The planning of activities of e-commerce enterprises and their behavior has been influenced by the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. The behavior of e-commerce enterprises has been highlighted at the level of EU countries through an analysis elaborated on four variables: the value of e-commerce sales, cloud computing services, enterprises that have provided training to develop/upgrade the ICT skills of their personnel, e-commerce, customer relationship management (CRM) and secure transactions. Using the hierarchical clustering method, analysis was carried out on these variables to identify certain economic and behavioral patterns of e-commerce activity from 2018 and 2020. The study of the relationships involved in the e-commerce activity of these enterprises is reflected in models of the economic behavior of 31 European states in relation to the targeted variables. The results show that the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are strongly manifested in the direction of the evolution of each indicator but differ from one country to another. The trends depend on the level of development and the particularities of each country’s economy in adapting to the repercussions reported in relation to the level of impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is highlighted by the significant regrouping of countries in 2020 compared with 2018 in relation to the average values of the indicators. The results show that, in 2020, the most significant percentages of the value of e-commerce sales were recorded in Belgium, Ireland and Czechia, as in 2018. In e-commerce, customer relationship management and secure transactions, Denmark and Sweden were superior in 2020 to the countries mentioned above, which were dominant in 2018. For the other two indicators, Finland and Norway were the top countries included in the analysis in both years. The conclusion supports the continuous model of e-commerce enterprise behavior in order to meet the requirements of online customers.

Abstract:In this paper we propose to highlight the tourism evolution and its intensity in the North-East region of Romania, compared to two regions with similar touristic potential from the Eastern European Union: Subcarpathia from Poland and Central Slovakia. We analysed if the EU attachment of Romania, Poland, and Slovakia had some effects on tourism development in the three regions mentioned. Issues arising from the analysis of the current situation of tourism will allow us to draw some sustainable development directions of tourism in the North-East region based on conserving and capitalizing the uniqueness of the area. We will consider the experience of the other two regions, trying to adapt them to the situation of the North-East region. Based on the analysis we have made, we consider that other countries can inspire us by authorities' initiatives in supporting tourism, good human resources training, entrepreneurship stimulation, and assistance in accessing financial resources, including EU ones.

The Covid-19 pandemic has generated major changes in society, most of them having a negative impact on the quality of life and income obtained by the population and businesses. The negative consequences have been highlighted in the decrease of the GPD level for regions, countries and even continents. Returning to pre-pandemic levels is a considerable effort for both economic and political decision-makers. This article deals with the construction of a mathematical model for economic aspects in the context of variable productivity in time. Through this mathematical model, we propose to maximize revenues in pandemic conditions, in order to limit the economic consequences of the lockdown. One advantage of the proposed model consists in the fact that it is based on units that can be regions, economic branches, economic units or fields of investment. Another strength of the model is determined by the fact that it offers the possibility to choose between two different investment strategies, based on the specific options of the decision makers: the consistent increase of the state revenues or the amelioration of the disparity phenomenon. Furthermore, our model extends previous approaches from the literature by adding some generalization options and the proposed model can be applied in lockdown cases and seasonal situations.

Rural tourism has received more and more attention because it can contribute to increase the living standard in some rural areas, stimulate local economy and reduce the urban-rural gaps. At the same time, the preference for this type of tourism is growing, but for the efficient use of the existing potential, the involvement of local authorities and residents is needed. This paper revealed the perceptions of human resources in local government institutions and of residents in Suceava County - Romania to identify the effects of tourism development on the administrative process, living standards and natural environment. The undertaken questionnaire-based research showed that the degree of tourism development positively influenced the level of improvement of the public affairs management process in the respective administrative-territorial unit, as well as the standard of living of the local community. Regarding the influence of tourism development on the environment, the recorded results showed that the intensification of the tourism phenomenon does not strongly threaten the local environment, but it is necessary to raise awareness of the environmental impact.

The research aim was to identify the training needs of entrepreneurs and employees within small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from the Suceava, Chernivtsi, and Bălți regions, to analyze the specific training practices in the cross-border area, and to identify the common features or the disparities. The research contains an exploratory survey, based on a semi-structured questionnaire that investigates the training needs in the SMEs and specific training practices with a comparative approach. The results relate to the challenges faced by transformation economies and by the specificities of SMEs from these remote areas. Additionally, the research connects the factors involved in planning and delivering training programs for employees in SMEs in this EU peripheral area with the weaknesses of the companies in facing the market competitive economy. The results of the survey disclosed some common features and specificities related to training needs, training responsibilities, and interests in the SMEs from this cross-border area. The discussions are relevant for different categories of stakeholders, at the micro-level, for the management of the companies, but also on a larger scale, in planning the new development programs for the labor market in the targeted areas.