@article{scarlat2022covid19,
  title = {COVID-19 Pandemic as Accelerator:  Opportunity for Digital Acceleration},
  author = {Cezar SCARLAT and Gabriela Doina STĂNCIULESCU and  Dan A. PANDURU},
  year = 2022,
  url = {https://ibimapublishing.com/articles/JIEBS/2022/296375/},
  journal = {Journal of Internet and e-business Studies},
  volume = 2022,
  pages = 14,
  doi = 10.5171/2022.296375,
  abstract = {The corona-virus pandemic unexpected start and steady pressure continue to influence individual lives and national economies. Definitely a direct threat on people’s health and lives, it also indirectly affected global supply chains as well as local businesses. On the other hand, by its uniqueness and relatively long duration, it is becoming a macro-laboratory not only for medical research but also for economic and business studies. Unsurprisingly, like any other global crises, the influence of the corona-virus crisis was not uniform: i.e., healthier individuals with better immunity systems and countries with better healthcare infrastructure and medical assistance systems were less affected than others; so were the companies and economies. Or, in competition terms, the former display a kind of competitive advantage as compared to the latter ones. In addition, on this background, in the particular case of organizations (companies) at advantage and already on the pre-pandemic verge of digitalization, the corona-virus crisis acts as an opportunity for accelerated digitalization (i.e., digital accelerator). The authors sustain this thesis by four illustrative examples. The accelerating effect of the corona-crisis is described in two sectors (industry and education) and two industries (book publishing industry and oil & gas industry). The examples were selected based on their representativeness mainly. More specifically, the focus is primarily on the business sector from Romania, specifically on the book publishing industry – chosen for several reasons (large interest among population, subject of dramatic changes as result of the preferences turning to e-books; investments in newer technologies following to strategic changes; its relationship with other social sectors of large interest as education and culture).  The research methodology included secondary (literature) research as well as primary (authors’) own observations and interviews, over a period of six months, from the onset of corona-crisis in Romania (March – September 2020).The results highlight the role of corona-crisis as opportunity for strategic decisions to invest in new technologies, accelerator of investments in new technologies, and digital [technologies] accelerator. The paper also reveals that corona-crisis accelerated the investments in digital technologies for online education.
This paper also launches the thesis of the education paradigm shift – in that respect of the educator’s role in the predictable future, to provoke a discussion, and to open a research path, for higher education strategists, policy makers, scholars and educators.},
  keywords = {COVID-19 pandemic, Strategic opportunity, Digital acceleration, Oil and gas industry, Romanian book publishing industry, Education paradigm shift, Critical point of education},
  note = Article ID: 296375
}