Corporate governance is currently described as a multidimensional field central to corporate accountability, strategic direction, and long-term value creation. This article examines the concept of corporate governance through a review of institutional and academic definitions, to identify the evolution and principal convergences. Across both institutional and scholarly perspectives, recurring themes include board oversight, shareholder rights, strategic alignment, and, more recently, sustainability and stakeholder inclusion. At the same time, there is an important focus on formal structures, the predominance of board-centered and shareholder-oriented perspectives, the underrepresentation of non-financial stakeholders, and limited applicability to small and medium-sized enterprises. The study concludes that corporate governance should be understood as a dynamic and evolving system that balances financial and non-financial objectives while responding to organizational, societal, and environmental expectations. By synthesizing institutional and theoretical perspectives, the article contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of corporate governance from different yet complementary perspectives.

This paper examines how internal control mechanisms serve as the backbone of governance within public cultural institutions, specifically targeting the South Muntenia Region. This tool is considered essential to maintain efficiency and clarity in the face of current challenges. The empirical foundation used a exploratory quantitative survey of 100 mainly accounting and internal audit specialists, managers, directors, administrative staff with relevant responsibilities in internal control, as well as members of control committees or boards of directors from museums, public libraries, cultural canters, public theatres and other cultural institutions subordinated to public authorities in the Southern Muntenia Region, applied between July and September 2025. The survey collected information on the degree of implementation of internal control systems, problems encountered and solutions for improving procedures. The data analysis found a big difference between how theory is supposed to work and how they actually do work in practice, not just how well people follow them. It identified that internal control must adapt to legislative, technological and social changes and that employees must be continuously trained. The study gives cultural managers a useful guide that changes the focus from passive auditing to active governance, a practical insight into how public cultural institutions can use appropriate internal control to increase efficiency, transparency and managerial accountability.

The paper focuses on the connection between financial results and corporate risk in the European Industrial Machinery & Equipment industry during the period 2020-2024. The analysis will be conducted using the Refinitiv Eikon database, taking into consideration a representative sample of industrial corporations from Eastern, Northern, Southern, and Western Europe, with special attention paid to the Romanian market. The study examined the relationship between the financial performance ratios (ROA, ROE, and EBITDA Margin) and the key financial risk ratios (liquidity ratios, Financial Leverage Ratio, and Z-score) to establish the association between profitability and financial risk. The empirical study utilized descriptive statistics and correlation coefficients.
The results highlight a significant difference in performance dynamics among regions, with better recovery patterns for Southern and Western Europe and more volatility for Northern Europe following the pandemic. A significant volatility level is shown for Romania, along with a trend of enhancement of financial stability beginning from 2021. The Z-score has a positive correlation with performance, and a weak negative correlation is shown for liquidity ratios with profitability, thereby confirming the liquidity-profitability trade-off hypothesis. Concluding, this analysis finds that financial performance in the industrial sector in Europe is more closely tied to financial stability than to either liquidity or leverage. These findings are important to understand in terms of financial risk and performance management in emerging markets in Europe.

The article investigates the relationship between financial literacy, investment behaviour and living standards in selected Eastern European member states of the European Union. The analysis combines a cross-country descriptive comparative approach with econometric techniques, including Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regressions and an Instrumental Variables/ Two-Stage Least Squares (IV/2SLS) framework, in order to address the potential endogeneity between investment participation and income. Financial literacy is measured using a composite indicator derived from Eurobarometer 525 (2023), based on the proportion of respondents achieving a high financial literacy score. Investment behaviour is captured through investment participation, proxied by the share of equity and investment fund holdings in the household financial assets. Living standards are assessed using three indicators: median disposable income adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP), income inequality measured by the Gini coefficient and the risk-of-poverty rate over the period 2010-2024. The econometric results reveal a positive and statistically significant association between financial literacy and key welfare indicators, while the direct effect of investment participation appears weaker in baseline specifications. In the instrumental variables framework, where investment participation is instrumented to mitigate potential reverse causality, the estimated impact on income remains positive but is more moderate in magnitude. Although the relatively small number of observations represents a limitation and warrants cautious interpretation, the findings highlight the important role of financial literacy in shaping investment behaviour and contributing to improved economic well-being. These results offer relevant insights for policymakers in countries characterized by lower living standards and comparatively low levels of financial literacy.

This paper examines the strategic integration of recommender systems within organizational decision-making architectures, with a focus on managerial implications in the e-commerce sector. Anchored in strategic management theory, the study conceptualizes recommender systems as components of organizational intelligence that shape managerial cognition, resource allocation, and long-term competitive positioning. Drawing on established analytical frameworks—including SWOT analysis, Porter’s Five Forces, and the Resource-Based View (RBV)—the paper identifies the strategic determinants that condition the adoption and optimization of recommender systems. The analysis develops an integrative conceptual framework linking algorithmic capabilities to strategic choices, competitive dynamics, and value creation. Emphasis is placed on governance mechanisms, ethical alignment, and data-driven leadership as prerequisites for sustainable competitive advantage. By repositioning recommender systems from operational tools to strategic infrastructures, the study contributes to strategic management research on digital transformation and algorithmic decision support.

This paper investigates the role of digital transformation in accelerating the European Union’s transition toward a circular economy, specifically focusing on municipal waste management. The research design employs a descriptive and comparative analytical approach using EU-27 data from 2000–2023. While recycling rates have doubled, current trajectories remain below the 2030–2035 targets. The original contribution of this study lies in providing a structured roadmap for digital integration, identifying how technologies like IoT and AI can bridge the performance gap. The findings highlight that digital solutions are essential drivers for environmental efficiency and governance transparency.

The paper examines the transfer of European best practices in human resource management within the public sector of the Republic of Moldova, in the context of European integration and the modernization of public administration. The research has a theoretical–analytical character and is based on a comparative analysis of relevant European models, including Romania’s experience in the professionalization and evaluation of civil servants, Poland’s model built on competency frameworks and performance-based promotion, as well as the practices of the Baltic states oriented toward the digitalization of human resource management and the use of data-driven management tools. The findings highlight the interdependence between the professionalization of human resources and job satisfaction, factors that directly influence institutional performance. Based on the analysis, several policy directions are proposed: the institutionalization of a central HR governance structure, the implementation of a unified digital HR management system, the adoption of a national competency framework for the civil service, the integration of job satisfaction indicators into institutional evaluation, and the development of continuous training programs focused on digital competencies. The contribution of the study lies in the operationalization of an adaptive transfer framework that connects European HR standards with operational instruments applicable to public administration in the Republic of Moldova.

The study investigates how organizational policies and practices support both career management and work-life balance in relation to organizational performance. The theoretical foundation of the research is the protean career concept, which emphasizes self-direction and a personal values orientation. In this context, organizational policies are becoming increasingly important, shaped by uncertainty and increasing pressures on managers in both leadership and operational roles. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, with a dominant qualitative component based on semi-structured interviews and an integrated quantitative component measured on a 1-5 Likert scale; the quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential methods to compare the public and private sectors. Data were collected from 67 senior and operational managers. The interviews were structured around four main themes: autonomy in decision-making, career management, work-life balance, and role conflict and career sustainability. The findings highlight how organizations’ policies on career management and work-life balance influence performance through employee retention and customer satisfaction. In addition, the study shows that autonomy and role clarity are important for the sustainability of managerial careers. The research contributes to the application of the protean career concept within organizations and highlights the close links among career management, work-life balance, and organizational performance.

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in global corporations has evolved from an optional technological upgrade into a strategic necessity driven by accelerated digital transformation, heightened competitive pressure, and expanding regulatory requirements. This paper examines how AI influences innovation management, with particular attention to its role in due diligence processes where speed, accuracy, transparency, and risk identification are critical for corporate decision-making. Building on the premise that AI is not merely an automation tool but a capability that changes how organizations generate knowledge and coordinate action, the study evaluates both measurable performance effects and organizational implications.
The research objective is to assess the adoption of AI in multinational corporations and to determine its impact on (i) innovation efficiency and outcomes, and (ii) due diligence performance and risk management. A mixed-methods design was applied. Quantitative analysis draws on operational indicators from 25 multinational corporations (technology, finance, manufacturing), including processing time for due diligence reports, frequency of human errors in compliance procedures, R&D productivity expressed through prototype development, and financial indicators linked to AI-enabled innovation projects. Qualitative insights were collected through 30 semi-structured interviews with managers and employees involved in innovation management, compliance, and digital transformation initiatives.
Findings indicate that AI adoption is associated with substantial reductions in processing time and error rates, supporting more reliable and faster decisions in compliance and due diligence activities. Simultaneously, AI contributes to innovation management by enabling advanced analytics, shortening development cycles, and supporting cross-border collaboration through shared data and project platforms. However, the study also identifies persistent barriers that shape implementation outcomes: ethical concerns related to privacy and bias, integration constraints with legacy systems, and ongoing demands for training and reskilling.
The paper concludes that the strategic value of AI depends on governance choices and organizational readiness. Corporations that combine technological investment with human capital development and clear ethical frameworks are more likely to realise AI’s benefits while limiting risks. The contribution of the study lies in consolidating evidence on AI’s dual role—enhancing innovation performance and strengthening due diligence—while highlighting the organizational conditions that enable sustainable, trustworthy, and scalable adoption.

The paper provides a synthesis of recent literature on the accounting profession, bringing together ideas from the field of professional ethics, corporate governance and professional responsibility. It shows how digitalization and sustainability requirements are reshaping both the work and the professional identity of contemporary accountants. The paper aims to propose a conceptual model that goes beyond fragmented descriptions of the accountant’s current role. Methodologically, we carefully reviewed the literature, extracting recurring concepts and grouping them inductively into three dimensions: normative (standards, codes of ethics and regulations), functional (assurance activities, internal control, consultancy, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting, and the responsible use of artificial intelligence) and identity-related (values, professional identity, and the social role of accounting work). The results show how compliance pressures, technology and societal expectations are transforming the profession from task-oriented execution to a pronounced advisory role. The paper also explains how governance mechanisms rely on accounting to enhance transparency and to support sustainability objectives, for example under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), where accountants coordinate the collection and validation of ESG indicators across internal and external processes. The contribution of the paper lies in the creation of a conceptual model and in its implications for education, standard setting, and organizational design.