The oil and gas industry is among the most affected industries as a result of war in Ukraine, on top of other economic, political, and environmental global turbulences that culminated with the coronavirus pandemic. The purpose of this qualitative, explorative study was to identify strategic changes as well as the role played by newer technologies—digital technologies in particular—in this industry. The focus is on the Romanian oil and gas industry, more specifically on the retail fuel networks of the top companies. In addition to secondary research (literature and company documents), interview-based primary research was conducted. The data were collected during spring of 2022 by conducting interviews with two groups of subjects: the strategists—consisting of top managers from the largest companies active in the oil and gas industry in Romania; and the informed consumers—selected from people working in the oil and gas industry. The interview guides were slightly different depending on the two groups targeted, and the structure of the interview guide was developed according to research questions. Among the findings, we can observe that the fuel retail market and consumer behaviour changed due to a series of factors, such as the global economic crisis, COVID-19, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and inflation. Those factors forced fuel retail companies, at the global level, to invest in filling station shops, services development, digitalization, and divestment—selling gas station networks in countries with poor integration with refineries. Romanian fuel retail companies are following the global trends and focusing on filling station shops, alternative fuels development, and digitalization. The results are followed by discussions, and several managerial implications are suggested. The study limitations and several further research paths are also identified. Based on the data available, we can conclude that the strategic directions at the level of products and services are aligned, but at the execution level, specialists offer different solutions for customer expectations.

The scope of the article is to identify the leadership importance and the impact that it has on a small start-up company active in the construction materials industry. Being a small organization and at the beginning of the journey, the challenges that leaders and subordinates face are diverse and of significant importance. The literature review studied in-depth revealed to us that leadership styles and the organization in which they are applied have major importance in business development and creating common objectives. The methodology used was qualitative, interviewing all the employees of the selected start-up, based on questions to reveal the perception of the employee regarding leadership in their organization. In conclusion, the research reveals that in a young start-up, leadership is very important, and the leader must communicate with the followers; motivate, influence, and help them to develop. This study focuses on critically exploring, analyzing, and understanding the implications that different leadership styles have over a start-up company active in the construction materials industry. This case study emphasizes consistent and relevant findings regarding the role of leadership characteristics and their implications on a small organization, in a quest of understanding if different approaches adopted by leaders may facilitate follower engagement that will drive organizational goals and performance. The research method is presented, consisting of a qualitative approach, with the use of interviews performed with all the employees of the selected start-up. Throughout the report, critical judgment is endorsed by relevant literature. Based on the collected responses, findings supported a strong correlation between the dominant form of leadership style and the effects on employees’ responsiveness that is further shaping organizational achievements.

This paper employs a qualitative approach to conduct functional analysis within one of the main players in the Romanian market in the retail oil and gas industry, utilizing the company's internal intranet platform to gather data. The study unfolds in distinct stages, beginning with department selection, followed by task breakdown, activity categorization, data collection, analysis, and insight sharing. The analysis reveals a comprehensive view of the company's operational landscape, guiding strategic decisions and resource optimization. Key conclusions highlight the significance of core activities for revenue and growth, the value of diverse employee typologies, and opportunities for efficiency enhancement. The study's insights offer practical directions for managing core competencies, fostering informed collaboration, and adapting to industry changes. Future recommendations include leveraging this analysis for future strategy, investment, and innovation.

This paper examines the use of business maturity models as a tool for achieving business maturity and improving organizational performance in a rapidly changing business environment. Specifi-cally, the paper evaluates existing maturity models and methodologies, analyzes their effective-ness, and develops a novel and enhanced model tailored to the oil and gas sector. The authors highlight the importance of considering fundamental factors that underlie the implementation of maturity models and the need to evaluate their fit with organizational goals and values. The pa-per concludes by emphasizing the ongoing nature of business maturity and the effectiveness of theproposed Business Maturity Framework (BMF) model in enhancing operational excellence, competitiveness, and sustainable growth in the oil and gas industry. The paper makes a notable contribution to the specialized literature precisely through the differ-ent approaches to the business maturity process and through the proposed business maturity model itself as a base of strategy formulation, which includes a new dimension. This dimension analyzes whether the market and customers are ready for the level of digitization that the com-pany wants to achieve in a future state.