We use the entrepreneurial ecosystem perspective to study political entrepreneurship as a form of alignment between disruptive and unproductive entrepreneurs with authorities aiming to get privileged access to resources. Political entrepreneurship (PE) has emerged as a phenomenon in transition and developing economies and may compromise the entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE) objectives. Combining interview and survey data, this study provides an in-depth assessment of entrepreneurial ecosystems in a transition economy and the role that political entrepreneurs play in moderating the effect of resources on the quality of entrepreneurship. Our findings are generalizable to other transition and developing economies as we demonstrate what various configurations of factors increase stakeholders’ perception about EE and directly affect its quality. Our findings reveal that stakeholders appreciate the evolution trends towards mature and productive entrepreneurship, but the progress is slow, nonlinear, with setbacks, still seriously threatened by corruption, lack of competence, and the interference of the political factor as well as regional differences. This study offers implications on how to adopt a place-based and holistic approach to institutional reforms when policymakers aim at creating productive entrepreneurial ecosystems. This study implications are in the adoption of a place-based and holistic approach to institutional reforms when policymakers aim at creating productive entrepreneurial ecosystems. While political entrepreneurship may significantly distort an ecosystem, this study offers recommendations to managers and policymakers who plan to start a business in an environment with weak institutions and the rule of law.

We use the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to investigate determinants of stockpiling behavior during the COVID-19 lockdown. We analyzed 518 responses to an online survey and used Partial Least Squares Path Modeling (PLS-PM) techniques to estimate relationships between variables. Negative attitude (perceived barriers) and others’ behavior (descriptive social norms) were revealed as significant predictors for both intention to over-purchase and the actual stockpiling behavior. The lack of significance obtained for perceived behavioral control (PBC) is also an important result, strengthening the evidence that factors’ contribution to TPB’s predictive power is strongly context-dependent, respectively that PBC is less relevant in settings dominated by uncertainty. The lack of significance is especially compelling when stockpiling behavior is regarded as deviant conduct from effective consumption. Our findings expand the understanding on the applicability of TPB and offer informed practical suggestions for improving managerial strategies, public and private ones, during extreme events when self-regulation and cognitive control are expedient but hard to achieve.

The article explores the mechanisms that affect consumers’ interest in luxury clothing innovations. The actual research aims to investigate the effect of status quo and clothing involvement on consumer brand loyalty. More, it was intended to quantify the influence of the level of engagement concerning clothing acquisition and the status quo tendency on the consumers’ level of interest toward innovative luxury fashion products. The models were analyzed through the partial-least square-path modeling method. The results revealed that status quo bias and consumers’ involvement in fashion influence their loyalty to brands and level of innovativeness. The novelty of the present research comes from the analysis of the impact of the status quo manifest variables on consumers’ innovative tendencies. Moreover, it was found that status consumption fully mediates the relationships among the investigated predictors and considered outcome variables. The mediator manifests the highest effect size of all investigated predictors. The actual paper advances research in a direction that was not sufficiently addressed in the past, introducing the status quo construct as the main predictor of peoples’ inclination to be loyal to a brand or to manifest a tendency toward innovativeness. Moreover, the article emphasizes the essential role manifested by social status in foreseeing a behavioral response.

Uranium mine closure represents a complex, multi-stage process encompassing technical decommissioning, environmental remediation, and socio-economic adjustment, with impacts extending beyond the mining sector. In countries operating nuclear power plants, such as Romania, the closure of domestic uranium mining activities also affects regional labour markets and long-term energy system configuration. This study assesses the medium- and long-term impacts of uranium mine closure from a process-oriented perspective, focusing on environmental cost internalization, workforce transition, and institutional coordination. The research adopts a mixed-method approach combining documentary analysis of regulatory and strategic frameworks with a quantitative survey conducted among 50 experts in mining engineering, environmental management, and energy-related fields. Descriptive statistical techniques are used to evaluate expert perceptions regarding the effectiveness and coherence of mine closure processes, including environmental protection measures, social compensation mechanisms, and post-closure development strategies. The results show that technical closure and environmental remediation measures are partially implemented and generally aligned with regulatory requirements. However, significant shortcomings persist in labour reconversion programs, inter-institutional coordination, and the integration of mine closure with regional development and renewable energy initiatives.

The paper highlights the necessary aspects regarding the awareness of the relationship between the economy and the environment in the conditions of increasing resource scarcity and increasing effects of climate change on the economy and well-being of the population. Thus, the respondents' responses regarding sustainable consumption, protecting budgets in the sense of responsible, rational and equitable consumption in relation to the factors of production attracted and used in consumption for the production of goods, an effect of solvent and sustainable demand, are appreciated.