, 2010, p. 4). Tim Berners-Lee (creator and president of HTML W3C) defines the Semantic Web as a data network that can be processed directly and indirectly by machines "(Roebuck, 2011, p.10). Eric Schmidt (Google CEO) believes that "the next step is the application of viral WWW. These will be relatively small, the data will be present in the form of clouds, will be fully portable, very fast and with a high degree of customization. Most importantly - will be distributed through social networks and will be adjusted by the user "(Orzan, 2012). The main aspects of the Semantic Web refer to the analysis and interpretation of the entire contents of a Web page, identify user preferences exploring online environment, the existence of open identity (OpenID), streaming video and high-speed connectivity (Tasner, 2010 p 4). Also assuming that the number of Web 3.0 applications is reduced, it included intelligent technologies which to process natural language, to be a better portability of applications - may be able to install any application on any device that can connect to the internet , PC, laptop or mobile phone applications to be fast and customized to each user (Harris, 2008, p.36). The main components are the defining characteristics of Web 3.0 stage (Tasner, 2010, p.12) : Micro blogging - requires the ability to expose online principles, ideas and opinions within a certain number of characters. The conditions in which people live their lives in a very accelerated pace, time is limited; they can share their opinions within 140 characters or less. Most representatives of the platforms online that can be achieved are Micro blogging Twitter, Plurk and Jaiku.

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 Realistic virtual world environments comprising detached from reality where users from all over the real world they can interact in a 3D framework (e.g. Second Life and Funsites). Customization / personalization allow users to enjoy a personalized experience. This process can be shown by memorizing the name and email address of the user at the top of Web pages, and choices of the most advanced internet browsing habits of the user (cookies). As the Internet becomes widespread and includes technology becoming smarter, individualization will become a necessity. Examples include Send Out Cards, Google and Amazon. In recent years there has developed a tendency to use the method of “single sign on “Internet based on the user's need to memorize one account secure (password and user password) for recording and accessing various websites. Mobile phones (smartphones) play a very important role in the lives of millions of people around the world and manage to exceed the total number of those who use PCs. People prefer to surf the Internet and to purchase products online directly from mobile phones. Moreover, they prefer to take photos instantly and share various groups to which they belong. For such situations, the most representative are the smartphones that use operating system and the iOS, Android and RIM. According to a study by Omnicom Media Group and Microsoft , use of mobile phones is strong especially in categories like travel , electronics, clothing and financial services Online collaboration allows users to see various documents, collaborate and achieve their changes in real time. Software as a service, online collaboration fits because it allows users to take only web-based solutions. Conclusions Regarding the composition of the promotional mix, it presents considerable differences between the two types of environments: offline and online. The traditional or offline promotional mix is characterized by advertising through television, radio and the press, outdoor advertising (posters, billboards), advertising through print (brochures, books, catalogs, brochures), sales promotion (contests and giveaways code), public relations (press releases, press conferences), trademarks, promotional events (fairs and exhibitions, sponsorship) and sales forces (Dragon, 2002, pp.486509). Moreover, in addition to the above, one can join and direct marketing (mailing, telemarketing) and "word of mouth". Compared to the offline, the online promotional mix presents the capture components such as display advertising, promotion through the site content, catalogues and brochures distributed online pressroom site, e-mail marketing (opt-in lists, newsletters, groups discussion), marketing information, online sponsorships, events, online and viral marketing (Orzan and Orzan, 2007, p.64).

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 References Balaure, V.(coord.), (2002), Marketing, Second Edition, Bucharest: Uranus. Charlesworth, A., (2012), Internet marketing: a practical approach, New York: Routledge. Fletcher, R.; Bell, J.; McNaughton, R., (2004), International e-business marketing, London: Thomson. Gay, R., Charlesworth, A., Esen, R., (2007), Online marketing: a customer-led approach, Oxford: Oxford University Press. Harris, D., (2008). Web 2.0 Evolution into The Intelligent Web 3.0. Newstead:Emereo Publishing. Kotler, Ph., Jain, D., Maesincee, S., (2009), Marketing in the digital age a new vision of profit, growth and renewal, Bucharest: Meteor Pres. Kotler, Ph., Keller, K.L., (2008), Management Marketing, Bucharest: Teora. Orzan, G., (2001), Marketing informatic systems, Bucharest: Uranus. Orzan, G., Orzan, M., (2007), Cybermarketing, Bucharest: Uranus. Roebuck, K., (2011).Web 3.0 - the Semantic Web: High-Impact Strategies - What You Need to Know: Definitions, Adoptions, Impact, Benefits, Maturity, Vendors. Newstead:Emereo Pty Limited. Tasner, M., (2010).Marketing in the Moment: The Practical Guide to Using Web 3.0 Marketing to Reach Your Customers First. New Jersey: Pearson Education.

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ROMANIA’ CLIMATIC SPAS RESORTS DEVELOPMENT IN THE VISION OF PUBLIC SERVANTS AND OF THE POPULATION Dragos DINCA National University of Political Studies and Public Administration Bucharest Faculty of Public Administration [email protected] Abstract: In July – September 2013, I have performed a study regarding the identification of the major problems ofthe localities Pucioasa, County of Dambovita, Amara, County of Ialomita, Vlahita, County of Harghita and Eforie, County of Constanta, all with spa status. The study objective was to identify the local problems from the public servants’ point of view, as persons employed in the specialty departments of the City Halls, and of the inhabitants of these localities. The study was developed on two levels: 1. Almost all employees within the City Halls, the dimensions of research connected with the following major directions: - Identification of local problems - Characterization of public administration activity – relevant aspects, their hierarchy - Description of life quality in these localities 2. Localities’ population. Have been interrogated localities’ inhabitants, following the: - Hierarchy of local problems - Expectations formulation towards the activity of local public administration. Keywords: public servants, population, local public administration. Paper Type: Research paper

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 1. Vision of the public servants from specialty departments within the City Halls 1.1. Target group The target group has been represented by the employees of the specialty department of the City Halls of those four localities, public servants, group with the following major features:

Sex distribution within the interrogated group is close to the national average in the local public institutions from Romania (where the share is of 60% women and 40% men).

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 Taking into consideration the age of interrogated group, it was found an overpopulation of the interval 40-60 years old – 58%, which can be beneficial from the work experience and acquired knowledge perspective, but it is a category with a high hostility towards the changing processes. The youth share is quite low.

From the education perspective, it is found that 57% represents higher education, in the national average from local public institutions. Considering the attitude towards the services offered by institution, in general, the employees are declared satisfied (61%) and very satisfied (27%), but there is also a number of dissatisfied (10%).

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 Even tough they declare, in general, to be satisfied by the supplied services, the employees appreciate that adjustmentsare necessary, as well as adaptation to new realities (81%).

From the general attitude towards life point of view, it is found that the biggest satisfactions come from the family. The most dissatisfactions come from standard of living.

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 1.2.

The locality problems in the public servants’ vision

Prioritizing the problems, we find out that in the vision of those interrogated, the most serious are the following:

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 Very serious Jobs Poor people Public transportation Roads Hospitals Do not present problems: -schools -public lighting -public transportation 2.

Local problems in the vision of localities’ population

2.1. Target group The inhabitants of those four localities, group with the following major features:

According to age, the distribution was the following:

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From studies point of view, the situation is the following:

Regarding the occupation, different categorieshave been selected, as we can see.

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 2.2.

The problems of those four localities in the vision of the population

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In the opinion of interrogated people, the order of problems is the following: -jobs, poor people -stray dogs -roads It follows the confirmation of these findings: “What do you want in your locality?”

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 Conclusions By overlapping the investigated areas, we conclude that the main expectations from the level of four localities are connected to: economic development in order to create jobs, roads, stray dogs, receptivity of local authorities. The economic problems are on the first place, even though the unemployment rate at the level of the four localities is small comparing to other similar localities and the number of available jobs is a considerable one, especially because of the existence of spas infrastructure. Interesting is that the stray dogs problem is one which appears more frequently in small localities and the solving ways seem to be far away. There are no resources for sterilization or building of shelters and localities’ associations in order to solve together the problem are non-existent. The road infrastructure is, we can say, a general problem in all localities from Romania. Therefore, those four localities studied fit as problem into the common area for most of localities, public servants and citizens showing problems which are related to essential administration and public services. There is no specific element for the spa status. But we may see that the most important identified problems influence the enhancement of local tourism potential. References

Pucioasa local development strategy Vlahita local development strategy Eforie local development strategy Amara local development strategy

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FILLING THE GAP: HOW APPLICATIONS FOR LEARNING BUSINESS ENGLISH CAN INCREASE GRADUATES’ EMPLOYABILITY

Marina Luminita MILITARU Bucharest University of Economic Studies Diana Eugenia IONCICA Bucharest University of Economic Studies

ABSTRACT In the paper, we notice the existence of a gap between employer’s expectations and employees’ actual skills when it comes to productive language use. While employers prefer already trained employees, i.e., those possessing the language skills required for the job, quite often, higher education institutions fail in their attempt to provide those language skills to their graduates. This makes the existence of a gap painfully obvious. The question that arises is: ‘How do we fill the gap?’ What are the best courses of action that would lead to graduates better prepared for the realities of the labor market, in terms of language skills, as well as general communication skills? The purpose of the article is to offer an overview of some of the best applications for learning Business English that have an impact on managing mobile learning. We want to specifically look at applications that offer possibilities for individual learning, thus providing an immensely helpful tool that proves beneficial for all the parties involved – employers, actual or potential, teachers struggling with the problem of bridging the gap between traditional education and advances in technology, and lastly, but most importantly, employees, in dire need of perfect language skills to meet the requirements of companies operating in an increasingly globalized world. Keywords: digital learning, Business English applications, mobile devices, employability, language learning

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 JEL Classification: O Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth Paper type: General review

Introduction The changing personal development in learning style Weert and Kendall (2004, 3-4) state that there have been many changes in our global environment, and personal development seen as a process of lifelong learning is one of them: „Personal development has been changing and is more and more geared towards fulfilling to the fullest the own individual potential in life. The environment we live in is changing: technology that we use on a day-to-day basis; the amount of information that “bombards” us packed in different media formats; the ways we communicate with other people, with institutions and in the workplace; the amount of things that we have to know and be able to handle in order to keep up with the world around us. In total all this means that we should be able to learn in a new manner and from the cradle to grave in order to be able to realise our life potential, and to fulfill our goals in life to a maximum extent.” Nowadays there is a widespread agreement among educational scholars and researchers regarding educational applications of modern information and communication technologies, which are considered more effective when they are embedded in multimedia learning environments created to enable productive learning. Spector, Ifenthaler, Isaias, Kinshuk and Sampson (2010, 5) highlight the fact that „the key to success is seen not so much in how the information is presented as in how well the learners can manipulate the different tools available in the multimedia learning environment on their own.” However, the advantages of learning in the digital age lie in the fact that learners can follow a course from any location on earth and at any point in time and that they are placed in control of what and how they learn. The new information and communication technologies are today interactive systems. The article ”How Tablets Are Revolutionizing the Modern College Experience”1 comments extensively on the fact that in 2012 tablet ownership has tripled among college students and quadrupled among high school seniors, changing the face of modern higher ed and thus allowing a „faster, more fluid learning”. The conclusion is obviously stated in the end: „Simply put, tablets (...) centralize learning, ease overburdened backpacks and bring people together. College students crave connection and efficiency; a tablet provides them with transformative experiences that meet those needs.”

1

https://www.verizonwireless.com/insiders-guide/home-and-family/tablets-in-college/

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 Mobile devices dramatically impact education As briefly mentioned above, advances in smartphones and tablets, combined with open-source software and a proliferation of free online courses, have brought elearning to the masses. Today iPad/iPod Touch/iPhone Apps and other portable devices are widely used to re-imagine and reshape the process of education while rekindling students' innate desire to learn. They are more than just a toy for games, video or music. They have become gadgets for business, learning (foreign languages, for example) and getting up-dated information in real time. The range of applications that are available for these devices is growing each week. Hughes (2011, 1) explains that „We have moved beyond “Internet time,” referring to the incredible speed at which technology advances, to “mobile time,” where technology is deployed almost instantly to anyone with a mobile device. This means that consumers have an avalanche of choices when it comes to the technology and content they consume.” New ways to learn While searching on the internet for key words such as „mobile education” or „mobile learning” we have come across the following statement: „Mobile learning. Tablets in the classroom.Apps replacing textbooks. Apple may have started the craze, but the trend is now platform and device-agnostic. While iOS remains the system of choice for most developers (if for no other reason than the wild-west of the Google Play Marketplace versus Apple’s more streamlined iTunes store), learning-with-apps is as accessible on Android devices as it is on the venerable iPad.”2 Everyone has heard Apple’s catchphrase: „There is an app for that” and can imagine its huge impact on education training opportunities. Dickens and Churches (2011, xiii) mention the fact that „there is a vast library of applications available for iPads and iPod Touches through iTunes that have the potential to change the way we deliver content in the classroom and the way our students consume it.(...) The apps have become tools for creating interactive books or courses, cloud computing, digital learning and more.” Our goal is to give readers (i.e. college students) willing to know what apps to use when trying to learn a foreign language an overview of the most well-known and accessed apps for both Apple and Android devices according to what skills they teach (Speaking, Vocabulary, Grammar, Listening or Writing Business English). Most of these apps are free or available in low or premium forms. We will investigate the features of these apps and consider how students could use them to enhance their foreign language skills, in order to increase their chances of employability. We want to underline the fact that most if not all of these language apps can be found on both Apple and Android devices. 2

http://www.teachthought.com/technology/the-best-education-apps-for-android/

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Apps for Apple and Android devices. What does the app do? 1. Business English

Fig. 1 Screenshots of Business English app3 The app offers the opportunity to listen to business English conversations and read business documents. It contains 19 listening topics (at the library, at the office, bank account, booking a hotel, business courses, company review, conference, cutting costs, flight details, interview, marketing a shop, office directions, office stationery, property development, record keeping, renewable energy, business conversations, staff social, time off work), 19 reading topics (banking letters, business articles, business premises, company reports, disclaimer, economic report, holiday leave, invitation, remote offices, restaurant voucher, returns policy, sick leave, staff training, stress at work, virtual office, workshop, young sales force), business vocabulary related to money, work and travel and four grammar sections that include a business grammar test, error recognition exercises and prepositions. The learner can practice the listening and reading at the same time. Each topic has a practice test. The level is B1 (intermediate)

3

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.examenglish.business.english

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 2. Speak Business English 1

Fig. 2 Screenshots of Speak Business English 1 app4 This app helps learners speak better business English. Learning is fast and effective. It allows you to improve your language skills by learning the idioms and expressions that are used at work .The 15 lessons in this app feature topics including: talking about company strategy, running a meeting, motivating co-workers, talking about financial issues, discussing good and bad results, and more.

3. Business English Communication Skills This free version of video-based interactive Business English app focuses on Business skills such as telephone, meetings, presentations and negotiations. Additionally, it includes quizzes, vocabulary, grammar, and speaking practice sections.

4

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/business-english-for-ipad/id495947652?mt=8

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Fig. 3 Screenshots of Business English Communication Skills app5 4. Grammar and Practice for Business

5

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.limerickenglish.businessenglish_communic ationskills

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Fig. 4 Screenshots of Grammar and Practice for Business app6 As mentioned in the apps description 144 units with more than 1,600 activities – that’s 5,200 questions – all available in practice and test modes. The learner has the possibility to browse the grammar explanations in the reference section before entering the test mode. All the example sentences are selected from the Collins COBUILD corpus, a constantly updated 4.5-billion-word database of today’s English language, featuring up-to-date and authentic business English. The app gives users an in-depth knowledge of all the vocabulary they need to survive and make a good impression in today’s fast pace business environment. 5. Business English Idioms

Fig. 5 Screenshots of Business English Idioms app7 6

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/grammar-practice-for-business/id589425434?mt=8

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 The app provides access to 30 business English lessons with full transcript and idioms (such as: pretty penny, in the red, step up to the plate, wishy-washy, and fast followers) that are used at the working place. 6. Business dictionary

Fig. 6 Screenshots of Business Dictionary app8 More than 5000 business terms from fields such as Economy & Finance Management, Facility Management, Informatics & IT Management, Human Resources Management, Logistics & Transportation, Organizational Management, Marketing & Sales, Production Management, Quality Management, Innovation Management, Process Management, Service Management, Project Management, Risk Management, Change Management, Knowledge Management, Strategic Management are included in this dictionary which is perfect for both business English students and people already at work. Language Learning and Employability As we hope to have proved convincingly in the previous chapters, new technologies – and, in particular, applications for mobile devices – are an immensely helpful tool for learners of foreign languages – applied to business, as in the examples we have provided extensively, or just used for general communication purposes.

7 8

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wsk.android.speakbizeng https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.managementmania.mmbd

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 There is one more step that we would like to take in this final part of our paper – that is, we would like to make the connection between language learning and employability abundantly clear. As a first stop in our demonstration, we would like to resort to a study undertaken by the European Commission at the end of 2005: ELAN: Effects on the European Economy of Shortages of Foreign Language Skills in Enterprise, which was presented to the Commission a year later. The most important part of the research was a survey of nearly 2,000 exporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in 29 European states “to collect data on approaches to the use of language skills, intercultural competence, awareness of language strategies, loss of business owing to lack of language skills, future exporting intentions and hence projected requirements for further language skills” (ELAN 2006:4). To sum up, the study revealed the fact that the level of awareness among SMEs of the relevance of language skills is high, as is shown by the fact that many businesses keep a record of their staff’s language skills. Moreover, a substantial number of companies have undertaken language training for their staff, even though both large and small companies indicated a preference for recruiting staff whoalready had language skills rather than having to invest in training. However, in spite of the fact that the study revealed a complex picture, there was evidence that many SMEs thought that English was enough (Final Report of The Commission of the European Communities; 2007, 14). We find that one observation in the report bears particular significance for our current study: the fact that employees prefer not to invest in language training, as obviously this would increase their costs, and would rather hire personnel already possessing the language skills required for the job. To further our demonstration, we shall include in this paper the findings of research we have undertaken previously9, focused on the connection between language learning and employability. According to a recent article published in Forbes10: 9

In the article ‘Languages and the Labor Market – a Love Story?’, Diana-Eugenia IONCICĂ, International Conference Series: Synergies in Communication, RETHINKING EDUCATION RESHAPING THE WORLD. LANGUAGES, BUSINESS AND COMMUNITIES,The BucharestUniversity of Economic Studies, Bucharest, 28-29 November 2013 10 Most popular foreign languages, http://www.forbes.com/2008/02/22/popular-foreignlanguages-tech-language_sp08-cx_rr_0222foreign.html

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 ‘Calculating the exact value of learning a second language has vexed economists. For example, it is difficult to separate the wage increases associated with learning a foreign language from other, closely co-related variables like education and motivation.’ Despite this fact, we think the attempt to see whether language education increases employability and the possibility of earning a higher wage is far from futile. We shall quickly review the results of some of the research undertaken to this end. In 2005, Albert Saiz, an economist at the University of Pennsylvania, and Elena Zoido, an economist at the consulting group LECG, published a study comparing wage premiums for American college graduates who spoke Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian and Chinese as a second language. In their findings, the law of supply and demand prevailed. ‘With its 1.7% wage premium, Spanish was the least valuable, followed by French (2.7%). Knowledge of German, Italian, Russian and Chinese was slightly more valuable, translating into an average 4% income boost.’11 A study by Aimee Chin, an associate professor in the Economics department at the University of Houston, has found that immigrants to the U.S. who go from speaking English “well” to “very well” see a wage rise of 30%. Chin’s research, published in 2003, evaluated earnings of individuals who had emigrated to the U.S. as children and eventually entered the job market. Chin and her co-author found that compared to a person who speaks English poorly, those who have mastered it earn 67% more. The results of the study above are not surprising, and are actually arguments for the consolidation of the position of English as the language for business and employment. In the study mentioned, we drew one last conclusion: “While universities worldwide acknowledge the need for language education, and use it as a marketing tool in attracting their students, few universities keep their promise once students have opted for a university. A preliminary conclusion for Romanian universities – doubled by a warning – if these universities will not wake up to the language realities of the labor market, private language providers certainly will – and will reap the benefits when filling in the gaps created by the insufficient supply of the state universities.” (Ioncica, 2013, 10) Conclusion: How do we fill the gap? The world of applications is constantly changing: new and exciting apps with incredible learning potential are being developed every day. Digital learning has

11

Idem 10

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 become for many young and adult learners the ultimate business resource of the English language for use anywhere and anytime. In the previous chapter, we reached two important conclusions: one, that employers prefer already trained employees, i.e., those possessing the language skills required for the job, and the second, that higher education institutions often fail in their attempt to provide those language skills to their graduates, for reasons which do not form the object of the current study. This makes the existence of a gap between employer’s expectations and employees actual skills painfully obvious. The question that arises is: ‘How do we fill the gap?’ What are the best courses of action that would lead to graduates better prepared for the realities of the labor market, in terms of language skills, as well as general communication skills? We hope that the current article provides at least the beginning of an answer to this crucial question in an increasingly globalized world. In our view, applications for Business English, far from replacing teachers or a formal education, should be seen as a helping hand extended by technology to the process of education. So, how do we fill the gap? Try the app.

Bibliography Competing across borders: How cultural and communication barriers affect business. The Economist report, 25 April 2012, http://www.managementthinking.eiu.com/competing-acrossborders.html?quicktabs_content=research Dickens, H. J., Churches, A. (2011), “Apps for Learning: 40 Best iPad/iPod Touch/iPhone Apps for High School Classrooms (The 21st Century Fluency Series)”, Corwin ELAN: Effects on the European Economy of Shortages of Foreign Language Skills in Enterprise (2006). http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/lang/doc/elan_en.pdf European Commission, (2007): Final report of the High level group on multilingualism. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities Globalised economy continues to drive demand for foreign language proficiency, 23 Jan 2013, http://monitor.icef.com/2013/01/globalised-economy-continues-to-drivedemand-for-foreign-language-proficiency/ Hughes, J. (2011), “Android™ Apps Marketing: Secrets to Selling Your Android App”, QUE

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 Ioncică, D. E, Dima, V. V. (2012), The role of educational services and of multilingualism in economic development. A case study on foreign language courses, The 22nd edition of RESER International Conference, Services and economic development: Local and global challenges, 20-22 septembrie 2012, ASE, Bucuresti, ISBN: 978-606-505-565-0, ISI Proceedings Ioncică, D. E‘. (2013), ‘Languages and the Labor Market – a Love Story?’, ,International Conference Series: Synergies in Communication, RETHINKING EDUCATION - RESHAPING THE WORLD. LANGUAGES, BUSINESS AND COMMUNITIES,The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Bucharest, 28-29 November 2013 Most popular foreign languages, http://www.forbes.com/2008/02/22/popular-foreign-languages-tech-language_sp08cx_rr_0222foreign.html Rosenberg, M. J., (2001), “E-learning : Strategies for Delivering Knowledge in the Digital Age”, McGraw-Hill Professional Spector, J.M., Ifenthaler, D., Isaías, P., Kinshuk, Sampson, D., (2010), “Learning and Instruction in the Digital Age”, Springer Science+Business Media Weert, T. J., Kendall, M. (editors).(2004), “Lifelong Learning in the Digital Age. Sustainable for all in a changing world”, Kluwer Academic Publishers

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GLOBAL ADMINISTRATIVE LAW.PRINCIPLES. FORMS OF MANIFESTATION

Alexandra PLESEA National University of Political Studies and Public Administration ABSTRACT The emergence of global administrative law is a reality that cannot be denied, under these conditions supranational organizations becoming more and more specialized, attempting, through transparent and efficient administrative practices, both to protect the citizens and to meet their social needs. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to establish a new branch of law, global administrative law, which regulates global governance, setting relations between supranational institutions, their activities and the principles underlying their activities. Therefore, global administrative law should be treated with more importance in the political and legal sciences. Keywords: global administrative law, efficiency, supranational institutions.

1. Global Administrative Law: Conceptual framework Starting from the current context, the one in which the activities of the societies often exceed the control power of a single state, there is a more and more growing need for a set of rules to regulate such activities. If activities such as those in fields as environmental protection, refugee status, safety, competition in the market economy, healthcare, water protection, etc. would remain subjected only to national level, issues that take place at intergovernmental level would be difficult to control. In other words, this type of activity is the one generated by the so-called "global community". This community is best defined by the statement of Professor N. Daşcovici. "The world forms an integral and unified whole, even if it transfers part of its sovereignty to international organizations, it is like a body or universal organism that develops or suffers depending on wellbeing of all brought together." 12

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Dașcovici, N., Curs de drept internațional public, Bucharest, 1947, p. 624

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 In addition, the globalization process brings new challenges, and especially the technological and economic ones develop quickly and that could not be overcome at the national level. The current economic crisis is of such magnitude that simple measures in each state are not sufficient to combat the negative effects and this is just one example of issues that cross the boundaries of the national states. On the other hand, the emergence and development of supranational institutions and bodies come to draw attention to the fact that they are out of the sphere of influence of norms and regulations of the national states. Therefore, a new regulatory space is developing – distinct from interstate relations - which transcends the sphere of influence of both international law and national administrative law. It can be defined as the global administrative space corresponding to a different administrative law. Global administrative law is a new field that has emerged based on a dualistic perspective. On the one hand, what is usually labeled as "global governance", can actually be characterized as administrative action, and on the other, this activity per se is regulated by a number of principles of administrative law type, such as those relating to transparency, accountability and responsibility. “We define global administrative law as including the mechanisms, principles, practices, and full support for social understanding, which promote or, on the contrary, affect the responsibility of the global administrative organs, in particular by ensuring that they meet adequate standards of transparency, participation, motivation of decision, and legality, and by providing an efficient assessment of the rules and decisions taken these organs. Global administrative organs include formal intergovernmental regulatory bodies, informal intergovernmental regulatory networks and coordination arrangements, national regulatory bodies operating with reference to international intergovernmental regime.”13 In other words, the structures, procedures and norms for the regulation of the decisionmaking process applicable to the international institutions and the mechanisms governed by the law which implement these standards, come from a field of juridical theory and practice entirely different from the current ones: the global administrative law. 2. Principles and manifestations of global administrative law Although global administrative law is a novelty in the field of juridical science, as in the case of other branches of law emerged before this one, the formation and evolution of this domain as a juridical science is based on a number of principles. 13

Kingsbury, B., Krisch, N., Stewart, B., R., The Emergence of Global Administrative Law, 2005, p. 17, electronic format,

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 Analyzing these principles, we notice that they could be divided into two categories: A) general principles of law borrowed from the national level - the rule of law; B) specific principles of administrative law: openness and transparency, accountability in administration, efficiency and effectiveness, motivation of administrative decisions, protection of human rights (ie all those issues which come to give content to the concept of "good governance") A) The ruleof law If we turn to the classical systems of administrative law, we notice that their most important principle is the rule of law. In this context, we can translate legality as the action of government always within the limits of its own powers, while providing equal access to the courts and other dispute solving mechanisms.14 Overall, this principle is similar, not identical. Globally, the rule of law would mean the existence of a legal order governing the right of access to the formal dispute settlement institutions. But what is remarcable about this principle is that, in the states it has a wide sphere of applicability. B) Specific principles of administrative law From the second category of principles, those which give content to good governance, we mention openness and transparency, accountability, efficiency and effectiveness. "The openness suggests that the administration is available for external control, while transparency suggests that at a close examinationcan be «seen through» for the purpose of control and supervision. Openness and transparency allow, on the one hand, anyone affected by an administrative action to know the basis of these actions, but, on the other hand, they make the outside control of administrative measures by supervisory institutions easier. Openness and transparency are also tools of the rule of law, equality before the law and accountability.”15 These two characteristics of good governance ensure the protection of citizens’ rights in relation with the public administration, given the fact that citizens have access to processes that take place in public institutions. At the same time, the control of these institutions is also within the reach external control bodies. If the principle of transparency requires, mostly citizens' access to information, the principle of openness takes multiple forms of participation of the various actors involved in the decision-making process. 14 Harlow, C. Global administrative law: The quest of principles and values, The European Journal of International Law, Vol. 17, no. 1, Ejil, 2006, p. 9. 15

Sigma Paper no. 27, p. 11

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 Specific activities in this area will differ from country to country, depending on various factors such as the organization of the body of civil servants, the main restrictions on the free flow of information,level of education and whether the public is aware of the existence of such information. However, there is a common denominator, namely that increasingly more countries are becoming aware of the need for a high degree of transparency and openness to ensure an efficient administration. Lack of transparency, among other shortcomings of administrative activity leads to low confidence of the society in the strength and importance of normative acts. The absence of consultation leads to rules being frequently changed or replaced, or worse, to being inefficient and inaccurate. The practical application of the principle of transparency (which covers procedures and guarantees regarding both access to information and participation in decision process) would lead to greater confidence in the laws and regulations since they were adopted in consultation with those interested. At the same time, the lack of these two features of good governance attracts more often, complaints from citizens and motivates the attempt to open the public administration globally. Moreover, the need for open public administration, felt globally, is reflected in the theories of New Public Management. In order to demonstrate that the principle of transparency, as perceived at national level, as the citizens' access to information during the decision-making process, is becoming increasingly applied internationally, it is important to analyze the activity of institutions that act globally. Thus, we can mention the case of shrimp / turtle, in which World Trade Organization noted that the United States did not offer formal opportunities to be heard or to respond to any argument against them to the states whose shrimp export to the United States was restricted by the internal regulations of the U.S. government and asked the U.S. to make available the procedural participation mechanisms. Another example that can be taken into account is the placing of the States on a list in case of non-compliance, by the Financial Action Task Force. But in this situation it is necessary to offer to the states the possibility to make remarks. Responsibility means that public authorities are accountable in front of the legislative or judicial bodies. "Responsibility is the means by which to verify that principles such as rule of law, openness, transparency, impartiality, and equality before the law are respected ... supervision principle appears as part of the principle of administration by law, being essential to protect the public and private interest."16 Given its mandate to promote good governance and proper public administration, which is in development, Division for Public Administration and Development 16 Study regarding the global dimension of the good management and the influence of the public, 2009, pag. 37 – electronic format

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 Management (DPADM) supports the establishment of international standards, conducts research and analysis in comparative politics and assist in building capacity if institutions designated to safeguarding public sector ethics, transparency and accountability. The Division activities are based on the idea that corruption is a symptom of poor administration and mismanagement. These situations allow unscrupulous public officials to exploit situations where personal interest is placed above the public interest, contrary to the spirit of public service. Moreover, the activities of the Division also seek to preserve the integrity of "honest" public officials by implementing an "ethics infrastructure" that not only provide guidance to good conduct, but also punishes the violations through administrative and legal sanctions. "Ethics infrastructure" includes measures to strengthen and maintain the organizational integrity, access to information that promotes transparency and accountability, and supervision by independent institutions and the general public. Recognition of the principle of effectiveness and efficiency is a relatively new event, even within national administrations and even more globally. Efficiency involves achieving best results with as little consumption of resources as possible, while effectiveness involves achieving the required results using the available resources. Recently it was launched globally the idea that good administration requires the presence of "three E": economy, efficiency and effectiveness, which must govern every activity of public administration and any public service provided by it. To empower transparency, it must be filled with the principle of administrative decisions. "Motivation must provide the essential elements of the applied administrative procedure and have a degree of justification sufficient to allow the interested party to request an appeal for the final ... The motivation is to be understood as legal provisions that entitle institutions to take action and the reasons that motivate institutions to issue the act in question. " 17 All these previously presented principles are interconnected, if the motivation of the decisions increases the force of the principle of transparency we cannot talk of efficiency and effectiveness without the motivation of the decisions. The last principle that fits in the category of specific principles to the public administration is that of the protection of human rights. In the majority of states, the entire activity of public administration revolves around this principle. Moreover, public administration'sactivity of providing public services would not find a purpose in conditions that harm the rights and interests of citizens. 17

Alexandru, I. Drept administrativ european, Editura Universul Juridic, Bucharest, 2008, p. 259

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 This principle was established as very important at the supranational level as well, which is why the United Nations aims mainly the realization of rights and interests of citizens, both at the institutional and normative level. Human Rights Committee, which operates within the UN, prepare general reports and suggestions for States Parties examines complaints of individuals who claim to be victims of violations of one or more of the rights contained in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, communicates its findings to the interested States Parties and to the concerned individuals. In terms of legislation, certainly the most important regulation of human rights is contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. "We compare the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to a temple's vast portico supported by four columns. The first is the personal freedoms one: life, liberty, security and dignity ... The second column refers to individual's rights in its relations with groups to which it belongs and with elements of the outside world ... The third column is the one of spiritual faculties, of freedom of expression, of freedom of assembly ... Finally, the fourth column is the one of economic, social and cultural rights."18 In the context of these principles that exceed the borders of the Member States, the most obvious manifestation of global administrative law is trying to build a global constitution. The pertinent question is: Why the need or what justifies a global constitution? A global constitution would come to address the legitimacy deficit faced by the global governance. Although this deficit is not desirable, its existence is normal explainable if we consider that states generally are not willing to give up the attributes of sovereignty in favor of supranational bodies, or at least not the most important ones. On the other hand, the lack of constitutional regulations globally will create problems for the institutions at this level, in the context of governance challenges for these institutions having to be resolved still at the level of states. Also, it is still determined at the level of statesthe context and the way international regulations apply to them. Although there is currently no global constitution setting the conditions according to which the activities of the public administration must be carried out, steps in this direction have been taken. Thus the emergence and development of decision-making institutions which exceed state borders, as well as regulatory bodies normally found only in the states, require increasingly more global constitutional order.

18

Zlătescu, Moroianu, I., Drepturile omului – un sistem în evoluŃie, Institutul Român pentru Drepturile Omului, Bucharest, 2008, p. 79

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 On the other hand, regional organizations such as the EU, NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) and the global ones, World Trade Organization, the United Nations, adopted a series of laws which, although not enforceable at national level, influence the activities of the states regarding normative issues, economic, political and social ones. Therefore, we consider these acts the core of a global regulatory framework. 3. Conclusions The development of a global administrative law appears as a normal, logical, phenomenon, given that international relations theory studies rather political relations between states and international law is concerned with international normativity. Therefore, we can no longer deny the need to create a new branch of law which will assure an efficient and effective global governance, protecting the citizens from arbitrary decisions and lack of responsibility of the public administrations for their actions and services. Given that globalization produces chain reactions, the idea of living in one world can avoid the negative effects of this process. Therefore, global administrative law should be treated with more importance in the political and legal sciences.19 References Alexandru, I. Drept administrativ european, Universul Juridic Publishing House, Bucharest, 2008 Bălan, E.; Iftene, C.; Varia, G.; Văcărelu, M., Drept administrativ contemporan: spre o concepŃie unitară în doctrina şi practica românească, Comunicare.ro Publishing House, Bucharest, 2008 Dașcovici, N., Curs de drept internaŃional public, Bucharest, 1947 Harlow, C. Global administrative law: The quest of principles and values, The European Journal of international law, Vol. 17, no.1, Ejil, 2006 Kingsbury, B., Krisch, N., Stewart, B., R., The Emergence of Global Administrative Law, 2005 Sigma Paper no. 27 Studiu privind dimensiunea globală a bunei administări şi influenŃa administraŃiei publice (Study regarding the global dimension of good administration and the influence of public administration), 2009 19

Bălan, E.; Iftene, C.; Varia, G.; Văcărelu, M., Drept administrativ contemporan: spre o concepŃie unitară în doctrina şi practica românească, Comunicare.ro Publishing House, Bucharest, 2008

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 Walker Neil, Taking Constitutionalism beyond the state, Political Studies, Volume 56, 2008. Zlătescu, Moroianu, I., Drepturile omului – un sistem în evoluŃie, Institutul Român pentru Drepturile Omului, Bucharest, 2008.

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COMMUNICATION IN ROMANIAN ORGANISATIONS Andreea Bianca ENE Bucharest University of Economic Studies

ABSTRACT The purpose of this paper is to determine how much the communication influences the business activity in an organization.Business communication should be given greater importancebecauseit cancontribute to the successor failure ofa business. We can consider it the "recipe for success". Thisis the reason whyI chosethis title,” Communication in Romanian Organizations”. Thisresearchaims to emphasizethe role ofcommunication, howithelpstobetter manage a business activity and how muchitmattersin the growth of profit. The research is based on the analysis of questionnaires completed by employees and employers from Romanian organizations. Keywords: business communication, employee, employer, written/oral communication, formal/informal communication, Romanian organizations JEL Classification: D83, E24, L210 Paper type – Research paper

Introduction From a sociological point of view, communication is a fundamental psycho-social interaction of people, in writing or orally, for the transmission of information to obtain stability or changes of individual or group behavior. This research refers to the following topic: The role of business communication for a good development of a company activity, because I think that this issue is current and in an ongoing debate. The project was based on the research question: How does communication influence the company activity? To get the answer to this question, the research will try to accomplish the following objectives:

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 1. Determining the importance of communication in the development of an organization 2. Establishing the most effective methods of communication I believe that this research will be useful for anyone interested in the importance of business communication, especially for Romanian organizations, constituting an important source of information concerning this subject. Therefore, I hope to answer the still unsolved questions for those who don’t know enough about the role of communication. Also, I want to inform and educate young employees and employers, because, nowadayscommunication is the foundation of a bright future of the business in question. 1. Theoretical aspects of business communication The basic process of communication begins when a fact or idea is observed by one person. That person (the sender) may decide to translate the observation into a message, and then transmit the message through some communication medium to another person (the receiver). The receiver then must interpret the message and provide feedback to the sender indicating that the message has been understood and appropriate action taken. As Herta A. Murphy and Herbert W. Hildebrandt observed in Effective Business Communications, good communication should be complete, concise, clear, concrete, correct, considerate, and courteous. More specifically, this means that communication should: answer basic questions like who, what, when, where; be relevant and not overly wordy; focus on the receiver and his or her interests; use specific facts and figures and active verbs; use a conversational tone for readability; include examples and visual aids when needed; be tactful and good-natured; and be accurate and nondiscriminatory. Unclear, inaccurate, or inconsiderate business communication can waste valuable time, alienate employees or customers, and destroy goodwill toward management or the overall business. In the article “Types of Communication from Notes Desk Academic Encyclopedia” is presented that communication is a process of exchanging information, ideas, thoughts, feelings and emotions through speech, signals, writing, or behavior. In communication process, a sender(encoder) encodes a message and then using a medium/channel sends it to the receiver (decoder) who decodes the message and after processing information, sends back appropriate feedback/reply using a medium/channel. People communicate with each other in many ways and that depend upon the message and its context. Communication is affected by the style and the choice of communication channel. Types of communication based on the communication channels used are: verbal and nonverbal communication

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 Verbal communication refers to the form of communication in which a message is transmitted verbally; communication is done by word of mouth and a piece of writing. The objective of every communication is to have people understand what we are trying to convey. In verbal communication remember the acronym KISS(keep it short and simple). Verbal communication is further divided into: oral and written communication In oral communication, spoken words are used and it includes face-to-face conversations, speech, telephonic conversation, video, radio, television, voice over internet. Communication is influence by pitch, volume, speed and clarity of speaking.It brings quick feedback and in a face-to-face conversation, by reading facial expression and body language one can guess whether he/she should trust what’s being said or not. Also user is unable to deeply think about what he is delivering. In written communication, written signs or symbols are used to communicate. A written message may be printed or hand written and the message can be transmitted via email, letter, report, etc. The message is influenced by the vocabulary and grammar used, writing style, precision and clarity of the language used. That type of communication (written) is most common form of communication being used in business. So, it is considered core among business skills. Memos, reports, bulletins, job descriptions, employee manuals, and electronic mail are the types of written communication used for internal communication. For communicating with external environment in writing, electronic mail, Internet Web sites, letters, proposals, telegrams, faxes, postcards, contracts, advertisements, brochures, and news releases are used. Messages can be edited and revised many time before it is actually sent, written communication provide record for every message sent and can be saved for later study and a written message enables receiver to fully understand it and send appropriate feedback. Here are somedisadvantages of written communication: written communication doesn’t bring instant feedback and it takes more time in composing a written message as compared to word-of-mouth and many people struggle for writing ability. Nonverbal communication is the sending or receiving of wordless messages. We can say that communication other than oral and written, such as gesture, body language, posture, tone of voice or facial expressions, is called nonverbal communication. It is all about the body language of speaker. It helps receiver in interpreting the message received. Often, nonverbal signals reflect the situation more accurately than verbal messages. Sometimes nonverbal response contradicts verbal communication and hence affects the effectiveness of message. Nonverbal communication has the following elements: appearance speaker (clothing, hairstyle, neatness, use of cosmetics), surrounding (room size, lighting, decorations, furnishings), body language (facial expressions, gestures, postures), sounds(voice tone, volume, speech rate).

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 Based on style and purpose, there are two main categories of communication and they both bear their own characteristics. Communication types based on style and purpose are: Formal and informal communication Formal communications within an organization are those that take place through well-known channels. For example, the expansion of policy at UNISON comes from a formal procedure where it is dictated from the members upwards. Members discuss policy issues in their branches. Delegates from the branches then meet at the Annual Conference and debate and agree policy. Formal communications would also include all of the paper-based and electronic communications that are available to members as well as the meetings that take place. The expansion of policy at UNISON comes from a formal procedure where it is dictated from the members upwards. As we can see in the article “Using effective communications”, informal communications are those that are not based upon any set measures. This does not mean that such relations are outside the networks of the organization. They allow people to take the initiative into their own hands. This enables them to come up with ideas and plans. For example, UNISON helps to share facts and skills through the publication of a communications catalogue this is a system of formal relations. These formal communications help to empower members who are dealing day-to-day with problems and issues in the branches. This then leads to a new process. Through informal communications with employers and their representatives, members feel that they are being supported.This helps them to take ownership of many problems as they work towards resolving them. Effective communication helps to give: • a direction for those involved in a dispute or issue • an understanding to the varying groups of what these issues involve • help and support for those who need it • the ability to change opinion about a dispute in a way that leads to it being resolved. The activities undertaken by firms in a new relationship are often framed around the communication tasks that need to be performed; who needs to know what, when. Communication tasks are fulfilled through interpersonal communications. Business markets are characterized by extensive, interpersonal communications not only between buyers and sellers but also between a wide variety of functions both within and between organizations; R&D, production, quality control as well as the marketing and purchasing departments. (Mason, K., 2012) McGrath and Hollingshead (1993) propose a task-media fit model, which argues that the type of media most appropriate for a specific task will depend on factors such as the richness of the information being conveyed. For example negotiating conflicts of interest might require an information-rich medium such as face-to-face communications, rather than a lean medium such as email. Task-media fit is manifest

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 in communication artifacts such as emails, minutes of meetings, reports or flowcharts which circulate within and between organizations over time. A major limitation of this literature is that it considers each communication episode in isolation. Communication artifacts are not considered either in relation to one another nor are they recognized as existing and re-appearing at different points in time as the relationship develops. This approach neglects the effect of changing context over time within which communication tasks are performed. Within business relationships, interpersonal communications have been found to serve a variety of important tasks; information exchange, assessment, negotiation and adaptation, crisis insurance, social and ego-enhancement (Cunningham & Turnbull, 1982) 2. Research methodology The method ofgathering informationused inthis research projectis aquestionnaire basedsurvey. The questionnaire contains10 questions. The first five are very importantquestionswhoseanswerprovides information about theidentification ofrespondents, while the other refers toobtaininginformationcorrelatedtothe research objectives. The questionnaire was appliedon03.25 – 03.27.2014inthe online environmentfor employees and employers, too. The response rate was 100%, the number of responses that I have proposed to analyze is 90. 3. Analysis and interpretation ofresearch results Further on I will analyze and interpret the data obtained from the questionnaire. 1. What gender are you?  Female  Male Table no.1 Gender Number ofreplies Percentage Value (%) Male 33 36,7 Female 57 63,3 Total 90 100 Source: Own processingbased on dataobtained in thequestionnaire

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Figure 1: Gender distribution Data in Table no.1 and Figure 1 presents the gender distribution of our respondents namely 33 men (36.7%) and 57 women (63.3%). This situation canbe correlated withthe fact thatthe questionnaire was applied in the online environment and the women are more responsive to surveys. 2.

How old are you?  Under 25 years  Between 25-35years  35 years and more Table no.2 Age Number of replies Percentage Value (%) Under 25 9 10 Between 25-35 70 77.8 35 and more 11 12.2 Total 90 100 Source: Own processingbased on dataobtained in thequestionnaire

Figure 2: Age distribution In Table no.2 and Figure 2 it can be seenthat9 (10%) ofthe respondentsareunder25,70of them (77.8%) are between 25-35 and 11 (12.2 %) are agedover 35. These resultsare as expected becausemost of respondentsare younger, which helps to obtainrelevant dataforthe research to know how communication influences the activity of a Romanian company, because we want to have the opinion of the young.

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 3. Where are you from?  Rural  Urban Table no.3 Area of origin Number of replies Percentage Value (%) Urban 71 78.9 Rural 19 21.1 Total 90 100 Source: Own processingbased on dataobtained in thequestionnaire

Figure 3: Aria of origin distribution As we can observe in the Table no.3 and Figure 3, it results that 71, (78.9%) of respondents are from the urban and 19 (21.1%) from the rural environment. Thisresultcorresponds to asituation thatwas installedfor a long timeinRomania, populationmigratingfromrural tourban. 4.What is your professional status?  Student  Employee  Employer  Unemployed Table no.4 Respondents answer Number of replies Percentage Value (%) Student 35 38.9 Employee 31 34.4 Employer 9 10 Unemployed 15 16.7 Total 90 100 Source: Own processingbased on dataobtained in thequestionnaire

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Figure 4: Answer distribution To establishthe professional status, Table no. 4andFigure4 describe the professional status distribution.It appears that35 people, respectively 38.9%, are students,while 31 (34.4%)are employees and only 9 (10%) are employers. Unfortunately, 15 of them (16.7%), a big percentage, I think, are unemployed. 5.What is your level of studies?  High-school  Post- secondary  University  Post- university Table no.5 Level of studies

Number of Percentage Value (%) replies High-school 29 32.2 Post-secondary 1 1.1 University 45 50 Post-university 15 16.7 Total 90 100 Source: Own processingbased on dataobtained in thequestionnaire

Figure 5: Level of studies distribution

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 According toTable no.5andFigure5, 29respondents (32.2%) had graduated high school, only one of them (1.1 %) the post - secondary, 45 (50%) have attended the courses of an university and 15 (16.7%)post- university courses. This isgladdeningin termsof level of studies, because many of them graduated a faculty and that means that they are prepared and able to give information about communication in an organization. 6. Howimportant do you considerthe business communication?  Not all important  Important  Very important Table no.6 Importance of business Number of replies Percentage Value communication (%) Not all important 10 11.1 Important 53 58.9 Very important 27 30 Total 90 100 Source: Own processingbased on dataobtained in thequestionnaire

Figure 6: Business communication importance distribution As shown inTableno.6andFigure 6, 10 (11.1%) of respondents saidthatthe business communication is not allimportant,53(58.9%) that it is important, and for the other27(30%)it has avery important role.It is noted thatthe majority of respondentsrealizethe importance ofcommunication, which argues that people should pay more attention to this topic. 7. What type of communication do you prefer?  Written  Oral Table no.7

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 Type of communication Number of replies Percentage Value (%) Written 47 52.2 Oral 43 47.8 Total 90 100 Source: Own processingbased on dataobtained in thequestionnaire

Figure 7: Type of communication distribution We can notice from Table no.7 and Figure 7 that 47 of respondents (52.2%) prefer written communication and 43 of them (47.8%) the oral communication, even if written communication usually requires more thought and effort. 8. Do you think that the way of communication influences or affects the company activity? Yes  No Table no.8 Answer Number of replies Percentage Value (%) Yes 73 81.1 No 17 18.9 Total 90 100 Source: Own processingbased on dataobtained in thequestionnaire

Figure 8: Answer distribution

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 Table no. 8 and Figure 8 show that for employees and employers the way of communication influences or affects the company activity.Written communication is very important for instructing employees on certain tasks and projects. For example, a boss may meet with an employee about a special project. He/she may hand the employee a list of tasks she wants completed for the day. The written instructions may inform the employee whom to contact for certain information. The boss may also indicate which items are most important so the employee can prioritize his tasks.

  

9. Do you consider thata good communication leads to: Increasing labor productivity A better relationship between employees A favorable job

Table no.9 Effects of a good communication

Number of replies 39 26

Percentage Value (%) 43.3 28.9

Increasing labor productivity A better relationship between employees A favorable job 25 27.8 Total 90 100 Source: Own processingbased on dataobtained in thequestionnaire

Figure 9: Effects of a good communication distribution FromTable no.9andFigure 9it results that39or43.3% of respondents consider thata good communication leads to increasing labor productivity, while 26 or 28.9% answeredthat is developed a better relationship between employeesand 25 or 27.8% think that a good communication offers a favorable job.



10. Which of the following is the most efficient method of communication? Formal communication

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013  Informal communication Table no.10 The most efficient method Number of replies Percentage Value (%) Formal communication 45 50 Informal communication 45 50 Total 90 100 Source: Own processingbased on dataobtained in thequestionnaire

50%

50%

Formal communication Informal communication

Figure 10: The most efficient method of communication distribution In Table no. 10 and Figure 10, the sample structureis shownbythe most efficient method of communication distribution.Itmay be noted that45of the people surveyed(50%) think that is most efficient the formal communication and 45 (50%) said prefer the informal communication.This result isas expectedbecause both methods are efficient in business. Conclusions Nowadays,organizations are very large, they involve an important number of people and there are various levels of hierarchy. Communication here plays a very important role in the process of directing and controlling the people in the organization. Immediate feedback can be obtained and misunderstandings, if any, can be avoided. Also, communication needs to be effective in business and it is the essence of management. The basic functions of business activity cannot be performed well without effective communication. Business communication involves constant flow of information and it is well known that feedback is an integral part of business communication.

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 Most of respondents are women, because they are more responsive to surveys, between 25-35 years, from urban areas. Approximately 34% of respondents are employed, 39 % students and only 10 employers, hence the results can reflect better the opinions of the students and employees. One positive aspect is that most of respondents attend or graduated a faculty. The Majority considers that business communication is important and the way of communication influences the company activity. The present research has demonstrated that good business communication in Romanian organizations increases labor productivity. Regardingthe type of communicationpreferredby employers and employees,written communication is rankedfirstbecause it can be better understood. On the other hand, it is observed that 50 % of the respondents thinks formal communication is the most efficient and 50 % prefers the informal communication, an expected resultbecause both methods are efficient in business. Therefore, the research objectiveswere achievedin the present article, determining how important is communication in the development of a Romanian business both for employees and for employers. In conclusion, considerable attention should be paidto business communication in an organization. Certainly, it is important for a company tohave a good management system and this can be achieved through good communication. There should be effective communication between superiors and subordinates in an organization, between organization and society at large. This is essential for the success and growth of an organization and communication gaps should not occur in any company. References Cunningham, M. T., Turnbull, P. W. (1982). Inter-organizational personal contact patterns. Chichester, New York, Brisbane, Toronto, Singapore: John Wiley and Sons. Mai, R., Hoffmann, S., Accents in Business Communication: An integrative model and propositions for future research, Journal of Consumer Psychology 24, 1 (2014) 137–158, Available online at www.sciencedirect.com Mason, K., Communication practices in a business relationship: Creating, relating and adapting communication artifacts through time, Industrial Marketing Management 41 (2012) 319–332, Available online at www.sciencedirect.com McGrath, J. E., & Hollingshead, A. B., Putting the group back in group support systems: Some theoretical issues about dynamic processes in groups with technological enhancements. 1993, New York: Macmillan.

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 ***http://www.businesscasestudies.co.uk/unison/using-effectivecommunications/formal-and-informal-communications.html#ixzz2xMQyShgX *** http://www.inc.com/encyclopedia/written-communication.html ***http://www.notesdesk.com/notes/business-communications/types-ofcommunication/ ***http://www.smallbusiness.chron.com/importance-written-communicationbusiness-2936.html

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A NEW COLLECTION: HISTORICAL MARKETING The Hyperborean and Zamolxism – a book about the old Romanian history - BOOK REVIEW –

Dumitru IONCICĂ Uranus Publishing House

I shall try to motivate the option to publish this book about the ancient history of the Romanian people in which, for the first time in our historiography, classical sources are confirmed and enriched by recent information coming from the deciphering of the Sinaia tablets. These are still a controversial subject in Romania. There are several books on the subject on the market, but the results of the interpretations are disconcerting. There is no one version resembling another, but the comments create a stir in the public space. The authority which could settle the matter is the Romanian Academy. However, it ignores the subject and leaves room for the view that the whole story of the plates would not be genuine and that they are not worthy of attention. Is that so? The silence of the Academy could lead us to believe that the topic of the origin of the Romanian nation has long been settled, which is far from the truth. Let us take a look at the treatise of Romanian History published by the Academy in 2001 in the Enciclopedica Publishing House, namely the parts Prehistory, At the beginnings of history and Roman Dacia, the first two volumes being similar to a three acts play. The first act, comprising mostly the presentation of Neolithic cultures, is prodigious and promising. The cultures Schela Cladovei, Cucuteni, Vădastra, GumelniŃa, Boian etc. are real treasuries of knowledge regarding the habitat, the occupations in pastoral, hunting periods, the passing to sedentary agriculture, the processing of metals, the habits, the popular art and craft, which are at the same time pieces of a certain identity which certifies that the Romanian territory was the scene of all the great events preceding European civilizations. The Romanian Neolithic is full of such evidence, which in countries like Greece or Italy, considered to be “cradles of civilization” is hardly existent. Personally, I would have preferred a more generous covering of the subject (focusing on ParŃa, Tărtăria etc.), especially from a comparative perspective with the evidence in the European space. I am wondering how a Hungarian, Ukrainian or German historian would have approached the subject when it came to their own history, if they had had our trumps. As far as the German

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 are concerned, they have been objectively interested in old European history. We can take as an example Hubert Schmidt and the Cucuteni excavations. Well, even the way our prehistory is presented in the treatise should have forced the researcher to approach with greater assurance the following periods, especially on the topic of the continuity of populations and of the language used and cultivated by them. This does not happen, because the second act of our play, At the beginnings of history marks also the beginning of doubt. Certainly, doubt represents a legitimate part of any act of research, being a principle and a guarantee for its prudence and objectivity. But excess is not beneficial. For example, all the comments regarding the classical sources on Scythian-Geto-Dacian populations are placed under a big question mark, which has now become a style: first, the affirmation of the existence of these populations is made, followed by such a disproportionate series of doubts that it almost erases the initial statement, all due to the alleged absence of sources. Here, we would like to add that some of the sources are intentionally denatured, and I will give only one example, Jordanes’s Getica. We would like to remind the reader that the Goth emperor Theodoric the Great orders the Roman senator and historian Cassiodorus a history of the Getae. The 12 volume work is lost, so Jordanes, his secretary, a Get by birth, writes in the year 551 a summary of the work of Cassiodorus entitled De origine actusque Getarum, that is, a history of the Getae, a source which is extremely useful for the history of Romanians regarding the logical continuity of populations in this space. For reasons related to their own interest, medieval German historians, looking for, or trying to imagine, their own origins, have considered that Jordanes the Get had mistaken his own people to that of the Goths, although all he did was to summarize Cassiodorus’s work. The theory of the mistake imposed itself, which is easily explainable in the German space, but strangely enough it was adopted by Romanian historians as well, starting with Popa Lisseanu who publishes in 1939 Getica, accrediting in the Romanian language the false information that Jordanes did not know what he was writing and that he had written in fact a history of the Goths and not of the Getae. This false information is serenely purported by the Romanian Academy, despite the fact that great personalities, historians and well-known scholars have spoken on the matter: Hyeronimus, Julian the Apostate, Carlo Troya, Carol Lundius, Robert Sheringham, Bossuet, Quicherat, Mommsen, Nicolae Iorga, Ion BudaiDeleanu and many others, mentioned in the excellent edition of Gabriel Gheorghe (Getica, Gândirea, 2001). Despite what everyone thought, Romanian historians, with a special talent for chasing misfortune, chose the fake. In passing, I would like to mention that one of the foundations of Theodoric the Great is the Sant’ Apollinare Nuovo church in Ravenna, where, on the fresco of the mosaic with the Nativity scene, the three Magi are pictured in Geto-Dacian costumes, and the women wear Romanian peasant blouses and skirts. It is probably just a 6th century coincidence.

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 These doubts related to the identity of the populations in the Romanian territory and especially to the language spoken then are not due to chance. We now reach the third act which, had it not been prepared by the series of doubts and by ignoring the sources, would have made us believe that we were in utter absurdity, with the entrance in the part entitled Roman Dacia of the second volume. The third act seems to have been lost, so the authors had to improvise. Thus, we are at the end of the Roman domination in Dacia, marked by the Aurelian retreat. The Romans mastered 14% of Dacia for 165 years, between 106 and 271. Now things are clear. If till Roman times hardly a thing was known about the language spoken by the Scythian-Daco-Getae, after no more than two centuries, the Romanian language would have effortlessly appeared, in the following manner: killing the male side of the autochthonous population, the Romans procreated with the female side which was left. Of course, the mothers started teaching their babies by singing to them in the “paternal language”. We shall never know how the 85% of the Dacians not subjected to the Romans have learned the “new” language, with no proof of efforts undertaken by the Roman administration to promote the “new” language: institutional regulations, textbooks, teachers, funds etc. No one is concerned with these aspects, nor with the fact that such an enormity was never previously recorded in the history of the world. Which people in this world would give up its own language, which is not just a modality of communication but a tool for safety and survival, and adopt the language of the temporary master? The Academy does not seem concerned with such questions and approaches our own history without a minimum of good will and empathy, being several times indebted to the research of foreign scholars animated, anyway, more by the search for truth than by finding shelter in a comfortable obstination. This is the reason why we come with the present research, inaugurating the collection Historical marketing. The Hyperboreans and Zamolxismis a courageous attempt to tune to reality a subject of ancient history and paleo-linguistics. The author, coming from Tetovo, near Skopjie, the capital of the Republic of Macedonia, is a Makedon Arm’nian, i.e. Macedo-Romanian and is called Branislav Stefanoski-Al Dabija. In his own description, he is a ‘researcher in the domains of history, language, religion, mythology, heraldic, toponymy and all that pertains to the Makedon Arm’nian people’, and his work is dedicated exclusively to these complex topics. We would like to mention from the titles published: ‘The Traco-Dacian language, the basis of Indo-European languages’, ‘Homer’s eye’, ‘A short descriptive history of the origin of Makedon Arm’nians from prehistory to the colonization of Dacia’, ‘From the archives of Dacia’, published in his native language and/or Serbian, English, Romanian. His last book refers to the military and state organization of Dacian kingdoms during Burebista and Decebal, as resulted from the deciphering ‘the Sinaia tablets’ by the author based on his own method.

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 The process of investigation undertaken by the author in the present book, be it about the real existence of the Hyperboreans, as ancestors of the Geto-Dacian-Goths from later, be it about their belief in Zamolxism, based on the cult of the sun and precursor of Christianity, corroborates information from ancient historians with archeological data, his own research and, not lastly, with the treasure of data provided by the Sinaia tablets. It is obvious that the author is discontent with the way in which official history treats the origins of Romanians, and, implicitly, of the Makedon Arm’nian, and that is why he is trying a different approach. For instance, when discovering the Thracian basis of Homer’s epics, he takes the liberty of talking about a distortion of their own origins undertaken by the Greeks, and even of a confiscation of some values of civilization, without contesting though the contribution of the great minds of Greek antiquity to the building of European spirituality. The target of the author’s approach is the dismantling of the hypothesis of the “Latinity” of the Romanian people, considered to be a historical manipulation, and setting the problem on its natural historical course. We would like to summarize some observations: • Ancient writers, especially the Greek (Herodotus, Plato, Diodorus Siculus, a.s.o), were convinced that the Pelasgian language, “barbaric”, in the sense of ‘popular’, not wilde, is much older than the archaic Greek language and that the latter was formed as a surrogate of the pre-existent Pelasgian language. • Homer in the 9th century BC wrote his work in the Aeolic dialect from Pelasgian. It was translated in the 7th, 6th century, first in Archaic Greek, then in the standardized Old Greek which followed the Archaic language. • From Pelasgian, the Greek, Latin languages, and the Doric, Phrygian, Makedon Arm’nian, Scythian-Getic-Dacian languages and dialects were born. These languages were similar from a lexical point of view. For example, in the translations from Homer in Archaic Greek and Old Greek there are numerous “barbaric” words, to be found today in Makedon Arm’nian and Romanian. • Even older than the Greeks (who migrated from Egypt and Phoenicia) were the Thracians. Orpheus, 14th century BC, was Thracian. The Makedon Arm’nian come from the Thracians, although, according to some research, by Thracians the Northern Dacians were designated. The Thracian language was almost identical to the Pelasgian. • The Hyperboreans are mentioned on our territories by Herodotus, but of their existence Homer and Hesiod also speak (9th-8th centuries BC). Their spiritual reformer was Zamolxis (6th-5th centuries BC). About the popular and sacerdotal language of the Hyperboreans, Hecateu Abderita (4th century BC) talks, quoted by Diodorus Siculus (1st century BC).

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 • The Sinaia Inscriptions were elaborated during the reigns of Burebista and Decebalus, in the 1st century BC and 1st century AC. The author notices the existence on the plates of a sacerdotal language, as well as of a popular language, which implies a practical age of this language dating before the 4th century BC, which was transmitted further after the defeat of the Dacians by the Romans. The inscriptions confirm the writings of the ancient historians and bring novel information about the language spoken by the Hyperboreans, that is by the Dacians, about the Dacian settlings, about the cult of the Sun of the Hyperborean, as well as about the real existence of Zamolxis, on the plate referring to his walk to Genucla. • Concerning the so-called ‘latinization’, one should notice that both Latin and Greek were literary languages, created with an administrative purpose, and did not have a mass usage, and the disappearance of administrative pressures had as an effect the re-appearance of popular idioms. This is exactly what happened in Dacia after the Romans’ departure. • The most daring and interesting hypothesis appears in the comments on the information on the 2nd plate (Abariso Zamolxu), where the teaching of Zamolxis is presented, which is actually a precursor of Christianity. The etymological analysis of the name of Christ, which would come from the Hyperborean term “hrisa” (prophet), will lead to a lot of comments. The book has been thought and written in the native language of the author, Makedon Arm’nian. The theoretical background relies on classical sources (Serbian editions of the works of Herodotus, Strabo, Diodorus Siculus, Plato, a.s.o), even Romanian editions, for instance, Jordanes, the research of N. Densuşianu (the Annex reprints a generous fragment of his work), additional information comes from contemporary sources, the archaeological data belong to researchers in the Balkan area and in Romania. Of course his own linguistic, historical and literary research is used, and the practical demonstration, the pièce de resistance of the book, is represented by the information resulted from the three tablets chosen to this end. All of these resulted in a complex editorial make-up. The entire material was ‘translated’ into Romanian by a native Makedon Arm’nian who knew Romanian. This was the reality of the book at a given moment, and for us it represented, despite the absolutely prodigious subject offered, an obstacle which had to be overcome and which necessitated considerable editorial effort. There were several problems that needed to be solved. First, the technical ones.All the quotations from Herodotus, Strabo, Diodorus Siculus, Plato, a.s.o.have been compared with the similar Romanian editions, and, where it was necessary, replaced. Moreover, all bibliographical references of any nature have been verified and the necessary corrections have been made, except for the editions of local or regional authors which, given the fact that they were not particularly important, have been accepted as such.

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 Another problem was related to the lack of accents in some texts in Ancient Greek which the author justifies by the fact that they were taken as such from the editions consulted. Yet, this determines some distortions in the translations. For example, ‘the holy mountain’ Kogaionon is translated as the „mountain of the saint”, which gives a totally different meaning to the syntagm, and others. However, the main problems, beside the somewhat atypical editorial presentation, have been related to language and style. The text had to be largely rewritten, in agreement with the richer possibilities of expression of Romanian as compared to the Makedon Arm’nian dialect. Likewise, the editorial presentation has been adapted to the current editorial norms. Regarding style, it is obvious that it is marked by the prominent personality of the author and by his intense temperament materialized, among others, in the repetition of quotations whenever an idea was argued. Thus, it was difficult to convince the author with arguments pertaining to the economy of the discourse. Regarding the deciphering of the tablets, engraved with characters similar to the ancient Greek alphabet, first the problem of reading the text needed to be solved, and then the problem of translating it. His training in paleolinguistics has been the great advantage of the author, his key to entry into the text. The translation was facilitated first by the multiple lexical similarities with the Makedon Arm’nian dialect, but also with Romanian and other languages. The method follows, in general, an identical protocol made up of 11 successive stages: the overall graphical image of the tablet, the selection of text, the numbering of lexical units, the rewriting of the words with standardized letters, the transliteration with Latin characters, the rough reading of the original text, a first rough translation, a parallel presentation of the original text and of the Romanian version, a word-by-word translation into Romanian, the integral version of the translation and, the most attractive part of the process, the explaining of each lexical element with all its connotations, a captivating debate of linguistic history. A final comment completes the image of a systematic fundamental research undertaken by an inspired, passionate and stubborn erudite. The result of this ‘open’ research is a convincing, reasonable and congruent deciphering of the text in the three tablets. As far as we are concerned, our interventions have occurred in the phase of explaining of lexical elements, in the correction of some synonyms or inadvertencies in finding the Romanian equivalent of Makedon Arm’nian terms. However, some noun, adjective or verb forms are not treated by a unitary criterion. Thus, some forms of nominative coexist with the dative and accusative, or forms of infinitive with other modes or types of conjugations coming from Makedon Arm’nian , which creates a certain discomfort for the Romanian reader. We have accepted them in the end as such, so as not to alter through formal interventions the core of the matter. In other words, we have preferred the criterion of the authenticity and intelligibility of the message to a ‘fluency’ which

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HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration No. 1/2013 might seem improbable and affected considering the age of the original message. Regarding the form and graphic of the words, of names especially, there are several inconsistencies explained by the author through the different places where the tablets were designed and engraved (some of the explanations must be taken with a grain of salt), but this apparent lack of consistency is insignificant, considering the temporal distance, and does not influence in any way the general message, so any objection on the matter is rendered superfluous. The book of the researcher Branislav Stefanoski offers access to a thesaurus of historical information unknown so far in Romanian historiography and, this being the most important fact, in agreement with the indirect sources in the writing of ancient historians, thus validated after over two millennia. Moreover, the range and complexity of multidisciplinary research, conducted with historical, linguistic, archaeological tools, and recourse to the Bible, change the data regarding knowledge of world history and the origin of Christianity. These are extremely useful data for historians in various domains, for history and knowledge philosophers and, not lastly, for all those interested in their own identity. We offer this book to the public with the conviction that it will generate change. This is just the beginning.

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