Mihaela Brindusa Tudose

Food insecurity persists globally despite growing public investment—a pattern that points to the potential role of governance and accountability mechanisms in shaping how resources are managed and allocated. While supreme audit institutions (SAIs) are widely recognized for their role in fiscal oversight, their contribution to food security governance remains unexplored empirically. This paper examines whether the effective independence of SAIs is associated with national performance on Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG 2—Zero Hunger), drawing on a panel dataset covering 50 countries over the period 2017–2023. The study employs OLS panel regression with year fixed effects. Acknowledged limitations are discussed in the main text. The paper develops the Supreme Audit Institution Effective Independence Index (SAIEI), a composite measure based on Open Budget Survey data, which captures financial autonomy, operational independence, reporting independence, and institutional safeguards. SDG 2 performance is measured through a composite index combining prevalence of undernourishment, food insecurity based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale, and child stunting. For the analyzed sample, the results indicate a positive and statistically significant association between SAI independence and SDG 2 performance, which remains consistent across specifications controlling for economic development and overall governance quality. The association between SAI independence and SDG 2 performance appears stronger in democratic contexts, suggesting that political regime may operate as a system-level moderating condition for the relationship between audit independence and food security outcomes. The main finding—the positive association between the aggregate SAIEI index and SDG 2 performance—remains consistent across three of the four model specifications tested, including under constraints imposed by data availability. Results at the level of individual SAIEI dimensions are more sensitive and should be treated as preliminary. To assess the stability of the analytical results, a series of dedicated diagnostic checks were conducted. The missing data sensitivity tests largely confirmed the associations initially identified. An additional analysis revealed that the marginal association between SAI independence and the dependent variable is conditioned by the quality of democracy. These findings are of particular relevance to policymakers, international development organizations, and SAI oversight bodies seeking evidence-based guidance on the potential role of institutional design choices in food security governance.

This study examines the determinants of entrepreneurial intention among students from a Romanian economics faculty. Based on the empirical findings, the paper proposes a Filtered Entrepreneurial Intent Model. Although the traditional literature supports a linear relationship between creativity and intention, the regression analysis in this research identifies a series of psychological paradoxes and barriers. The methodology combines exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to build psychological dimensions with binomial logistic regression to test hypotheses on a sample of 237 students. The empirical results directly demonstrate that self-efficacy and resilience are positive predictors, while counterintuitive negative correlations are found for proactivity and innovation. A key statistical finding is that financial risk-taking acts as a significant moderator: innovation acts as a catalyst for intent only when a student’s risk tolerance threshold is exceeded. Data also show a significant impact of inherited windfall capital, which serves as a structural factor surpassing personality traits. Conceptually, the study interprets these findings by proposing that the intention-behaviour gap is governed by a filtration process. The study concludes by offering practical recommendations for academic decision-makers to recalibrate programmes beyond merely stimulating creativity, addressing the psychological and structural filters identified.

Having in view the current global disruptive social and economic landscape, sustainability becomes more important than ever. As producers become more concerned about adopting more sustainable practices, customer awareness towards sustainable behavior must be the focus of all stakeholders. Within this context, the SHIFT framework (proposed in 2019) highlights the manner in which consumers’ traits and attitudes influence their propensity towards sustainable consumption. It consists of five factors considered to be relevant to consumer behavior: Social influence, Habit formation, Individual self, Feelings and cognition, and Tangibility. Different from previous studies, this research focuses on applying the SHIFT framework to the automotive industry, taking into consideration the contribution of digital technologies to fostering sustainable consumer behavior throughout the entire product lifecycle. Using a qualitative research approach, the most relevant digital technologies in the automotive industry were identified and mapped in relation to the three phases of consumption (choice, usage, and disposal). The research aimed to develop and test an original conceptual framework, starting from the SHIFT. The results of the study highlight the fact that the digital technologies, in their diversity, are integrated in different ways into each of the three phases, facilitating the adoption of sustainable consumption. To achieve sustainability, the two key stakeholders, consumers and producers, should share a common ground on capitalizing the opportunities offered by digital technologies.

Given that student entrepreneurship contributes to the intensification of economic activities and the improvement of the social well-being of the parties involved, evaluating and fostering students’ entrepreneurial intentions can be a step in moving from intention to action in the entrepreneurial process. From this perspective, the present study assesses students’ entrepreneurial intentions and measures the impact of the most important determinants based on online questionnaires addressed to students from two different fields of study: economics and engineering. Using the collected data (N = 392 students) and analysis methods based on correlation and stratified multiple regression as well as non-parametric tests (Mann–Whitney U), the study reveals that students’ entrepreneurial intentions are influenced by mindset and resilience. The study indicates that the influences can vary significantly when the analyses include control variables, such as gender, field of study, year of study, professional experience, age, and country of origin. It is also important to note that the statistical significance of the results regarding the impact of resilience varies depending on the specifics of the control variables. This study considered both analyses of resilience (as a synthetic indicator) and its subcomponents. The results of this study have both theoretical and practical utility.

The present paper aims to identify the influence of attachment style from the perspective of resilience seen as a result of an interactive process between the individual and the environment. Specialized studies have shown that there is a direct influence between the attachment style acquired in childhood, which is seen on a continuum, can be maintained until adulthood, or can undergo changes depending on individual differences, and the level of resilience. The authors using as instrument questionnaire AAS (Adult Attachment Scale) with three dimensions for each attachment style: dependence on others, anxiety in relationships, and closeness/intimacy and CD – RISC indicating measuring resilience according to personal competence, high standards and tenacity, confidence in one’s intuitions, tolerance towards negative effects and the fortifying effects of stress, positive acceptance of change and relationships of trust, control and spiritual influences. The authors used the statistical method Man-Whitney U test, Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy (KMO-MSE) index, and Bartlett’s test of sphericity were determined to assess factor analysis. The conclusions indicate that subjects with an avoidant dominant attachment style have a different level of resilience compared to subjects with a secure dominant attachment style. Subjects with an avoidant dominant attachment style had a higher level of resilience than subjects with a secure dominant attachment style.

The use of various mathematical and statistical methods for modelling economic processes and phenomena requires compliance with certain conditions/rules. To formulate general conclusions or predictions, in economic research, large databases are often used, related to more or less homogeneous samples, without taking into account the spatial or structural differences of the analysed processes or phenomena. Starting from the results of previous research focused on the identification and evaluation of difficulties in the business environment, the present study is based on the principles of mathematical induction, with the objective of testing these results, in order to assess whether the conclusions formulated are valid for a limited number of cases. Based on the primary data collected and tested (using Cronbach alpha, Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy and Bartlett tests) it was shown that the difficulties selected for evaluation are present in the analysed business environment. Then, factor analysis was applied to identify the most important groups of factors, which bring together one or more difficulties specific to the analysed population. After the validation of the factorial model and after a preliminary test of the normality of the variables, the Mann-Whitney U test was applied to assess whether, at the level of independent groups (constructed on the basis of three dichotomous variables), the difficulties identified are common or show significant differences. Contrary to the results of previous studies, the present study indicates that the difficulties analysed affect more new businesses (recently established), which have fewer employees and are classified as micro-enterprises.

Purpose: This study proposes an analysis of the performance of companies that have assumed the responsibility of facilitating the digitalization of economic activities. Because of their potential to accelerate digitization, these companies have been financially supported. The monitoring of the performances recorded by these companies, including the evaluation of the impact of different determining factors, meets both the needs of the financiers (concerned with the evaluation of the efficiency of the use of nonreimbursable financing) and the needs of continuous improvement of the activities of the companies in the field. Design/methodology/approach: The study assesses performance dynamics and the impact of its determinants. The model allows achieving a simplified vision of performance and its determinants, supporting decision-makers in the management process. The construction of an estimation model based on the multiple regression method was considered. Robustness tests were performed on the results, using parametric and nonparametric tests. Findings: The results of the analysis at the level of the extended sample indicated that, during the analyzed period, the economic and commercial performances decreased, and significant influences in this respect include the financing structure, sales dynamics and volume of receivables. The analysis at the level of the restricted sample confirmed these interdependencies and provided additional evidence of the impact of other determinants. Research limitations/implications: The study contributes both to performance research and to the assessment of the prospects for accelerating digitalization in support of economic activities. Since the empirical research was carried out on a sample of Romanian companies that provide services in information technology, which accessed nonreimbursable financing, the representativeness of the results is limited to this sector. For the analyzed sample, the study provides support for improving performance. Practical implications: The results of the study prove to be useful from a microeconomic and macroeconomic perspective as well, as they provide evidence on the performance of companies that have implemented information and communication technology (ICT) projects and on the efficiency of the use of non-reimbursable funding dedicated to business support. Originality/value: The study fills the literature gap regarding the performance of companies that have developed ICT projects and received grant funding for the implementation of these projects. The literature review indicated that there are few studies conducted on these companies, which did not include Romanian companies.

In the context of the development of information technologies, the concerns about assessing the effects of digital transformation have increased. Although it is intuitively accepted that digital transformation has a favourable impact on macroeconomic variables (based on the interdependencies between micro- and macroeconomic performance), there is little scientific research providing evidence of this. Building on this identified research problem, this study aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice. After assessing the extent to which the world’s economies have responded to the need for digital transformation, an econometric analysis was conducted to quantify the impact of digital transformation on economic and social outcomes. To ensure the representativeness of the results, the econometric analysis was conducted on a sample of 46 countries selected according to the size of their gross national income per capita. The NRI (Network Readiness Index) and the sub-indices associated with the economic environment (future technologies, business, and economy) were used as independent variables. Gross domestic product (GDP) was used as a dependent variable. The results indicate that NRI has a positive and significant impact on GDP per capita. Analysis at the sub-indices level partially confirms this result and highlights that their contributions to the growth of macroeconomic performance may be different. The study results have practical utility as they provide clues on the structural efficiency of the benchmarks underpinning the digital transformation. To increase the positive impact on macroeconomic outcomes, policy-makers can propose and implement policies to facilitate access to those technologies that prove to be more effective.