Bachelor Thesis - Using Technology in Business

Bucharest University of Economic Studies
Faculty of Business and Tourism
BACHELOR THESIS
Scientific coordinator:
Prof.univ.dr. Andreea Schiopu
Graduate:
Stan Mara
Bucharest
2022
\Bucharest University of Economic Studies
Faculty of Business and Tourism
Using Technology in Business
Scientific coordinator:
Prof.univ.dr. Andreea Schiopu
Graduate:
Stan Mara
Bucharest
2022
Table of Contents
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1
1.Technology in Business ............................................................................................................... 2
1.1 History of technology usage in businesses ............................................................................ 3
1.2 The Future of Technology in Business .................................................................................. 8
1.3 Risks of using Technology in Business ............................................................................... 11
1.4 The power of social media................................................................................................... 13
2.Analysis of Dante International S.A. ......................................................................................... 16
2.1 Company presentation ......................................................................................................... 16
2.2 Analysis of performance indicators for Dante International S.A. ....................................... 19
2.3 SWOT Analysis ................................................................................................................... 20
2.4 Human resources analysis ................................................................................................... 22
3.Research regarding the use of technology by eMAG users (Dante International S.A.) ............ 25
3.1. Methodology ....................................................................................................................... 25
3.2. Results ................................................................................................................................ 26
3.3 Proposals .............................................................................................................................. 33
Conclusions ................................................................................................................................... 34
Reference list ................................................................................................................................. 36
Appendix 1 .................................................................................................................................... 39
Appendix 2 .................................................................................................................................... 40
Introduction
Technology has always played an important role in our society from the beginning, being
a help of the human being in completing various activities. Through time it continued to evolve
until it has spread in many areas, such as the automobile industry, the medical and the fashion
industry, education, and more. Moreover, people were no longer meeting only face to face, but in
an online environment provided by social media companies like Facebook.
Since the early 2000’, people have gained easier access to technology through smartphones
and computers that bring them one step closer to a variety of online opportunities that permanently
changed the human being to the point where living without a smartphone would sound almost
impossible.
During the COVID-19 pandemic that took by surprise everyone, technology has been used
to its full capacity and the world’s population got a glimpse of the future as seen in movies or
discussed by specialists. As the pandemic affected everyone not just in terms of health but also in
terms of economics, many companies were forced to shut down their activities, meanwhile, others
tried to find ways to adapt during those tough times, thus discovering business opportunities,
forcing digitalization.
The purpose of this bachelor's paper is to demonstrate how important technology is for any
business nowadays through examples and empirical studies. This paper is structured in three
chapters, along with the introduction and the conclusions. The first chapter being “Technology in
Business” with four subchapters that aim to present technology’s main features through history
and future, risks, and the newest trend that greatly influences business, social media. The second
chapter is focused on the analysis of Dante International S.A. (eMAG), the biggest online retailer
in Romania, and it’s structured into four subchapters that present the company, analyze its
performance indicators and human resources, and presents the SWOT analysis that helps to better
understand the company’s potential .
For the third and final chapter, that is composed of three subchapters, there has been made
a research regarding Romanians' opinion about a digital assistant provided by the biggest online
retail company in Romania - Dante International S.A. (eMAG), followed by the proposals made
for the company regarding the development of such a product.
In the end, the conclusions are made to summarize the importance of technology as a tool
in business that can bring any company to a new level, matching the actual times.
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1.Technology in Business
In today’s society, technology has become part of many people's lives with an average time
spent on their phone of 5.25 hours (Kotler, 2018). According to Kotler (2018), 3.3 Billion people
(46% of the world’s population), with the number growing every day, are using the online
environment to connect with one another, share information, enjoy virtual shopping, and find
online entertainment. People went from reading the newspaper to receiving the latest news on their
phones, from stock black colors for cars to change the color of the car via an app provided by the
manufacturer (BMW iX Flow).
With almost half of the world population devoted to the Internet, businesses came across
an important and reliable source of attracting and learning more about clients through various
social media platforms (TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest), mobile ads,
and applications, blogs, websites, and very important, online videos (Kotler, 2018). As an example,
Figure 1 represents a social media account from eMAG (Dante international S.A.) where each user
can follow the account to be up to date with the latest offers and tidings offered by the biggest
online retailer in Romania.
Figure 1. Example of social media activity of a business (Emag) through Instagram
Source: created by author, 2021, https://www.instagram.com/emagromania/ [Accessed 16 November 2021]
Technology is offering new and innovative settings for connecting and engaging with
customers in the digital age (Kotler, 2018; Chaker, 2022, p 127). Furthermore, other research
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revealed that younger generations that grew up with access to a variety of technology, spanning
from personal to retail, are more likely to interact with them. (Silva, 2021).
However, each new technology can be seen as a destructive force that can have a greater
impact than the actual competition of the company (Kotler, 2004) and, as stated by Hassan
Haslinda (2022, p. 86), technology use “can be classified into four domains: investment, time
spent, activity, and addiction”. Moreover, the excessive use of technology can damage face-to-
face socializing, and mental health and could easily become an obsessive disorder (Saliceti, 2014)
Technology changed everything: social relationships and lifestyle (Kotler, 2004), and today it's
very important for businesses to understand the new ways of communication and advertising to
gain an advantage over other competitors. For example, every business uses the mail to
communicate and send offers to a customer, but through the signature of the mail address,
businesses can also send the customer to their social media accounts, and websites, via icons that
have a link attached to them, where they can see that the company is active, and doing their best
in promoting their products. Figure 2 is an example of an interactive signature, where customers
only click on the icons to visualize the social media accounts, location, or website.
Figure 2. Interactive Signature
Source: created by the author, 2021, [Accessed 20 November 2021]

Hence, with technology nowadays, it is very important for everyone to understand the
possibilities offered by technological advancements as the future is getting closer and life relies
strongly on technology to maintain a connection between information and people.
1.1 History of technology usage in businesses
The beginnings of technology date back from the beginning of time and have always been
in a continuous evolution of people’s desire to develop and simplify their lives. From discovering
the fire to the making of the telephone and the internet, all the development forms of technology
helped humans throughout time to evolve into the society that we are today, with a constant desire
to create and advance more, exceeding our limits.
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Referring to the technology available after the year 2000, meaning the beginnings of the
internet, people were still unfamiliar with its use and life was not dependent on it, with a small use
of Yahoo Messenger to connect with family and friends through the internet. Over time, as
Facebook appeared in 2004, people discovered a new way of socializing and expressing feelings
over the internet, through the message box provided by the app, and buttons such as “Share”,
“Like” and “Comment”. From there, other popular apps became the new attraction (YouTube,
Instagram, Tumblr, and others) and people gave up meeting outside to meeting online via
socializing apps. As social media apps were in continuous evolution, businesses found it useful to
become recognized more, not only by a physical flyer but also online through websites. Moreover,
over time smartphones have become more and more popular, and are frequently used as a
companion for the user, offering quick and unlimited access almost everywhere, as a result, the
amount of information assimilated on a daily basis is increasing constantly (Malgorzata, 2021).
Additionally, technological advancements could also be seen through the evolution of the
mobile phone that was initially projected to make simple calls to nowadays, calling via Messenger
or WhatsApp using the mobile camera that in some situations is more performant than a DSLR,
and the computer that now is a must in anyone's home or company. From there it was a small step
for technology to become our second earth, but it needed a little push - the COVID-19 pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic was an accelerator for the digital era (Silva, 2021, p.1), which
was already in constant growth. Due to all the restrictions imposed by states worldwide, people
were forced to stay in their homes for a long time, going out only for food or certain needs.
Moreover, during the 2020 and 2021 lockdown people’s lives switched to the online version, the
school was held online, and employees worked from home on computers, laptops, or tablets, with
most group activities held on meeting platforms (Google Meet, Skype, Zoom).
Business owners had to adapt their strategy to the nowadays requirements to keep the
business working. For example, restaurant owners were forced to close their doors to the public,
but some found a way to still be available to their customers with online food deliveries (Glovo,
FoodPanda, Tazz, and others). Maison des Crêpes, which is a restaurant based on crepes/pancakes
also delivered their meals through food delivery companies, but they had an innovative idea, to
make customers prepare and arrange their own crepes at home with ingredients provided by them.
Consequently, the fashion industry was forever changed in an innovative way, in which
fashion shows and shops were given a technological glow-up. In May 2020, during the Covid-19
pandemic, designer Anifa Mvuemba found an innovative and unique way to hold a fashion show
through digital models, without risking the health of anyone involved in the show.
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Figure 3. Digital fashion show by Anifa Mvuemba
Source: Instagram, Anifa Mvuemba, 2020, https://www.instagram.com/p/CAkxz8JgeyU/, [Accessed 22 November

2021]
With the online environment becoming second earth for humans, people come up with
innovative additions such as digital assistants, enabled by artificial intelligence (AI), (examples:
Siri, Alexa, or Bixby) that have become more and more popular and they are one of the latest
trends in technology, seen as the source of human and machine communication (Guzman, 2019).
Such voice-based technologies are integrated into devices such as smartphones, tablets, and mini
speakers (Guzman, 2019) that people are gradually adapting to being one first opportunity to
interact with an AI product.
Another fast growing novelty in the technology industry and in our society is the
introduction of digital humans, used as brand ambassadors which is a major step up for technology,
with the most popular ambassador being Shudu for Fenty Beauty, Balmain, and even Samsung
(Silva, 2021, p 3). Shudu Gram is the world’s first digital supermodel created by Cameron-James
Wilson using 3D modeling. This CGI character is said to be the most perfect black woman in the
world used for marketing purposes (Silva, 2021).
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Figure 4. Shudu and Samsung UK paid partnership
Source: Instagram, Shudu Gram, 2020, https://www.instagram.com/p/CER3abjB8lY/, [Accessed 22 November

2021]
Shudu is a controversed influencer, as she made it difficult for human supermodels to keep
up, and many are concerned that using technology to generate human models may result in
unrealistic body image expectations (Silva, 2021). This can further be seen as a concern for all
human models that are facing competition with digital creations for brand campaigns, further
digital models are offering an unrealistic body image (Silva, 2021, p 1). But as a fashion creator,
it’s easier to work with digital models, as they can do whatever you want and they will never be
tired. Moreover, such advanced technology is already used not only in the fashion or marketing
industry but also in the hospitality industry for business purposes, where digital humans can take
the place of guides, receptionists, and more (Silva, 2021).
Digital models didn't come alone as more and more creators are using 3D modeling apps
such as Blender 3D, to create clothing products, different objects, landscapes, houses, or even
designing shops or shows.
An additional change brought by the COVID-19 pandemic would be the transition of old-
fashioned buyers to online shoppers. Most businesses switch most of their activity into the fastest-
growing environment, through apps, social media, or websites with some that can be visited
through virtual reality or used virtual reality within the store. As an example, a North Face store
in Manhattan uses VR technology to show customers while practicing different sports while
dressed in the company’s products (Kotler, 2018). Further, like many other brands, Dior opened
their first virtual shop that customers can enjoy from the comfort of their homes.
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Additionally, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the usual caravan show held at Dusseldorf
was held online as a virtual show where customers could visualize each caravan without risking
their or others' health. Nevertheless, most customers make the majority of their shopping the old-
fashioned way, in the physical store (Kotler, 2018).
It is essential for any business to enter the online environment fast to cover the new
requirements of our days. For instance, Macy’s store developed an app that sends welcome
messages, newsletters, discount areas, and recommendations to customers who enter the store
(Kotler, 2018).
Another novelty, regarding technological advancements, is the QR code (Quick Response
code), introduced by Toyota in 1994, which is widely used today, as an easy means to open
information sources, open websites, URLs, or download documents, but was originally used to
track parts in vehicle manufacturing (Shin, 2012). The QR code is a type of barcode specially made
to be read by smartphones (Shin, 2012). The code is designed to combine black modules arranged
in a square pattern on a white background (Shin, 2012).
Businesses, at the moment, can benefit from QR codes to promote their products fast and
easily in public places, only displaying brief information and then displaying the QR code that can
include PDFs with all the products available, on their website, or on social media, an example
could be as seen in Figure 5, the restaurant Maison des Crepes has a digital menu that can be
accessed using the QR code. Another example could be an automobile dealer that places a sticker
with the QR code on their drive-test cars. The QR code can include special offers, details regarding
the model, information regarding the business or other models available, and it’s an easy way for
people to get information in public, and for the business, it’s an essential marketing tool. Another
example is using the QR code in museums, to engage and personalize visitors' experiences (Perez-
Sanagustin, 2016). As the smartphone becomes an extension of people's daily lives, customers
only need a smartphone and the intention to gather more information regarding the displayed
object, product, service, or advertisement.
Moreover, QR codes are also used as a measure of security for banks. For example,
Raiffeisen Bank sends QR codes via email to verify the account on the app with the e-mail address.
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Figure 5. Example of QR code use in Business
Source: Created by author, 2022

The history of technology is so vast that it cannot be summarized in just a few lines, it
must be understood that the development in technology can be seen everywhere in our lives, from
the way our cars are projected to the latest working programs available just a click away.
In today’s society, businesses can thrive better than others if they learn to work with technology
that can solve their problems and promote their business faster than the traditional way. Moreover,
after learning all the available solutions regarding company technologizing, people must be
prepared and learn about the future projects and tools regarding the constant evolution of
technology.
1.2 The Future of Technology in Business
Technology has always been reinventing itself since the beginning, considering the strong
implementation of technology in all our evolution branches, the evolution of technology has
reached a point where the reverse is no longer possible. It had a big impact on our world, that such
evolving technology aids in the delivery of brand services as well as the development of new types
of corporate interactions with customers and employees (Wang, 2022), and it’s changing the
traditional sales strategy and sales process.
With the development of technology, a new term was created - Business Innovation.
Through business, innovation organizations can implement new practices, facilities, or products
that positively impact business changes (Wang, 2022).
To begin with, artificial intelligence (AI) it’s still in its early stages of development, but its
main purpose is to develop business models and change industries (Wang, 2022) to a better fit for
the present society, historically being designed to carry out intellectual tasks (Wang, 2022). AI
describes a machine's ability to mimic human functions such as reasoning, learning, organizing,
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and creativeness (European Parliament, 2020). AI enables technical systems to perceive their
surroundings, process that perception, and solve problems. The computer receives data (which has
already been prepared or collected by its own sensors, such as a video camera), processes it, and
responds to it. To some extent, AI systems can adapt their behavior by analyzing the consequences
of previous actions and operating autonomously.
Artificial intelligence has the potential to reduce time and costs while increasing
productivity and overall efficiency, and at the same time offering customers a customized
experience (Wang, 2022).
An example of artificial intelligence highly sold and in continuing growth in popularity
nowadays is Alexa, a virtual voice assistant provided by Amazon, Apple’s Siri, Cortana
(Microsoft), and Google Assistant (McLean, 2021). These virtual assistants, powered by artificial
intelligence, are contributing to the customer's way of interaction with certain companies and
brands, with a prediction of 275 million households expected to use such assistants by 2023
(McLean, 2021). A very important feature of these assistants is the power to activate appliances
in every home. Today, many brand appliances put products on the market that can be configured
on the phone or through virtual assistants. For example, the washing machine Eco Bubble (AI
control) from Samsung can be turned on from the touch of the phone through the app provided by
the same company SmartThings.
In addition, for several years, people can make payments with the smartphone, smart-
watch, or tablet through NFC, but for some time, there have been speculations regarding the new
ways of payment, one of them being through biometric data. This method is a contactless payment
method using biometrics identifying the iris, face, fingerprints, or voice (M. Kim, 2019) and a
person will no longer have to carry on himself a wallet or at least a physical wallet in order to make
payments, it will be enough to touch a screen with the finger, or take a selfie with a device provided
by the banks. Supermarkets and malls are studying this issue and trying their best to make this
happen soon, as it’s already used in countries like Great Britain or Japan.
Unlike other payment systems, the biometric payment system has numerous advantages,
including high speed and security (Francisco, 2022), as well as convenience, as users do not need
to carry cards or mobile devices (Friedewald, 2005).
Despite these benefits, the implementation of biometric payments can be viewed with
reluctance by users. This is mostly due to the huge potential risk of hacking the biometric data to
be used without the owners' approval and there is also the necessity of huge investments for the
right infrastructure to protect personal data (M. Kim, 2019).
To successfully adopt and spread new payment systems, it is crucial to first understand the
customers' and the retailers' preferences, if the new system is not accepted by the majority it is
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unlikely to be used and there will be a lot of money invested to no end (M. Kim, 2019), besides
people will not accept the new reality if the businesses don’t implement this new payment system
(Kotler, 2018).
It took several years for customers to trust mobile payments or to have the bank app on
their phones and to this day many still have high concerns regarding security, as their phone could
be serving as a gateway to their savings (Kotler, 2018). Still, there was a change in people’s
behavior when the supermarket’s introduced the self-pay method to skip the line and the registers.
Another addition to the future of technology is the virtual reality concept that is used more
and more in business as an exciting sales tool.
Virtual reality (VR) is a concept that refers to a computer-generated simulation with a
collection of technologies that allow individuals to experience an unreal world (Huerta-Turruco,
2022). VR generates a three-dimensional, immersive, and multidimensional environment that has
evolved into a highly growing technology, emerging as a viable choice for delivering simulation
models, as it provides a realistic, immersive, and engaging experience ( Hsu, 2022). Its goal is to
create a virtual environment that mimics real-world behavior using computational methods
(Huerta-Turruco, 2022). Different technologies produce different types of sensory stimulation, and
the mind processes all of them to create the illusion of being in a location that does not exist
physically (Huerta-Turruco, 2022). As a result of technological advances, E-commerce (electronic
commerce), the use of the internet to buy, sell, or support items and services, not only as economic
exchange but also as an exchange of information and post-sale assistance, is the largest sector of
the electronics industry.
As a result of technological advancements, alternatives to traditional businesses have
evolved and heavily rely on technology. With these major changes and the COVID-19 era,
businesses came up with ways to facilitate a virtual store, to keep the clients entertained and loyal
to their brands, even though the pandemic diminished the buying rate as no one was allowed to go
shopping.
This year, the Caravan Salon Dusseldorf was held as a virtual show where viewers could
view 3D caravan presentations from the comfort of their homes, without having to spend a lot of
money on the plane and accommodation tickets. Similarly, Marriott guests can experience virtual
reality, and destinations such as Hawaii (Kotler, 2018).
As shops shifted into online shops that can be walked by through virtual reality, there is a
new trend planned especially for vehicles, to buy them online through the order and delivery
programs.
Furthermore, as “customers are won at the showroom”(Zolkifly, 2016, p. 413) Audi makes
the most of the opportunities offered by technology by presenting customers with exciting car
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experiences through VR. The customer can design the car with all the desired features, and also
experience driving the car using virtual reality (Kotler, 2018). This is a major step up in the
automobile industry as nowadays cars have long delivery delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic
that created a component crisis, especially with chips, car dealers prefer to sell as many cars as
they can, giving up the drive-test cars. Through virtual reality, Audi can now turn prospects into
buyers and make them desire the car through sensory experiences. In comparison, BMW car
dealerships attract visitors via touch screen displays ( (Zolkifly, 2016).
The designed experience also reflects the professionalism of the company by incorporating
sales strategies such as properly designed visual merchandising (Zolkifly, 2016) that will most
likely influence the acquisition decision of the customer. Because nearly two-thirds of purchase
decisions are made in stores (Zolkifly, 2016), it is vital for brands to include interactive elements
in their showrooms or stores to complement the hardly trained employees.
Moreover, today’s society is so used to technology, that every business should focus on
their online presence through visual merchandising, as a large number of customers are highly
aware of the usefulness of technology. Visual merchandising is the art of displaying the
merchandise in the best way possible (Zolkifly, 2016). The young generation was born in the
technology era, and it will be the next spending generation.
VR (Virtual Reality) is the future of e-commerce as more and more businesses rely strongly
on technology to sell their products, and clients buy with online references. Artificial intelligence
and VR can help us consider operational and innovative businesses (Wang, 2022).
Today’s society constantly lives in the future, as many people search for innovation,
creation, and the evolution of life by getting involved in finding new solutions that could simplify
life.
1.3 Risks of using Technology in Business
Since its beginnings, the use of technology has come with numerous risks, ranging from
phishing, pretexting, malware, online pop-ups, poorly secured IT services or Wifi, passwords risks,
or even old equipment that can damage the performance of a company to today where due to the
rapid advancement of technology, many jobs may be sustained by web programs, potentially
leading to mass unemployment.
Staff robotization could be an advantage for the business owner who will no longer be
responsible for paying salaries, but rather for the maintenance of the robots. A human sales agent,
on the other hand, differs significantly from a robot. When a human salesperson acknowledges a
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customer, he feels glad that the seller remembers him; nevertheless, when a robot recognizes the
consumer, the client is likely to feel uncomfortable and uneasy.
According to, P. Kotler (2004), most companies don’t want to increase the cost of
employee training and rushed to the digitalization of call centers where you have to wait and pass
several options to get to a human operator, and most of the time there is just a hand full of people
in the call center, which are overworked and answer you tiredly with so much boredom that you
suddenly think you can fix the problem on your own. The purpose of each company is customer
satisfaction, which is very hard and involves a high cost of personnel training. With technology
nowadays, people crave human connection (Silva, 2021, p 1), which many companies tend to
forget or just pass over. Still, communication barriers can be solved with the help of digital humans
(Silva, 2021, p 2) as they are programmed to know everything regarding the company and its
products, additionally, digital humans powered by artificial intelligence can better understand
customers’ preferences (McDowell, 2020).
During the COVID-19 lockdown, technology was the only source for individuals to stay
in touch and receive news regarding the worldwide situation, as the opportunities for socializing
in person lessened (Marengo, 2022). From there, the rise in the use of social media or instant
messaging apps began stronger than ever, with a dangerous risk of addictive tendencies (Marengo,
2022). Because the pandemic imposed rigorous social distancing measures, people's mental health
was severely impacted by the COVID-19 virus's hazards. Technology can also be classified into
four categories: investment, time spent, activity, and addictive (Hassan, 2022).
People turned to social media as a refuge because the need for connection and belonging
to a group is vital to human beings. (Marengo, 2022). According to a study conducted in Italy with
765 Italian adolescents who reported using the smartphone as part of the pandemic (WhatsApp,
Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Telegram, Messenger, and YouTube),
adolescents who only used WhatsApp and YouTube had the lowest social media addiction
compared to those who also used Instagram or TikTok (Marengo, 2022). Overall, the study found
that spending time on a smartphone and using TikTok, one of the most addicting applications
during the COVID-19 pandemic, were the best indicators of a propensity for social media addiction
(Marengo, 2022), one of the most serious risks associated with technology that includes risks of
anxiety, depression, sleep disruption, loneliness, self-harm, and suicidal-Thoughts (Hassan, 2022).
For instance, a study conducted by the University of Michigan in 2013 found that using Facebook
has a significant impact on one’s well-being (Hassan,2022). Moreover, the greatest impact of
technology is emotionally related, through cyber-bullying, anxiety, and depression (Hassan, 2022)
along with the internet could easily become a pathology starting from various types of addictions
(Saliceti, 2014):
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● Addictive cyber;
● Addiction to Gaming Net;
● Addictive of the web/information overload (obsessive search for information);
● Addictive of computers
When discussing the risks in technology, the amount of data that the internet gathers
regarding a person is scary (Chaker, 2022, p 138). There are plenty of problems regarding the
online activity of users, more specifically regarding identity theft through unprotected servers, also
taking advantage of the people’s uneducated perspective of technology security.
In today’s society, it is very important to understand the risks when entering the new world
of technology, as a mother teaches a child to be careful when crossing the street, in technology no
one should provide personal data to unknown entities, or believe everything posted by anyone that
has a social media account. In this regard, there should be implemented in schools to teach
everyone how to protect themselves from the dangers of technology.
Companies are also threatened by technological risks, such as server breakdown, viruses
that could steal company data or destroy databases, and last but not least, receiving a bad review
online that could compromise their business image.
1.4 The power of social media
As mentioned in 2004, by Philip Kotler, using the phone for customer conversations and
finding out their view on certain products or activities can be a company’s biggest asset to develop
brand experience, encourage the immediate purchase and make buying more convenient (Kotler,
2018).
Today, the biggest asset in business is mainly the mobile marketing with social media
representing a new tool in sales, through a vast group of digital platforms (TikTok, Instagram,
Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest) that provide users with a wide range of virtual
environments where they can get in touch with a certain brand, especially through content that
defines the brand and its activity (Chaker, 2022, p 128) or even take on the role or content creators
( Gregori, 2020), the influencers. Further, nowadays social media is also a new mandatory form of
business, suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises because it provides them with new
channels to engage and sell to clients (Kotler, 2018). Moreover, the number of people utilizing
social media has been expanding throughout the year, with an estimation of 4.20 billion active
members around the world, with so many hours spent online that it has become integrated into
people’s lives (Hassan, 2022).
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As digital solutions promote communication and accessibility (Gregori, 2020), social
media began to manifest strongly in the last decade, today being in continuous change and
development. Social media applications are widely used nowadays as free marketing platforms for
all businesses to promote their services and products at no cost regarding the use of the platforms
unless they want to target a specific customer through the app's search filters.
Nowadays, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, customers' are changing their
social interaction behavior, and their choices are shifting away from face-to-face contact, toward
virtual interactions (Chaker, 2022, p 128), thus, platforms that primarily focus on video content
with an average length of 60 seconds, such as TikTok or Instagram, end up selling products worth
higher and higher values. An estimation of 15% of total online sales is taking place on smartphones
(Kotler, 2018).
In this economic and social context, social media is critical to any business and used as a
competitive tool. Businesses should meet these new technological challenges and develop their
online marketing guidelines as much as possible to not lose their positions in the market. Also,
sellers should focus more on their online interactions with customers through social media
platforms, especially now, as the chat is seen as the new E-mail, but more efficient and
instantaneous, even though the conversation is not as rich as that face-to-face (Chaker, 2022, p
130).
Furthermore, through social media, sellers can break into new markets, establish new
business partnerships, and more importantly learn about customers and their preferences (Chaker,
2022, p 131), although it has the tendency to be viewed as intrusive “it gets you what you need to
know” (Glen, sales representative) (Chaker, 2022, p 138).
In addition, along with the development and daily use of social media platforms, online
communities are emerging, especially through Facebook groups (Chaker, 2022, p 134). For
example, in Romania, there are eMAG groups, Figure 6, that consist of eMAG users that ask
questions or give feedback regarding their experience.
Figure 6. Example of a Facebook group for eMAG users
Source: Facebook, 2022, https://www.facebook.com/groups/915334021942812, [Accessed 4 May 2022]
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However, through these online communities, people can spread false accusations or bad
experiences that they had with a certain company (Chaker, 2022, p 135), even though the
Romanian law states that Facebook is a public space, and individuals can be sued for misleading
customers. Thus, even though it’s time-consuming, businesses should integrate themselves into
these communities, and keep up with posts to always be able to face possible accusations that
could make them lose future customers.
Along with the rise of technology through social media, there has been another important
element that is frequently used to organize online content through certain words or themes - the
hashtag (#). Hashtags can also be used by customers to easily find their interests, or also by sellers
that target a certain customer through keywords. It's very important for a company to post
constantly, as each post can open unexpected interactions (Chaker, 2022, p 139) or even a sale.
As stated by Philip Kotler (2018, p 407) “McDonald's leads among retailers in Facebook
likes, Nordstrom is tops in Pinterest followers. Starbucks leads in Twitter followers. And
Victoria’s Secret has the most YouToube subscribers and Instagram Followers.”
When talking about social media, we often came across the term “influencer” or
“influencer marketing”. Influencers are social media users (Tafesse, 2021) that are active every
day, promoting different products, activities, or experiences, becoming popular for the content
posted on certain social media platforms, especially Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok. By becoming
popular and gaining online subscribers that are interested in the influencer's activity, certain brands
rely on influencers to promote their products or services. Influencers often promote products or
services associated with their daily activities, advertising them as a recommendation or tips to their
followers (Tafesse, 2021). For example, About You SE & Co. KG, an online fashion retailer
founded in 2014 focuses primarily on influencer marketing, promoting clothes on their social
media without the need of focusing too much on traditional advertising.
In Romania, a popular influencer is Alina Ceausan that created a name in social media, by
promoting a rich and glamorous lifestyle, that gained popularity through the aesthetics of her
content, and now her biggest collaborators are H&M, About You, and Audi.
Studies have found that people nowadays identify more strongly with social media
influencers that seem more relatable to their lives, than with celebrities (Tafasse, 2021). This aspect
has big importance related to brand advertising, as each company should search and make
advertising partnerships with a relevant influencer that is suitable for the representative company.
Social media is a strong and mandatory tool for businesses nowadays that help them
promote themselves, and engage with customers or new partners.
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2.Analysis of Dante International S.A.
The second chapter, Analysis of Dante international S.A., the company that is best known
by eMAG, the leading online retailer in Romania, focuses on presenting the company, analyzing
the company's financial indicators and human resources, and presenting the SWOT analysis which
emphasizes the high status of the company along with its threats and weaknesses .
2.1 Company presentation
Dante International S.A., also known in Romania as eMAG, is a Romanian joint-stock

company founded in January 2002 by Radu Apostolescu, Dan Teodosescu, and Bogdan Vlad, now
with the company’s shareholders being the South African group Naspers with 80% shares, and
Iulian Stanciu with 20% (Seceleanu, 2021). eMAG, a company very similar to Amazon, began by
selling office and computer systems, online. Nowadays it is one of Romania’s largest retail
business, both online and offline, with the first physical store opened in 2008, selling a wide range
of products such as cosmetics, clothing, pet care, toys, books, furniture, appliances, and more.
Dante International S.A. has the following identification data:
Table 1. Identification data of Dante International S.A.
Unique registration code RO 14399840 (VAT payer)
Registration number J40/372/2002
Address Bucharest, Sector 6, Highway Virtuții no. 148
In 2012 eMAG expanded into foreign markets such as Bulgaria where it achieved a 60%
market share, in 2013 followed Hungary with a 10% market share, and lastly in 2014 followed
Poland by taking over the local platform Agito and transformed it into eMAG Poland.
In 2011, eMAG brought into the Romanian market the “Black Friday” concept that only
lasts one day, offering 30 % to 60% discounts on a large range of products.
In 2013, eMAG marked a new premiere for online commerce in Romania, by selling cars
on the occasion of the Black Friday event, some of which were high brands such as Hyundai,
Dacia, Ford, Mitsubishi, Jeep, and Mercedes Benz. The reservation for the vehicles could be made
by means of a bank card accepted for payment by eMAG, by blocking the amount of 2000 RON
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with VAT, following that after the end of the Black Friday campaign, the buyer will go to the auto
dealerships offices to complete the sale. In 2020, eMAG, received in a single day 12,4 million
visits, with a total value of ordered products of 585.7 million RON, 17% more than the previous
year (eMAG, 2020). In the first minute of the Black Friday event, 8.260 products were ordered
with a total value of 4.7 million RON. Among the special products ordered in 2020, there were 15
cars, hundreds of caravan rentals, 1.881 RT-PCR tests, 8.8Kg gold coins and bullions, 53.000 liters
of fuel and 1.220 night stays.
Moreover, in 2013 eMAG invested 500,000 euros in an online business academy for its
employees, where they tried to bring the best professors in the country and from abroad. eMAG
Academy is focusing on putting knowledge into practice, unlike MBAs that focus more on
establishing the theoretical foundation. Additionally, eMAG Academy is only for its employees,
but it doesn’t eliminate the possibility of future collaborations with Romanian universities to
provide public access to this online program.
In 2019, eMAG took over the EuCeMananc start-up from Timisoara and rebranded it under
the name Tazz By eMAG. This company is mainly online focusing on food delivery or distributing
online orders from DM, toy shops, and others.
Furthermore, eMAG created in 2020 the program eMAG Genius, a premium service for
unlimited orders with free and quick delivery at easybox and also some discounts on certain
products. This program includes Tazz by eMAG, offering free delivery for orders higher than 50
RON.
Another concept started by eMAG in partnership with the delivery company SameDay is
the “easybox”. An easy and convenient solution for customers that can pick up their order 24/7
when they are available without interacting with the courier, through securitized boxes placed
around the city, and from Figure 7, it can be seen how much the easybox network is extended in
Bucharest. The customer receives a password or a QR code for opening the box with his package.
This solution is very efficient both for the customer and the eMAG as it reduces its costs from the
delivery companies.
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Figure 7. Easybox map for Bucharest
Source: eMAG, 2022, https://www.emag.ro/cart/checkout, [Accessed 5 May 2022]
eMAG grew in the Romanian market with no strong competitor, being the only business
that covered its market on every branch possible, especially when it bought the online fashion shop
Fashion Days in 2015. Since the acquisition, the shop has improved its delivery services and the
stock provided by more than 500 fashion brands. Additionally, eMAG has launched the first online
hypermarket in Romania that brings customers various household items and groceries Freshful,
owned by S.C. EMAG RETAIL S.R.L. a second company opened by Dante International S.A. in
2021.
Furthermore, eMAG promotes itself mostly through online advertising on YouTube and
other social media apps and also on TV. Through this communication tool, they are targeting large
numbers of customers and attracting them with unique and simple slogans that are registered at
the State Office for Inventions and Trademarks. Some slogan examples that are very memorable
are:
 “Local tastes, legendary preparation”
 “When the desire DICTS, Tazz Delivers”
 “eMAG – Black Friday – The day with the most discounts of the year”
Overall, eMAG has gained the public’s appreciation by being a trustworthy company that
notifies the customer via E-mail regarding every detail of their order, and through their website,
which is well organized, including all the necessary elements for proper functioning.
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2.2 Analysis of performance indicators for Dante International S.A.
When analyzing the performance indicators of eMAG (Dante International S.A.) we can
discover that after many years of a negative profit, it had switched to positive profit during the
COVID-19 pandemic, as customers relied mostly on ordering products or food at their house.
Figure 8. Evolution of turnover Dante International S.A. over the years 2015-2021
Source: Lista Firme, 2022, https://membri.listafirme.ro/pozitionare.asp?cui=14399840, [Accessed 6 May 2022]
As shown in Figure 8, the turnover of Dante International S.A., which represents the total
revenue generated from its primary and secondary activities, has been increasing since 2015 and
was maintained during 2018-2019, followed by another increase. Figure 8, represents the evolution
of eMAG’s turnover compared to the national average in Romania, the blue line represents the
national average, and the red line, eMAG’s total turnover. With a big marketing team that has
always focused on innovation, in 2019 bought EuCeMananc start-up, and transformed it into “Tazz
by eMAG”, one of the leading food delivery companies in Romania, that was highly requested
during the pandemic years, registering a rise of 7.6% of revenue (Musat, 2020).
Moreover, in 2019 the online payments for Black Friday have reached a record level,
representing 41% of the total orders placed, being purchased products worth over 250 million lei.
Following 2020, with a 6,7 million lei turnover, 47,4% higher than in the previous year (Seceleanu,
2021), generating more revenue by implementing the “eMAG Genius” loyalty program.
Figure 9. Evolution of net income Dante International S.A. over the years 2015-2021
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Regarding the net income of Dante International S.A., Figure 9, the company reported 2020
a net profit of 107.3 million lei, 216.61% higher than in the previous year following a sudden fall
in 2021 of -169.46%, that is, a total net income of -181,871,136 lei. The total net income in 2020
was due to the pandemic that favored the purchase of products mostly in the online environment
and from Figure 10, we can understand that eMAG group had in 2021, more than 7 billion lei as
total assets.
Figure 10. Evolution of total assets Dante International S.A. over the years 2012-2021
Overall, eMAG is a profitable company with high revenues, leading in it’s sector on the
Romanian market and always focused on improving the company relying mostly on their main
asset, the online platform that it’s continuously simplified and user friendly.
2.3 SWOT Analysis
When talking about eMAG (Dante International S.A.), we are talking about a very large
and powerful company in the Romanian market, with no potential competition. In this regard, for
this chapter, there will be a SWOT analysis for the company eMAG (Dante International S.A.),
Table 2, to determine the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
Regarding eMAG’s strengths, there are plenty of aspects to take into consideration, as the
company is Romania’s leading online retailer, with a turnover of 1,484,633,403 RON in 2021,
very active and its always finding ways to extend and develop their business. The company, with
good reputation gained over time, offers through a well-developed marketing strategy and a
structured, easy to use website that attracts any buyer, a wide range of products, encouraging
customers to buy most of their products from eMAG rather than other online shops. In addition to
it’s well planned business environment which always brings innovation to the public, making it
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more noticeable, eMAG offers free and priority delivery, exclusive offers, and more to buyers that
use “eMAG Genius subscription”.
Further more, as eMAG offers a wide range of products and services, it acquired the fashion
online shop FASHION DAYS that now is registered trademark of Dante International S.A.
(eMAG), and the company also bought the food delivery service “EuCeMananc” and transformed
it to now the biggest food delivery service in Romania, “Tazz by eMAG”. Also, as the company
focuses more on online business, it extended its offer with the new platform – Freshfull, “the first
100% online hipermarket in Romania”.
When looking at the weaknesses of eMAG (Dante International S.A.), there are a few that
could have a huge impact on the company, some of which being that it relies mostly on distributors
and partners, that sell at a higher price than on their business website because eMAG has high
commissions, and often customers have to contact the seller for issues rather than solving the
problem with eMAG’s call center. Besides, eMAG has an imitable business model, and any
company could enter the same field of activity easily, but at the same time, it would need great
financial power to reach the same level as eMAG. Other weaknesses are the long waiting times to
enter a conversation with customers service, also the company has many issues during Black
Friday, as employees cannot handle numerous shoppers at the same time. On top of that, to support
the “Genius” fidelity program, eMAG had to increase the prices of all its offered products, and
buyers that don’t have the subscription have to pay a higher price than the normal one, suggested
by the producer.
With regard to eMAG’s opportunities, nowadays people prefer shopping in the online
environment to avoid wasting time and queuing in traffic and stores, a factor considered by eMAG
therefore focuses mostly on the development of its online platforms, but at the same time it is
expanding physical showrooms for convenience and to display the products to be tested before
purchase. What is more, lesser known companies prefer to use eMAG’s popularity to sell and
promote their products, rather than investing in shopping space or marketing. As eMAG’s business
model is simmilar to Amazons’, it should be in its interest to develop products or services of it’s
own, as Amazon created the virtual assistant, Alexa, that eMAG could use the create innovative
shopping experiences.
Finally, concerning eMAGs’ threats, againg refering to Amazon, it could strongly on the
Romanian market, offering almost the same online services at lower prices. Moreover, as eMAG
relies mostly on partners or distributors for the product offer, goods bought from eMAG partners
that are also delivered by them can easily influence the brands reputation if the products received
by the customer are in bad condition. On top of that, eMAG received a warning from the Romanian
NAFA, regarding a misleading advertisement, claimed by CEL.ro (one of eMAG’s competitors).
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Also, as eMAG is mostly an online company, it can be any time the target of a potential
cyber attack that could damage the company. Another threat, regarding eMAGs’ new business,
Freshful, the fully online hypermarket in Romania, is that there are just a few people in romania
that would by groceries through an online app, without knowing where they came from.
2.4 Human resources analysis
When analyzing the human resources from Dante International S.A. there can be seen from
Figure 11, a growing number regarding the evolution of employees from 2015 to 2018, and
another rise during the pandemic year 2020 to 2021, and as seen in Figure 11, in 2015 the company
was already exceeding the average number of employees at national level in Romania. During the
first year of the pandemic, more than 3,000 were working from home, and nowadays the company
believes a hybrid working system is more suitable for them than the traditional office presence,
allowing more flexibility for the staff (Bellu, 2021).
Figure 11. Evolution of employees Dante international S.A. during 2015-2021
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the company conducted several internal, quantitative,
and qualitative studies, analyzing in detail the perceived opinion of its employees related to
working from home, and how they perceive a long-term way of working permanently in a hybrid
system. After the studies, the following data came out (eMAG, 2021):
● 96% answered that working from home they felt more productive;
● 78% said that they adapted well and very well to working exclusively from home;
● Only 37% said that they feel connected to their team when working from home;
● When asked how do they would like the work long-term, 97% said they wanted a hybrid
model, combining working from home with the actual office;
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After a lot of research, the eMAG’s leadership concluded that working from home works
best well defined and individual activity, and working at the office suits best for creative team
activities, consequently eMAG will switch to hybrid working, “New Way of Working @eMAG”
(eMAG, 2021). The major disadvantage perceived at the level of those working from home was
the lack of communication, as recreating the same working environment when working from home
is more difficult to achieve. While opting to change their working system for over 4,000
employees, the company plans to invest 1,5 million euros for upgrading their spaces and
implementing new technologies to support the new hybrid way of working and help the employees
communicate more effectively both in an online and offline environment.
eMAG teams is specialized into well-defined sections:
● Platforms & Technology: over 800 employees working in this section, covering the
development of the business in a fast and centralized manner, focusing on innovation,
and efficiency;
● Business Intelligence: a team-centered in Bucharest focusing gathering data for
eMAG’s decisions to always be able to adapt the business and the user experience to
the customer’s needs;
● Marketing Teams: always focusing on ways to grow the business and highlight it’s
major qualities to the customer, growing the income using marketing tools;
● Logistics Teams: critical to the success of an e-commerce company as eMAG being
the final link between the company and the final customer. Divided into several areas,
the logistics teams are focused on transportation, warehousing, and aftersales (dealing
with product return and resealing from Romania, Hungary, and Bulgaria);
● Retail Teams: focusing on the offline customer in the 20 showrooms in Romania, and
9 outside the country;
● Customer Care: its major responsibility is to ensure that all eMAG customers have
the best shopping experience from the beginning to end classifying a few departments
(Call Center, Claims, Online Sales, Forecasting & Reporting, and Marketplace
Support);
● Marketplace: these teams are responsible for integrating sellers in the eMAG’s
platform;
● Commercial: teams in charge of building product portfolios and launching new items
with a competitive price collaborating side by side with the marketing teams to create
promotional campaigns, as well as managing and adding new suppliers to the eMAG’s
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product portfolio. Teams are also divided into departments: Business Unit Manager,
Product Manager, and Category Manager;
● People: same as other company’s HR, teams in eMAG search for talented persons that
would want to work alongside them in developing the organization. According to
eMAG, people teams are also divided in multiple activity sectors: “All Business
Recruitment & Business Partnering, Platforms & Technology Recruitment & Business
Partnering, Reward & Employee Relations, Organizational Development, and Internal
Communications;
● Legal: permanently working along with colleagues and the Romanian authorities and
governmental organizations to assure eMAG’s actions are responsible and sustainable,
also dealing with various legal projects;
● Finance: managing financial data in the company;
● Fashion Days: Fashion Days was bought by eMAG in 2016, and since then it benefited
from rapid growth in the last 6 years, always needing new employees to support a
continuously developing company.
As eMAG is the biggest online retailer in Romania, the need for a large number of
employees is understandable as it has a large coverage area and it’s strategy it’s always improving,
especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, where they were the main trustworthy online shop with
a wide range of products and quick delivery. After the pandemic, eMAG focused more and more
on technology to gain revenue and serve it’s clients, and for this the need of employees was
mandatory to keep the company on a good level.
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3.Research regarding the use of technology by eMAG users (Dante
International S.A.)
3.1. Methodology
For the methodology chapter, there will be a focus on analyzing the Romanian customers’
preferences regarding the use of a personal digital assistant provided by eMAG, as the company
is expanding its business area to multiple opportunities.
Since eMAG’s business model is very similar to the world’s largest online retailer,
Amazon, it should invest in creating a digital assistant, similar to Amazon’s Alexa, but using the
Romanian language to help people search faster for products, or even on the Google platform using
Romanian words.
Although many Romanians already use digital assistants such as Alexa, Google Home, or
the most popular ones on their smartphones, Siri and Bixby, it would be interesting to see how
people would react to a personalized digital assistant created in Romania. Even though there is
plenty of research done regarding people’s opinions when using a digital assistant, there are no
such studies made on the Romanian population regarding a future digital assistant provided by
eMAG. Also, Dante International S.A. (eMAG) is a highly technological company in constant
innovation from a software point of view, focusing on developing an online lifestyle by making it
easier for people to shop for a diverse range of products, fashion clothing, and even online
groceries shopping.
The chosen method for analyzing Romanian customers’ preferences regarding a virtual
assistant provided by eMAG, is the survey (Annex 1) with 21 mixed questions that focused mostly
on people’s opinions regarding nowadays digital assistants (example: Siri from Apple, Alexa from
Amazon, Google Home assistant, Cortana from Microsoft, Mycroft from Android and Bixby from
Samsung). The chosen method, survey, was suitable for this study as it’s easier for respondents to
respond any time without programming it in advance and feeling private, unlike the interview that
needs to be programmed in advance and respondents lose their privacy feeling. The purpose of the
distributed questionnaire was to get in touch with eMAG’s consumers that could belong to
different age categories and to find out their opinion regarding digital assistants and the privacy
offered in exchange. Moreover, through this survey, respondents could suggest functions that a
digital assistant offered by eMAG, could have. The questionnaire was made in the Romanian
language to be easily completed by Romanians, and it was distributed during July 2022 for two
weeks, on Facebook groups specially made for eMAG’s users, WhatsApp groups from the
Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Faculty of Business and Tourism, as well as among
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groups without any specific, with the intention to find as many opinions as there could be on the
possible potential of a digital assistant provided by eMAG.
3.2. Results
The questionnaire made for this bachelor's degree, created using Google Forms, was
conducted in Romania with the purpose of learning about how Romanians feel about digital
assistants, especially a new proposed concept, a Romanian digital assistant powered by eMAG.
Most of the participants were already familiar with the eMAG platform and they were using it to
save time when buying products without having to go shopping in a physical store.
After the questionnaire with 21 mixed questions was distributed, 101 responses were
received from ages ranging from 16 to over 55 years old, Figure 1, Annex 2, with the majority
54.8% falling between the ages of 20 -26 years old. The predominantly gender responding for this
questionnaire was female 57.3%, Figure 2, Annex 2, and the mainly environment of origin is
urban, Figure 3, Annex 2. The age range used for this questionnaire is based on the person’s stage
of development (teenager, young adult and adult) and because the questionnaire was distributed to
Romanians, we took into account the historical period in which they grew up. Moreover, for this
questionnaire there was a request for respondents to select their occupation and they were able to
select multiple options, discovering that 22 of the respondents are at the same time students and
employees, Figure 4, Annex 2.
After getting to know the respondents, they were asked questions regarding eMAG, the
biggest online retailer in Romania, and 90.4%, Figure 12, are already familiar with the platform
and the company.
Figure 12. Respondents use of eMAG services (Blue: used; Red: didn’t use)
Source: Created by author using Google Forms, 2022, [Accessed 16 May 2022]
Moreover, 62.5% use eMAG’s services every time they need a product, Figure 13.
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Figure 13 Frequency of eMAG services by users
Moreover, eMAG’s priority is the constant improvement of its online website and
application to make it easier for any person to use, regardless the user’s age, as a result 50% of
respondents, Figure 14, find very easy the needed products on eMAG.
Figure 14. Ease of finding products on eMAG
The most important criteria from most to least, Figure 15, being: price, easy to use, speed
of the ordering system, free shipping and reliability.
Figure 15. Important criteria when shopping online
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Another surprising discovery made with the help of the distributed questionnaire, was that
even though 90.2% of the respondents use eMAG’s service, just 14.4%, Figure 16, have the
“eMAG Genius” 100 lei annual subscription that offers significant discounts to various products
and free shipping for orders over 50 lei.
Figure 16. Subscriptions of eMAG Genius
What’s more, 57.7% of respondents have the eMAG application downloaded on their
phones, Figure 17, showing reliability in the brand, using it for orders “one touch away”.
Figure 17. Downloaded eMAG application on smartphone
When analyzing the respondent’s view regarding the main subject of this study, 52.9% of
respondents are familiar with the concept, Figure 18.
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Figure 18. Familiarity with the concept of Vocal Virtual Assistant? (Computer Assistant Providing Internet
Assistance, Voice Command)
The most know digital assistant being Siri, followed by Alexa, Google Home Assistant and
Bixby, Figure 19, and 11,7% don’t know any digital assistants.
Figure 19. Most known virtual assistants
Moreover, even though more than 50% of respondents are between the age of 20-26, 54,4%
don’t use digital assistants, Figure 20.
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Figure 20. Usability of virtual assistants
Regarding the product’s functionality, 60.6% of respondents are familiar with it’s
operating system, Figure 21.
Figure 21. Users knowledge regarding how a virtual assistant works
and even though the device uses a microphone to have the possibility to function, only 19.2% agree
with the recording of their conversations, Figure 22.
Figure 22. Agreement to permanently record respondents conversations
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Also, only 26.9% of respondents agree with their conversations being stored on a server
of the company that provides the digital assistant, Figure 23.
Figure 23. Agreement to private data storage on a companys’ server that provides the virtual assistant
Moreover, from the shared questionnaire we found out that only 37.5% of respondents read
carefully the terms and conditions when using an electronic device or service, Figure 24.
Figure 24. Respondents don’t read the terms and conditions of use carefully before using an electronic
product or service
From a scale from 1 to 5, respondents appreciated that on a medium scale,3, they feel that
a virtual assistant invades their personal space, Figure 25.
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Figure 25. On a scale of 1 to 5, respondents appreciation if they feel that a virtual assistant invades their
personal space
Furthermore, after passing the general questions regarding the use of digital assistants, the
questionnaire focused in the end on a digital assistant provided by eMAG, and most respondents,
28.8% and 19.2% appreciated that they wouldn’t use a digital assistant provided by eMAG, Figure
26.
Figure 26. On a scale of 1 to 5, respondents appreciation on using a digital assistant provided by eMAG
At the end of the questionnaire, there was a open question for the respondents where they
were asked to name some features they would like to receive from a digital assistant provided by
eMAG, and the most requests were for:
- the assistant should have the romanian language available;
- to search for certain products at affordable prices;
- to tell the customer the status of his order;
- comparing the products;
- advice in choosing products;
- similar features to Siri.
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3.3 Proposals
Given the rapid evolution of technology in the world, there were positive expectations
regarding the entry into the market of a Romanian digital assistant provided by the biggest online
retailer in Romania, eMAG (Dante International S.A.). After the questionnaire was distributed
among people of different ages and life experiences from Romania, there was an understanding
that Romanians are not yet ready to receive a technology offered by a Romanian company.
Moreover, the respondents of the questionnaire, even though 54.8% correspond to the age category
of 20-26 years old and they should be excited by the evolution of technology, especially if it makes
life easier, 54.8% of the total respondents don’t use any digital assistant, but they are familiar with
the concept.
After receiving the questionnaire feedback, it’s understandable that people are used to
receiving cheap and bad quality products from the Romanian producers, so they are not that open
to buy a Romanian product whose main mode of operation it’s using a microphone to interact with
the consumer. But still, when asked about the commands that they would like to be available on
this device, they responded with great interest and their main request was that the device would be
able to search for products on the main website and have the romanian language standard, as all
digital assistants available on the market at this time don’t have this language.
From eMAG’s point of view, as it is a big company that focuses on the customer and it’s
always improving it’s technological operations, if they want to follow on Amazon’s footsteps by
creating a digital assistant similar to Alexa, they should first consult the end customer and
understand it’s concerns when using this type of product. Moreover, if they would bring in the end
a similar product, they should present very clearly to the customer, its features and operational
system, for the customers to feel safe when using this product.
All in all, the digital vocal assistants that exist nowadays are very useful and known by the
user, but when promoting such a product to the market the company needs to ensure the customer
of its privacy and usability of the product to have success.
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Conclusions
This bachelor’s paper discusses how since the beginning, human evolution is based on the
desire to simplify life, and as life simplified the society evolved into what it is today, a world where
everything has a solution and almost every job can be done through programmed machinery.
Technology has always been in continuous development not only in everyday life but also in
business, with an acceleration, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic where everyone relied
only on technology to communicate, work, get the latest news, and study. With the evolution of
technology, people become dependent on it, becoming an extension of people’s life and at the
same time getting invasive of personal space and becoming a danger to the user damaging trust,
image, family, business, and also getting involved in security issues.
When used correctly, technology can be beneficial to one another, especially in a business
as nowadays it's indispensable to survive on the market, starting just at a search button, people
expect to find all information needed to get in contact with a certain company. As social media
becomes one of the most important criteria that shows the reliability of a company, this shows how
important is the online presence of a business, to have all the information displayed for the
customers.
In the second part of this paper, there is an analysis of the company Dante International
S.A., eMAG, the biggest online retailer in Romania, with a turnover of over 7 billion lei in 2021.
eMAG’s business model is very similar to Amazon’s largest retailer and both have in common the
diversity of the offered products. eMAG, become bigger each year on the Romanian market by its
various offers and activities, some of which, bringing the Black Friday concept to Romania, and it
was the first e-commerce website that sold cars online for this occasion, it invested over 500,000
euros in a business academy specially made for its staff, and it extended its business to fashion
commerce, food delivery transportation service and it’s most recent service, “Freshful”- the first
fully online supermarket that delivers fresh food to the customer's door, the help them save time
when going to the supermarket.
As comparing eMAG with Amazon, for the third chapter, there was a questionnaire made
to find out Romanian's opinion regarding a digital assistant from eMAG, similar to Amazon’s
Alexa. Alexa is a vocal assistant developed by Amazon in 2013, to assist the user with searching
for various products or information online, playing music, or controlling smart electronic devices
in their home. The device's main working system is using a microphone to recognize people’s
questions or commands, and works after a certain “wake up word”.
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Through the distributed questionnaire, there was a hope to find whether people would want
to use a similar gadget from eMAG and what are their major requests if such a product will be
launched on the Romanian market. After gathering 104 responses from people of all ages, there
was an understanding that Romanians are not yet prepared for such a gadget, and the main reason
for this is the microphone incorporated into the device that could record the users’ conversations
from its home and store it on the company’s servers. Although, Romanians are not yet prepared
for such a product, when asked what would be the main functions that they would like the digital
assistant to have, all were involved with the major requests being: to search for certain products at
affordable prices; to tell the customer the status of his order; comparing the products; advice in
choosing products; similar features to Siri.
Putting it all together, even though we live in the technology era, where people are born
and have tablets or phones as toys, the Romanian society is not yet ready for a digital assistant
made by a Romanian company that doesn’t necessarily have experience in creating such a product,
and even if it will develop a perfect virtual assistant, it is mandatory to assure the customer that
it’s safe to use and it will respect his intimacy. In the digital era, where you can find everything
and anything about everyone at a search button, people feel the need for privacy and the digital
assistant should be made to be similar to a human assistance that is discreet and respects the
intimacy of the home. Moreover, there are high expectations from technology that is continuing to
improve itself and creating new products that make life interesting and exciting.
35
Reference list
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Covid-19 pandemic - an empirical study, Procedia Computer Science 192, p. 3413-3422
9. Kim, M., Kim, S., Kim., J.,(2019). Can mobile and biometric payments replace cards in
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using a discrete choice model, Telematics and Informatics 38, pages 46-58
10. Friedewald, M., Da Costa. O., Punie. Y., Alahuhuta. P., Heinonen. S.,(2005).
Perspectives of ambient intelligence in the home environment, Telematics and
Informatics 22, pages 221-238.
11. Huerta-Torruco, V.A., Hernandez-Uribe, O., Cárdenas-Robledo, L.A., Rodríguez-
Olivares, N.A.,(2022). Effectiveness of virtual reality in discrete event simulation models
for manufacturing systems, Computers & Industrial Engineering 168.
12. Hsu, M., Whu, Y., Lin, I., Liu, C., Lai, F., Liu, P., Chen, C., (2022). Effectiveness of
Virtual Reality Interactive Play for Children During Intravenous Placement: A
Randomized Controlled Trial, Asian Nursing Research, p 1-7, 19
13. Zolkifly, N.H., Baharom, S.N., (2016). Selling Cars through Visual Merchandising:
Proposing Emotional Design Approach, Procedia Economics and Finance 37, p. 412-417.
36
14. Gregori, P., Holzmann, P.,(2020). Digital sustainable entrepreneurship: A business
model perspective on embedding digital technologies for social and environmental value
creation, Journal of Cleaner Production 272.
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intelligence and Blockchain technology, Information Processing and Management 59.
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Available at:
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/society/20200827STO85804/what-is-
artificial-intelligence-and-how-is-it-used [Accesed 23 November 2021]
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influence consumer brand engagement? - Examining the role of AI-powered voice
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payment systems work during the COVID-19 pandemic? Insights from the Spanish users'
viewpoint, Financial Innovation
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media use contributed to individual tendencies towards social media addiction in Italian
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media use, purchase behavior, and mental health, Procedia Computer Science 196, p. 85-
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experience perspective, Computers in Human Behavior 28, p. 1417 - 1426.
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codes to increase user engagement in museum-like spaces, Computers in Human
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24. Guzman, A., (2019). Voices in and of the machine: Source orientation toward mobile
virtual assistants, Computers in Human Behavior 90, p. 343-350.
25. Seceleanu, A., (2021). Dante International, compania din spatele gigantului eMAG, a
facut un profit net de 107 mil. lei in 2020, dublu fata de anul anterior, [online] Available
37
at: https://www.zf.ro/business-hi-tech/dante-international-compania-din-spatele-
gigantului-emag-a-facut-un-20137377 [Accessed 5 May 2022].
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27. Musat, C., (2020). Dupa 7 ani de pierderi, eMAG anunta un profit de 49.5 milioane lei
pentru 2019, [online] Available at: https://gadget.ro/dupa-7-ani-de-pierderi-emag-anunta-
un-profit-de-49-5-milioane-lei-pentru-2019/ [Accessed 11 May 2022]
28. Bellu, C., (2021). eMAG a decis: peste 3.000 de angajaţi vor lucra permanent în sistem
hibrid. Compania îşi păstrează birourile şi investeşte peste 1,5 mil. euro în reamenajarea
sediului central, [online] Available at: https://www.zf.ro/business-hi-tech/emag-a-decis-
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38
Appendix 1
1. Ati utilizat pana in prezent serviciile oferite de eMAG (Dante International SA)?
2. Cat de des apelati la serviciile oferite de eMAG ?
3. Cat de ușor găsiți produsele necesare pe eMAG?
4. Ce este cel mai important pentru dumneavoastra când faceti cumpărături online? (Puteti selecta
mai multe variante de raspuns)
5. Aveți aplicația eMAG descărcată pe telefon?
6. Aveti abonamentul eMAG Genius?
7. Sunteți familiarizați cu conceptul de Vocal Virtual Assistant? (Asistent computerizat care oferă
servicii de asistenta prin internet, prin comenzi vocale)
8. Care dintre următorii asistenți virtuali va sunt cunoscuți? (Puteti selecta mai multe variante de
raspuns)
9. Utilizați în prezent un asistent virtual? Va rugam sa bifați asistentul digital utilizat în prezent:
(Puteti selecta mai multe variante de raspuns)
10. Care sunt comenzile cel mai des folosite atunci cand utilizati asistentul virtual?
11. Sunteți familiarizați cu modul de operare al unui asistent virtual?
12. Sunteți de acord cu înregistrarea permanenta a conversațiilor dumneavoastră?
13. Sunteți de acord cu stocarea tuturor datelor dumneavoastră într-un server al companiei care
furnizează asistentul virtual? (Exemplu: nume, locație, număr de telefon, adresa de E-mail,
informații bancare, comportamentul de cumpărare, activități curente, stare personala)
14. Înainte sa folosiți un produs sau serviciu electronic citiți cu atenție termenii cu condițiile de
utilizare?
15. Pe o scală de la 1 la 5, apreciați cât de mult simțiți ca un asistent virtual va invadează spațiul
personal
16. Pe o scala de la 1 la 5, apreciați dacă ați utiliza un asistent digital oferit de eMAG?
17. Ce functii principale ati dori sa ofere acest asistent oferit de eMAG?
18. In ce categorie de vârsta va încadrați?
19. Gen
20. Mediul de proveniență
21. Ocupatie (Puteti selecta mai multe variante de raspuns)
39
Appendix 2
Figure 1. Age category of respondents

Source: Created by author using Google Forms
Figure 2. Gender of respondents

Figure 3. The environment of origin of respondents

40
Figure 4. Occupation of respondents
41

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Bachelor Thesis - Using Technology in Business

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Bucharest University of Economic Studies

Faculty of Business and Tourism

Prof.univ.dr. Andreea Schiopu

Faculty of Business and Tourism

Using Technology in Business

Prof.univ.dr. Andreea Schiopu

1.Technology in Business ............................................................................................................... 2

1.1 History of technology usage in businesses ............................................................................ 3

1.2 The Future of Technology in Business .................................................................................. 8

1.3 Risks of using Technology in Business ............................................................................... 11

1.4 The power of social media................................................................................................... 13

2.Analysis of Dante International S.A. ......................................................................................... 16

2.1 Company presentation ......................................................................................................... 16

2.2 Analysis of performance indicators for Dante International S.A. ....................................... 19

2.3 SWOT Analysis ................................................................................................................... 20

2.4 Human resources analysis ................................................................................................... 22

3.1. Methodology ....................................................................................................................... 25

3.2. Results ................................................................................................................................ 26

3.3 Proposals .............................................................................................................................. 33

Reference list ................................................................................................................................. 36

Figure 1. Example of social media activity of a business (Emag) through Instagram

Source: created by author, 2021, https://www.instagram.com/emagromania/ [Accessed 16 November 2021]

Figure 2. Interactive Signature

Source: created by the author, 2021, [Accessed 20 November 2021]

1.1 History of technology usage in businesses

Source: Instagram, Anifa Mvuemba, 2020, https://www.instagram.com/p/CAkxz8JgeyU/, [Accessed 22 November

Source: Instagram, Shudu Gram, 2020, https://www.instagram.com/p/CER3abjB8lY/, [Accessed 22 November

Source: Created by author, 2022

1.2 The Future of Technology in Business

1.3 Risks of using Technology in Business

1.4 The power of social media

Figure 6. Example of a Facebook group for eMAG users

Source: Facebook, 2022, https://www.facebook.com/groups/915334021942812, [Accessed 4 May 2022]

2.1 Company presentation

Dante International S.A., also known in Romania as eMAG, is a Romanian joint-stock

Dante International S.A. has the following identification data:

Table 1. Identification data of Dante International S.A.

Unique registration code RO 14399840 (VAT payer)

Registration number J40/372/2002

Address Bucharest, Sector 6, Highway Virtuții no. 148

Source: eMAG, 2022, https://www.emag.ro/cart/checkout, [Accessed 5 May 2022]

Source: Lista Firme, 2022, https://membri.listafirme.ro/pozitionare.asp?cui=14399840, [Accessed 6 May 2022]

Source: Lista Firme, 2022, https://membri.listafirme.ro/pozitionare.asp?cui=14399840, [Accessed 6 May 2022]

Source: Lista Firme, 2022, https://membri.listafirme.ro/pozitionare.asp?cui=14399840, [Accessed 6 May 2022]

2.3 SWOT Analysis

2.4 Human resources analysis

Figure 11. Evolution of employees Dante international S.A. during 2015-2021

Source: Lista Firme, 2022, https://membri.listafirme.ro/pozitionare.asp?cui=14399840, [Accessed 6 May 2022]

eMAG teams is specialized into well-defined sections:

Figure 14. Ease of finding products on eMAG

Figure 15. Important criteria when shopping online

Figure 16. Subscriptions of eMAG Genius

Figure 17. Downloaded eMAG application on smartphone

Figure 19. Most known virtual assistants

Figure 21. Users knowledge regarding how a virtual assistant works

Figure 22. Agreement to permanently record respondents conversations

Figure 1. Age category of respondents

Figure 2. Gender of respondents

Figure 3. The environment of origin of respondents

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