The SIJ Transactions on Industrial, Financial & Business Management (IFBM), Vol. 3, No. 2, February 2015
The Eco-Modular Construction:
Qualitative Research on its Marketing
Use, Design and Development
Diana Foris*, Cristina Nicolau**, Tiberiu Foris*** & Vasile Grecu****
*Lecturer, PhD, Department of Food and Tourism Engineering and Management, Transilvania University of Brașov, ROMANIA.
E-Mail: diana.foris{at}unitbv{dot}ro
**Lecturer, PhD, Department of Management and Economic Informatics, Transilvania University of Brașov, ROMANIA.
E- Mail: cristina.nicolau{at}unitbv{dot}ro
***Professor, PhD, Department of Management and Economic Informatics, Transilvania University of Brașov, ROMANIA.
E- Mail: tiberiu.foris{at}unitbv{dot}ro
****Project Manager, S.C. RedDome Shelter of Miercurea-Ciuc, ROMANIA. E- Mail: grecuvasile{at}yahoo{dot}com
Abstract—The eco-modular construction represents a new type of construction developed so as to be
ecological and easy to build, this research aiming at discovering its new uses so as to design more particular
products. Through the applying of a questionnaire as a quantitative research instrument, this research aims
firstly at appreciating the necessity of using the eco-modular construction both domestically and
professionally, secondly at identifying the general and particular domestic and professional uses of such a
product and thirdly at identifying the most frequent uses given to the product by the researched population. In
this respect, the results generated three representations with a significant importance at the level of the sample:
greenhouse, bikepark and dwelling – with more uses, as well as several others worthy of being taken into
consideration: emergency shelter, hobbit dwelling, bird watching observatory, relaxation area, children play
area, events area etc. so we herein conclude that, as population’s needs and attitudes are changing, the design
of constructions will change as well, such eco-modular construction representing an alternative to safely
preserve the environment.
Keywords—Ecological Construction; Indoor and Outdoor Product Use; Marketing Quantitative Research;
Modular Construction; Product Design; Product Development; Product Success.
I.
E
INTRODUCTION
CO-MODULAR constructions have been developed
based on the population’s needs to build dwellings in
an ecological-friendly environment. We underline that
fact that up to the present, we have not identified similar
products on the European market, the major advantages of the
products herein presented being: they have no foundation
irreversibly damaging the environment, they have fine
triangulation, rapid assembling and easy change of
used/damaged pieces. Hence, this piece of research has a high
innovative character as being part of a comprehensive
research project aimed at improving the production system of
eco-modular constructions, at deeply studying used materials
and optimum mathematical models for their design and at
providing solutions for closure/opening systems, module
assembling/disassembling, safety systems, designing electromechanical equipment necessary to standardizing production,
writing assembling/disassembling, use and recycling manuals
and for finite products homologation. Hence, the challenge
ISSN: 2321-242X
for the team implementing this product on the market is
represented by the development of the product range by
identifying the means these constructions respond to their
future consumers’ needs and the fields these eco-modular
constructions may be used within.
Moreover, the added value ensured by this project of
research, development and innovation is based on increasing
the use of eco-modular constructions by finding and using the
most efficient materials, by providing them with the most
ecological and useful accessories, respectively by using the
most performant production technologies so as to best meet
the targeted consumers’ needs and responding to market
conditions (usefulness, safety in exploitation and comfort,
competitive prices).
II.
LITERATURE REVIEW AND RELATED
WORKS
In order to define the eco-modular construction, we must
firstly highlight that the idea of such a product came out from
© 2015 | Published by The Standard International Journals (The SIJ)
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The SIJ Transactions on Industrial, Financial & Business Management (IFBM), Vol. 3, No. 2, February 2015
the research team’s hobby of hiking up the mountains, so
they had the need of safety in cases of bad weather. As
mountain shelters in Romanian mountains were not
frequently located and nor did they meet tourists’ basic needs,
researchers thought of developing a new product provided
with the necessary accessories so as to help in saving
endangered tourists’ lives. The product was called the ecomodular mountain shelter [Foris et al., 1] and it is the first
product developed as an eco-modular construction.
With respect to this type of product (presented in Figure
1 below), we underline the fact that it is a structure made up
of more pieces easily assembled by the human being, placed
on a foundation that does not irreversibly damage the
environment. This type of construction may be made of
different materials, according to its designated use (our
general objective in this paper being to find out the various
uses of these constructions). As regards its modular feature,
we highlight that this construction is assembled from more
modular units [2] which permit the easily relocation of the
construction if needed, so this construction is flexible and reusable.
Figure 1: The Eco-Modular Construction – Generic Presentation
Furthermore, the need of such constructions is also
presented in a number of literature specialty items which
underline the need of changing the structure of constructions
according to the 21st century challenges: reduction of CO2
emissions, respect for the environment, decrease of global
warming consequences, insufficient natural resources and
their rational use, water savings, eco-materials design, use of
conventional energies etc. Thus, ecological architecture
started being a concept widely used and more developed
[Paredes Benitez & Sanchez Vidiella, 3] whereas
population’s needs aimed at producing small-scale habitats
more ecological, flexible and efficient adhering to modern
standards of style and comfort [Richardson, 4]. In addition,
modular buildings offer by their assembling concept great
advantages, of which: high performance design, better
insulation value and improvement of energy efficiency
[Kaufmann & Remick, 5], minimized waste, recycling and
improved quality control, pre-assembly being considerable
safer and improving on-site efficiency, decreasing
construction time and addressing issues of health and safety
[Swaback, 6].
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III.
RESEARCH SCOPE, OBJECTIVES,
METHODOLOGY AND SAMPLING
This piece of qualitative research aimed at identifying
products to be developed by the trading company RedDome
Shelter S.R.L. of Miercurea-Ciuc, Romania, and at
establishing the market potential of such products that should
diversify its production. We chose this type of research as it
offers a study design that better corresponds to our research
question and needs [Merriam, 7]. Thus, the general objective
is finding the uses of eco-modular constructions and
determining accessories needed to face with consumers’
needs. In order to meet this goal, we developed the specific
objectives, presented below, which express the aim of the
research in measurable terms and define the scope of the
research instruments:
O1. Identifying research population’s characteristics and
analysing its indoor and outdoor hobbies in its spare time so
as to appreciate the necessity of using the eco-modular
construction both domestically and professionally.
O2. Identifying the general and particular domestic and
professional uses of the product.
O3. Identifying the most frequent uses given to the
product by the researched population and generating seven
(or more) products to be developed as an objective of the
European financed project implemented by the trading
company S.C. RedDome Shelter S.R.L.
Within this qualitative research, we used the qualitative
in-depth interview approach on the target population
represented by people from all the Romanian areas (possible
users/buyers of the eco-modular constructions) so as the
sample to be representative from the point of view of the
territorial coverage. We chose this approach as it enables the
researchers to conduct guided conversations so as to elicit
rich and detailed materials [Rossman & Rallis, 8] whereas
better describing subjects’ experiences and interactions
[Hsiu-ching Ko, 9]. With this purpose, we designed a
questionnaire as a research instrument whereas for a better
and easier data collection, we used the online form created
with the help of google.forms. The questionnaire consisted of
11 questions, of which sever are characterization questions
(gender, age, occupation field, country, rural/urban, indoor
and outdoor free time hobbies) and four questions are on the
identification of the product or its daily uses (domestically or
professionally). We must state that there are three multiplechoice questions whereas the other ones are open questions
aimed at stimulating respondents’ creativity and freedom of
expression.
After creating the online form of the questionnaire
(online marketing instrument offer real benefits [Manjit S.
Yadav & Paul A. Pavlou, 10]), the following link was
generated:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1IXldqmNVtEAitOXeMi5h8BNgNjthgaSmaL5IyZUWwY/viewform and it
was promoted among employees, co-operators and customers
of the beneficiary of this research, among researchers’ friends
and on socialising networks [Michael Trusov et al., 11]. The
© 2015 | Published by The Standard International Journals (The SIJ)
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The SIJ Transactions on Industrial, Financial & Business Management (IFBM), Vol. 3, No. 2, February 2015
process of primary data collection lasted two months and the
final sample consisted of 261 people, so we underline that it
has a balanced distribution with regard to the sociodemographic characteristics (age, gender, county, occupation
field, rural/urban), being representative at the level of the
whole Romanian population. The respondents’ answers were
collected into a data base created with google.drive which
offered a real time report of the research results which were
attentively interpreted and analysed. Besides, using
netnography offers real benefits, as for instance, more
simplicity in administering tools, shorter reaction times from
respondents and less expenditure [Robert V. Kozinets, 12].
According to Figure 2, we may observe that according to
gender, there were 40.23% women and 59.77% men
participating to the research. With regard to respondents’
ages, 36.02% were aged between 25 and 35 years old,
28.74%were under 25 years old and 15.71% were aged
between 36 and 45 years old. This is significant for our
research underlining our subjects’ innovative contribution
and increasing the product impact following the research of
their needs, attitudes and opinions.
7.27%
under 25 years old
between 25 and 35 years old
40.23%
women
59.77%
men
12.26%
28.74%
between 36 and 45 years old
15.71%
between 46 and 55 years old
over 55 years old
36.02%
Figure 2: Sample Characterisation according to “Gender” and “Age” Variables
Analysing the sample according to the respondents’
country of residence (Romania is divided into 41
administrative countries), according to Figure 3, we state that
they belong to the following countries: Brașov (32.57%),
București and Ilfov region (13.03%), Harghita (10.73%), Cluj
(7.66%) and Sibiu (5.36%). We remark that the Romanian
Central Development Region is best represented in the
sample (there are eight development regions). Moreover,
another characterization element of the sample is belonging
to rural/urban areas, which is very important in observing the
significant differences regarding the role and utility of the
product between the two sub-samples. In this respect, we
underline that 92.72% of the researched population lives in
urban areas whereas only 7.28% lives in rural areas.
Brașov
București and Ilfov
1.92%
Harghita
14.18%
1.53%
1.53%
7.28%
Cluj
32.57%
6.13%
5.36%
Bacău
rural
Iași
13.03%
5.36%
7.66%
urban
Sibiu
10.73%
Mureș
Bihor
Prahova
92.72%
other
Figure 3: Sample Characterization according to “County” and “Urban/Rural” Variables
From the point of view of the field the respondents work,
we observe, in Figure 4 below, that 22.99% (meaning 60
people) are students (studying for academic degrees as
bachelors, masters and PhDs) whereas 77.01% (meaning 201
people) work in different occupational fields: 16.09% in
technology (engineering, chemist, physician, researcher),
13.79% in economics, 11.12% in education (teacher, trainer,
professor), 6.90%are self-employed (photographer, graphical
designer, freelancer, designer, editor, journalist, architect,
translator, artist etc.), 6.51% in psycho-sociology and health
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(nurse, social worker, psychologist, pharmacist, doctor etc.).
Moreover, there were 5.36% in IT (programmer, 3D
animator, game tester, web designer, IT support consultant,
system administrator etc.), 7.75% in marketing (sales agent,
customer representative, marketing specialist, buyer/planner,
advertiser etc.), 4.60% in management (secretary, consultant,
manager, project manager, investment analyst, recruiter etc.),
2.68% in law and 4.21% have other occupations (of which, 3
people are retired and other 3 are unemployed).
© 2015 | Published by The Standard International Journals (The SIJ)
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The SIJ Transactions on Industrial, Financial & Business Management (IFBM), Vol. 3, No. 2, February 2015
2.68% 4.21%
students
4.60%
technology
education
22.99%
5.75%
economics
self-employed
5.36%
psycho-sociology and health
6.51%
16.09%
6.90%
IT
marketing
management
13.79%
11.12%
law
other
Figure 4: Sample Characterization according to “Occupation Field” Variable
IV.
RESEARCH RESULTS
Our first objective was to identify the ecological modular
construction with a product or image, according to the use the
respondents gave to it. According to Table5below, for
31.50% of total answers, respondents considered that this
construction represented a shelter, refuge, dome, mountain
shelter, roof or inner arch of a roof (we consider that this
percentage is higher because of the high probability that the
subjects know the mountain shelters located by S.C.
RedDome Shelter S.R.L. in the Făgăraș Mountains within the
Romanian Carpathians). The second representation of the
product given by 22.45% of total respondents’ answers was a
house/building/construction, so the product may be
developed as an accommodation dwelling. Other
representations of the product are: greenhouse (9.85%), tent
(8.27%), igloo (7.09%), recreation area (2.76%) and
expositional area (1.97%).
Table 5: General Representation of the Product
Respondents’ Answers
Greenhouse, gazebo
Igloo
Construction, modular construction, geodesic dome, semi-sphere, house, semi-balloon, sphere,
dwelling
Expositional area, advertisement, advertising tent, sales booth
Solar collector
Planetarium
Gas tank
Container for heating water by using solar energy
Office
Barn, storage house
Children play area
Tent
Shelter, refuge, dome, mountain refuge, roof, inner arch roof
Recreational area, party area, room, Versailles pyramid
Football balloon, sport stadium
Human being-space relationship, framework, space
Mini-helmet, ball, terrestrial globe, decoration
Spaceship
I don’t know, no answer, unaccounted answers
TOTAL
With regard to the hobbies practiced by our respondents
in their spare time, they have a significant importance in
helping us analysing the representation of the product and of
its uses given to the eco-modular construction. Thus, we
divided such hobbies into two categories: indoor and outdoor,
as we consider our research will benefit from more ideas
from the respondents. The first category (presented in Table
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No. of
Answers
25
18
Frequency in Total
Answers (%)
9.85
7.09
57
22.45
5
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
21
80
7
5
20
4
1
3
254
1.97
0.39
0.39
0.39
0.39
0.39
0.79
0.39
8.27
31.50
2.76
1.97
7.87
1.57
0.39
1.18
100
6) mainly consists of reading activities (27.42%), Internet and
computer activities (12.23%) and home cinema (9.86%). The
other hobbies, even if less represented, show that the
respondents spent a lot of their spare time at home, whereas
the domestic uses of the eco-modular construction
(hereinafter presented) underline the fact that these research
results are in accordance with their hobbies.
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The SIJ Transactions on Industrial, Financial & Business Management (IFBM), Vol. 3, No. 2, February 2015
Table 6: Sample Characterization according to the “Indoor Hobbies” Variable
No. of
Respondents’ Answers
Answers
Painting, photographing, drawing
18
Gardening
21
Reading
139
Dancing, exercising and sports, fitness, Zumba, power walk
16
Home cinema
50
Repairing (watches and other objects), hand-made decorations manufacturing, modellism,
tapestry, bricolage, knitting, designing, locksmithing, craftsmanship, constructions, interior
24
design
TV, cartoons and documentaries watching
26
Music (listening or playing an instrument)
35
Internet, computer, gaming, online activities
62
Learning and studying
9
Board games (rummy, crossword puzzles, darts, puzzles etc.)
8
Socialising (different activities with friends, kids, pets)
14
Cooking and eating activities
48
Housework
27
Resting and relaxing activities (sleeping, meditation or yoga)
8
Farming
1
Volunteering activities
1
TOTAL
507
By analysing the primary data obtained, we observe that
4.14% of respondents have as a hobby gardening, so the aim
of the eco-modular shelter as a greenhouse is mentioned by
37.02% of total answers. Moreover, we remark that the
respondents’ indoor hobbies are generally manufacturing
activities, so 17.21% of them consider that this product has a
domestic utility as a room, work place, little house or
personal space where to develop hobbies as: repairing work
(of watches or different objects), hand-made manufacturing
of decorations, modellism, tapestry, bricolage, knitting,
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4.73
5.13
6.90
12.23
1.78
1.58
2.76
9.46
5.32
1.58
0.20
0.20
100
designing, locksmithing, craftmanship, constructions, interior
design (4.73%). In addition, because of the practical character
of
the
eco-modular
construction,
according
to
12.67%respondents, it may be an ideal room for storing
objects, garage, laundry drying, shed (external storage),
closet (dressing), storage; according to 7.14% of the
respondents, it may be an ideal playing room for children
whereas for 5.19% respondents the construction is a
relaxation and leisure room.
Table 7: Domestic Uses given to the Eco-Modular Construction
No. of
Respondents’ Answers
Answers
Greenhouse, summer garden, arbour, gazebo, mini-green house, porch, terrace, garden
114
gazebo
Sauna, bath, spa, relaxation room, therapy area, medication area, isolator
16
Mini-kitchen, kitchen, summer kitchen
11
dwelling, shelter, bedded-shelter against mosquitos, sleeping room, living room, tent,
53
bunker, camping house, guest house, socialising room
Office, workroom
6
Warehouse, garage, laundry dryer, shed (external storage), closet (dressing), storage
39
Children playing area
22
Smokehouse
1
Stall, kennel, pigsty
2
Fitness room, game room, home cinema room, mancave, entertainment room, meeting and
16
conference room, recreation room, xbox room, party room, reading area, sport area
Helmet, decoration, lamp, basket, pot
9
Pool roof, sun roof, attic roof (with opening as an observatory)
5
I don’t know, no answer, unaccounted answers
14
TOTAL
308
With regard to sample characterization from the point of
view of their outdoor hobbies, 33.97% of them practice
different sports (presented in Table 8 below), 32.90% love
travelling whereas 5.02% practise socializing activities.
Frequency in Total
Answers (%)
3.55
4.14
27.42
3.16
9.86
Frequency in
Total Answers (%)
37.02
5.19
3.57
17.21
1.95
12.67
7.14
0.32
0.65
5.19
2.92
1.62
4.55
100
These preoccupations are strongly correlated to the uses
given to the eco-modular construction outside the personal
indoor areas.
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The SIJ Transactions on Industrial, Financial & Business Management (IFBM), Vol. 3, No. 2, February 2015
Table 8: Sample Characterization according to the “Outdoor Hobbies” Variable
No. of
Respondents’ Answers
Answers
Walking, travelling, trips, hiking, tourism objectives visiting
151
Sports (swimming, basketball, ski, snowboard, cycling, football, jogging, tennis, ping-pong,
156
slacklining, bouldering, motorcycling, rolling, kayaking, jiu-jitsu)
Socialising (meeting friends, going out, outdoor games, parties, visits, spending time with children,
23
picnicking)
Reading, writing, learning, studying
9
Meetings of associations, groups or clubs (scouts), volunteering
14
Gardening
18
Course attendance, singing or playing instruments
4
Dancing
8
Shopping
21
Photography, sculpture
11
Cinema, theatre, exhibitions, concerts
17
Body maintenance, spa, fitness, exercise in parks, sauna, kangoo jumps, spiritual activities
12
Wood chopping, house and garden maintenance, repairing work, new/old construction development
7
works, lawn mowing
Business (beekeeping, mushroom)
4
Fishing
4
TOTAL
459
If we have previously identified the domestic use given
by the respondents to the eco-modular construction, we
continued the research by concluding about its use at the
respondents’ workplaces. Thus, according to their answers,
we found the following professional uses of the product:
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33.97
5.02
1.96
3.05
3.92
0.87
1.74
4.58
2.40
3.70
2.62
1.53
0.87
0.87
100
room with different functions (with a frequency of 25.00%)
presented in detail in Table 9 below, recreation room
(23.11%), smoking room (9.89%), storage (8.71%), green
house (4.92%), shelter (2.66%) and children play room
(2.27%).
Table 9: Professional Uses of the Eco-Modular Construction (At the Workplace)
No. of
Respondents’ Answers
Answers
Relaxation room (coffee, lunch break), gazebo, spa, sauna, massage, creative room, socializing room,
61
recreation room, meditation/spirituality/reflection room, reading room, library
Micro-greenhouse, garden, ecological greenhouse, solarium
13
Reception area, room for meetings/events, mini-conferences room, meeting room, computer room,
information office, training room, newspaper editing office, volunteering room, workers’ locker, office,
66
lecture room, waiting room, phonic isolated room, decoration
Sleeping room, tent, accommodation room for workers
5
Children play room, tent for children activities
6
Shopping basket
1
Storage
23
Cafeteria
5
Elevator
1
Study/research object, industrial model
2
Sport rooms, outdoor activities room
4
Smoking room
26
Bike shelter
4
Exposition, advertisement space
6
First-aid room, area for patients
2
Bunker, refuge, isolator, shelter
7
Shop
2
Praying room
1
I don’t know, I don’t answer, unaccounted answers
29
TOTAL
264
The last question of our research instrument aimed at
identifying any other uses of the eco-modular construction
that have not been previously identified. In this respect, apart
from using this construction at home or at workplace, the
respondents stated that its first function shall be the mountain
Frequency in
Total Answers (%)
32.90
Frequency in
Total Answers (%)
23.11
4.92
25.00
1.89
2.27
0.37
8.71
1.89
0.37
0.76
1.52
9.89
1.52
2.27
0.76
2.66
0.76
0.37
10.98
100
shelter (12.25%), being followed by relaxation room and
public room (every with 9.93% in total answers), children
play room (9.60%), greenhouse (9.27%), tent and storage
room (every with 7.62%), as presented in Table 10 below.
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The SIJ Transactions on Industrial, Financial & Business Management (IFBM), Vol. 3, No. 2, February 2015
Table 10: Other uses of the Eco-Modular Construction
Respondents’ Answers
Greenhouse, in gardening activities
Relaxation room, seaside relaxation room with windows, personal area, massage room, recreation
room, tourism room, sauna, hamam, spa, resting place, gazebo, relaxation room by chromatic and
sound stimulation, aromatherapy, saline, pool
Garden (botanical,zen, for raising butterflies), ornamental construction in parks or on buildings,
astronomic observatory, transparent roof observatory, bird watching shelter, cool shelter in parks
Animal shelter/cage, bird cage, chick incubator, pet enclosure in commercial areas
Accommodation construction in campings, holiday cottage, ecologic house, bungalow, children
camp, body of an ingenious building
(Public) space for meetings, banquets, art gallery, constructions to be used for festivals, advertisement
props, board for various posters, exposition or decoration tent for fairs or tourist information centres
(every triangle offering information on a specific place or event), space for (public) performances,
theatre, conferences, product presentation, youth centres, (theatre or music) rehearsal area, museum,
ad filming studio
Children play area, ballet area, entertainment area
Shelter, mountain shelter, nature shelter, bunker
Outdoor tent
Smoking area
Café
Igloo
Storage area, garage, roof, bed weather shelter, waste containers area
Emergency shelters, social accommodation constructions for the homeless and victims, temporary
house, health tent, isolator for medical diseased people
Bus station or station for public transportation
Green grocery, temporary store, newspaper stand, mini bookshop
Bike-park
Tennis court, gym, area for recreation and exercise, games room
Mini-work shop, scientific/research lab, academic lab
Individual offices fuelled with solar energy
Phone booths
I don’t know, no answer, unaccounted answers
TOTAL
V.
CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE WORK
This piece of marketing research aimed at identifying the
main uses that the eco-modular construction may have so as
to develop new products. We herein highlight that the major
benefit of such constructions built as modular is its new way
of building based on factory-made units installed and
connected on site so as it to become functioning [Lawson et
al., 13].
Because of the diversity of the sample, representative for
the researched population, this research of quantitative type
focused on the three objectives that it successfully fulfilled: it
identified research population’s characteristics and analysed
its indoor and outdoor hobbies in its spare time so as to
appreciate the necessity of using the eco-modular
construction both domestically and professionally; it
identified the general and particular domestic and
professional uses of the product and it identified the most
frequent uses given to the product by the researched
population and generated more products to be developed. In
this respect, our further research shall focus on identifying the
product designs, features and accessories so as to be
developed for meeting market needs, as follows:
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No. of
Answers
28
Frequency in
Total Answers (%)
9.27
30
9.93
15
4.97
6
1.99
12
3.97
30
9.93
29
37
23
2
1
2
23
9.60
12.25
7.62
0.66
0.33
0.66
7.62
13
4.30
8
10
2
7
7
1
1
15
302
2.65
3.31
0.66
2.33
2.33
0.33
0.33
4.97
100
- Greenhouse
- Bike-park
- Emergency shelter
- Hobbit dwelling
- Bird watching observatory
- Relaxation area
- Children play area
- Events area.
As market potential, we underline that among all the
generated ideas with regard to the use of the eco-modular
constructions, three representations had a significant
importance at the level of the sample: greenhouse, bike-park
and dwelling – with more uses. Thus, we must continue our
research with the aim of developing every use of this
construction herein found out into a new product, so more
pieces of qualitative research shall be undertaken. We also
highlight the potential importance of our findings to this field
encouraging other researchers to contribute to this topic,
more precisely with the materials the eco-modular
construction is made of. Moreover, we consider that this
marketing instrument applied only on rural population would
generate other uses of the eco-modular construction so as to
contribute to population’s present needs of recreation.
© 2015 | Published by The Standard International Journals (The SIJ)
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The SIJ Transactions on Industrial, Financial & Business Management (IFBM), Vol. 3, No. 2, February 2015
Thus, we may build a brand for the eco-modular shelter
in order to address its customers’ needs by using emotional
branding which is considered to be the key for marketing
success [Craig J. Thompson et al., 14]. Future research shall
also focus on identifying if the current predictive models
[Gruner et al., 15] may be used so as to predict the ecomodular shelter success whereas developing new product
support mechanisms.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This paper presents the results obtained within an ample
piece of research conducted in the project entitled “Modular
Eco-Shelters, Product Development”, co-financed by the
European Fund of regional development implemented by the
Romanian trading company RedDome Shelter of MiercureaCiuc, a limited liability company.
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Diana Foris. Bachelor of Engineering.
Bachelor of Law. Master of Enterprise
Management.
PhD in
Administrative
Sciences. She is a lecturer with the Faculty of
Food and Tourism, the Transilvania
University of Brașov, Romania, being
involved in research related to tourism macroeconomic policies and strategies, legal
regulations, quality management and unit
certification. Before joining the academic environment, Diana
worked for the Romanian Ministry of Tourism as a counsellor. She
is the author of four books, 12 articles published in journals and 30
articles published in proceedings.
Cristina Nicolau. Bachelor of Arts in foreign
languages (English anf French). Bachelor of
Management.Master of Science in Tourism
Strategies.PhD in Management, the thesis
focusing of researching crisis management in
SMEs. Currently lecturing within the
Department of Management and Economic
Informatics, Transilvania University of
Brașov, Romania. Research interests in
business management centred on SMEs in tourism and services:
human resources management, risk and crisis management and
project management. She is the author of one book as co-author and
14 published papers and attended to 5international conferences and
more professional development seminars.
Tiberiu Foris. Bachelor of Automotive
Engineering. Bachelor of Marketing. PhD in
Economic Informatics. He is a professor with
the Faculty of Economic Sciences and
Business Administration, the Transilvania
University of Brașov, Romania, head of the
Management and Economic Informatics
Department. Tiberiu is currently teaching
human resources management, project
management and comparative management. He is the author of 150
articles presented within national and international conferences and
a member of scientific commitees of more journals.
Vasile Grecu. Bachelor of Mathematics.He
worked as a teacher in the Romanian national
education system for 17 years. Currently, he
is the project manager of S.C. RedDome
Shelter S.R.L. of Miercurea-Ciuc, Romania, a
trading company working to develop new
products starting from the idea of ecological
modular constructions that he and his team
designed based on their experience as
mountain scouts.
© 2015 | Published by The Standard International Journals (The SIJ)
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