Daniel Constantin Jiroveanu

The energy sector’s transition to a circular economy (CE) is critical for achieving global decarbonization and resource security. The primary objective of this systematic literature review is to examine the co-evolution of circular business models (CBMs) and green financing mechanisms across the energy value chain. To achieve this, we synthesized 93 high-impact studies published between 2015 and 2024, which were retrieved from the Web of Science and Scopus databases. Using the 10R hierarchy as an analytical framework, this study identifies a strategic shift from low-order recycling to high-value circularity, such as rethink, repurpose, and remanufacture. We analyze the role of the EU Taxonomy, green bonds, and equity crowdfunding in de-risking circular investments, while highlighting the “transparency paradox” in second-life markets and the “efficiency-waste trade-off” in rapid technological turnovers. Our findings reveal that while digital catalysts like blockchain and AI optimize resource flows, their scaling is hindered by a lack of empirical validation and fragmented regulations. The review concludes by proposing a “regulatory-technical nexus” for future research, emphasizing the need for circular digital twins and standardized decommissioning protocols to bridge the gap between theoretical optimization and operational reality in the renewable energy sector.

Background: This study aims to identify how and if strategic procurement 4.0 performance influences competitiveness under circular economy conditions. In this regard, to achieve the aim of the study, we examine the moderating and mediating effects of strategic procurement 4.0 performance. In addition, the paper explores the role of procurement 4.0 in the circular economy and its impact on organizational competitiveness, with a focus on the mediating factors in the relationship between manager attitudes and competitiveness, making a significant contribution to the emerging research in this field. Methods: The results of a two-way moderated multiple regression analysis showed that there is an effect that intensifies the relationship between the variables being studied. Mediating effects were tested using Smart PLS-4 and the results showed significant mediating effects of strategy for procurement 4.0 and planning for procurement 4.0. Results: The study found that organizations with high strategic procurement 4.0 performance and high circular economy openness have the highest level of competitiveness. However, low levels of circular economy openness result in similar competitiveness levels regardless of low or average strategic procurement 4.0 performance. Conclusions: We found that strategic procurement 4.0, aligned with sustainability goals and incorporating digital technologies, leads to increased competitiveness in the context of the circular economy, as demonstrated in the Romanian business environment. Moreover, our study highlights the importance of strategic training in procurement 4.0, the need for a three-level approach in procurement strategy, planning, and performance review, and the significance of considering non-financial aspects in competitiveness and innovation within the context of a circular economy.

The main aim of this study was to clarify the current literary inconsistencies regarding the characteristics of entrepreneurial leadership and its impact on sustainability. Additionally, another aim was to establish the framework of entrepreneurial leadership and to highlight the main gaps in the entrepreneurial leadership literature. The entrepreneurial leadership literature started to develop recently as a new leadership style that is required to fulfill the current business changes in the fourth industrial revolution. The researchers conducted a narrative literature review to assess the status of entrepreneurial leadership in academia, literature gaps, and the impact of entrepreneurial leadership on the sustainability performance of organizations. Furthermore, the researchers main aim was to investigate the following research question: is entrepreneurial leadership a fixed or a multidimensional concept that differs based on industry, context, and firm size? Regarding the answer to this question, the current study found that entrepreneurial leadership is a multidimensional concept as it is reflected in different perspectives, which indicates the inconsistency of the characteristics of entrepreneurial leadership claimed in the literature. Research limitations—the current study focused on assessing the literature review status of entrepreneurial leadership. Based on that, this study’s limitation is represented in not focusing on testing entrepreneurial leadership’s impact on sustainability either quantitatively or qualitatively. On the contrary, it contributed by analyzing the status of the entrepreneurial leadership literature. Future studies need to further assess this relationship between both concepts and reach an agreement about the common characteristics of entrepreneurial leadership. Originality/value—the current study contributes to the entrepreneurial leadership literature as it highlighted the existing gaps and the inconsistency in the literature. Additionally, it contributed theoretically by connecting entrepreneurial leadership to the existing literature. Furthermore, empirically, it highlighted the contribution of entrepreneurial leadership by emphasizing the impact of it on organizational sustainable development performance. This study represents a call for scholars to focus more on entrepreneurial leadership given its contribution to organizational performance.

In the context created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the aim of the research in this article is to highlight how the consumer experience is constructed, starting from the consumer’s attitudes—which we consider to be implicitly positive—and from the formation of habits of using mobile applications for food supply. Data were collected from 610 people—users of applications for food delivery in urban areas—in the spring of 2021, using a quantitative type of research in the form of a field survey based on questionnaire completion; for the model validation, we used confirmatory factor analysis. The online questionnaire link was sent out in April 2021, followed by the consumers’ completion of the questionnaire in the same month. The proposed theoretical model highlights the influence of variables that are specific for technology acceptance models on the perceived utility and development of implicit attitudes based on it, as well as the habits of using the application. The results of the research validate the proposed model, showing that attitudes in the form of an implicit-type attitudes developed in time are influencing habits and aid the development of a certain usage behavior depicted by a consumption experience that has specific content. Our paper contributes to a better understanding of the consumer experience development process within the context of technology acceptance in the field of food delivery services, emphasizing the importance of satisfying hedonic motivations as an integral part of the compensatory mechanisms determined by the effects of the pandemic.